Natura Spa – CLOSED
$$ Day Spas, Skin Care
3240 Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90010
Natura Spa is basement level. Natura Spa is basement level. Natura Spa is basement level. I watched a video on how repetition is the key to memory. I had a Groupon for two here. I visit spas often with varying levels of Korean culture infused to each. I have a coworker who absolutely loves this place and I was probably going to visit based on her recommendation alone. She goes here often. It seems a lot of people who keep this afloat has seen its better days. After visiting here, I feel like I’ve seen better days myself.
When we entered, we were dropped off from an Uber into the grand driveway of an eerie dim building. It was reminiscent of that spooky old hotel in Downtown LA where they found a girl who drowned in the water tank after everyone was complaining about the rancid water. There is one light next to one desk with a security guard in the middle. He pointed to a cavern of plywood behind him amidst a massive construction project in the lobby. There is literally this 200 foot path made out of large 10 foot high plywood boards that one walks straight and then makes a sharp right that leads to one elevator door at the end of it.
The elevator only has floors listed, nothing else. Even the address on Yelp gives no clue to this floor of this spa. So I had to call the front desk of Natura Spa on my cell phone while standing in the elevator. Receptionist said basement. She hangs up. I literally press B and see her two seconds later when the door opens. Two guys who saw that we were clumsy at knowing our surroundings pushed in front of us and just walked through and past the reception area into the spa. I think they were regulars. The receptionist just kind of shrugged.
She took our Groupon and just kind of let us through with keys to lockers located at on opposite ends, no directions, nothing. I never been here before and I felt like I had to go through a bizarre rude awakening to what this spa was all about. First off, robes are not needed late at night. Robes are not only discouraged but forbidden in all of the men’s steam and sauna rooms. The gender-neutral relaxation area, which consists of recliners and television had only men. It was kind of an awful place. The sauna even had a television in it! Terrible. Even though I showered literally before I got to the spa, some guy in the sauna told me to get out of the hot tub and that I needed to shower. There is a sign that he pointed to, an incredibly specific sign that states everyone needs to shower in this room first. Fine.
Maybe it was because of that creepy hotel vibe I got, that I noticed that everyone there looked like they’ve been regulars here for years. They’ve all had their slow ritualistic zombie patterns, sitting in the hot tub, moving to the cold pool, then moving to the steam room. The entire area is one medium sized room that consisted of a steam room, sauna, few showers, a cold pool and an ice room. So you can watch everyone from everywhere you sit in this one room. And more importantly, they can watch you.
I spent 90 minutes here trying not to be a spa zombie and had a good enough and relaxing time as I do with all spas. But the televisions, the creepy hotel vibe at night, the hotel ‘regulars’ and more televisions, will make me avoid passing through the plywood maze to this place in the future.
Useful: 9 Funny: 19 Cool: 4
7/15/2017