Massage and hot tub in Berkeley

August 21, 2015 9:39 PM

Please recommend somewhere for a woman to go for a massage and hot tub (latter with partner) in Berkeley, CA.

This is for a birthday gift visit. In Santa Cruz I'd get a coupon for Well Within Spa ("Our environment can best be described as “Japanese traditions blended with California lifestyle.” A beautiful garden view and the sound of trickling water are always nearby. We enhance your experience with professional, friendly service in a serene environment."), but have no idea how to find somewhere similarly laid-back and non-sleazy in Berkeley.

Thanks!

posted by anadem to Health & Fitness (4 answers total)

Go to banya in hunters point - you won't regret
posted by specialk420 at 10:02 PM on August 21, 2015

Banya is an experience worth checking out, but you can get a really nice soak and massage at either Piedmont Springs in Oakland or Albany Hot Tubs in, duh, Albany. Really mellow, nice atmosphere with clean facilities at both places. Neither is sleazy at all.
posted by latkes at 10:41 PM on August 21, 2015

This would have been Berkeley Sauna, but they had a fire and moved and now only offer massage at their new location, woe! So: seconding both Piedmont Springs and Albany Hot Tubs, depending on which is more convenient for you. Both have private tubs that are open to the sky, which I find blissful. I like Albany Hot Tubs' redwood tubs a little bit better, and parking is a little easier (it's also super convenient to the 18 bus). Both are hit-or-miss on massage therapists, but so are most places, so read reviews and schedule in advance to get the good ones.

(Note: Albany Hot Tubs is NOT related to the Hot Tubs chain of hot tub places, which I enthusiastically dis-recommend.)
posted by rhiannonstone at 2:20 PM on August 22, 2015

Thanks for the help. Hunters Point is a bit far for a bike from Berkeley but sometime maybe I can take my UCB genius to Banya too.
posted by anadem at 9:01 AM on August 26, 2015