Welcome to Vogue’s first-ever spa guide—a compendium of the 100 best spas worldwide, pulling from the expertise of our global editors. There is a lot out there in the world of wellness, and we are here to sort the cryo from the cold plunge, the infrared light treatment from the IV infusion. Or if your path is a more holistic one—there’s something for you here as well.
Why go here?
Like the busy urbane gyms thatthe Equinox brand is known for, The Spa by Equinox Hotels in New York’s Hudson Yards is engineered for performance. It’s a bit like a spa on a spaceship: gray, no-nonsense, austere. It will suit athletes (real and self-styled) who equate wellness with relentless optimization. What’s better than an hour-long HIIT session with a personal trainer at the Equinox Club, or a session inside the MLX i3 Dome infrared sauna chamber at the Equinox spa.
Photo: Courtesy of Equinox Hotel New York
What’s the vibe?
Rigorously pared down, The Spa by Equinox Hotels is all monastic atmospherics (slab desks in reception, iron-colored upholstery, slat-wood accents) and athletic functionality. A nice touch are the hooded terry bathrobes from Reigning Champ, which will make you feel like an extra on Creed 3. Unsurprisingly the offerings skew high-tech. The Icoone Roboderm lymphatic drainage and slimming machine ($285 for a 60-minute session) looks like something in a med clinic aboard the International Space Station. The cryotherapy chamber (three minutes for $70) is like a supercomputer.
Photo: Courtesy of Equinox Hotel New York
What’s the history
Equinox Hotel New York opened in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards in 2019 in a bid to extend the gym brand towards a kind of low-key, high-function luxury. The rooms are described as “sleep chambers” (machines for living!) and the spa, a cool, collected space designed by Joyce Wang Studio, keeps any woo-woo gestures toward spirituality at bay.
Photo: Courtesy of Equinox Hotel New York
What should you try?
I especially enjoyed my cryotherapy session, an invigorating three minutes of hyperintense cold that left me feeling perky and alive—the perfect capper to a sweaty workout. An hour-long CBD Relief Massage from the massage therapist Guillermo was hypnotically enjoyable. Be sure to peruse the range of IV drips if you’re not feeling quite as optimized as you’d like. I tried the Nutrifit IV Drip, which was full of amino acids and other beneficial things—and was tinted green like Gatorade. Also green: my delicious Electric Kale Smoothie (from the appealing menu of bowls, sandwiches and juices).
Who can go?
Anyone can book sessions here. You don’t have to be an Equinox Club member or a guest of the hotel.
Booking details for The Spa by Equinox Hotels
Address: 33 Hudson Yards, New York, NY 10001
Read more from Vogue’s Global Spa Guide.