King Spa & Sauna

809 Civic Center Dr, Niles, IL

King Spa & Sauna in Niles is Chicagoland's Korean jjimjilbang, a 34,000-square-foot, 24-hour spa that has been running for more than twenty years and is often called the largest Korean spa in the country. The co-ed sauna floor holds nine themed rooms: a Gold Pyramid, a Pink Salt Dome, Amethyst and Hinoki, Charcoal, Ocher and Base Rock rooms, the blistering Fire Sudatorium and the kiln-like Bul Ga Ma, with an Ice Room to cool down between them. Behind the gender-separated doors are the traditional bathhouses: hot and cold pools, steam rooms, hot tubs and cold plunges, used in the nude in the Korean tradition. Admission is $75 at the door, or $45 with the e-coupon day pass from the website, and it buys the whole day (and night: new entry pauses from 2 to 6 a.m., but guests inside may stay, with a $20 overnight fee). Spa attire, towels and toiletries are provided; bring a government ID. A restaurant serves Korean and American dishes and fresh juices, and body scrubs, massage, V-steam and facials are available as extras. Children eight and older are welcome with a same-gender guardian, which makes it one of the few multi-generational spa days in the region. It is a full-day destination rather than a quick session, and the ideal introduction to Korean bath culture for anyone in the Chicago area. Plan on three hours minimum, pace the hot rooms, and save the Bul Ga Ma for last.