Tall, rigid bamboo screens flank the chocolate-brown corridors. A blast of balmy warm air envelopes your body. The gentle gurgle of water is soothing music to your ears. Amidst all these sensory delights, the heart of the Olympus Spa lies in the 2,000-year-old traditions of the Korean bathhouse and spa.

“My parents came 15 years ago from Korea, (and they) decided to open a business … as an alternate way to survive,” explains Sun Lee.

The original Olympus Spa opened near Tacoma, in Lakewood, in 1997 to fulfill both business and personal goals. Lee’s mother was the impetus. “My mom cannot stand the cold weather, and Korea had lots of spas with heated rooms,” he explains. As a result, they designed a spa concept unifying Korean and Western ideals.

The Lynnwood location followed eight years later, flaunting more square footage and an expanded range of services. Visitors can enjoy therapeutic whirlpools with hydro jets, scrubbing rooms, heated rooms (similar to a sauna), and massage and beauty treatments. There is a day-use fee for the bathhouse and heated rooms; all other services are offered a la carte.

Sunlight filters through the skylights above the bathhouse where you have a choice of four hydrotherapy pools at temperatures ranging from 60 to 104 degrees. After a soak, splash some herbal tea water on your body to soften your skin, increase blood circulation and kill bacteria.

In the adjacent scrubbing rooms, you can experience an all-body scrub at the hands of an attendant wearing a special mitt who will exfoliate your skin according to ancient Korean traditions. This can be followed by a moisturizing treatment comprising all-natural, organic ingredients of fresh ground cucumber, olive oil, milk and honey.

What really sets Olympus Spa apart are the heated rooms lined with different elements purported to have healing properties. The rooms are heated using far-infrared rays, a macro-ray also emitted by the human body, which promotes blood circulation, helps to expel toxins and stimulates cells, bones and muscles. “Ancient medicinal concepts have been embedded in the heated rooms to promote health,” according to Lee.

For example, the Elvan Stone (Mineral Adamantine Stone) Meditation Room is lined with imported Elvan stone harvested from the bottom of the seas surrounding Korea. The stone was discovered in China about 3,000 years ago and was found to contain 40 different types of minerals beneficial to the human body. It has been extensively used in Eastern medicine ever since. Jade’s healing properties, including the belief that it can promote cell healing, are the focus of the Jade and Mud Heat Room. The Charcoal Room’s carbon components are reputed to help absorb impurities in your body, much like a water filtration system.

If your body needs a quick cool down, the Cabin Room at 70 degrees, awash with the musky scent of its pine floors and walls, and the Chill Room at 60 degrees, provide an invigorating contrast.
In addition, the facility has eight massage rooms featuring signature massage treatments and detoxification body wraps, all of which were developed in-house. Two skin-care rooms and a manicure and pedicure room round off their coffers.

According to Lee, bathhouses in Korea are usually co-ed. But because of cultural differences in the United States, they decided on a ladies-only concept. Hence a sanctuary where local women could relax, recuperate and rejuvenate both spirit and mind was born. “We wanted a place for the local superwoman — she is always taking care of the children, working at home or at the office,” he says. “(At Olympus Spa,) we promote health for women in the local community.”

The new Lynnwood branch, in the strip mall next to the Lynnwood Convention Center, opened on September 2005. It also provides an opportunity to experience Korean culture. One way is to take part in a traditional Korean tea ceremony, led by a tea director in a specially appointed tearoom. “I want people to witness Korean culture. The Japanese and Chinese tea ceremonies are well known, but there are not many places to have the Korean tea ceremony,” Lee says.

Besides, he believes the spa and tea experiences are related, not just on a physical level but mentally and spiritually as well. “Having a cup of tea can calm yourself, (and) green tea can promote your health,” says Lee.

Plus, the onsite restaurant and juice bar offer healthy Korean cuisine. Where else can you tuck into bibimbap in your bathrobe?

From the sensory stimulation to the health benefits to the service, Olympus Spa has paid attention to every single detail to provide clients an extraordinary spa experience. “We want our customers to know that a lot of thought has gone into the spa and we don’t (just) focus on beauty but on health,” explains Lee.

By Pat Tanumihardja
For the Northwest Asian Weekly