Since ancient times, spa treatments have played a key role in promoting relaxation and healing. Today, they’re not just a luxury but an effective way to improve your overall quality of life. Whether you’re celebrating with friends, spending time with a partner, or simply trying to ease daily stress, a spa day can be the perfect solution.
If you’re heading to North Carolina, and planning to explore Boone or Asheville, consider adding one of these standout spas to your itinerary. Each one offers a unique, rejuvenating experience worth savoring.
The Salt Spa of Asheville
473 Hendersonville Rd. Asheville, NC
Unlike traditional spas, The Salt Spa of Asheville offers a deeply calming experience through Himalayan salt therapy. Guests can unwind in either the Wellness Healing Arts Salt Room or the Himalayan Salt Cave, where the salt-infused air and tranquil atmosphere help melt away tension.
One notable feature of the Salt Spa of Asheville & Himalayan Salt Cave Sanctuary is its exclusivity. They serve only one party at a time in each therapy space. They do offer some community sessions, but Salt Therapy sessions are designed for parties of up to six or seven individuals. There is currently no availability for walk-ins as all sessions should be scheduled ahead of time.
The Salt Spa includes many types of therapies, including salt spa packages, massage services, salt therapy, and quantum frequency therapies. Each Salt Spa Package is created to bring guests into a deep state of relaxation. Quantum Frequency Therapy is based on the idea that the human body is composed of vibrations and energy. This therapy utilizes sound waves and electromagnetic frequencies to induce well-being.
Most sessions take place in zero-gravity chairs for a deep sense of peace. Whether you book solo or as a couple, this is a space to fully relax and reset.
Shoji Spa & Retreat
96 Avondale Heights Asheville, NC
This beautiful spa is Japanese-inspired and nestled into a wooded setting. Shoji Spa & Retreat features couples packages, hot tubs with scenic views, massages, and Japanese bathing soaks. This unpretentious spa is unique not only to the North Carolina and Asheville area, but the entire Eastern seaboard. In addition, while it seems isolated, it is mere minutes from the thriving mountainous city of downtown Asheville.
When arriving at Shoji, guests don a traditional Japanese Yukata (cotton robe) and sandals. They are then moved to their private hot tub that overlooks the spectacular National Forest. Some notable amenities spa guests can enjoy include the aforementioned robes and sandals, along with towels, complimentary cedar sauna, and a double cold shower for contrast therapy. Services include specialty add-ons like Tub Side Tea Service, featuring a signature tea blend from Dobra Tea Co. This treat is served tub-side to guests with honey and tea crackers.
180 Float Spa
249 Kimberly Dr. Boone, NC
As Boone’s first and only locally owned and operated Float Therapy spa, 180 Float Spa offers a premium spa experience. This spa utilizes Float Therapy, also known as Sensory Deprivation, to heal chronic pain, reduce stress, and improve overall wellness. This spa is owned by Boone locals Angela and Brad Heavner. Float pods are purposely designed environments with limited sensory elements. Each pod is filled with warm salt water to sustain effortless floating. They are cozy and calming and designed to reduce the strain on the joints and muscles, the mind and reduce inflammation.
Floating as a therapy works when guests enter the enclosed pod, which is darkened to reduce or remove outside simulation. This helps the body relax completely, even the mind. If darkness is not desired, there are customization options for guests who would rather have music and/or ambient light. If the pods seem too confining for some, then they can opt for the Deluxe Float Suite that features seven-foot ceilings, designed for those who don’t want to feel confined.
Spa packages at 180 Float Therapy include floating sessions in the pods of between 60 and 90 minutes. There are also combination packages that enhance the float experience with a Full Spectrum Infrared Sauna session. The infrared sauna blends three optimal wavelengths to offer amazing results like muscle recovery, improved cellular health, pain relief, anti-aging and even burning calories. There are also more traditional massage therapy sessions offered here in combination with the floating experience or on its own.
River Birch Nordic Sauna
2543 Broadstone Road, Valle Crucis, NC (Outside of Boone)
This mobile, wood-fired sauna is currently located right outside Boone at the Mast Farm Inn in Valle Crucis. The River Birch Nordic Sauna is heated using carefully selected wood that provides a natural and gentle warmth designed to penetrate the body, promoting complete relaxation and detoxification. The sauna is best complemented with a refreshing cold water bucket or a cold plunge. This contrast is an extreme experience that creates a feeling of limberness, buoyancy, and cleanliness that is believed to improve sleep, relaxation, and alertness.
River Birch offers individual serenity sessions that are tailored for a solo relaxation experience. Guests can take advantage of the isolation and first enjoy the gentle warmth of the sauna followed by a refreshing cold shower set among nature. Group sessions are also available here as the sauna can accommodate groups of up to eight individuals.
Relax in North Carolina with Amazing Spa Experiences
North Carolina’s beloved mountainous cities, Boone and Asheville, feature some amazing options when it comes to spa experiences. The above information includes some more traditional options like massages and treatments, but also includes some alternative and more unique services like arctic plunges and float therapy. There is something for everyone to enjoy, no matter their experience with spa services in the past.
