Relax--this is good for you and your wallet.

Our tester indulged in deep relaxation, a body scrub, a massage and a meal at Wi Spa, where it's traditional to spend the day--and some even stay overnight (for $10 extra). A how-to:

• Leave cares and clothing behind. Hearing that the women-only area is "very nude" held back your shy tester, at first. But as it turns out, being in the women's bath, with its pretty tiles, steam and soft lighting, feels a lot more like stepping into a classical painting than, say, an open dressing room. If your timid tester can do it, anyone can.
• Get scrubbed. A scrub alone will run you $30; for $70, you'll get a massage as well, and on Tuesdays, your entrance fee will be waived. Being scrubbed on the wet room table is like becoming a happy baby again--and when it's over, the skin (which has shed a layer) is as soft as an infant's. With the massage, you'll also get a cucumber mini facial and a shampoo.
• Go co-ed. In the "jimjilbang," you'll discover an open floor with recliners and radiant heated stone floors--plus saunas in every direction. Try the "clay" sauna whose floor is covered in detoxifying hot terra cotta marbles (it's easy to nestle into the toasty marbles and doze off, though there is a TV overhead, playing Korean programming; many spa-goers bring iPods). Be careful not to slip--the marbles really roll! Also be sure to try the salt sauna (pictured), where you can lie on crunchy pebbles of purifying pink Himalayan salt. Pause between saunas for a delicious meal at the café (take the low tables: the café floor also has radiant heat!), but be advised that the dishes are large--our tester ate a quarter of her beef bulgogi (BBQ Korean beef), which came with rice, seaweed, pickled cabbage and soup.
• Take it easy. The recliners and saunas are made for sleeping. Go for it--the heat is believed to bake out impurities.

A friend told us that in Korea, it's common to go straight from the airport to the spa, to sleep and bathe for a few hours. Hence Wi Spa offers shuttle service to and from LAX (call to book).

Though after a stay at Wi Spa, you may never want to leave.