Hotels Pictures Maps Restaurants Music clubs Nightlife Health & Beauty Attraction Tickets Weather  

New York Health & Beauty

Acqua Beauty Bar

Spa nirvana on 14th Street.

Skill

(8)

Atmosphere

(9)

Staff

(8)

Value

(8)

The Space

Ex-corporate financier Jamie Ahn's day spa incorporates traditional Eastern techniques, holistic ingredients and modern technology to create a uniquely blissful experience. Spacious and sparkling clean, the spa boasts top-quality equipment (super-luxe pedi chairs, Vichy showers) and an excellent, friendly staff. Delightful design details like rice paper lanterns and pressed flower wallcoverings hint at the Asian influence behind the innovative treatments.

The Services

Trained in both Europe and Java, head aesthetician Julie Lindh uses a base of YonKa Paris products for facials, then customizes with extras like cold jade stones, acupressure, oxygen, fruit acid and ear reflexology. In addition to sea salt and honey-almond scrubs, Acqua offers exfoliation with less abrasive peppermint sugar and brown sugar, followed by coconut milk or vanilla rubdowns. The creative menu also includes 11 types of massage, among them Tui Na and hot stone, body wraps, spa nail services and hair removal with Azulene Turquoise wax. Other nice touches include prestige polish lines for nails, essential oil application after waxing and light Asian fare for full and half-day packages.

Goodies Galore

Ahn stocks Acqua with choice items from interesting lines. Pick-up skin care, color or accessories from Wu, Bloom, Chidoriya, Pre de Provence, Bambini Soul, Nippon Kodo, Deborah Lippmann and Ya Babi Sandals.

Buddy System

Acqua's one of the few places with massage rooms spacious enough for couples or friends to get rubbed at the same time.

7 E 14th St
New York ,  NY   10003
Phone: (212) 620-4329