Indulge in Circle Wellness First-of-its-Kind Spa Experience in Seattle

Circle Wellness offering a unique experience not found anywhere outside of Seattle or Vancouver, B.C. – yet.

*(Olivia Van Dyke Photography and Jeffrey Totey)*

Disclosure: I attended a session at Circle Wellness at no cost. All opinions are my own.

With work, families and responsibilities, life can get pretty stressful at times. As I’m getting older, I’m starting to understand the importance of taking the time to relax every now and then.

I need to “unplug” from the realities of life from time to time for my health and frankly, for my sanity. I enjoy a good soaking in a hot tub, and I enjoy sweating it out in a hot sauna. So, I was thrilled that I got an invitation to experience the new Circle Wellness spa in Seattle. It is unlike anything I’ve ever encountered before. And that make sense since it is a one-of a kind experience not found anywhere else in America! (Okay, there is one location in Canada, but more on that in a bit.)

The Thermal Spa

I’ve recently discovered the joys and health benefits of visiting a local banya spa with its super-hot sauna and ice-cold plunge. It revives me, but I know that sounds awful to other people. Circle Wellness has some of the same elements of the spa that I normally go to, but it’s a different experience altogether. It’s less intense. If you are not a fan of traditional saunas, this might be just what you’re looking for.

Circle Wellness Spas are unique, top-of-the-line automated spas with sessions that offer private escapes from the stresses of the world – at least for 90 to 120 minutes. It features many of the same benefits you get from a traditional spa but in a quiet, private and more relaxing atmosphere. Instead of sharing space with a group of strangers, this experience is set for up to two people max.

It’s a thermal spa that uses contrast therapy, which is a practice of alternating between heating up the body and then cooling it down followed by rest. It’s not unlike what the doctor recommends when you sprain your ankle or hurt your back.

“Contrast therapy has been practiced around the world for generations and is known to support circulation, reduce inflammation, and boost immunity,” states the Circle Wellness website.

Entrance to Circle Wellness — *(Jeffrey Totey)*

Getting Ready to Relax

If you were to drive by Seattle’s Circle Wellness location in Ballard, you might miss it altogether. It’s located in a non-descript building right off a busy street. But once you enter the door, you leave that busy world behind.

After being warmly welcomed, I was invited to watch a short video introduction so that I would know what to expect during my time at the spa. And then I was led to my private circuit location.

Each circuit is housed in a long corridor that features three main areas: a bathroom/changing area, an outdoor courtyard and bathing area and a “well pod” at the end. The space is beautiful, well-crafted and honestly, it looks futuristic. The experience is natural beauty blended with some high tech equipment. Even the toilet/bidet is high-tech.

Cedar Tub at Circle Wellness — *(Olivia Van Dyke Photography)*

The Circle Wellness Experience

When visiting a Circle Wellness spa, you have the option of wearing a swimsuit or going au naturel. Since it’s your private experience, clothing is optional. Nobody will be popping in to “see how you’re doing”, however, should you need help for any reason, there is a phone in the bathroom to reach the reception desk. Speaking of phones, you’re encouraged to leave your cellphone in the changing room area to really get the most out of your time there.

I stepped into the open air courtyard. On a long table sat a couple of glasses (for drinking water) and two mugs (to enjoy an herbal tea) and there were hooks to hang my towels. Gentle, relaxing music played throughout the space.

There are five sections to a circuit to experience. A gentle gong is played to indicate when it is time for you to move to the next section of the circuit. A timeline is posted on the wall to help track your progress so you get an idea when you will need to move to the next section. The five sections are:

Courtyard at Circle Wellness — (Jeffrey Totey)

1. Shower: I was instructed to exfoliate under the open-air shower or if I preferred, I could have taken a seated shower. When I was ready, I moved onto the next stage. While I didn’t rush through my shower, I didn’t linger there so that I could have more time soaking in the natural cedar soaking tub.

2. Soak: When you step in, the water overflows over the sides and it’s pretty cool. The water was plenty warm, but not hot. The tub is huge. I took advantage of the space and floated on my back. (You can still hear the music underwater!) Instead of chlorine, Circle Wellness uses salt and essential oils.

Well Pod at Circle Wellness — *(Olivia Van Dyke Photography)*

3. Well Pod: This section is the coolest feature in this place. It’s a sauna, but not like the one you’re used to at the gym. It’s a multi-sensory room lined with pink Himalayan salt walls. There are no benches here, just a hardwood floor to stretch out on. (It was inspired by the Korean jjimjilbang experience where guests lay on the heated floor of the sauna. You can bring in more towels to use as cushions if you prefer. I didn’t mind the floor at all.)

When entering the space, the walls are lit up giving the space a nice pink glow. And then things change.

Yes, it’s a sauna and you’ll sweat, but not overly so. It never got so hot that it felt hard to breathe nor at any time did I feel uncomfortable. As time moved on, the light faded from the top of the wall to the bottom eventually leaving me in a room of complete darkness.

I suppose some people who are sensitive to feelings of claustrophobia might find the room uncomfortable, but it’s not a tiny space and you have easy access to the door if you need to leave for whatever reason.

You will spend a good amount of time here. Just as the lights dimmed, they slowly come back on, and another gentle “gong” cue instructs you to proceed.

4. Cold Plunge: Not gonna lie. I spent the least amount of time during this section of the circuit. The cold plunge is super cold. Still, I breathed deeply and tried to appreciate the sensation. And I’m glad I did as I really appreciated the next section where I could warm back up again.

5. Stones: I took the time to enjoy some of that herbal tea while stretching out upon the river stones that are embedded with a radiant heating system. Using a towel as a pillow, I looked up through the open air “skylight” and watched the clouds and the occasional bird fly by. Sometimes I would hear a car drive by reminding me of the real world just outside of these walls.

You would think that laying on a bed of rocks would be uncomfortable, but surprisingly, it wasn’t.

A few more “gongs” would play alerting me to how much time I had left in my circuit giving me plenty of time for a final shower with natural soap, shampoo and conditioners (no outside products are allowed here). I got dressed and left the space just before my session was complete.

Cold plunge and Cedar Tub at Circle Wellness — *(Olivia Van Dyke Photography)*

Circle Wellness Spas and Their History

Before I left, I got the chance to speak to Alycia, the spa’s general manager. I learned that Circle Wellness was inspired by the bathing cultures of Japan, Korea and Northern Europe. It took the company over a decade of experimenting with light, sound and temperature to get things just right. They pioneered an immersive wellness experience that integrates contrast thermal therapy, world class AV design, natural materials, and precise environmental controls and automation.

The concept first emerged in 2020, when a studio specializing in custom spa designs opened their outdoor showroom to the public as an Airbnb Experience.

“It kind of blew up and became one of Airbnb’s highest rated experiences, says Alycia. “And so, we really had this pivot moment as a business where we were like, ‘Oh, this is helping people. This is really beautiful for people.’ And so, we started to make that shift towards expanding it out from that one singular pod because we could not get people in fast enough.”

The Seattle location is Circle Wellness’ second spa. The first one is in Granville Island in Vancouver B.C.

“We opened in Granville Island in September of 2023. We’ve got six circuits there and it’s been basically at full occupancy ever since.”

I asked if what I just experienced was unique in North America or perhaps even worldwide.

“We were definitely the world’s first, fully automated private spa. I don’t think there’s anything like us at this point,” says Alycia. “There are private spa circuits and that kind of stuff, but we were the world’s first automated spa.”

“It’s all kind of guided in the background to make sure that you can just go in, be hands off and just let the audio and the visual cues guide you,” says Alycia. “The amount of automation that goes into this so that everybody has that seamless experience is really impressive.”

I told Alycia that I really enjoyed laying on the river rock, but while I was lying there, I got to thinking. How does this open-air concept work during other times of the year? I got to experience it during the first part of September. What happens when it rains or even snows?

“It’s honestly magical,” she says. “I feel like in the Pacific Northwest, we don’t get a heavy amount of snow, and it’s so magical to be in there when those river stones are warm, and you’re getting, a little bit of dusting of snow. But we do have a retractable skylight over the circuits, so if it was raining really hard or if we get one of those really rare, large dumps of snow, then we can close this on the roofs of the skylights.”

Alycia says that the courtyard area is her favorite part of the experience.

“The Well Pod is such an incredible, unique experience, but there’s something so magical and special [about laying on the river rocks]. I don’t think there’s anywhere else that you can just lay warm under the open air.”

If You Go

Both Circle Wellness locations are open year round. They offer both 90-minute and 120-minute sessions that are available seven days a week from early morning to late evening.

Circle Wellness is a quiet retreat that is meant for adults (you must be at least 16 to partake in the experience). You can book your session easily online on the company’s website. The price per session can vary depending on the location, day of the week, time of day and length of session. The prices are set per session, not by the number of guests, so it is more economical to share your session with a friend or family member. And remember, the limit is two people total.