A new popular social club and spa has emerged in the DMV area and the tik tok gworls have been claiming this spa as “soft life” essential. And yet, again, I was convinced to try the spa out. I decided to try the spa for my birthday and I can admit: the spa is soft life essential. According to the brochure, Balian Springs is social wellness club that marry the social aspects of wellness and self-care with the more traditional offering to provide a one-stop experiential retreat centered around balance.

This luxury social wellness club has a variety of services such as skin bar, scrub bar, massage bar, nail and hair bar, lounges, eateries, saunas and my favorite: rooftop infinity pool. Here’s some things you should know before visiting Balian Springs:

Go during a weekday.

The best time to go to avoid crowds is the weekday. We went on a Thursday (it was my birthday) and there was still a decent amount of people in Balian Springs. It was just enough people where we could still relax and it feel like exclusive retreat. It is actually cheaper on weekdays-$75 on weekdays and $90 on weekends. We stayed until they closed (10pm) so we actually got to see the amount of people dwindle the later it got.

Get there early. Stay Late.

There are so many saunas, lounges, spas, eateries to explore so it’s best to get there early and stay late. We did not arrive to Balian Springs until 4pm and stayed until 10 but realistically that wasn’t enough time to spend in this social wellness club. We spent alot of our time in the rooftop infinity pool-which was so magical-that we didn’t have enough time to fully immerse ourselves in the saunas. We tried 3 of the saunas-gold sauna, himalyan salt sauna and steam box. Each sauna provided a different experience and relaxation.

Bring a swimsuit and hair protectant

You will need a swimsuit. Bring a modest swimsuit. They also provide bags and a towel. You will need to shower (to remove the oils from your body) and then dress with a bathing suit. Balian Springs actually provides you with robes and slippers to walk around in while exploring the saunas and the lounges. I also wore a swim turban to protect my hair-because I had a silk press that I need to protect from the water and steam. I wrapped my hair in a scarf and then put on this YGN swim turban. Use my discount for $10 off.

The services is not included in base pay.

The base pay include entry to the social club and access to the lounges, saunas, and other rooms. This does not include services such as skin bar, scrub bar, massage bar, nail and hair bar. You must book these services separately and by appointment on the website. The services especially the spa package is a nice addition but you would still have a great time without these services.

The food is average.

There wasn’t anything special about the food. I will admit that we missed the sushi and some of the other eateries that were closed by the time we decided to eat. I would love to try the sushi next time I did love the cheese board that was offered to us. The drinks were pretty good as well. The food was mediocre-we ordered avocado toast, spring rolls, lettuce wrap, and fries. Be aware of that as you think about whether you will buy outside food (though you cannot bring outside food in the springs) or eat at the springs.

Overall, this was the BEST luxury social wellness club that I have visited. It combines luxury with wellness perfectly. I felt like I was at Blue Lagoon in Iceland. I would highly recommend Balian Springs to all my lux Black women who are looking for a soft life and unwinding. Treat yourself. You deserve it. Check out this youtube to see my full experience.