Looking for a little relaxation amongst the hustle and bustle of New York City? Look no further than Sojo Spa.
Less than an hour away from Manhattan, Sojo Day Spa is in a prime spot along New Jersey’s Hudson River coastline with great views of the city. Plus, it’s easy to get to by car or by bus!
Sojo Spa feels very new and luxurious with light wood flooring, pretty landscaping, and modern touches such as heated floors and RFID locker keys.
Pricing can vary depending on the day of the week and month of booking, but seems to run between $100-$140. Not bad when you can stay from your arrival time until close!
The Experience
Upon arrival, a staff member confirmed that we had arrived within our arrival window and we were checked in quickly.
From check in, we were guided to the shoe room, where we were to lock our shoes in tiny little lockers for the duration of our stay. The key on the shoe lockers corresponded with a much larger locker in the main locker room, where we headed to next to change into our bathing suits and bathrobes. The key was attached to a comfortable wristband so it wouldn’t get lost during the visit.
One of the draws for this Spa on a rainy day is its plethora of indoor amenities.
Sojo has a bathhouse, steam and dry saunas, hot stone beds, a Himalayan Salt Sauna, Charcoal Sauna, Red Clay Sauna, White Clay Sauna, Far-Infrared Sauna, Ganbanyoku Sauna and an Ice Room. I’m not a huge believer in the detox sauna process, but the Himalayan and Charcoal Sauna rooms were particularly pretty. It was also just fun to see how long I could last in the hot rooms before I’d have to duck into the Ice Room to level out.
Additional services such as Acupuncture Therapy is offered at an additional cost.
Once it stopped raining, I loved exploring all the different outdoor amenities. Sojo has two separate Silk Baths, a Hinoki Bath, a Waterfall, a Foot Massage Path (where you step on stones through shallow water), and a Carbon-Rich Bath that gave you a layer of tiny bubbles all over.
The Hydrotherapy Pool with its hot water jets and city view was very popular, but too loud to be relaxing for me. I preferred the heated Infinity Pool on the Spa’s rooftop. Although I was visiting in the winter, I could just imagine how popular it would be in the summer!
Although it was rainy and chilly, I really enjoyed all of the outdoor experiences at the spa. The Infinity Pool and the Silk Baths were my favorite!
The outdoor landscaping around these pools was particularly lovely, even in the winter.
There are a few places to grab food during your visit, but only the Food Hall seemed to be open during our visit. I got the Spicy Tofu Bowl which was delicious and way more food than I was expecting.
Sojo also had all of these little luxurious touches like lockers by pools that they knew you wouldn’t want to bring your phone into, and heated floors throughout the spa.
Service
Service at the spa was markedly excellent. I was visiting for the first time with a friend who had been there before and every staff member gave us a “Welcome and Welcome Back” without missing a beat. It was the day before my birthday and everyone who even glanced at my ID made sure to wish me a happy birthday.
Everything was kept extremely clean and we’d frequently see staff making sure everything was neat and dry.
What to Bring
Definitely bring a swimsuit- it’s hard to avoid getting wet and/or sweaty at the Spa. Comfortable clothes are useful when getting to and from the Spa itself, but most people used their bathrobes within the Spa.
Likewise, since the Spa is entirely barefoot, sandals weren’t really used within the Spa- even in the cafe. Bathrooms provided disposable sandals for sanitary purposes if desired. I’d recommend bringing close toed shoes for the walk from the parking lot or bus station, though, since the Spa is located on a busy road with less than pristine side walks.
A reusable water bottle is important! With all of the saunas and heated pools, you need to hydrate regularly. Water fountains are located throughout the Spa. Just keep in mind that glass bottles are not allowed, and they must be empty upon entry to the Spa.
Your ID! This is an 18+ facility so they do check IDs upon entry.
How To Get There
The easiest way to get to Sojo is by car. There is a complimentary parking lot one block away from the Spa- you’ll be provided with a parking ticket to keep a hold of during your stay, but you will not be charged. Alternatively, visitors can pay $15 for on-site valet parking right from the spa entrance.
Visitors are also invited to use ride shares to get to the Spa, but are asked to be dropped off around the corner on Vreeland Terrace rather than River Road, which is fairly busy.
If public transport is more your speed, there is a bus stop right outside the Spa. Visitors can take the 158 bus directly from Port Authority Bus Terminal.
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