North Carolina Spa Guide: The Best Spas in Raleigh
Raleigh, North Carolina. [Photo credit: Elijah Mears]
Raleigh, North Carolina, is a city known for its rich history, lush parks, and dynamic arts scene. As the state capital, it offers visitors a perfect blend of Southern charm and urban sophistication. Whether you're exploring the scenic paths of William B. Umstead State Park, strolling through the galleries at the North Carolina Museum of Art or enjoying the lively food and craft beer scene, Raleigh has something for everyone.
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When it comes to relaxation, Raleigh’s spa offerings are as diverse as the city itself. From luxurious resort spas to top-tier medical and day spas, you’ll find a range of treatments designed to rejuvenate and refresh. Whether you’re looking for a massage, skincare treatments, or wellness therapies, Raleigh’s spas provide the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life.
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Dive into our North Carolina spa guide to discover the best spots in Raleigh where you can pamper yourself in this Southern gem of a city. If you’re looking for the best deals on flights to North Carolina, click here.
Adara Spa
608 W Peace Street, Raleigh, NC 27605 l (919) 834-9886
If you’re looking for an award-winning spa in the heart of downtown Raleigh, you’ll want to pay Adara Spa a visit. Nestled in an renovated home with an emphasis on charm, Adara Spa is owned by Sundrae Miller, a member of Raleigh’s community. It was voted “Best Day Spa in Raleigh” from 2020 to 2022, in part because of its customer service. The home was renovated to create a serene atmosphere that can accommodate single guests, couples, and even large groups and private parties.
Services include massages, facials, acupuncture, hair treatments, body treatments, skin care, nail treatments, makeup application, lashes, and waxing. Massage modalities are chosen by the guest and practitioner after an in-depth consultation so that each treatment is customized to the needs and goals of the guest. Facials are also customized and some options that can be chosen include dermaplaning, NanoPen, Repechage 4-layer facial, O2 Lift, and microdermabrasion.
Avail Aesthetics
2006 Fairview Road, Raleigh, NC 27608; (919) 322-5440
For beauty seekers, Avail Aesthetics offers a place for them to “Be You. Only Better.” A modern medical spa, their goal is to welcome everyone and to help them feel accepted with natural-looking results. They are committed to education, helping their guests to understand beauty concerns in-depth and to develop a plan to manage them
They offer such treatments as injectables, face treatments, body services, and health treatments. The spa has invested in such technology as BTL’s Emsculpt, Emsella, VanquishME, Cynosure’s PicoSure, ICON, and Potenza RF Microneedling.
Blue Water Spa
10941 Raven Ridge Road, Suite 103, Raleigh, NC 27614; (919) 769-6044
For more than 20 years, this 9,000-square-foot medical spa has been voted the best medical spa in North Carolina. Committed to safe and scientifically effective treatments, Blue Water Spa combines pampering with medical-grade skin care under the supervision of plastic surgeon, Dr. Michael Law. Over the years, they have performed more than one million aesthetic services with a team that includes a surgeon, nursing staff, and medical aestheticians.
Services range from injectables, laser, and skin care to body treatments and CoolSculpting. Facials include peels, HydraFacials, microneedling, dermal fillers, and traditional facials. Body treatments include aesthetic surgery, vibrational therapy, and sculpting services. Laser treatments offer solutions for hair removal, skin tightening, and skin rejuvenation.
Le Nu Spa
Millpond Village, Suite 126, 3434 Kildaire Farm Road, Cary NC 27518; (919) 999-2772
A serene oasis surrounded by nature, Le Nu Spa is led by Colette Lu, who is dedicated to creating a skin day spa where her guests can engage in holistic wellness and natural skin care. Lu possesses degrees in both chemistry and mathematics, degrees that have come in handy as she has developed her own skin care line.
Together with her staff, she has built a sanctuary where guests can rejuvenate their minds, bodies, and souls. Staff are ready to provide support for each guest’s wellness journey, whatever that may look like. Dedicated to elder care, Lu provides mobile spa services for the elderly—often bringing along her Pomeranian therapy dog.
Le Nu Spa’s menu focuses on tailoring treatments to specific guests needs, offering such services as massages, facials, body treatments, nail services, nutrition and wellness, waxing, and weight loss. Facial treatments start with a personalized assessment and can include anti-aging, deep cleaning, collagen, ultrasonic, brightening, plason plasma, cryoskin and endosphere, and microneedling.
Massage includes Swedish, deep tissue, hot stone, cellulite, cupping, and couples. Body treatments can focus on particular area and include a wide range of services to treat acne, cellulite, loose skin, and other skin issues. Weight loss and wellness include cryoskin slimming and toning, biophotonic scanning, and nutrition counseling.
Lorena Luca
412 Woodburn Rd., Suite 201, Raleigh, NC 27605; (919) 873-4543
A medical spa with comfort, relaxation, and well-being as its center, Lorena Luca has created an environment of tranquility and luxury. The relaxation room is open to guests before and after their treatments, a place to enjoy herbal teas and retreat from the outside world by sinking into their plush seating.
Spa music plays in private treatment rooms designed to provide a tranquil spa experience. Spa amenities include a sauna, steam room, and fully-equipped locker rooms. All treatments begin with an individual consultation to customize a strategy to meet guest goals. Treatments include injectables, facials, body treatments, and laser treatments.
State-of-the-art equipment provides the latest in aesthetic and wellness treatments, including Deko CO2 laser skin rejuvenation, CoolSculpting, IPL Photofacials, microneedling, and dermaplaning. They also offer traditional facials, chemical peels, waxing, and massages.
Skin Sense Day Spa
6801 Falls of Neuse Road, Suite 130, Raleigh NC 27615; (919) 870-0700
For more than 30 years, Skin Sense Day Spa has pushed the borders of what it means to be a day spa. Opening in September 1991, they focused on a holistic approach of total body wellness. Nor did it stop at servicing individual clients—they are also committed to environmental stewardship and community participation through The Skin Sense Foundation, a nonprofit supporting women, children, and animals.
The facilities include steam rooms, full-service locker rooms, relaxation lounges, a salt cave, steam room, and a full boutique. Many of their products are natural, vegan, and eco-friendly. Through the years, they’ve collected many awards including “Best Day Spa,” “Neighborhood Favorite,” and “Best Place to Get a Massage.” They host many seasonal events through the year as a way of promoting their community and creating connections among their guests.
Treatments include massages, Ayurvedic treatments, facials, reflexology, HydraFacials, microdermabrasion, and waxing and lash treatments. Some special treatments include Lamprobe, which gets rid of skin irregularities such as lesions and skin tags; a meditation room where up to four people can self-apply four different muds to skin and hair before relaxing in a warm environment; and ancient therapies such as Shiro Dhara and Thai reflexology.
Smoothe & Co.
2210 E. Millbrook Rd., Suite 109, Raleigh, NC 27604; info@smootheraleigh.com
When you need a place to go to boost your confidence in a judgment-free zone, Smoothe & Co. is ready to make you feel welcome. Catering to busy professionals searching for skin care solutions, they create schedule-free opportunities for guests to meet with expert estheticians.
With a focus on results and relaxation, Smoothe offers such options as aromatherapy facials or “silent” appointments that allow guests to indulge in some quiet time. Treatments offered by the four providers at Smoothe & Co. include waxing, lash, brows, skin care, and teeth whitening.
Skincare options include facials, microneedling, dermaplaning, chemical peels, and vajacials. Given their small staff, they ask that people email them rather than call to make or reschedule appointments.
Tao Day Spa
2012 Fairview Road, Unit B, Raleigh NC 27608; (919) 896-6515
There are many paths to harmony. At Tao Day Spa, they provide guides to wellness and tranquility through spa services that help to care for the mind, body, and spirit. Located in the Five Points area of Raleigh, they follow the Chinese philosophical and religious tradition of Tao or Daoism—a path symbolizing harmony, the natural order of the universe, and the flow of life’s energy.
Their practitioners, through healing touches and customized services, provide a place where guests can seek out harmony and balance. More than just a place to be pampered, Tao Day Spa wants to nurture the spiritual well-being of their guests. Their central services are massage, skincare, nails, lashes and brows, and waxing (with both hard and soft waxes).
Massage treatments include Swedish, trigger point, deep tissue, hot stone, and cupping. In addition to their signature facial (which includes a double cleanse, exfoliation, hydro jelly mask, pressure-point face massage, lymphatic drainage, serum, moisturizer, SPF, and a paraffin wax hand treatment), they offer treatments specialized treatments such as acne, chemical peels, oxygen facials, back facials, and microdermabrasion.
The Spa at Fearrington
2000 Fearrington Village Center, Pittsboro, NC 27312; (919) 545-5723
A luxury day spa just outside the city, The Spa at Fearrington dubs itself “a humble escape from the rest of the world.” It is a Relais & Chateaux destination near Chapel Hill surrounded by restaurants, shops, gardens, and an inn. With its Swedish farmhouse design, it focuses on understated elegance and natural colors.
Their custom facials and massages feature Elemis products, an exclusive British skincare brand. They are the only North Carolina spa that uses their products. Massage treatments include hot stone, Swedish, couples, sports, deep tissue, pre-natal, aromatherapy, reflexology, and a “well-being massage” that includes ancient healing techniques and body brushing.
The Umstead Hotel and Spa
100 Woodland Pond Drive, Cary, NC 27513; (919) 447-4041
A high-end, luxury spa, The Umstead Spa is so popular that it recommends guests book far in advance to secure an appointment. It is a spa that thoughtfully designs its services to blend with the North Carolina woodland setting. The region’s flora acts as inspiration for its organic botanical treatments and signature product lines. Each guest is connected with a spa concierge to guide them through their experience at Umstead.
During the pandemic, The Umstead Spa closed for several months to do a major renovation. Carolyn Doe, the spa director, said most spa guests come to the Umstead in search of relaxation as opposed to the a raucous girls weekend.
The treatment rooms feature warm, natural colors and the layout of the public rooms were designed to create a space where guests can unwind, including such features as a Himalayan salt wall, heated chaises, and chromotherapy lights in the whirlpools. They added a spa wave table as a low-touch treatment that includes vibrations, tones, and a musical experience.
The Umstead Spa offers several massage treatments including Swedish, aromatherapy, couples, prenatal, cranial, hot stone, and Thai. They have several body treatments including a “Falling Waters” exfoliation experience. Other services include facials (classic, De La Terre, intensive, oxygen, Valmont facials, and gua sha), manicures, pedicures. and waxing.
White Dahlia
8351 Standonshire Way #109, Raleigh, NC 27615 ; (919) 845-5525
The staff at White Dahlia gets it. Life is hard, they acknowledge and they can help—with a massage. While they offer other services, they focus on being one of Raleigh’s best places to get a massage with more than 15 different modalities to choose from and seven different massage add-ons.
White Dahlia believes that regular and consistent massages promote both physical health and mental wellbeing, promoting confidence and self-esteem. They want their services to help guests make happiness and wellness a consistent part of their lifestyle.
Massage services include Swedish, prenatal, deep tissue, trigger point, hot stone, sports, lymphatic, neuromuscular, ashiatsu, reiki, reflexology, pediatric, cranial sacral, geriatric, and TMJ therapy.
Add-ons include cupping, hot stone, fire and ice, sugar foot scrub, sinus and allergy therapy, muscle melt, and athletic rub. In addition to massage, they offer facials, lash and brow tinting, waxing, and red light laser rejuvenation.
Woodhouse Spa North Hills
4204 Six Forks Road, Suite 102, Raleigh, NC 27609; (919) 755-8111
One of only two Woodhouse Spas in North Carolina, this luxury day spa offers all that loyal Woodhouse guests have come to expect from the chain. Their menu mirrors those found all around the country with facials, body treatments, and massages designed to key into the mood and result that each guest wants to achieve.
The North Hills location in Raleigh has some of its own unique offerings. The facility includes a Himalayan Salt Room, which guests have access to. Those who book a session in the room are given a meditation mat, noise-canceling headphones, and an iPad from which they can choose from a variety of self-guided meditations. It’s a way to refresh the mind and body along with the other spa services.
They also offer the facilities for spa parties that can accommodate three to eight people.
[Photos courtesy of spas and resorts]
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Raleigh, North Carolina, is a city known for its rich history, lush parks and dynamic arts scene. As the state capital, it offers visitors a perfect blend of Southern charm and urban sophistication. Whether you're exploring the scenic paths of William B. Umstead State Park, strolling through the galleries at the North Carolina Museum of Art or enjoying the lively food and craft beer scene, Raleigh has something for everyone.
When it comes to relaxation, Raleigh’s spa offerings are as diverse as the city itself. From luxurious resort spas to top-tier medical and day spas, you’ll find a range of treatments designed to rejuvenate and refresh. Whether you’re looking for a massage, skincare treatments, or wellness therapies, Raleigh’s spas provide the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Dive into our guide to discover the best spots to pamper yourself in this Southern gem.