Most airports aren’t the comfiest places to hang around while waiting for a flight, but there are some that offer passengers a real taste of luxury.
Incheon Airport in Seoul, South Korea, has everything you might need to keep travellers relaxed and entertained, including Spa on Air that has showers, a sauna and a sleeping room. There is also a cinema, a skating rink, Korean cultural performances and exhibitions, the K-Culture Museum, rest zones and nap rooms – all inside the airport.
Lucy Q, a content creator from New York who moved to London in 2023, had an eight-hour layover at the airport, so she decided to treat herself to a spa day.
But instead of going to the spa at Incheon Airport, she went to the Cimer Spa in the Paradise City complex nearby. She documented her experience on YouTube where she gave viewers a look at the luxury spa that is accessible from a free shuttle bus straight from the airport.
Cimer is known for its combination of Korean jjimjilbang culture and modern amenities, including multiple pools and a tornado slide. It is popular with passengers, like Lucy, with a long wait time until their next flight.
Speaking in her YouTube video, the content creator said: “From the arrival terminal I took the free Paradise City bus to Paradise City. I went through the hotel and out the other side and you’ll reach the spa.”
Lucy shared that she got the aqua spa ticket, giving her access to all the pools and saunas and entry to Cimer for six hours. The price for this ticket per adult is 60,000 KRW (£32.24) or 70,000 KRW (£37.61) during the peak season, which runs from July 1 to August 31.
She explained that after you pay for admission, you are given a wristband that lets you access a locker and all the pools. Lucy added: “The pool portion of the spa had one main room with a bunch of smaller spa things off it, like this cave pool, the glass infinity pool, different temperature pools with a DJ booth, water slides and so much more.”
The American expat then noted the “huge variety of spa rooms”, including an amethyst room, a salt room and a light therapy room that she admitted she fell asleep in for about an hour. In the locker room, you are given traditional bath house robes to wear in these areas – but Lucy suggests sizing up as she found the medium size “super tight”.
There is even a place to dine at the spa. Tucking into a pizza – the “cheapest thing” on offer – Lucy said: “This section is also where they had food. I ordered the cheapest thing on the menu and it was surprisingly really good.”
She then remarked: “On the roof they have a foot spa, an infinity pool and these interesting coloured baths. There was also a gender segregated nude sauna where you obviously could not film but there were hot and cold pools and it was really nice alternating between the two.”
Lucy ended by saying she “could not have found a better way to spend a layover” and her entire experience, including admission and food, cost her $50, the equivalent of £36.79.