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Review content:
Century Sports Club is definitely the nicest of the Korean Spas I've been to in Los Angeles, and I've been to several. Years ago, it was mainly a Korean clientele, with a few gay men who'd discovered the joys of communing socially in a non-bathhouse social environment. Lately, it seems that there's a bit of gentrification, and (I assume) that many of the Korean clientele now go to another location, and more and more gay men come to this site. Since I quite enjoy the company of gay men and Korean men (and gay Korean men), this couldn't bother me any less.
The rumors of the cruisiness are to be taken with a grain of salt. I've definitely smiled at someone and had them commence flirting, and also I've definitely sat quietly with my eyes closed in a state of pure relaxation and have been very respectfully left alone. It's not the type of place where the men will be overly aggressive... so straight men... don't be scurred. It's really not about that. It's just a place to completely chill. You're more likely to have someone smile and ask your name than to have someone try to touch you inappropriately. There are places for that a few miles away, and they're not hard to find.
The main difference between this place and the other K-spas in the area is with the options. In the others, you generally have two pools and two rooms to choose from, and they're small. Here it's a much different story. There's a beautiful locker room with a large television... there's a wet area with steam, eucalyptus steam, dry sauna, cold sauna... and then three pools... hot, REALLY hot, and cold. There's an area for wet services (salt scrubs, skin treatments) that's curtained off and semi-communal (a few tables sharing a large room).
Down the hallway there's a clay and a marble room, both with wooden blocks for resting. Up the stairs there's a small sleeping/napping area with three small 'beds' and an overhead view of the wet area below, which makes it seem very open and non-claustrophobic.
I've had a few scrubs here, and they've always been very good. Add in free parking and a reasonable entry fee ($20) and you have a really nice way to relax for a few hours on a day when you really need it.
When I want an upscale boutique spa experience, I head to the Gendarmerie in West Hollywood... but when I want to chill out and rotate between the different tubs, the different steamrooms, and maybe nap for an hour or two... this is the place I come.
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