Empire Journal | Day spas in New Orleans, Louisiana
The Best Day Spa in New Orleans: 5 Places Worth Booking
A day spa guide to New Orleans: five verified spas, what each format actually includes, and how to plan the booking around where you stay.
New Orleans is a city that will take something out of you by day three. The day spa here is not a luxury add-on to the trip — it is the repair shop that makes the second half of the trip survivable.
What a day spa means in New Orleans
Most of the strongest rooms sit in or beside the French Quarter and the Central Business District, which means you can book one within walking distance of wherever you are staying.
The format split is simple: independent French Quarter day spas that sell treatments to anyone, and historic hotel spas that also open their treatment rooms to the public.
The New Orleans day spas worth booking
Spa Atlantis
A French Quarter day spa with a full service menu, and the highest-rated day spa in New Orleans on TripAdvisor. The most central booking in the city. Official site
The Windsor Court Spa
The hotel day spa at Windsor Court in the Central Business District, with massage and body treatment menus published on the property's site. Official site
In New Orleans, book the spa for the morning after the night you know you will overdo.
The Ritz-Carlton Spa, New Orleans
A large spa on Canal Street at the edge of the French Quarter, with a published treatment and pricing menu. The most conventional luxury room in town. Official site
Waldorf Astoria Spa at The Roosevelt New Orleans
The spa inside the historic Roosevelt hotel, a block from Canal Street, with its own treatment menu. Worth it as much for the building as the massage. Official site
Woodhouse Spa – New Orleans
The New Orleans location of the Woodhouse group on Canal Street, running the brand's standard massage, facial and body treatment format. Official site
How to choose between them
Work backwards from the hours you actually have. A single 60- or 80-minute treatment fits inside a normal day; an admission-based bath or soaking spa needs three hours before it starts to feel worth the ticket.
Then check three things on the spa's own site: whether non-guests can book, what is included with admission versus charged separately, and the venue's rules on swimwear, phones and quiet areas. Those three answers decide whether the visit feels calm or awkward.
Prices, hours and access policies change, so treat every menu as something to confirm at the source rather than a fixed number.
Line the spa up with your hotel before you land, because in this city the walkable option is worth more than the cheaper one. If you are documenting the trip, plan the shots before you are in a robe — our travel planning tools exist so the content plan is done before the day starts.
Booking your New Orleans day spa trip
Most of these spas take bookings directly on their own sites, and that is still the best way to lock a specific therapist or time. The part worth planning around them is where you sleep, because a spa afternoon is much better when the walk back is five minutes.
Find and book hotels in New Orleans on Expedia →
Some hotel and resort spas also sell day passes that include the pool, sauna and relaxation areas without an overnight stay. Not every spa on this list participates, but it is worth checking: see if you can get a day pass to a New Orleans spa on ResortPass →
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Frequently asked questions
What is the top-rated day spa in New Orleans?
Spa Atlantis in the French Quarter holds the highest traveler rating among New Orleans day spas on TripAdvisor.
Are there day spas in the French Quarter itself?
Yes. Spa Atlantis sits in the Quarter, and the Canal Street hotel spas are within a short walk of it.
Should you book a New Orleans spa before you arrive?
For festival weekends, yes — those weekends fill the hotel spas first. Outside them, a few days ahead is usually enough.
