Is Siloam Sauna the BEST jjimjilbang in Seoul?

Last Updated on June 4, 2022 by Christine Kaaloa

Is Siloam Sauna the best jjimjilbang in Seoul? 

So, I’ve promised some of you the inside tip on the best jjimjilbang in Seoul

After the disappointment of Seoul’s much hyped Dragon Hill Spa, I was reluctant to return for another night of overnight non-thrill on a hard wood floor. However, I still wanted to try another jjimjilbang and enjoy the Korean bathing culture. Fortunately, a friend offered me an alternative suggestion…
From the outside, Siloam Sauna may not look like much. It’s not a new building but a little old. In fact, you may think you’re walking into a shady neighborhood jjimjilbang dive or a love motel. But step inside  Siloam and explore its five floors of therapeutic health, bathhouse washing  and 24 hour bed bunk sleeping rooms and you’ll feel like you’ve hit the hidden jackpot of luxurious j-bang finds!
You might agree, Siloam Sauna is the best jjimjilbang in Seoul.
Check out Shocking Quirks you didn’t know about Koreans

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Konglish: a mysterious and confusing language sometimes..

Sometimes, Koreans like to wear English words they don’t understand. Other times, they like to surprise you by busting your chops on complex English terms, that would elicit a Google search for meaning.

I stood outside the jjimjilbang with dropped jaw, staring at the sign:

Sauna & Fomentation

Sauna. I get it.  It inspires the vivid childhood memory of sweat detoxification and the smells of crisp oak paneling, as beads of perspiration drooled off my forehead, while sitting in a small, dark, heated box that my father built in our house. (Yes. My father built a sauna sweatbox in our house).  But Fomentation???… fuuuck. Genius points to the person, who knows that meaning, without cracking open a dictionary.

fo·men·ta·tion (noun)
1.
The act of fomenting; incitement.  2. a. A substance or material used as a warm, moist medicinal compress; a poultice.b. The therapeutic application of warmth and moisture, as to relieve pain.
Welcome to Korea.
Check out other popular cities to visit Korea : Suwon | Busan  | Jeju Island  | Daegu

Is Siloam Sauna the best jjimjilbang in Seoul?

Daebak! (aka best in Korean)  That’s what I think and comparing Siloam to the few I’ve visited in Seoul, here’s why:
Just as a note: The outside at night can look shady and dingy and the spa, obviously has years to its name. It’s easy to miss this building. Checking into Siloam Sauna is like any other jjimjilbang. They follow the standard routine of giving you standard smocks to change into, a shoe locker in the changing room and a small locker for your clothes and personal belongings (only fits daypacks and overnight bags; not carryon luggage). The keys you’ll keep on you at all times either on your wrist or ankle.

1. Saunas and Fomentation

 Bouncing from sauna room to sauna room, sampling the various environmental benefits, could occupy you for well over a day. In fact, Koreans are even known to nap and sleep in them!
Siloam saunas apply more than just heat, but claim to offer therapeutic properties, as well. In basic, it unfolds an amusement park of sauna rooms laden with a plethora of healing attributes from salt to mineral rocks, ice and oxygen. I passed out for nearly an hour in an air-conditioned room, called the Charcoal Cold Room , surrounded by wall to ceiling coverings of charcoal. Charcoal is said to have many purifying and oxygenating properties. I believe it.  I emerged feeling rested, replenished and much clearer and balanced than I was, going in!

Here’s some my favorite fomentation rooms :

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The Ice Room jade room, korean jjimjilbangs, top sauna and spa in seoul, korean saunas and bathhouses, top attractions in korea, what to do in korea The heated Elvan Jade Room: Elvan jade is a mineral rock, whose properties claim to help discharge waste and ease arthritis and muscle pain. Notice how one woman has put the gravel on her body. hot room The Den Room: infrared rays help with rheumatoid arthritis, backaches, stiff shoulders, etc… salt room, korean saunas, siloam spa seoul, top jjimjilbangs in seoul, top bathhouses in seoul, top attractions in seoul, what to do in seoul, spas and saunas in korea The heated salt room

2.  When a bathhouse is a spa

Shower stalls and sit-down scrubbing stations are standard decor in any Korean bathhouse joint, as are heated pools and jacuzzis to soak in, accompanied by an ice water pool to shock your skin awake after its shriveled.

Let’s get down to the deep scrub! Yes, these are separated by sex, because you’ll be going naked. Yup, naked. Westerners who feel uncomfortable with this will skip this part, as Koreans may stare. Korea has largely been a homogenous culture, so anyone foreign stands out (over the years there have been more native English teachers arriving into Korea annually, so Koreans are getting used to them and usually it’s just a matter of curiosity).  If you have tattoos and you’re a girl, they may stare. Tattoos on women are not common to Asia in general. If you’re Caucasian or African American, they may look to see how you’re different (okay, okay, I really wouldn’t freak out- it’s not malicious intent but curiosity and it’s not like they’ll super stare at you; just assume you look like Angelina Jolie to them or if you’re a guy, you’re Tom Cruise).  I’m Asian looking but one ajumma still came up to me while we were soaking in a bath and put her hand on my eye and poked around at my eyelid to see if they were real. She said her eyelids were fake, but it’s shocking nonetheless to be approached so intimately, when you’re both naked. Wouldn’t let this stop you from enjoying the bath- just have fun with the celebrity status.

Back to the baths… Personally, anything which says it will revive young skin, induce health benefits or rejuvenate me,  definitely earns a ‘thumbs up’. Their baths possess “healing benefits”.

With Siloam‘s bathhouse, you get three heated medicinal baths to choose from:

•  a wormwood bath to help aid menstrual pains,

•  a charcoal bath for improved circulation, extracting impurities, and help support the metabolism and anti-aging

•  a jade bath to induce peace and tranquility.

(note: There are potentially more listed on the site, but these three are the only ones I saw.)

The bath houses also house :

•  jacuzzi tub

•  a mist sauna

•  a waterfall shower

Do these mineral bathing pools really work?

Korean spas swear by them.

But personally, depending on the mineral, sometimes you feel a difference in them; sometimes, you don’t.

Tips for Navigating Korean Culture

3.  The best jjimjilbang sleep in Korea

Most jjimjilbangs offer only floor space, a blanket and a wooden block pillow for your overnight sleep.  What makes Siloam unique is that it offers sleep rooms with individual beds.

Although j-bangers are welcome to spread out on any floor (read here) or even crash in the saunas (see the photos above), Siloam‘s fifth floor holds the official sleeping rooms. With over 300 individual bunks per room,  the rooms sport air purifiers, humidifiers, thermometers, to make for an awesome night’s sleep!

How awesome was it?

Perhaps, all the healing properties in the building and the climate/ air-controlled room has something to do with the sleep you experience at Siloam. What I experienced was exceptional for what it was in a dorm-like accommodation. I had a very deep and restful sleep, more than I’ve ever experienced in a hotel.

4. Rooms for Sleepers vs. Snorers

Here’s the funny but kinda cool part…

Do you snore?

The rooms are separated according to three types of sleepers: Women, Men and Snorers. Yes, there’s a “Snorer’s Room”, for when your sleep rattles and shakes others!

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Rest and entertainment areassiloams bunk beds What makes Siloam the best spa in Seoul? Sleeping room bunk beds: light is in actuality, a bit lower for sleeping comfort.

 

5. The best feature of Siloam Sauna is price

After telling you all of what Siloam offers in overnight accommodation and bathhouse/sauna pampering you’ll probably want to visit. But what will change your walk into a run?

The price.  Ready for it?

13,000 Won (or about $12.60 USD)

Now most j-bangs overnight stays are priced in this range and even Dragon Hill comes in a bit leaner at 12,000 Won. What sets Siloam apart from the rest is really the comfy ‘bunk bed’ accommodations vs the standard wooden floor.

Throw some “fomentation” in there and hey, it’s the best and most rocking j-bang in town!

 

6. Can you store you luggage at this bathhouse?

I get a lot of questions about luggage storage. Firstly, this is a bathhouse, not a hotel. I know I write it like it can be an inexpensive accommodation and you’ll see on Korean dramas, it is used by homeless Koreans. But it is not meant to be a hotel so they will not be responsible for your luggage.

Lockers in the bathhouse are tight and fit clothes, a small carry on bag or daypack. I have tried living out a trip in bathhouses and it is not comfortable. You might last two days before feeling like you want one spot to keep your luggage.

You can leave your luggage at the front desk at the entrance. They put a net over the luggage area to keep it safe from grab and runners. But it is still open to the public and there is not any system to keep others from claiming your luggage as their own. When you leave, you must take your luggage with you (duh).

If you have anything valuable inside your luggage, I suggest you find a paid locker at Seoul Station nearby. They have lockers equipped to store larger luggage.

 

siloam spa seoul
siloam spa seoul

 

How to Get to Siloam Fire Pot Sauna  (Seoul, South Korea)

Update: As of 2021, it has been reported that the Siloam Sauna near Seoul Station is closed. But there is conflicting information which also says they have moved to a Gwangjin-gu location.  Let us know if you hear anything about it.

You can store your luggage in the train lockers there or ask to store them in the sauna. There is no private storage space in the sauna. They keep the luggage near the doorway and check-in counter, with a rope over the bags. It’s open to the public and they won’t ask when you remove your bags.

website: www.siloamsauna.com
Hours: 24 hours
Fee:    After 5am:  Bath (Adult) : 8,000 won;  Bath+ Sauna (Adult) : 10,000 won:  After 8pm:  Bath (Adult) : 9,000 won;  Bath+ Sauna (Adult) : 13,000 won

Directions  By Subway:
Line 1, Line 4, Seoul Station, Exit 1, 5 minutes walk
Line 2, Line 5, Chungjeongro Station, Exit 5, 5 minutes walk

 Where to Stay near Silloam/Seoul Station

There are many inexpensive but cool Korean hotels here.  Check out the most popular neighborhoods in Seoul.

 

Do you have a favorite Korean bathhouse or jjimjilbang in Seoul?  

See  my jjimjilbang faves and accommodations in Korea. 

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