This NYC Spa on Governor's Island Is the Perfect Winter Day Trip — and It Has Heated Outdoor Pools, Glass Rooms With Fire Pits, Acrobatic Performances, and Skyline Views
Go ahead, treat yourself at QC Spa.
Riccardo Piazza/Courtesy of QC New York
The frigid winter temperatures are descending upon New York City and that may have you thinking about escaping the chill for warmer weather spots. But what if we told you there’s a place in the city that will make you feel like you’ve taken a portal to a tropical destination? We promise this isn’t a fever dream. It’s just QC, the Spa of Wonders.
QC, located on Governors Island, is an oasis that gives city dwellers a place to go when they need a quick break without having to pack more than a day bag — as long as it includes a bathing suit.
The Governors Island property marks QC Terme Spa & Resorts first destination in the U.S., giving New Yorkers just a taste of the Italian spa lifestyle, or as the company shared with Travel + Leisure, it’s sharing the “dolce far niente”— the sweetness of doing nothing.
Courtesy of QC New York
Courtesy of QC New York
At the day spa, guests can explore the spa’s not one but two outdoor pools, which are heated throughout the winter, and are the only outdoor heated pools in all of New York City.
“While most of the city’s outdoor pools close on Labor Day, QC NY’s crown jewels — its two outdoor pools with breathtaking Manhattan skyline views — offer one of New York City’s most magical off-season experiences,” the spa shared in a statement provided to T+L. “With the temperature cranked up to a balmy 98 degrees, steamy air ripples off the pools on cool, rainy, and snowy days, and hydro seats massage your body while underwater, dreamy music plays from submerged speakers.”
To ensure guests are always comfortable even in the coldest part of the season, QC also built heated walkways and tunnels so guests can make their way to the pool in a cozy environment. Oh, and naturally, they have warming racks available to keep your robe and towel nice and toasty, too.
Courtesy of QC New York
On site, there are also two glass-enclosed Reflection Rooms for guests who want to have a meditative moment to themselves while still feeling one with the outdoors. And guess what? There are heated loungers in here as well.
And, as you sit in the pool looking out into the stunning skyline view or in your Reflection Room, you can also listen to the soothing sounds of live music and a light show put on by Cirque-tacular, an acrobatic production company, which is there for your entertainment and your entertainment only, now through March 2024.
Riccardo Piazza/Courtesy of QC New York
Beyond the pools, guests can take part in more than 20 wellness experiences sprinkled across its 74,000-square-foot spa, including Vichy showers, saunas, infrared beds, and relaxation rooms. There’s so much to do that you may need to come back for a full second day just to see it all.
“There is nothing quite like luxuriating in our outdoor pools in crisp air or gently falling snow or rain,” Simona Sbarbaro, the CMO of QC Terme Spas and Resorts, shared. “As the mist rises off the water and the jaw-dropping views of New York Harbor unfold before your eyes, guests will find themselves fully transported and recharged.”
Best of all, getting to this little piece of paradise means taking just a five-minute ferry from lower Manhattan. A five-hour stay starts at $124, and sunset entrance from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. starts at $98. Passes include access to pools, relaxation areas, saunas, steam rooms, bathrobes, sandals, towels, complimentary showers, and body and skincare products. Learn more at qcny.com.
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