Unna Spa

Unna Spa is a small, appointment-only massage studio on 15th Street NW, a couple of blocks from the U Street Metro station. The focus here is squarely on massage therapy rather than a full wet-area spa circuit: ten treatments on the menu cover the usual range of Swedish, deep tissue, hot stone, sports, reflexology and foot massage, plus prenatal and postnatal work for expecting and recovering mothers.

The house specialty is the Unna Signature Massage, which blends Swedish, deep tissue and reflexology techniques into one customized session rather than sticking to a single modality. For those who want to go together, there's a couples massage room with two therapists working side by side, and a four-hands option where two therapists work on one person at once for a more intensive session.

There's no walk-in service and no day-pass system — everything runs on booked appointments, so calling or reserving online ahead of time is necessary rather than optional. The studio is open seven days a week, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., which gives some flexibility for before- or after-work sessions. It's not set up as an adults-only or hotel-exclusive space, and it isn't a sauna-and-pool type facility — think of it as a focused massage practice rather than a destination spa.

Getting there is straightforward for anyone in the Dupont Circle, Foggy Bottom or U Street corridor: two-hour street parking is available on 15th and 16th Streets, the Reeves Center Garage sits around the corner at 1101 15th St, and the U Street Metro (Green/Yellow lines) is about two blocks away.