Burke Williams Day Spa

I love a spa day here but be warned: be very specific with your massage therapist throughout the treatment about what kind of pressure you want.
also be warned: the front desk girls at check-​out have never heard of discretion. If you are bringing/​paying for a guest I suggest checking out before your guest comes out and/​or making it clear to the cashier that you would not like them to repeat loudly several times the amount of your balance in front of your guest and everyone one else in the room. Show me the damn invoice and shut up!

Today was my first time visiting BW, and it was awesome! I thought it would be insanely busy and not peaceful on a Sunday, but it ended up being great. Not too busy at all. It is a large spa with two jacuzzis, a eucalyptus sauna, a steam room and a nice shower area as well as a quiet lounge. My massage therapist, Leo, was wonderful as were all of the spa attendents and the front desk staff. 5 star experience all around. I especially enjoyed how the towels were kept warm — very luxurious. I will definitely be returning! Try the signature massage — it doesn’t disappoint! :)

Worst massage I have ever had. I got a 50 minute relaxation massage which consisted of lots of karate chopping and head scratching. Nothing relaxing about it. The receptionist told me that all relaxation massages are different depending on the style of the masseuse so I should have requested a certain style. How should I know that? I get lots of massages and I can’t believe that a place like Burke Williams would be the worst. So disappointed. My husband and I came for Valentine’s Day today and his massage was terrible too. They escorted us down to what was like a basement which was really musty. For the price of a massage here they should really update their massage rooms, they are very dated. So disappointed, won’t ever be coming back here.

This is the place to be. Relaxing, cozy and worth every penny. Bee gave me the best message ever & the girl at the front desk, Kennedy was very sweet. Steam room, sauna, jacuzzi, and soothing music. Treat yourself.

My favorite BW location. JACOB is the best! Request him and thank me later. I went with my boyfriend on 1÷30÷16 and the facility was well kept as usual. I received a deep tissue massage. This is the only massage I care to get since I’m in nursing school, and my back and feet always pain me from hours at clinical rotations. Jacob worked his magic and I left feeling like a brand new woman. He got all my kinks out and he was attentive and asked if I wanted more or less pressure. It matters when your therapist care about the level of pressure you can handle. I had a great experience. Thanks Jacob!

I had just come back from a 3 week trip down under to Australia & New Zealand and was in need of some pampering. Enter my fabulous Christmas present to Burke Williams!
my review right now is purely for the 80 min Burke Williams massage. Given all the other glowing reviews, it disappoints me to give 3 stars only. I had really high hopes for this luxe spa. Especially because I was highly sold on my massage therapist as one of the most requested females in the SM location.
**I hope i will have a different experience as I still need to go once more to redeem the remainder of my gift.
Unfortunately, the massage was not nearly as relaxing and soothing as I had hoped. For beginners, my therapist’s pressure all over the place. I had mentioned at the beginning that i hold a lot of stress in my upper back (neck/​shoulders) and lower back. but the rest of my body is easy so pressure can be stronger every where else. I had to wake up and modify the pressure every time massage locations changed. After a while, I just stopped because it wasn’t doing much for me – it’s like I almost had someone rubbing lotion on me instead of actually massaging me.
The AC was also on through the whole meeting — not sure how much of that can really be controlled in the separate rooms. But my feet was freezing through the massage — at least my therapist was helpful in that she tried to wrap my feet in warm towels so i wasn’t shivering.
A nice touch though that i appreciated — after my massage ended and i got off the table, my robe was left warmed up for me :)
On to some of the positives:
— fresh cut fruit to snack on
— little shots (!) of smoothies
— Full shower and dressing amenities. They even have shave gel & razors. And everything you need to do your hair — brushes, hairspray, mousse, etc. And all the products are from the BW brand line.
— a couple varieties of infused water
I really hope my next visit will be significantly better in service and value. Had I paid for this massage with my own money, I’d probably be more upset.

This place still relaxes me, which is impossible to do.
Had access to a day pass which lets you use their spa facilities (hot tubs, misting room, steam room, etc.) and the highlight of my day is that I pretty much had the dimly lit ‘quiet zone’ jacuzzi to myself. When someone else came in, I simply wandered into the misting room for a few minutes. True to the fact, nobody utters a word, and you know anywhere else there is a ‘quiet area’, someone always has to start talking their ass off. But not here. I could have drowned myself and been content.
Later on I checked out the solarium which I didn’t get to do on my previous visits. I managed to grab a chair right next to the fireplace, where you can kind of see over to the other side where some men were. There were only two ladies talking on my side, but it wasn’t disruptive. Finally ended up in the steam room (it’s always nice when they function) before coming back to reality for the rest of the evening.
Staff was extremely friendly, especially Anthony. Don’t feel silly about getting lost in here (which CAN happen if you’re not a member or haven’t been here too many times), employees are always on hand to assist.
I was still floating, even when I returned to my car to find a $ 64 parking ticket on my windshield!

I have been to this location a couple of times. I have always had a decent experience. This last time, however, I had a bad experience. I went with a girlfriend and we both got massages. Everything was OK.
I realized almost a week later that I had left behind my Nike sneakers (this is clearly my fault) — I went straight from working out and then got dressed up to go out as soon as my friend and I were done at the spa so I left wearing different shoes. I called and first of all, I could not speak with the front desk at the SM location. They have you speak to an operator. Even when I asked to speak with someone directly at the SM location, they said they would just pass the message along (frustrating). I would have just gone there in person if I could in that moment. She put me on hold to call the location and ask if they had found any sneakers. She comes back on a few minutes later and says that no one was answering the phone. Really? No one? Every time I have gone, there are usually at least 3 people at the front desk. She took my info down and said they would call me if anything was found. Mind you, this sounded like a different person than the one I originally spoke to which I thought was odd. Hours go by and just something made me feel uneasy about the whole situation. I call again and they said they sent an email to the SM location and no one had replied — they just seemed so careless about it. The operator called again — I was put on hold for a few minutes and she came back saying that unfortunately nothing had been found.
OK, I get it, my bad for leaving my sneakers behind (they were new and expensive :.(and I never lose things like this so it hurt even more) but I just felt that the way they handled it — they were not very helpful or even empathetic. They were just kind of like whatever, we will let you know. I don’t know if a customer stole them or staff (which is really gross when you think about it) but the experience just left me with a bad feeling and I will never go back. I also left feedback on their website and never even heard from them. If you go, make sure to guard your valuables and don’t dare to leave anything behind!

I came on Sunday, January 17^th for a «Radiance Facial.» It was my first experience here and probably my last. This was a special treat for my birthday and the experience was awful. I arrived 15 minutes early and checked in with the front desk. I said it was my first time so she said someone would come down and give me a tour of the facilities. A few minutes later, the front desk woman says she can’t seem to locate anyone to give me a tour so she offered to give me a verbal tour. So right from the start, I was not impressed. Fast forward to my facial, I was told I could not get the facial I had made an appointment for because I had had laser done on my face. She offered to give me a different kind of facial but I was not interested. I have no qualms about the fact that my laser treatment precluded me from getting the Radiance Facial. What I am so mad about is the fact that they have a list of questions they’re supposed to ask before you can get the facial, so this could have been precluded. I made the appointment in person the day before and explained to the receptionist that I have never had a facial before. Anyways, the day was a bust, my birthday gift was ruined, and I do not recommend this place. Also, I’ve never been to a day spa so I was unaware there were all these amenities I could use, else I would have planned for my time more accordingly. This place does a very poor job for first time guests.
Positives: nice, comfortable robes, fresh cut fruit to snack on

It smells so good in there and I have getting the anti aging facial I look amazing for a week afterwards. I had the orangesickle tea :)

Loved my experience and I can’t wait to go back. The amenities are beautiful and well kept. The entire staff was so nice from the reservation, reception, therapist and staff. I had the muscle therapy bath and the Parafango treatment with Shelley and I feel like a new woman. Do yourself a favor a treat yourself to any experice!

I never even got to the massage and amenities. My special day couples massage with my fiancé was ruined by being incorrectly booked in separate rooms. After speaking with management at the spa, they could careless to rectify the miss booking. I also called customer service after holding forever, I finally got a call back from someone who somewhat cared about customer quality and service. People make mistakes, but overall Burke Williams has very low quality and you are better off at a mom and pop!

I have been coming to BW for many years. Santa Monica, Pasadena, and San Francisco are my favorites. Santa Monica always has great accommodations… Food delivered, free smoothies, outside patio, and champagne during the holidays! If I had the money, I would become a member but I love the free spa passes with gift card purchases during the holidays

Time for an update: Sadly the massage therapist I mentioned in my previous review no longer works there, but I have found many others that are incredible in their own way! I think overall Burke Williams seems to employ amazing massage therapists, as there are 3 people I currently love there, depending on what I need.
So I’ve been a member for years since I obviously enjoy the massages & facilities. I recently tried their complimentary bath that comes with a pregnancy massage – amazing! So relaxing and they bring you a cute fruit platter.
While this isn’t the fanciest or most luxurious spa I’ve been to, they do offer fantastic massages with the most comfortable massage beds. In my opinion, this outweighs everything else. Treat yourself!
Also, their customer service is incredible. They go above and beyond to make sure you have a fabulous time :)

I had a really nice and relaxing day here with my sister. It was my first time at any BW and it exceeded my expectations. I don’t normally spend much on myself (I had a gift card here), however, after my visit I would absolutely come back for a special occasion to treat myself.
The pros: the facilities were clean, everything was kept fully stocked (towels, fresh water, fruit, smoothies, lemonade), and my massage was good. They had a quiet room where I actually fell asleep, and a relaxing outdoor seating area near a fire pit.
The cons: it was quite crowded and loud when we first got there. The girls in the hot tub area were talking so loudly that I could hear them while I was inside the steam room. Luckily they eventually left. My masseuse was also late to pick me up (I was the last one left in the waiting room) and when we got to the room she didn’t have something she needed, so I was left waiting even longer. She did add the time on but it still made me a bit nervous at first. Also, my sister and I both got the same service (80 min BW Massage) and she told me she got some sort of salt scrub, which I didn’t get. I realized later that the BW massage was just the regular Swedish massage but $ 20 extra because it included the scrub, so I felt kind of ripped off that I didn’t get that.
I don’t expect perfection but when paying such high prices I’d expect those little details to be ironed out. Overall though, the day was very relaxing and I felt great afterward.

I visited Burke Williams today with work colleagues for a birthday. I’ve never had a relaxation massage before (only therapy massages at my chiropractor), and I was pleasantly surprised. I’m definitely not use to bourgeois pampering, but if I ever intend to escalate into the upper echelon of society, I must leave behind my proletariate ways.
Upon checking in, we were guided to the changing area where white, fuzzy robes were waiting. Since this was a work event, it was a bit awkward to get completely naked in front of work colleagues.
The atmosphere of the spa is entirely zen, and the staff was excellent! I had the Pure Relaxation massage, and since it was my first time, my therapist talked me through the entire procedure before starting. She asked me how I was feeling and if there were any areas I needed, and I let her know my shoulders and lower back, as both are problem areas where I tend to hold stress. The massage began with an exfoliating scrub, then continued with hot stones and aromatherapy. My massage therapist was excellent and worked out an incredibly large knot in my right shoulder. The hour went by much too quickly, but the full body massage left me feeling amazing! Even my feet and hands felt refreshed and exfoliated from the experience.
My only complaint with the actual massage was the music playing in the room. It sounded like a mix between bad elevator music and the guy playing the piano at Nordstrom (do they still have that?).
I took a quick trip to the steam room, but didn’t have time to visit any other areas in the spa. The steam room had cold towels outside for your face, and the room was perfect temp — hot enough, but not uncomfortably sweltering.
In the dressing area/​showers they had refreshments, which consisted of spa water, fruit and delicious smoothies. Every beauty amenity you could ever need was available, including razors, facial toner, mouthwash and leave-​in conditioner!
Park in one of the public structures off of 4^th St, where parking is free for the first hour and a half. I also recommend making reservations in advance, in order to avoid possible wait times.
I definitely recommend this location and plan on coming back the next time I need a little pampering and R&R.

Strongly recommend this location, based on price affordability, quality of therapists, gracious staff, and spa facilities. For the price, you can’t find better in LA. The membership is only $ 89 per month.
The staff here is my favorite part of the spa. The ladies in the lockeroom are incredibly kind, helpful, and overly gracious. All of them. Once I asked one of the ladies if she had a safety pin. I needed to fix my strap that fell from the loop hole. She instead took my suite top and fixed for me.
I strongly recommend Tiffany, Rene, and Kaoru. They are all amazing. I have a back injury that all were very sensitive too. Tiffany I think is the most skilled in sports injuries, and is a massage miracle worker.
Tip for all:
I believe all or most lockers are stocked with a 3−4XL robe and medium sized slippers. If you are more petite, the kind staff in the locker rooms will bring you smaller sizes if you ask.

This was my first ever experience with Burke Williams and it was absolutely perfect. I scheduled a Spa pedicure and my technician was Roshelle. She worked some incredible magic during the treatment and my feet look so good when I looked at them after I said «WOW». I will definitely return and happily go back to her, she was very helpful, created a relaxing mood, very attentive to your needs, etc.
In addition, the spa in general was very relaxing. The jacuzzi and sauna rooms were perfect and I enjoyed the outside patio area. I felt relaxed and at one point fell asleep! There was a man at the front desk with short brown hair who was extremely nice and accommodating and showed me around– I wish I got his name!
I enjoyed every part of this experience and I can’t wait for my next visit.

Cheers to all of the gorgeous, fit young men with doctorates and law degrees — dressed head-​to-​toe in cashmere v-​necks, Paul Smith slacks, Saint Laurent accessories and Tod’s driving moccasins and top it all off with an infectious sense of humor…
But I digress.
A spa day. At Burke Williams, dear Unilocalers, is also fab. Cucumber water and a jacuzzi and a steam and a great massage to keep you fabulous for the choice few who actually deserve you.

I went to Burke Williams for the first time today and got a facial with CHIA. My experience was relaxing until she started commenting on my «baby face»
I have an innocent look and I can be awkward sometimes. It’s not my favorite feature about myself. But i sorta learned to deal with it. However, I never would have thought that an esthetician at a luxury spa would comment on my FACE structure. Rather than my skin. You’re supposed to educate clients on how to maintain their skin and help them achieve their goals, not make side comments about their face.
She tried selling me a bunch of products.
I believe one of the products has wine? as one of the ingredients? She paused, and said «You don’t drink right? Are you even old enough to drink?»
She made 2 other side remarks. So a total of 3. I felt uncomfortable the whole time and was not able to relax.
When I checked out at the very end, I asked the front desk if they can give me the name of my esthetician. They were professional, polite and very happy to assist me. I got the name and wrote it down. They asked If I wanted to leave her a gratuity, I said no.

There is no place that I can think of that makes me feel as bougie as when I come to spend a day at Burke Williams Day Spa. I’ve been fortunate to receive a heft sized gift card for services there, but considering my current paycheck size, I don’t think that I will be able to come here again unless I receive another generous gift. The prices are just little too not worth it, considering the amount of massage places available in LA.
Per membership and prices, the massages here are definitely catering to the «frequent flyer» club. For someone like me, who gets massages infrequently and needs those infrequent massages to be hardcore, then this is probably not worth it. On my last trip here, I received the deep tissue massage and though relaxing, it did not do the job as I was expecting it.
The best part about here, as a casual visitor, is enjoy all the amenities that the spa has to offer. The jacuzzi, the sauna, steam room, solarium, all of it. It’s a great way to really get the full spa experience.
The staff here is incredibly accommodating, and to call them polite would be an understatement.
If you make an appointment here and you’re not a frequent member, then plan out your day to truly enjoy all the amenities that this place has to offer. If you’re a member, then enjoy your frequent rubdowns.

There’s nothing better than a relaxing day at Burke Williams. I’ve passed by this place so many times and never noticed it was there. It’s upstairs, next to Patagonia on 4^th street. I usually go to the one in Hollywood so it was a nice change.
This one has 2 separate sections for 2 huge jacuzzis. One is for talking and the other is for quiet time. They also have a section for doing your hair and make up with hair irons, curlers, and blow dryers. With their own beauty products for you to use.
They also have a coed section outside of the women’s and men’s sections where you can sit on a couch and relax and sip on a cup of tea while waiting for your massage.
You can wear a bathing suit here or be completely nude.