From "aah" to Zen

SPLURGE Check your friend in for a night at the Ruby Room’s boutique hotel (think steam showers, 500-thread-count linens and free Aveda products) to ensure he stays Zen long after the masseuse has finished kneading his knots. Choose from treatments such as reflexology or a chakrassage, or offer him a blank certificate so he can select his own. $155–$195 per night, plus $100 for a 60-minute treatment.

BUDGET Some folks describe Korean-run bathhouse Paradise Sauna as “divey”—it’s more of a strip-and-get-a-scrubdown than a candles-in-the-waiting-room kind of place—so consider buying yourself a full-body scrub, too, so you can experience the adventure together. Take a dip in the hot and cold pools before heading out for a sushi lunch at next-door Paradise Japanese. $48.

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