Nickel Spa

Profile

There couldn't be a better spot for the men-only Nickel Spa than the intersection of Eighth Avenue and 14th Street, where the West Village meets Chelsea and metro meets sexual. There, in a two-story converted bank building that's been re-outfitted submarine-style in stainless steel and glass, and painted white and a shocking shade of blue, men get beautiful the not-so-old-fashioned way. There's waxing and lasering, manicuring and massaging, cutting and coloring—and no women, save the occasional receptionist or technician. A noted French skincare brand, Nickel's focus is primarily on spa treatments (the small salon area has just four chairs) and a considerable effort is made to provide treatments targeted to different kinds of guys and their specific needs. Massage options include the standard Swedish and hot stone, as well as sport massages designed to relieve workout-induced kinks; there's also a double massage in which two masseurs work the client at once. Increasingly high tech treatments go from microdermabrasion to customized facials that address mannish concerns like ingrown hairs. The spa's double-height, ground-floor lobby and retail area houses a wealth of grooming products from the Art of Shaving, Jean-Paul Gautier, Molton Brown, Marvis, Frédéric Fekkai, and Nickel's own excellent skin, bath, and body line. — Andrew Sessa

Nickel offers seasonal packages, with specials during the summer, Father’s Day, and the winter holidays.