Forest Hills Spa

I like everything about this place — it has a good steam, an iced water to jump after the steam room, if you want to eat or drink — here we are. Reasonably priced. Recommended.

Love that place not to big, but they just finish to renovate, the staff is very nice, the «platza massage «is the best!!!

Love this place! Been coming here for years. Even bought a ten pack a few years back, and am currently down to my last visit. I usually come here with Michael K. and some other straphangers we choose to call that day. Most recent trip here was on one of the last days of the Jewish holiday of Passover. It was a friday and i was off work. Thats quite a rarity, so why not enjoy life with a little water, steam, and jacuzzi.
The place is a mere 5 – 10 min drive from where I live. Warning: Parking is difficult in this area so pray for the best and expect to spend almost your whole day here for those who like to relax and zone out the outside world. You can spot the entrance right off Calloway Street with a huge sign that reads «Forest Hills Spa» all nice and colorful. The place is quite big as far as Russian banyas go and is one of the few that has a long swimming pool. This is lacking in some Brooklyn banya competitors. So definitely a plus for queens.
For me, A typical day in this banta consists of Sauna, pool, jacuzzi, cold plunge, steam room, play cards and REPEAT, literally. This may sound boring to some, but its definitely better with the right company and people who like to enjoy actually «relaxing». The sauna can reach great temperatures in heat, especially if someone decides to turn their towel into a propeller (ahemmm…haimov). After that, you can either chicken out and go straight to the pool or BE A MAN and enter the cold plunge of DOOM (ominous music). Its cold as Hell. Probably a bad metaphor b/​c Hell is supposed to be well, Hottt… So to reiterate, the sauna can get HOT as HELL, the temp in the pool is tepid, and the «cold pool» is exactly what it sounds like. Don’t sleep on the steam room either, it can get quite toasty and uncomfortable in their too, given the duration of time you spend.
Food here is good, particularity the cornish hen meal. I usually get it and split it with someone b/​c its a big portion. Pairs well with israeli/​fresh salad, french fries and ooo yes Baltika #7, a well known Russian beer. Admission fee runs $ 30 for adults, for the whole day. Package deals available and friendly staff always around.
OOOOOOO, don’t forget to enjoy a nice jet-​stream aqua-​laced massage in the jacuzzi, it can get all those kinks out in your back, if you position yourself the right way. Its called Self MyoFascial Release Technique for all those technical people.
Take a day and enjoy the right way. and if you need someone to go with. Holla at me or Michael K.
Peace, Unilocalers.

Very clean! Not fancy but a warm pool, about 20′ x 30′, hot tub, and a cold tub. I was able to swim a few laps and do some water exercises. It’s not too big, but very nice!!! I found parking on the street. I didn’t try the food but the menu seemed good with authentic Russian food. I would recommend it!

Food was lackluster, the dining area freezing cold, one of the Sauna’s was tiny. Overall, we didn’t want spend our whole day there, which is really all that matters. May go back, as it is convenient to where I live, but don’t recommend it for someone who is going to travel to it.

Rule #1: know what something is before you go and don’t be a priss. The steam room smelled divine. Beer was reasonably priced as was food. Saunas are hot, surprise! I got the salt scrub and the lady spared no pity — I came out slick as a quartz.

Small but great for a family size of 4. I went with a groupon and I gotta say, I actually enjoyed the wet sauna. The only thing is the water isn’t so clear, but the owner gave us a good deal by not charging us parking fees!

One of the best massages I ever had! I don’t think it’s the most fancy place I was ever at but the value is tremendous and the service was excellent which is more than I can say about some of the fancy places… give this place a chance you won’t be disappointed.

I am regular Spa goer and this place has it pros and cons. There’s no fancy entrance or anything so when you arrive at the bottom of the steps you are in. I would not want to experience how drafty that could become in winter. At the request of my daughter we went on a Sunday evening. There were several couples and a family or two. There were children everywhere. I love children, but they rarely make for a relaxing time at the Spa! Not a plus for me.
When getting a massage I became distracted by the shouting — from the kids in the fairly large pool, over the music provided by Vladimir my «Massage Therapist». We only opted for massages because we had Groupons that made it sound reasonable. Also Vladimir browbeat us at the door, once we asked the desk guy about massage prices. Our 2 for one Groupons also included $ 15 off any service. I am not one to pass on a $ 35 deep tissue massage for 30 minutes. I told him to give me 30 minutes before I would join him.
The locker room/​shower/​bathroom was small and could barely hold 5 ladies at once, but it was clean. The shower heads were of the Kohler Rain shower type, and the shower itself contained a small bench built into the wall. There was not fancy lotion or soap but they did offer soap in a dispenser in the showers.
The main room housed the pool/​jacuzzi and cold plunge pool as well as the restaurant and several seating areas for eating and a few for just sitting. Besides the wooden areas for eating with benches, the other seats were just hard plastic outdoor seats and two lounge chairs.
The steam room was the smallest I have ever witnessed. Looked like a closet, but it can get very hot and filled with lovely steam. When some one puts a pot of eucalyptus leaves in there, it gets nice. The dry and moist sauna rooms also got nice and hot which was the highlight of the evening. After you are ready to rest a bit there are limited spaces to do so in. There’s a wooden bunk bed type resting area for 4 people at a time, which is actually comfortable. If someone is there when you are ready to lay down, you are simply SOL because your only other option is one of the two existing hard plastic lounge chairs at the pool.
Outside of the saunas they have a cold water shower and a regular shower, which is good. I tried the plunge pool and jacuzzi and was a bit grossed out. Though side by side neither seems to get to the temp that t should be. In the jacuzzi the water was tepid & murky. I thought it was the color of the bottom, but no. Children were swimming around in it. Same for the plunge pool. Also, I did not smell chlorine or anything in there to break up bacteria and such. Thank God I use my anti viral, anti bacterial essential oils blends everywhere I go!
Lastly the «Massage Therapist «was untrained IMHO. He did moves on the left side and then did something different on the right side. While he was attentive and asked questions about how much pressure I needed, he was less than thorough. I have never had a 30 minute massage which focused primarily on my butt and back and also he never turned me over. Thank God,! My daughter says he did both sides on her which included her bare breasts without asking permission. That to me constitutes perv action.
Overall, no need to return for me, ever!

I was just curious so I decided to purchase a deal with Groupon so I could experience Forest Hills Spa. Everyone there is very polite and really pay attention to your needs. Parking can be frustratiing but luckily enough Forest Hills spa had reserved a few spots on a private lot for it s customers, there is a fee of 8.00 usd assigned which is worth every penny otherwise frustration would take over and you surely would drive away. The Place itself is fairly modest, and it feels like more being in a club then a Russian bathouse, nevertheless i enjoyed their sauna and Jacuzzi, it was ok while it lasted. Now will I go out of my way to go back there? Maybe Not. Overall on a scale of 1 to 10 Forest Hills spa gets a 6.

The previous reviews about this place were accurate — the entrance is right off the street, the Russian room is crazy hot, the cold tub is actually really cold, and all the rooms are fairly small. I went on a Weds afternoon so there was plenty of room, though I can imagine it being uncomfortably packed on the weekend.
Everyone here was super nice and there was a good mix of families, young people, and old Russian guys. The cold pool looked a little dingy but everything else looked really clean. My favorite part was the «real» sized swimming pool. Other bath houses I’ve been to have no swimming pool (and no jacuzzi, in the case of the Russian & Turkish bath house in the village), so Forest Hills Spa beats them both on that note.
I also had the borscht, which was surprisingly flavorful and tasty for spa food.
I will definitely be back here. It is pretty far out of the way for me (2 trains and a bus!) but I found it to be totally worth it.

I went here last night. I had a wonderful time.
The facilities were very clean. The steam room, while small, was scalding hot, fragrant with eucalyptus, and really incredible. They also have hands down the best/​hottest dry sauna I’ve ever been in. This place isn’t for spa newbies, but if you live for the heat, it’s one of the best spas in NY.
The food looked great but I didn’t try it. Next time.
Really though, cheap baltikas (4 bucks), hot saunas, and steamy steam rooms. What more could you ask for? This place is the real deal. It’s not fancy, but man does it get the job done.

I love this place! I just spent a wonderful day there with my boyfriend, moving from the regular pool to the jacuzzi to the sauna to the steam room and then back again. The place is small but that makes it very relaxing and user friendly, especially for a novice to the bath experience. And the food is great too. After a few hours there, I felt like a new person.
(We were the only two folks there not speaking Russian, so it is definitely authentic!)

This is a small no-​frills bath house/​spa, so if you’re looking for something fancy, this isn’t it. However, if you just want a place to chill in a sauna or steam room, this should work for you. Admission is $ 30 for the day and this gets you access to a pool, two saunas, a jacuzzi, wooden bunk beds, a café, and a steam room. The only thing I really don’t like is the jacuzzi is never on (with no directions on how to turn it on) and the water in it looks a bit dirty. The rest of the place is fine. It’s no Spa Castle, but it does have fewer to no kids, you don’t have to wear a silly uniform in the saunas, and you aren’t you forced to strip to go into the steam room and jacuzzi area (something I’ve always found weird). All in all, not a bad place to go on a cold winter day.

The bath house is very clean and has diverse options for everyone to enjoy. The food is extremely delicious. They have an extensive menu. Their cold appetizers are made with great quality fish and beef stroganoff is a stand out. Definitely check out the bath house but their restaurant is worth a try. It reminds me of Spa Castle with a Russian twist, a place you can stay all day, relax and indulge.

i have made it a personal mission to check out all the russian banyas in NYC. i love love love the genius contrast between extreme hot and extreme cold and am of the persuasion that a day at the banya trumps any massage, pedicure, or facial you can find.
forest hills spa has some glaring positives and negatives:
positives:
–the location (for me) is the most easily accessible. it also has a private lot. street parking was difficult, but that was because it was street cleaning (M&T).
–the russian room is blazing!
–they have a cold shower and a cold pool to cool off. i really like a cold pool, and the lack thereof is my only real gripe with brooklyn banya.
–large pool to relax in.
–not crowded, and sleeping in between rounds is almost encouraged (wooden bunk beds for the ultimate lounge).
–VERY CLEAN
–decent food, excellent beer and mineral water selection, wine that does not flow from a box.
–very nice and accommodating staff.
negatives:
–small. like the previous reviewer said you walk in from the street. locker rooms are really small, but really clean.
–pools are a bit murky, but not disgustingly so. placid jacuzzi which to me defeats the point of a jacuzzi. i don’t go to the banya for a jacuzzi so it really didn’t bother me.
–small saunas. if it was crowded it could be uncomfortable.
–seating area is limited. not really conductive to groups. the tables are glued to the wall in the pool area which limits ability to accommodate and stretch out.
–no food or drink in the main area. you have to eat in a designated area (which is really cute and overlooking the pools) and leave your stuff or bring it into the restaurant.
–the steam room had a mild mildew smell, and i am a firm believer that a steam room should smell like eucalyptus.
overall i enjoyed myself and would go back. if the location is convenient for you like it is me it is definitely worth checking out. the clientele is primarily russian and very social (i got adopted by a mildly anti-​semitic russian lady who said the jews like the banya too hot) if not a little overbearing. the staff is pleasant and the facility is immaculate which offsets the murky pool.

First, this place is called «Russian Baths and Restaurant» or «Russian Banya in Queens» (in Russian). Forest Hills Spa doesn’t appear anywhere on the premises, though it does say that on the website [
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We’ve been to a number of Russian Baths in Brooklyn and the Spa Castle Korean mega bath complex in College Point, so when we found this place online, we wanted to check it out. It is fairly modest, more of a neighborhood bath house, with a club-​y feel, than a destination. Most customers seemed to be locals.
There are 2 saunas: Finnish (Dry) and Russian (more humid) as well as a steam room. All were fairly small, steam room didn’t have space for more than 5 – 6 adults. There is a good size pool, great for kids, plus a pretty big jacuzzi and a very cold plunge pool.
The Russian sauna was very, very hot — one of the hottest we’ve ever experienced. The Finnish was hot, but not extreme. Jacuzzi water looked like it had not been changed in a while, but we enjoyed it anyway. Pool was very refreshing.
There’s a small restaurant/​café just off of the pool. We didn’t eat, but had tea and other drinks, which were fine. They have a good selection of drinks, beer, wine. People seemed to be enjoying food.
We felt biggest drawback was lack of sufficient seating areas for families or groups. We’ve been to Sandoony USA in Brooklyn many times where there are dozens of tables around the pools where you can relax, read, eat between your sauna sessions. This place had a few tables for 2, a few for 4 and a lot of single chairs against a wall facing the pool. Not a great place to hang out. On the other hand, people were relaxing in the restaurant/​café which was bright and comfortable.
Two other things diminished the experience: 1) locker rooms are tiny! Barely room for 6 people to change. 2) there isn’t really a proper entrance, you walk in off the street right into the main room with the pool.
On the other hand, we were able to bargain for a discount at the front desk, got one free admission for our group of 6.
We might go back, the saunas and pools were fine, but wouldn’t rush and wouldn’t go with a large group. Would be fine with one friend.
It is easy to get to by car, just a few blocks from the intersection of 495 and the Grand Central Parkway. On street parking was not hard to find.