How One Family Turned a Big Idea Into California’s Most Beloved Spa
Before wellness became a lifestyle and self-care became a Sunday ritual, Theresa and Bill Armour had already figured it out. In 1986, the husband-and-wife duo opened Burke Williams, the first urban day spa in the country, in Los Angeles with a deceptively simple idea: bring the luxury of a world-class resort spa to the city, where people actually need it. Over four decades later, that idea has grown into 10 California locations, a results-obsessed skin care line, H2V, and a loyal following of guests who treat their monthly visit less like a splurge and more like a necessity.
A Family Business With Serious Staying Power
Burke Williams isn’t a corporate chain with a revolving door of ownership and a rebrand every five years. It’s still family-operated, guided by the Armours’ original vision. Their spas are singularly focused on what they set out to do from day one: transform your day. That commitment shows up in the details, from the complimentary seasonal teas and infused waters waiting in the lounge and the robes folded in your locker to the esthetician who actually remembers what your skin needs.
The brand draws its DNA from European spa traditions. They train therapists to deliver exceptional treatments within an environment that feels genuinely luxurious but not pretentious. There are eight full-service locations across Southern California.: Hollywood, Mission Viejo, Orange, Pasadena, Santa Monica, Sherman Oaks, Torrance and Woodland Hills. An additional location in San Jose serves Northern California. Meanwhile, those in the Marina del Rey area can visit the brand’s Simply Massage concept. This location offers a streamlined, massage-only experience with the same caliber of Burke Williams therapists at an accessible price point.
The Spa Experience Starts Before Your Treatment
Here’s what separates Burke Williams from your neighborhood massage studio: the moment you walk in, the experience has already begun. Guests who book services totaling $100 or more get full access to the spa amenities, and that access is worth arriving early for. We’re talking whirlpools, steam rooms, dry saunas, cool misting rooms, cold deluges, private showers and quiet relaxation rooms where silence is the actual dress code.
The co-ed lounge is a particular standout. With plush robes, comfy slippers, a glowing fireplace, complimentary teas, fresh fruit and infused water, it’s the kind of atmosphere that makes you forget what day it is in the best possible way. Separate spa areas for men and women ensure everyone has their own retreat, while the shared lounge is designed for exactly the kind of unhurried conversation or blissful silence that real relaxation requires. Vanity areas are stocked with hair products, blow dryers, curling irons and everything you need to re-enter civilization looking like yourself again. Burke Williams recommends arriving at least an hour before your appointment to soak it all in. And we recommend taking that advice seriously.
A Massage Menu That Actually Meets You Where You Are
The treatment menu at Burke Williams is extensive without being overwhelming, and that’s because every service is built around personalization. The massage offerings run the full spectrum, from the Pure Relaxation and Deep Tissue options to more specialized modalities like Shiatsu, Thai, Cranial Sacral, Reiki, Lymphatic Drainage and Pregnancy Massage. New additions include the Vitality and Tranquility massages for guests looking to explore something beyond the classics. Reflexology is on the menu too, because sometimes the body speaks through the feet.
Enhancements elevate any massage into something next-level. Hot stones, aromatherapy, detox and CBD add-ons let guests customize their session in partnership with their therapist. The philosophy is simple: you come in with a specific need, and the treatment is shaped around it. Burke Williams doesn’t do one-size-fits-all.
Facials That Actually Deliver Results
The skin care program at Burke Williams is anchored by something proprietary and genuinely impressive. The 22-point acupressure massage technique was developed exclusively for the brand over 25 years ago. Every facial incorporates this signature method alongside H2V, Burke Williams’ own professional-grade skin care line. H2V, science-forward and nature-conscious, has been used on more than 5 million faces, and the formulas are the same ones estheticians use in-treatment, which means you can create an at-home routine that actually mirrors your spa results.
The facial menu covers serious ground, too. The lineup includes a Spa Style Facial as well as Nourishing, Radiance and Regenerate Anti-Aging options, a 4-Layer Resurfacing Facial, the new ULTRAfusion Facial and a Rescue Facial. Bring your husband and children along for a full family affair with the Gentlemen’s Facial and Teen Spa Facial designed for younger guests aged 13 to 17. Enhancements like vitamin C peels, stem cell sprays, age-defy sprays and advanced eye-lifts let estheticians push results even further. Come in with a concern, but leave with a plan.
The Wetroom: Burke Williams’ Most Immersive Experience
If there is one element that earns a “you have to try this” from nearly every guest who experiences it, it’s the wetroom. Currently available at the Pasadena, Santa Monica, Torrance, Orange, Mission Viejo and San Jose locations, this is where Burke Williams really sets itself apart. The wetroom features 12 specially designed rainfall Vichy shower heads that cascade water over the body in a choreographed, therapist-guided experience. It’s hydrotherapy, body treatment and pure sensory bliss folded into one room, and it’s unlike anything available at a conventional spa.
The wetroom menu includes Hunter’s Retreat, Savannah’s Surrender, Salt or Sugar Glo and the new Stone Crop Body Wrap, each designed to exfoliate, nourish and completely reset the body. Private spa baths, available in the same select locations, offer a different kind of immersion: a solo hydrotherapy soak in a private bath before your treatment begins. Therapeutic options range from REST, AWAKEN and HEAL to the luxurious MicroSilk treatment that infuses the water with billions of microbubbles for a skin-softening experience that feels almost too good to be true.
Membership, Because Once Is Never Enough
For anyone who has ever left a Burke Williams appointment thinking, “I need to do this every month,” there’s excellent news. You absolutely can. Memberships start at $130 per month for the Essential tier, which includes one 50-minute Pure Relaxation Massage or Spa Style Facial monthly, complimentary spa amenity access with each treatment, member-exclusive pricing on all services and 20% off all H2V skin care products. No membership fees, no hoops, just consistent wellness built into your calendar.
The Deluxe tier steps it up to an 80-minute treatment each month, adds a monthly enhancement with any service 65 minutes or longer and includes a semi-annual “bring a friend” offer that lets members extend those special prices to a guest twice a year. For $185 per month (or $220 in NorCal), it’s one of the better wellness investments offered in California right now.
Ten Locations and a Very Good Reason to Visit All of Them
From the palm-lined streets of Santa Monica to the foothills of Pasadena, in Woodland Hills and Mission Viejo, Burke Williams has spent nearly 40 years making wellness accessible across California. The San Jose location brings that same standard north, ensuring that a genuinely transformative spa day isn’t a privilege reserved for one side of the state. And with Simply Massage in Marina del Rey offering the Burke Williams experience in a focused, no-frills format, there’s truly an entry point for every schedule and budget.
The Hollywood location deserves its own spotlight. Styled with Old Hollywood glamour décor, it leans into the drama and elegance of its surroundings in a way that makes the entire visit feel cinematic. Complimentary validated parking, a genuine luxury in Hollywood, removes the one stressor that might otherwise follow you through the door. Book a massage or facial here for the full spa day, and plan to stay a while. The amenities, the lounge and the whole atmosphere are designed for lingering.
The brand’s mission hasn’t changed since 1986: transform your day. Book the massage, add the facial, arrive early, stay late and let the whirlpool do its job. Burke Williams has been California’s original day spa for four decades, and there’s a very good reason it’s still setting the standard.
Ever since she was a child, Ashley Ryan knew she wanted to write. After working on her high school newspaper and college magazine, she graduated with a degree in journalism and anthropology, eager to tell the stories of people and places in Orange County and around the world. Her prolific career as a writer, editor and photographer has led her to write about travel, culture, art, home design and so much more. When not working on her latest piece, she enjoys visiting new places, going to concerts, hiking, doing yoga on the beach, reading, cheering on her favorite sports teams and spending time with beloved friends and family.
