Authentic bathhouse experiences in the UK

From the communal Roman thermae to the serene Turkish hammam, bathhouses have served as sanctuaries for wellness and relaxation for centuries.

Today, the UK is home to a range of authentic bathhouse experiences that blend ancient traditions with modern luxury. Here are some of the best places to enjoy traditional bathing therapies — with a contemporary twist.

Bathhouse like the Romans: AIRE Ancient Baths London

The Romans were especially famous for their bathing experiences, and in many ways these are the basis on which modern thermal suites are designed. Thermal suites offer a combination of different areas, temperatures and levels of humidity, which are designed to take you on a journey that helps relax and cleanse the body, as well as prepare it for spa treatments.

Each area and temperature brings different wellbeing benefits, from detox and improved circulation to boosting the immune system and relaxing the muscles. The idea is that you journey from one space to the next, going through a range of contrasting temperatures to support wellbeing in an intense cleansing experience.

AIRE Ancient Baths London is a luxurious, candlelit spa that recreates this ancient ritual beautifully. Located in a restored Georgian building, the space features seven different baths, each offering a unique experience:

• Tepidarium (36ºC) – warm, calming water
• Caldarium (40ºC) – a hot bath to soothe muscles
• Frigidarium (10ºC and 14ºC) – cold plunge pools to invigorate
• Vaporium – a eucalyptus-scented steam room
• Balneum – thousands of gentle jets for hydrotherapy
• Flotarium – a saltwater pool for effortless floating

A hammam you have to try: Le Kalon Spa at The Bentley London Hotel

Rooted in tradition, a hammam, is a Middle Eastern wellbeing practice that dates back to the Roman and Byzantine eras and is essentially a steam bath experience. It can be shared with other people, or enjoyed on your own.

With variations most commonly including a Turkish hammam, Turkish bath or a Moroccan hammam, the principle is to offer cleansing, relaxing and restorative experience. A hammam bath is both a treatment in its own right as well as the perfect way to prepare the body for another spa therapy.

Often combined with mud bath experiences, one of the lovely things about a hammam is that it can be a shared practice. The limited therapist input also makes it perfect as being a gentle introduction to spa treatments for those who have not tried them before, or anyone who isn't comfortable with touch therapies.

Le Kalon Spa at The Bentley London Hotel is a really luxurious, treatment-focused hotel in London, and their opulent marble hammam really gives a sense of being rooted in the therapy's heritage. A sanctuary within the city, it's a really unique offering, based on ancient cleansing rituals. They offer different experiences from their Le Kalon Hammam to an Oriental Aromatic Hammam. Their Le Kalon Hammam begins with a Black Soap cleanse, followed by a full body exfoliation using a traditional Turkish Kessa Mitt which will remove all dead skin cells leaving you feeling refreshed and your skin smooth.

Must-try mud baths: Bryn Meadows Golf, Hotel and Spa

Mud baths have been cleansing and healing practices for thousands of years, introduced to different cultures around the world with their own variations. Today we associate them with some of the most luxurious spa destinations, acting both as a spa treatment in their own right or as a prelude to a massage or facial. Also referred to as rasul mud treatments or rhassouls, lots of spas put their own twist on mud bath experiences, but the principles remain the same:

• They are dedicated, private steam rooms
• You are given pots of spa mud to apply to your face and body
• Sometimes the spa will suggest applying a scrub to your skin first; sometimes they recommend it after the mud
• You then relax in the steam room with the mud on to let it work its magic
• You then shower the mud off to reveal silky soft skin

Bryn Meadows Golf, Hotel and Spa has a reputation for offering especially beautiful mud rasul experiences, tailored to the seasons with different scented muds. For example, they sometimes have chocolate orange mud around Valentine's Day. It's a perfect treatment to share with a partner or a couple of friends.

Russian contrast therapy: Banya No.1 - Hoxton

A traditional Russian banya is a type of bathhouse that really focuses on contrast therapy. A typical session includes:

• Parnaya (steam sauna) – high heat and humidity
• Parenie ritual – a thermal massage using bundles of birch, oak, and eucalyptus
• Cold plunge – icy dips to stimulate circulation
• Relaxation zones – complete with traditional food and herbal teas

Banya No.1 - Hoxton is a great example in the UK - an authentic bathhouse based on a traditional Russian Banya and ancient wellbeing practices. Designed around the centuries-old wellness tradition of Nordic thermal cycles, you go through different heat, ice, and restful experiences from the intense heat of the Parnaya steam sauna to a euphoric dip in the icy plunge pool.

There's also space to rest in a private booth with traditional Eastern European and Russian food and drink, crafted to maintain your electrolyte balance and enhance your overall wellbeing.