The best spas will borrow treatments from all over the world: aromatherapy massages from India and Thailand, reflexology from China, saunas from Scandinavia… and the ubiquitous ‘hammam’ from Morocco.
But while you can probably bluff your way through the other treatments, using a hammam (correctly, that is) requires a bit of prior knowledge.
Essentially, a hammam is a heated, tiled space with a constant source of running hot water. It is not as humid as a steam room, nor as dry as a sauna so you can quite comfortably spend a few hours inside without passing out.
In Morocco, hammams are traditionally enjoyed naked, so men and women are usually sent into separate communal areas. Once inside, you are provided with a bucket (for hot water) and a ‘kessa’ glove (a rough, black fabric which exfoliates deep into the skin), and you can either clean yourself or hire one of the attendants to clean you. This is probably the most intensive deep cleanse your skin has ever seen – you are guaranteed to leave feeling squeaky clean and super-relaxed.
In UK spas, the hammam experience can vary wildly between the traditional and the ‘interpretive’. Many spa-based hammams are smaller and more private, and used primarily as a relaxing space where you can clean off after a mud treatment or body wrap. To be safe, check the house rules before you strip off and stride in naked with a bucket in your hand.
If you want to experience it for yourself try either Casa Spa or The Spa in Dolphin Square – both are located in London and give a taste of Moroccan spa rituals.
Stobo Castle
Rockliffe Hall Spa
Nirvana Spa
