Hammams Are Becoming More Popular Across the Globe

I’ve tried countless lotions and potions for healthy skin, but never in my life have I experienced a full-body glow like the one following my trip to a Moroccan hammam. In these public bathhouses, appointed attendants lead you through a series of steamy bathing and exfoliation rooms with varying temperatures, from warm to toasty to cold.

I experienced this beauty bliss more than a decade ago, but in recent years, the traditional hammam has soared in popularity among travelers, with resorts and spas around the world offering either authentic or innovative variations of the timeless treatment. Some predict the market for hammams will more than double in the next 10 years. Bathing culture’s recent rise in the U.S. is most evident through the cold-plunge craze. And while jumping into cold waters
and ice buckets has its health rewards, you need the hot component for the full benefits. Hammams, which incorporate the ying and yang of temperatures, hit two growing travel areas: wellness and cultural immersion.

According to The Metropolitan Museum of Art, hammam-style bathhouses—which are separated by gender—were prevalent during the Roman Empire. They abounded across Europe and North Africa to the Eastern Mediterranean, and typically followed a hot-warm-cold process like the one I enjoyed in Rabat, Morocco. In addition to improving skin—a by-product of the deep exfoliation, purifying steam and moisturizing—the hammam is believed to aid respiratory health, detoxify the body, foster relaxation and even improve sleep.

91 Athens Riviera, Greece / Photo: Courtesy of 91 Athens Riviera

The Ancient Greeks were especially fond of these rejuvenating bathhouses, says Ioannis Charalambous, spa consultant for Domes Resorts, a high-end Greek hospitality brand. Domes’ new luxury glamping 91 Athens Riviera escape, set on a scenic swath of Aegean coastline, brings this history to life with a 90-minute hammam ritual in its Soma Spa.

“The Greeks believed in the connection between cleanliness and health, and their public baths were spaces for not only hygiene but also relaxation,” says Charalambous, noting that switching from hot to cold rooms is “a ritual that highlights the importance of nurturing the mind and body in harmony, a concept central to Ancient Greek culture.” Instead of a communal bathhouse, travelers enjoy an experience that begins with a warm and moist environment to open pores and foster calm. Then it’s time for exfoliation via a loofah sponge and mud wrap. A rhythmic massage follows, ending with a cold-water splash to invigorate the senses.

Famed La Mamounia, an oasis in Marrakech, has welcomed everyone from Paul McCartney to Yves Saint Laurent. Guests are treated to a luxe hammam—complete with an exfoliating glove (known as the kessa glove) and traditional Moroccan black soap made with crushed olives that transformed my skin in Rabat years ago. The hammam treatment, which ends with a massage, isn’t the property’s only foray into Moroccan culture. Visitors can enjoy a jaw-dropping aesthetic, with intricate tile mosaics, bold colors and a dreamy teal pool flanked by Moorish arches and marble columns.

Carolea Spa at Kempinski Hotel Adriatic Istria, Croatia / Photo: Courtesy of Moritz Hoffman

At the ocean-view Kempinski Hotel Adriatic Istria, a five-star golf and spa resort in Croatia’s Istrian countryside, travelers can unwind with a traditional Turkish or Moroccan hammam offering. It’s part of the 33,000-square-foot Carolea Spa, a wellness hub inspired by the surrounding Adriatic Sea. The traditional Turkish treatment includes a full-body peel, gentle bath and foam massage, while the Moroccan hammam pairs the traditional black-soap exfoliation with a face and body mask, followed by a massage with oils and butters. Both can be booked privately or for two.

Herbal sauna at Hürrem Hammam, North Miami, Florida / Photo: Courtesy of Zachary Balber

Stateside, the beachfront Amrit Ocean Resort, set on seven private acres of South Florida’s Singer Island peninsula, built a 1,200-square-foot hammam into its four-story wellness and spa facility. Visitors enjoy exfoliation, moisturizing and tension relief with a body scrub, wrap and massage. (Experiences are available for individuals or couples.) And for those in Miami this season, Hürrem Hammam in North Miami offers two saunas, a steam room, arctic room, wet hammam, hydromassage pool and rain showers. Purchase a day pass and stay for four hours, which is the perfect amount of time to sweat, bathe and end your experience with a Turkish coffee or bite at restaurant Topkapi.

For the true communal hammam experience, the options are many in Istanbul. The impossibly ornate Kılıç Ali Paşa Hamamı, one of the city’s longest-running hammams, offers guests an authentic Turkish bath immersion complete with bathhouse attendants, known as natir (female) and tellak (male), who ensure patrons leave exfoliated.

The historic Zeyrek Çinili Hamam, which dates as far back as the Ottoman Empire, recently competed a major restoration. It’s a mix of New Age and historic hammam treatments with hot and cold therapy, scrubbing, massages, cleansing and calm-inducing warm marble therapy, known as göbek taşı, which lets guests relax atop warm slabs beneath the building’s sky-high dome.

Hammam Essentials

Each hammam has different clothing requirements, so it’s best to phone ahead—although it’s typically bikini bottoms or clothing-optional for women, while men wear a bathing suit or underwear. In addition to bathing garb, don’t forget to bring these must-haves.

Tekla x Auralee Terry Bath Towel

Stylish and made from 100-percent organic cotton, these towels are part of a collection inspired by bathing rituals. Keep a cool head (literally) and place ice cubes in your wrap for added comfort in warm rooms. Most hammams have arctic rooms with ice cubes.

Takeya Water Bottle

Hydration is key for sauna and steam rooms. And while most spas have water stations (usually fruit-infused with plastic cups), this water bottle can withstand heat so you can keep your water supply handy for instant rehydration.

Kessa Glove

An exfoliating kessa glove is integral to the post-hammam glow. Try a vegan and eco-friendly Moroccan Kessa Glove from Natural Elephant. It helps clean away dry or dead skin and can even reduce cellulite. It’s a top accessory for the bathing experience to reach maximum healthy skin.