Manuel R.
Yelp
After a couple of weeks of carrying our daypack in Spain, my wife and I needed massages. We booked them at our hotel only to cancel for Hammam. I must say the massage was not the focus. The experience was. We booked online for a 2 hour slot. If you book by phone and tell them you have an Alhambra ticket stub, you get 10% off. We picked a package that had a massage with oil essence and lather.
Everyone checks in and waits in a common area with sofas and pillows. We were given shoe covers to wear in the non bath and dressing areas. The dressing areas, bath and massage areas are barefoot only. Bathing suits, including tops for women are required. The group is very limited to create a tranquil and uncrowded atmosphere. There were perhaps 8 couples of all ages, a group of young women, and a couple of single men. The primary language spoken was Spanish, but German, French were also well represented. The attendants spoke excellent English to us and the German/Scandinavian patrons.
We were directed to changing rooms with secure hotel style combination lockers. The changing room has lavatories, showers, soap, shampoo, hair dryers, deodorant, Q tips and plastic bags for wet suits. There is only a curtain separating you from the baths.
The attendants directed us and explained the circuit of steam sauna, warm bath, hot bath and cold bath. There was a room to sip very good Moroccan hot tea (sweet) and water. We did a circuit and were called by an attendant to our massage. The massage was nothing like I have in the past experienced. It was in a out area of a common private central area (hard to describe). It consisted of a great deal of the masseuse pouring water on me. The sounds were unforgettable. Distant splashing water, and Arabic soft music. The thing that came into my mind was that I felt I had been transported to biblical times.
My wife had finished her massage and watched me get up from the table. We did perhaps 3 more circuits and had another cup of tea. The one thing I would say is that couples seemed more relaxed and in tune with each other in the end than in the beginning. Each bath was either empty or with few people. The size of each pool varied but was appropriate. We never were close to other patrons. The last thing is that it did not matter your body type or orientation. It was just a great experience with an awesome establishment, in a great decor.