What to Expect on Your First Spa Day
Most people arrive at a first spa day with a fair idea of what they want and a vague worry about the etiquette: what to wear, where to go, whether to talk. The worry is unnecessary. Here is the shape of a typical day so that nothing is a surprise.
Booking
Spa days are sold as packages: use of the facilities for a set number of hours, usually one or two treatments, and often lunch or afternoon tea. Read what is included before you pay — treatment length, whether lunch is a set menu, whether robe and towels are provided — and book treatments at the same time, because popular slots go first.
Weekends sell out weeks ahead. Weekdays are cheaper, quieter and better for a first visit.
The health form
Most spas send a short health questionnaire before you arrive or hand you one at reception. It asks about pregnancy, heart and blood pressure conditions, medication, allergies, skin conditions and recent surgery. Answer it honestly. Some facilities and treatments are not suitable in those cases, and a therapist who knows about your bad shoulder will adapt a massage rather than avoid it.
What to pack
- Swimwear. You will need it for the pool, hot tub and most thermal suites. Some saunas and bathhouses have textile-free sessions; they are always clearly signposted and optional.
- Flip-flops, if the spa does not provide them. Wet tiled floors are slippery.
- A hair tie and a water bottle.
- Very little else. Leave jewellery at home: chlorine and heat damage silver, and you will be asked to remove it for treatments.
Robes and towels are normally provided; check when you book.
Arriving
Arrive 30 minutes before your first treatment. Reception will check you in, give you a locker key and show you the facilities. Shower before you use the pool or thermal suite — it is a hygiene rule, not a suggestion.
The thermal suite
A thermal suite is a set of hot, warm and cold rooms used in rotation:
- Warm up in a gentle space — a tepidarium, a warm pool or a mild steam room.
- Heat: a sauna (dry, 70–90°C) or a steam room (humid, 40–50°C), for 8 to 15 minutes.
- Cool down: an experience shower, an ice fountain or a cold plunge. Go in slowly.
- Rest for at least as long as you spent in the heat, and drink water.
Two or three rounds are plenty. Leave any room straight away if you feel dizzy or unwell. Our guide to sauna and cold water safety goes into more detail.
Spa etiquette
Spas are quiet places. Keep voices low in the thermal suite and relaxation rooms, leave your phone in the locker, and do not save loungers with towels for hours. In the sauna, sit on a towel. Nobody minds if you are new; they mind if you are loud.
Your treatment
A therapist will collect you from the relaxation room, run through the health form and ask what you would like from the session. For a massage, you undress to your comfort level and are covered with towels throughout; only the area being worked on is uncovered. For a facial, you will usually be asked about your skin type and current products.
Say if the pressure, temperature or music is not right. Therapists would far rather adjust than have you endure an hour you did not enjoy. Treatment times normally include a few minutes of consultation, so arrive on time.
Avoid the sauna and steam room straight after a treatment with oils, and wait an hour after a big lunch before using the heat.
At the end
Most spas let you stay in the facilities until your package time runs out. Have a last swim, shower, and give yourself a few minutes in the relaxation room before driving. Drink plenty of water for the rest of the day.
If the day was good, say so — in person and with a review on the listing. If something was wrong, tell the spa first, and tell us if it was serious. For choosing where to go in the first place, see how to choose the right wellness centre, or browse spa days by city.