Review of Harrogate Turkish Baths Spa, Harrogate

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Harrogate Turkish Baths Spa - 4 bubbles

The restored Victorian baths in Harrogate attract spa-goers from all over the globe. It's not hard to see why: the drama of the hot chambers, the sense of communal bathing Roman-style, and the gorgeous colours make a mere visit feel like An Occasion. Bargain massage treatments don't go amiss, either. Enough to make you forget the frayed-at-the-edges feel in places.

First impressions?

How did they welcome you?

What happens next?

Which treatments did you have?

What were the treatments like?

How did you feel afterwards?

What happens afterwards?

Was it worth it?

What else could you have?

What do you wish you'd known before you went?

Who do you think would like it?

Why did you give the spa this rating?

Would you go again?

First impressions?

From the outside, Harrogate Turkish Baths is a quite grand Victorian grey-stone building. Inside, the baths are much more impressive. There are not many working Victorian baths left in England, and these were restored in 2004. The restorers made a very good job of it.

The baths themselves consist of a large tiered hot chamber, a cold plunge pool, steam rooms and a relaxation area. What makes the place special is the huge arched ceiling which is painted with great swirls of colour, the walls and screens decorated with glazed coloured brickwork, and the terrazzo floors. There is a sense of stepping back in time as you enter through the deep-red velvet curtains, or sit on the great marble slabs near the hot and cold showers. Even the loos have original cisterns made by Mr Crapper!

How did they welcome you?

You buy your ticket in the "winter garden lounge". This is really the café, though it does have a very nice glass ceiling to make it feel light and airy.

What happens next?

A member of staff greeted us, gave us robes and towels, and took us to the locker rooms.

Which treatments did you have?

I had a very nice back massage.

What were the treatments like?

Good if somewhat workaday. There was little in the way of discussion of my needs and I only really had time to talk about the oils I am allergic to. My therapist rapidly removed two of the oils on offer and said, "Well, that leaves us with only one to use."

But the massage was a bargain at £21.60 for 30 minutes.

How did you feel afterwards?

My neck and shoulders were looser and I was quite relaxed.

What happens afterwards?

I went to the relaxation room, which has a Jacuzzi and shower, seating area and water cooler. Then into the baths.

There are three interconnecting hot rooms: the tepidarium, which is about 45 degrees; the caldarium, which is about 55 degrees; and the laconium, which is about 70 degrees. The laconium is not as hot as a sauna, so you can stay there for longer.

You sit in each area for a while until you have adjusted, then move up again. Every now and then, you go off to the cold plunge to cool down and work your way back up. You rest in the relaxation area in between sessions. It all feels very relaxing and de-stressing.

Harrogate Turkish Baths is a public baths and is quite busy. The relaxation couches are very close together and there is a sense of being in a communal baths. This was the plan of the original Roman baths: people would go to the baths as much to gossip and talk business as to relax and get clean.

The baths hold a maximum of 60 people in a session. We reckon there were about 40 people using the baths when we were there and it felt full but not crowded.

Was it worth it?

My massage was very simple but pleasant. Another time, I think I would book for something a little more exotic such as the spa marine pearl therapy rebirth for your skin which lasts two hours and costs £75. This treatment includes a pearl body wrap and a pearl facial. Be warned: you do have to book treatments well in advance.

But, to be honest, the bath experience is so interesting and unusual that you don't really need a treatment. Entrance prices for the baths start at £11.50 (on a Tuesday), are £17.20 on Saturdays and Sundays, and £14.20 the rest of the week. Spa bargain!

What else could you have?

Hot stone therapy, Reiki, reflexology, comfort zone facials, body wraps, and a range of Germaine De Capuccini facials. (Germaine De Capuccini is a Spanish product house that uses vitamins and anti-ageing ingredients.)

Harrogate Turkish Baths also offer spa days and half-days. Try an Anti-ageing and Detox day. Great value at £174 for five and a half hours of spa time, including a Monticelli Mud treatment, facial, hot stone therapy and Holistic hand and feet treatments. A Half-Day of Pampering gives you a Spa Total Hydration Experience, dry float bed and full-body massage. Again, great value at £78 for two hours and 45 minutes of spa.

What do you wish you'd known before you went?

That you need a pound coin for your locker; that you only get a robe if you book a treatment; and that they ask you to leave the hot chamber 30 minutes before the session finishes so that you can cool down and get dressed while they prepare the baths for the next session. Session times are fixed, with sessions for ladies only, gents only, and mixed sessions. Check before you go so you don't miss part of a session.

Who do you think would like it?

On the day we went, Harrogate Turkish Baths was full of spa goers who know a bargain when they see one.

We also came across several people from Eastern Europe who were in Harrogate to recreate the sort of spa experience they have at home. They take their detoxing seriously and used the cold plunge with an enthusiasm I found hard to drum up.

Why did you give the spa this rating?

In places, the Harrogate Turkish Baths are a bit frayed around the edges. Some of the lockers were broken and the interior decoration in the corridors and rooms around the spa is all rather dull and unattractive. Even in the baths themselves, there are areas of peeling paint on the ceilings.

Usually, Harrogate Turkish Baths would rate 3 bubbles. But the sheer drama of the baths themselves, the huge size of the hot chambers, the wonderful colours, plus the sense of history, make Harrogate Turkish Baths well worth a trip. On that basis, we are awarding the baths 4 bubbles.

See more on how we rate the spas

Would you go again?

If I lived in the Harrogate area, I could quite imagine using Harrogate Turkish Baths on a regular basis. I would like to go to the single-sex sessions, though, as I feel they would recreate the feeling of a hammam.

We visited Harrogate Turkish Baths in July 2008