The World’s Best Bathhouses

Anton Frisk explores some of the best gay bathhouses and sex clubs in different world cities.

During the last decade, gay bathhouses and spas have struggled to stay afloat as gay men have begun to rely more on mobile apps such as Grindr for their hookups. There’s still a lot of interest in spas, however, since they provide a very different experience – and there are still hundreds of successful spas all over the world. The ones that have survived have done so by striving to provide a more luxurious experience or else to cater to a specific niche. There are outstanding spas all over the world, and this month we’ll take a look at some top venues in a number of world cities.

Steamworks in Chicago, IL.
Steamworks Chicago is a private men’s gym, sauna, and bathhouse for men 18 years and older. It features beautifully designed and very well kept facilities, a large and active gym, and nice private rooms. There are various levels of membership, each with different prices. Paying a little bit more gives you access to more amenities. The Steamworks chain has bathhouses in many major cities and they are generally known for being among the world’s best. You’ll find equally good Steamworks spas in Toronto, ON; Vancouver, BC; Berkeley, CA; and Seattle, WA.

Sun City in Paris, France
This is one of Paris’ largest and most popular gay saunas. The complex occupies 43,000 square feet spread across three floors and it is open every day of the week.  In addition to a beautiful pool and two jacuzzis, there is an Eastern-style hamman, a sauna, a gym, backrooms, and video rooms. The decor has an Indian theme which toggles the line between beauteous and gaudy, but it’s clean and interesting. The second floor contains the sauna and backrooms and is a bit like a labyrinth.

Sydney Sauna in Sydney, Australia
Recently this sauna was completely remodeled and it now features beautiful interiors. Amenities include 18 lockable rooms, a spacious spa, a steam room, a traditional cedar sauna, free Internet and wifi, a large cinema room, and a cafe. The Sydney Sauna is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There’s also a dungeon room, a maze, a smoking room, and a video room showing both current and classic movies.

Slammer in Los Angeles
One of L.A.’s most infamous sex clubs has a reputation that might make you imagine a dungeon, but it’s actually quite spacious and well outfitted. There’s a pool and hot tub, a spooky black basement with dark rooms, private rooms, lockers, a steam room, a sun deck, etc. It’s open around the clock, seven days a week. It’s not “nice” or elegant by any means. In fact, it’s downright raunchy. But it’s an experience. If you’re looking for a slightly more vanilla venue, check out the Midtowne Spa and the North Hollywood Spa.

Pleasuredrome in London, England
The oldest bathhouse in London, Chariots, is now closed. But the Pleasuredrome is still going strong and it was recently upgraded with deluxe pods that you can rent for 2 to 8 hours at a time. Each pod has controllable lighting, a plug point for charging phones and tablets, a large flat screen wi-fi TV with hundreds of channels and access to social media (Look ma, I’m at a bathhouse!). The pods are private and secure with hotel-style door entry control. The pods are also quite affordable. Other amenities include a pool that can fit 20, open shower rooms, two large saunas, steam rooms, private rooms, locker rooms, lockers with built-in phone chargers, a cinema, massage services, a 24/7 cafe, and an upright sun bed. 

Hispalis Gay Sauna in Seville, Spain
This is the largest and most popular gay sauna in Seville. Located in a nice neighborhood in an architecturally interesting building, the centerpiece of this spa is its giant jacuzzi with mythological murals on the walls. There’s a full bar inside, a beautiful swimming pool, a patio with greenery, and more. It opens at noon and the closing time depends on the day of the week. It’s also open non-stop from Saturday at noon until Sunday at midnight.