Heavenly. Karima's hammam is a women-only oasis tucked in a courtyard in the 2nd arrondissement, where you enter a stressed out woman looking for a moment of relaxation, and emerge a relaxed, silky-skinned lady in need of a long, luxurious nap.
Never have I been so pampered. I've had massages in different parts of the world, and have been to spas and hammams, but I didn't realize something so wonderful existed right in the middle of my own city, and at a reasonable price! I enjoyed it so much that I'm going back next week with a friend.
The spa looks unassuming, in the back of a courtyard with a discreet sign and a sliding door. When you ring the bell, the door slides open and Karima greets you at the reception desk as you stand awkwardly on the stairs (there isn't much of a reception area). If it's your first time, she explains your treatments (she speaks English too!) and then hands you a robe, locker key, and slippers (all you need to bring is a bikini). You change into your suit, and then she escorts you past the smiling women at the tea area, through the treatment room, past the giant raised bath to the eucalyptus-infused steam sauna. Here she removes your robe, slips your key into your pocket, and pushes you through in bikini and slippers, telling you to relax until someone fetches you. There is fresh water from a spigot in the middle of the sauna, and if you get too hot you can exit and sit for a moment on the side of the bath. There are miniscule twinkling lights on the ceiling that fade from blue to red to green to yellow... but don't lie down on the tiled benches--you're supposed to enjoy this sitting up. I got too hot after a bit and went to sit by the bath, then was promptly told to stand up by a staff member so she could rub black soap over my body. So the treatment begins. Once slathered in soap, I was told to go back and sit in the sauna.
After a while, I was fetched by a lovely woman with a warm smile, who led me to the treatment room and instructed me to take off the top half of my bikini. She helped me up onto a table--or, rather, a giant slab of polished stone that was heated from underneath--and explained what she was about to do. I had chosen the "Découverte," which involved much scrubbing with an exfoliating glove (you get your own and can take it home with you), more soap slathering with savon d'Alep and other rich smelling plant-based products, a facial, shampoo, and chest and neck scrub. I was scrubbed, polished, exfoliated all over my body, and then I was rinsed, exfoliated, scrubbed, and polished again. I was given the most wonderful neck massage with sweet almond soap as she worked through my hair and let the fig face mask work its magic. After maybe a half hour (or 40 minutes? It was hard to keep track of time there, which was a beautiful thing), my treatment was done, and I was carefully helped off the table, led to the bath, and given a homemade lemonade. I didn't want to leave the warm stone, and the iced lemon drink and bath were suddenly too cold, so I moseyed back over to the sauna and sat there again. After a few more back and forths from sauna to bath, to found my robe and went to the lockers to get ready for the real world.
After 90€ and almost two hours, I was hooked. I might have to look into O'Kari's subscription options and add spa afternoons to my winter budget. It's the perfect pampering antidote to help stave off the cold and rainy winter blues!
Note to self: splurge on an Uber home so you don't upset your tranquil bubble with a metro ride. read more
