Day Spa venues

A day spa is a type of spa you visit for a few hours without staying overnight, offering massage, hammam, wet area and treatment services in a single visit. The defining feature is that you do not need to be a hotel guest to use the services: an appointment or day entry is enough. Besides independent spa centres, this heading also includes hotel spas and hammams that accept outside visitors.

What you find at day spas

Almost all the day spas in the listing have a Turkish bath and the great majority have a sauna; a steam room, a jacuzzi, a swimming pool and, at one venue, a Russian bath (banya) are among the other wet area options. What really sets this type apart from the others is the breadth of the massage menu: medical, aromatherapy, deep tissue, Swedish, Balinese and hot stone massage are the most commonly offered; more specialised treatments such as reflexology, Thai massage, lymphatic drainage massage, shiatsu and pregnancy massage are also available at some centres. Treatments such as facials, body scrubs and body masks, half-day spa packages combining the hammam, massage and treatments, and bridal preparation packages are also typical day spa services.

When to choose a day spa

Day spas are designed for city residents who want to set aside a few hours without planning an overnight stay. A massage after work, a half-day hammam and massage programme at the weekend, a visit as a couple for a birthday or anniversary, and bridal preparation before a wedding are the most common ways this type is used. In tourist areas it stands out as a hammam break of a few hours added to a sightseeing programme; the hammams in Antalya's Side area cater for this kind of visitor. For those who want to rest for several days with thermal water or spend long hours by the pool, thermal and resort facilities are more suitable.

How a day spa differs from similar types

Day spas are often confused with the types below. The distinction is about how you get access and how long the visit lasts:

Some of the day spas in the listing are also labelled as hotel spas; although these venues operate inside a hotel, they are open to outside visitors. One venue states clearly that it offers outside visitors a day-use option for a set length of time; it is worth asking when booking how many hours you can use the wet area.

How a day spa visit goes

At most venues a day spa visit follows a similar order; the order and timings vary with the package you choose:

1. Welcome and a short health questionnaire; this is when you mention your preferred pressure and any sensitive areas.
2. Changing and warming up in the wet area: spending a short time in the hammam, sauna or steam room can help prepare the muscles for massage.
3. Kese (exfoliating scrub) and foam massage, if included in the package.
4. The massage or treatment session.
5. A short break in the relaxation area with water or herbal tea, and a shower.

As staying a long time in the sauna or the hot room of the hammam right before a massage can cause dizziness, keeping the warm-up short is recommended.

Practical information and what sets the price at day spas

At day spas you need an appointment for massages and treatments; if you only want to use the wet area, ask whether day entry is sold separately. Arriving 15-30 minutes before your appointment gives you time to change and warm up in the hammam or sauna. Robes, towels and slippers are provided at most venues; swimwear is required in mixed pools and saunas. At the venues in the listing, arrangements are mostly mixed or not stated; if you are looking for hours or a section set aside for women, ask the venue directly. If you are pregnant or have blood pressure or cardiovascular problems, consult your doctor in advance about using the hammam and sauna, and mention your condition when you make your massage appointment. The price is determined by the length of the session, whether use of the wet area is included in the package, whether the room is for one person or two, the products used and whether it is the weekend; details are in the guide to day spa prices.

Cities where day spas are concentrated

Day spas are concentrated in big cities. In the listing, venues in Beşiktaş, Sarıyer, Beyoğlu, Başakşehir and Beykoz in Istanbul, and centres in Ankara, most of them in Çankaya, stand out. Most of the day spas in Ankara operate inside city hotels, while in Istanbul independent spa and wellness centres sit alongside hotel spas. In Antalya, the hammams in Side make up the day spa options in the tourist area.