OMG. This spa is amazing…read more Things to know: + You pay after you leave so when you enter, you just get a chip that you put on a bracelet when you get a locker. If you choose to purchase things inside, they scan your chip and you pay at the very end. + there are 2 parts: one is a giant area with lots of different pool options, ranging from freezing to hot tubs. The other part is a "naked sauna" where you get all naked and just sit in the various saunas. I only did the various pools area and it was amazing by itself. This place is built so you can spend basically the whole day here. they have 2 restaurants inside for food. They have indoor and outdoor lounging area though you have to reserve the seats. + Water aerobics - I don't know what time they happen but it happened twice in the 3 hours that I was there. An instructor comes out and everyone gathers in the main pool and can participate in various exercises with water floaties that provide resistance in the water. During this time, they turn off all the hot tub pumps and such. So you can take this chance to get a good spot and wait for them to turn on or participate in some exercises. it's definitely fun! + they have massage and other services such as manicures and pedicures. the massages are reasonably prices (20 mins for 25 Euros, 30 mins for 35, 60 mins for 65 euros). Definitely book in advance because they get filled up quickly. Right now, they told me they have renovations going on so they have even fewer spots. + Oceanium - this was an extra room you can pay 4 Euros for. It's a 45 min quiet room where the room is filled with seaside sounds and the lighting goes from "sunset to sunrise" on the beach. I decided to do it because it was cheap and I was curious but I don't really think it was special. It's a quiet place where you can take a nap since they have comfy loungers and blankets. But otherwise, it's literally just a dark quiet room. If you want to go, you have to show up 5-10 mins. Before the top of the hour and there will an attendant there scanning your chip. Overall, they had a summer special that was 12 Euros for up to 4 hours and 15 euros for the whole day on weekdays..... SO worth it. I highly recommend you check out this place if you have an open day to relax. Bring a book and you can read too.

2.5 stars I'm glad I…read morespent several hours reading reviews of this place before I went, because if I hadn't I would have been even more confused than I was, which was also extremely confused. I personally don't like being soggy and feeling very hot, then very cold, and then lukewarm around naked strangers over and over again (it's kind of boring, and what am I supposed to be looking at?), but if this is your thing, maybe you'll like this place. When I arrived, I was the only customer in the lobby, and yet none of the people working there at the desk acknowledged me in any way. I finally approached one, and I told her it was my first time there, and I wanted to know how everything worked. She only explained the payment system to me. They give you a chip, which you insert into a key that has a wrist strap on it. The key opens two lockers (a mini one for valuables and a larger one for clothes, etc.), and the chip is used to scan in and out of the facilities and tells them what you used and for how long, so they know how much to charge you at the end. I went to the spa section first to try and book a facial and a scrub, but they were pretty much full for the rest of the day, so I stuck with the public areas. Even after all my reading, I was unclear on what all the sections were. The ground floor seemed to be all tepid and cold pools. I couldn't find a hot one, and I wasn't sure if there was supposed to be one. The sauna section comprises two floors and many rooms, and I had no idea what most of them were or what the benefits were. I went around a tried a bunch, but I really wasn't sure if I was doing it right. I went into a "hammam" section, which I thought was supposed to be a scrub of some sort, but it included no scrub, and instead consisted of just a bunch of scented steam rooms, some with hot water hoses and others with cold water hoses. One of the rooms there did have an empty bowl that looked like it had contained a scrub that wasn't refilled. The big pool in the sauna area was pretty cool, and I like how they have music under the water. Very relaxing! My main complaint is that everyone working there seems to speak English, and yet the sauna is not set up to be very easy to use for non-German speakers. Some of the signs had English translations, but most did not. There was no explanation of the rules or norms or different sections, so fortunately, I had read up on a lot of that beforehand. Still, a lot of things would have been more enjoyable if I'd understood what was going on. For example, in my first sauna room, I joined the "ritual." A woman came in and spoke German to the group for 2-3 minutes, and the only thing I understood was "lemongrass." Then, she turned on a really loud recording of a German version of "Circle of Life" from the Lion King musical, put big balls of lemongrass-infused salt on the hot rocks, ladled some water over it, and fanned us. This was confusing and hilarious. Also, for the price, it would be great if they included towel, sandal, and robe rental, or allowed this for a small supplement. I was visiting for the day from out of town, and it was a pain to have to carry that stuff with me and then carry it home all wet in a plastic bag. If I could have rented all of it for 5 or 10 euros, that would have been much more convenient. I imagine a lot of people come to visit while on vacation and don't have these things with them. However, at the end of the day, my hair and skin did look amazing, so if that's the point of this whole spa ritual thing, I guess it's worth it, as I have spent way more money, time, and effort trying to achieve the same thing in different ways. If I were in Aachen again (which I don't expect or see much of a reason to be), I'd probably give this place another try and book some of the spa services in advance.

The place is cozy and clean. It has nice outside pool. During the night you will find older…read morevisitors here. During the days in afternoon I allways found some youngsters present. The only thing which could be better is the assignment of keys, allways next to someone else, I'd like it to be more spread out.

For a sauna I give five stars because I tried a few of them but for Babylon it was great. The…read moreworkers are very sweet and nice. It's very clean. On a hot summer night that place must be amazing because of the big out door pool area has a lot of sitting places and very nice ambient lighting. There's a nice wood burning fire place in the bar/restaurant with leather seating that isn't not burned or cut up like the other places. The saunas and the jacuzzi are very clean and there's plenty of room in the jacuzzi it's big. My only problem is that there are escorts working the floors and I find that sick. A bathhouse is for relaxing and sex and wellness. Also if you stay the night like I did you will make friends like I did. Just make sure not to support the escorts who work that place. There are many other places for them to make there money.

Talk about an experience for the record books. I've had the pleasure of checking out some awesome…read morespas in both Italy and Romania. This was my first one in Germany. And if you're from the States like I am, they don't have spas like this in the U.S. In Europe, these are sprawling places where you go to relax. There are multiple pools, saunas, hot tubs, and areas to lounge. You can order food and drinks. It's an experience. Everything was clean and well maintained. Here's the kicker though: upon arriving, we were told that this is a nude spa. After thinking it over, we decided what the heck, let's try it out. As this was a first for me, it was a little weird for the first five minutes and then you don't even think about it. It ended up being quite pleasant. Nobody started or was weird or anything. I later learned that Germans are quite open about nudity. After having this experience, I don't blame them. It was refreshing and relaxing to enjoy all of the amenities. Definitely a nice way to reset during a vacation and highly recommended in my book!

A very relaxing way to spend an evening- whether alone, with a partner, or friends- as long as the…read morepeople with you are fine with nudity, go for it! My review is just for time in the saunas, pools, and relaxing areas. WHAT YOU NEED: First off- we speak next to no German- but managed to get what we needed in broken English. We didn't bring anything with us, so we got the robe+towel+flip flop package for 15.90€ each to start. While everyone is nude when in the pools and saunas, they usually wear towels or robes when walking between areas. At the bare minimum, you'll want a towel to dry off and to sit in, but a robe is definitely more comfortable in relaxation areas, if it's cold outside, or if you dine in the restaurant- same is true for the flip flops- plus there are some loose stones outside and people seem to bring glassware outside, so you never know. CHECK-IN: You'll be given a bracelet, which will be your locker key and be used for any charges to your account during your stay. You'll pay at the end. After checking in, you're directed to the lockers- there are some female only lockers and some mixed area lockers. WANDER: Most people start off by changing into their towel/robe and then wander around the facility that way to get a lay of the land. There are multiple levels and doors to walk through and explore- and as long as you're in your robe- most people will understand that you're exploring and checking things out. The map that reception gave me wasn't practical to carry around- more of something to study and understand and then leave behind. It helped me understand that there were basically two levels- and indoor section and an outdoor section. As you wander around, you come to understand it's a little more complex than that, but not too much. WATCH FROM HOT POOLS: Once you get a sense of how things are laid out, I'd recommend kicking back in one of the small indoor stone hot pools and just watching people come and go between pools and saunas. You may catch the beginning or ending of one of the infusion rituals to begin to understand what that might entail and how people all huddle into saunas for those experiences at the dedicated time and saunas, which are posted on black chalkboards near the saunas and steam rooms. TRY THE INFUSIONS: Give some of the saunas a try- if you want the benefit of the infusion experience, but not a crowded sauna- go in just after everyone comes out. The air is still going to be heavily infused, but much less crowded with people. If you decide to go in for an infusion- what you're in for is a little explanation of the benefit of the aromatherapy or herbs being poured over hot stones and infusing the air, some towels being swung in the air to move the air in the room, some big fans to wave some super hot air in your face, and maybe a spritz of some water to make sure you don't die after being in there for 10minutes or more at 90°C. One full ritual was all I needed - after that I just went in after everyone else left. Shower when you're done if you just sweat out your lunch. TRY THE COLD POOL: The large indoor pool and the larger outdoor pool are both cool temperatures relative to everything else. They aren't freezing, but they may feel that way after a hot sauna. TRY THE SCRUBS: You have to enter through the historic area door to access the scrub rooms- you'll know them by their art nouveau details and stained glass shower stalls. There's a schedule of what scrubs are being presented in this area- as well as if it's intended for women-only during certain times. Bring a friend to help get your back, and enjoy the extra essential oils used with the salts or sugars. Rinse off in the room so the salt or sugar doesn't get everywhere else. TRY THE FLOAT POOL: Also in the historic area in a little enclave is a float pool with pool noodles if you need help floating. I'm made of blubber, and need no help floating in any kind of water. Speaking of blubber- most people here are actually really fit- but they hold back on the judgey vibes, or I simply don't understand insults in German- either way, I wasn't bothered by not being as fit as many others here. TRY THE RELAXATION LOUNGES: Grab a book or whisper with a friend. Some lounges feel more chatty than others. Some people fall asleep in the lounges for a short nap. Some just sit and read. It's a nice way to take a break from the circuit of hot and cold air and water. TRY THE TEA: They have a nice selection of teas in the restaurant, as well as a selection of salads, cheeses, fruits, heavier things and beer, wine, or cocktails. If you'd like drinking fountain water- bring a water bottle and fill up in the Fitness Center Gym on the other side of the restaurant. TOTAL: 50€ Four hours in the spa, robe, towel, flip flops, a tea, and bowl of fruit, plus parking. I can think of worse things I've spent 50€ on in one night that weren't nearly as relaxing- so I call it a win.

I went to the sauna together with two friends, after excellent experiences with Phoenix Essen…read more But immediately upon arrival and walking down the stairs to the basement into the locker area, I got into trouble. People were SMOKING everywhere, and I'm quite asthmatic resulting in a shortness of breath - besides that is unhealthy. I expected that it was an incident, but walking through your facility I encountered many smoking men. All the 'this is a non-smoking area' signs confused me, so I asked the bar staff. They explained it was allowed to smoke in almost the whole basement, but 'upstairs' (basically, the bar and a small sauna) was smoke free. On their website and on some brochure comparing all Phoenix sauna's, it's not mentioned that smoking is allowed in almost the whole complex. Even more, both state that there is a "Smoking lounge", so I expected that smokers could smoke in there and outside of this lounge, smoking was not allowed. The sauna itself is quite filthy, with everywhere condoms and paper on the ground. It was quite cold, not pleasant if you're only wearing a towel. Compared to Phoenix Essen, Cologne is quite outdated. The men visiting the sauna were diverse, but most of them immediately grab your dick even before making contact. Not a very relaxed atmosphere. I couldn't stay there for long. I asked for a refund, but they said that that was not possible. It's better to visit another sauna in Cologne, or drive to Essen!

From the owner: Privat geführte, urige Sauna mit dem Charme aus der Vergangenheit. Von außen unscheinbar, innen…read moreüberrascht die gemütliche und vielseitige Atmosphäre. Das Restaurant, absichtlich im Wohnzimmerstil. Nostalgie pur, ein wesentlicher Bestandteil des Konzeptes um sich von den Groß-Anlagen und Spaßbädern zu unterscheiden.Die gesamte Anlage empfindet man zuerst als zu verwinkelt, jedoch nach kurzer Zeit stellt man auch hier die Absicht fest.Jeder Besucher findet sein ruhiges Eckchen um zu relaxen.Auch im Garten findet man dieses Konzept wieder.Für viele ein Geheimtipp. Entweder man mag dies oder nicht. Die kaum zu überbietende, traumhafte Landschaft des bergischen Landes kann man am besten von der Panorama-Terrasse des Sauna-Restaurants, mit Blick ins Tal, genießen.Tägliches Mitternachts-Saunabaden (Nachtzuschlag) mit der Möglichkeit zum Grillen (in einer original finn. Grillkota), bei Lagerfeuer, mit Übernachtung in einem Ruheraum auf heizbaren Wasserbetten oder Sommerhütten.Siehe Homepage

Here are the perks of this place: the design of this place is phenomenal. Every room and every…read moresauna are held closely to the design concept. It's literally beautiful and you will find lots of details to appreciate. We also really enjoyed the bistro upstairs where they served really delicous salads. The reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is because of a couple things: 1) the outdoor pool and jacuzzi are not remotely as warm / hot as they should be. 2) I don't know about you, but after 20 minutes in a sauna, I don't really need to visit another sauna. More variation in steam rooms or other activity rooms are needed. (That said, there are plenty of rooms where you can lie down) 3) It's on the pricier side of "Thermalbads". But... it is a great gift for others and it is a great way to unwind on a Friday night.

We have been to several German saunas with themed attractions, but I would have to say this is the…read moremost elaborate I've seen to date. Especially loved one room in the Indian saunawelt with a large wading pool around a large fireplace. The attention to detail and ambiance is unbelievable! There is a wide range of rest areas, outdoor sunning lawns, and pools with varied temperatures (though they were all a bit tepid to my liking, with the exception of one. My German friend, however, thought all the pools were too warm!) Had lunch at one of the cafes; food was great, service was attentive. Top marks on amenities, style, and an overall sense of calm!