Hammam Mouassine — Attraction in Marrakesh Prefecture

Great place - writing a detailed review that answers (for women) all the questions we couldn’t find answers to :) if you want it to be a mystery, don’t read this!

Finding the place - this may not be the only entrance, but our Google maps led us to an entrance that sent us past the woodfire room. We walked past a table with poufs- if you see this (pic attached) then you’ll need to follow the corridor (no turns) past the dark smoky fire room (pop down if you like, it’s very cool to see the heating system!), until you enter an open air hallway. Women to the left and I believe men to the right. Booking - we messaged the hammam on WhatsApp (thru their website) in French. I don’t think this is required by any means. We also saw some people showing up IRL to book a spot for later in the day, and there was a schedule book. They have a printout with the options and you can just point - but it is in French, so I would check out the website prior. Clothes - you will wear your underwear (ladies, no bra- I mean, you could, I guess, but your chest would not get the treatment). If you did not bring a change of underwear, let them know, and they will give you a disposable pair! A group of women were wearing swimsuits, so I think that’s acceptable as well. There were also some local women nude, but they were washing themselves - not sure if this is OK for being washed as well. Checkin - when you check in at the desk, they will give you a basket with slippers and a towel. Get changed in the area to the right. Put your clothes in the basket, then put the basket in one of the lockers and take the key. They will also give you a little bracelet/ring with a charm- this is like a token for the different services. The small ring one is for the scrub, and bracelets for massage. You will pay in advance- you can also tip after if you like, but they are not pushy and in fact did not even mention the tip jar. What it’s like - take your towel with you. An old lady will lead you into the middle door. It’s dim and warm (heated by the fire room!). You’ll lay down on a plastic sort of mat- put your hair up if it’s long. The lady will hang up your towel and then scrub you vigorously with the mitt and black soap. It is amazing and you will see gobs of dead skin coming off. Then she will lather you up with a cream and take you into a second room, where you will lay on a bamboo (?) mat to let the cream soak in. There is a faucet on the wall if you’d like to rinse your hands - one is boiling and the other cold so be careful lol - there was a bucket already filled when I used it. Finally, after a few minutes, the lady will come back and lead you back to the original room. She will rinse your body off (and likely remove the disposable undies in the process, lol) and offer to shampoo your hair. I accepted. It was nice, like a scalp massage, but I wish I knew how to say “don’t brush” in French as my hair is curly ish. Finally, you’ll wrap up in your towel, sit on a bench, and drip dry for a sec (or as long as you like I suppose) before heading back to get changed. We also got massages, so we were led to the outer area to get them. Those were nice as well- the argan oil was extremely moisturizing. They did rub down our scalps a bit, which was nice but kind of defeated the purpose of the shampoo haha. Also my masseuse left my door open with my butt exposed- not a problem for me as it was a women’s only area, but just something to keep your eye out for if it bothers you. Note - the scrub and the massage do both include your face, but you can opt out. I wore mascara and regretted it hahaha The experience also included tea after :) This is a very public experience. If you are not comfortable with others’ nudity (for yourself you could always wear a bikini - but there were definitely entirely nude older women scattered around), this is likely going to make you uncomfortable. That being said, if you are on the fence I would go for it!!!!

Special thanks to the random woman who offered me some clean water when I had something...

This is my third time in Marrakech and I’m so disappointed that I didn’t discover this hammam sooner. I can say with great confidence that this was the best and most authenically Moroccan experience I’ve had in this city. I’ve been to hammams before that were little more than overpriced spas so I’m glad to have found what a real hammam is like.

As others have noted, it is a very no frills and rough around the edges environment - after all, we are in a hammam built in the 16th century which locals use to this day. It was smaller and more intimate than I expected, just a couple of rooms with domed ceilings and small slivers of light coming through the warm space. We were greeted by the friendly receptionist guy who explained exactly what we can expect. You change into your shorts in the open lobby space (we didn’t bring shorts, towels or flipflops so they were provided for us) and proceeded to the hammam where you lay on the floor and are soaped down. The guys are friendly and patient with people who haven’t been to a hammam before, so don’t worry if you’re feeling timid. You’re in safe hands.

After the soap down, you lie there and relax for 15 minutes while your body marinates in the soap. Then comes the scrubbing of dead skin, an invigoraring process that will make your skin feel silky smooth afterwards. While this is happening you are surrounded by a few locals washing and scrubbing themselves and relaxing in this warm blissful space. I was surprised how welcome and comfortable we felt here even though we obviously stood out.

I’m so glad we opted for the massage afterwards. It was a relaxing but sometimes vigorous full body massage, in which you could feel the generosity of the masseur coming through his hands. He enjoyed what he was doing and the massage was better for it. The face & scalp massage sealed the deal as one of the most soothing massages of my life.

After the massage the masseur washes your hair as you drift further into a state of bliss, making you wonder on earth what you did to deserve to be treated this well.

This is a wonderful experience, connecting you with Morocco’s history and traditions - and all for a very...

First of all, I want to echo what some reviews have said about the lack of cleanliness. The sandals, towels and very thin plastic mats that you lie on do not seem to be washed between customers. I was there for over and hour and people just kept coming in and laying on the same mats, so they are definitely not washed between clients. This is pretty gross.

We had been out the day before with a guide to do a walk around Marrakesh and the Bahia Palace (which was great). I asked our guide about going to a traditional Hamman. He basically said I couldn't go without a local escort, because I wouldn't know what to do and I would have to bring my own soap, scrubber, etc. So, I found this place online, which I imagine is the next best thing to a traditional Hamman since it has been there since 1562. I just did the hammam, not a massage, which I was glad for. It was a bit of a strange experience, partly because of the language barrier, but also the vibe was just not that welcoming. The pictures look far nicer than it is in reality. I was surprised at this given some of the other positive reviews. But if you read quite a few reviews, you will see my concerns of rudeness and lack of cleanliness are echoed by others.

The young woman at the front desk was brusque. Then you just take off your clothes in a small alcove off to the side (I left on my swim shorts but some others were naked),. The woman who scrubbed me done didn't talk to me, not even in French which I understand, she just pointed and pushed my limbs around. It wasn't nurturing at all .The black soap got in my eyes and there was no towel to wipe them with so it stung. Then you lay in another room on the floor for about 30 minutes, I guess to let the soap work on you. Finally, someone came to get me and rinsed me off, pulling off my shorts unceremoniously! I was finally given a towel and told "finished." Well, it was an experience. I certainly didn't expect a spa, but some sort of friendliness or nurturing would have been nice. I did leave feeling clean (but I also feel that way after a shower!), but not particularly relaxed or cared for. I wouldn't go back. If you do go and have long hair...