Albany Sauna, Massage Therapy, Facials & Hot Tubs — Attraction in Albany

I used to like coming here. They did give us our money back.

On 2/27/24, I went here with my husband, who is Black, btw - when things like this happen is hard not to wonder if the people have preconceived notions - and half way through our tub time he noticed some brown stuff on my shoulder. It was gross. We got out. We tried washing it off but it was really stuck to my skin. We had to wash it briskly, 3 times before it came off. It was greasy and sludgey and sticky.

In addition to that, the woman running the facility at the time was rude all the way through. It's probably because she needs more love and acknowledgement in her life, but she acted like the roof was on fire and every task was monumental when we made the appointment.

When we came out a little early complaining, she shouted "I just had that tub drained and refilled this morning!" Which felt like she was trying to blame us for the sludge. We are clean people. This was not the issue. I made it clear that she should refund me and she did but said "I see you decided to stay for the whole tub anyway!" While she refunded us. We had come out early, btw, not that this matters. Also, we didn't realize it until 30 mins into the tub, and it took 10 min to wash it off of me.

I work at a high end Spa. What you say if you don't want a bad review is "OH my God! I'm an so sorry! You're right, that is disgusting! I'm so sorry! I'm not sure how that mess got by us, I'm have it taken care of right away! Here is your money back and here is a gift certificate for a free tub. Sorry!"

Nothing like this happened.

Sadly, I will never go back.

For pics, look for my...

THE HOT TUBS ARE BACK! Beautiful, ceramic tile lined hot tubs with Jets and swirlers and bells and whistles in large rooms in which you can look up at the sky or use their shade covering which is operated by a hand crank. I forgot how good it was to have a local hot tub! Note: The massage staff is particularly great here, and you can ask for a particular kinds of massage and work with them to get what you need like I did today. Excellent!

This place has become my absolute go-to in terms of health, sanity and relaxation. I am almost reluctant to let my friends know about it, because up to now it's been my little secret, but stuff like this deserves to be shared, and with the latest upgrades to the place, and the amazingly curated selection of sauna gear (Buckets, scrubbers, etc.) and one of the best soap collections in northern California, overwhelmingly locally-made, and sold, with a great book selection, (you'd be surprised how many books there are on saunas and the culture around them) the essential oils, natural scents, and restoratives, make this place more than just a sauna (which would be fine all by itself), and take into full sensory experience territory, and is something I think everyone should try at least once.

Finally, there is on staff, a rotating cadre of some of the best message artists and physical therapists, on the West Coast, including everything from Shiatsu, to Swedish deep tissue. When you need a real time out, and just want the world to stop for a second, for the price of a lunch, (1/2 an hour in sauna or tub) you can slip and feint stress like a pro, in a single visit to this...

I just wanted to add my two cents. I went for a tour today and was in complete awe of the history of this place. Freddy, the new owner(and daughter of the previous owner) was kind enough to show me around. I don't think people realize that of every bath house in the Bay Area, this is the only one that offers private sauna rooms that all pull from the same fire/stones. There is essentially a giant furnace in the center of the building. The rooms are engineered around the brick furnace. You and your friends get complete privacy with a closed door to moderate the steam experience to your liking, while not having to listen to strangers who struggle to tolerate the heat. If you've ever shared a sauna with someone you know there's always a groaner. Apparently, this sauna is the last of it's kind. Several were made like this in the past, but none survived into the 21st century, accept this one. And the updates for the two private hot tub rooms are elegant and intelligently designed. Made with an entirely open roof you can look up at the blue sky or feel the rain on your skin. Both rooms have hydro therapy pipes that run over the center of the pool so you can have your shoulders massaged by running water. It's just insanely wonderful in this place and I can't believe I've slept on it after living in the Bay for 13 years. I will be telling all my friends to book here when they need to really unwind. Lastly, if you book a massage here and are still nervous about covid they do all their massages in open air spaces. Meaning if it's not done outside the room has a skylight to let fresh air flow...