Hammam & SPA Oktogon — Local services in Bern

I shall start with the positive. Location is fine, environment at the venue is nice, it is warm and the whole spa mood is great. If you are well familiar with the place and have been there before, it is also nice as you just go independently and do everything yourself. The massage was quite nice and the masseuse was very friendly.

Now the negative. I was coming for the first time and on a Saturday. I had one of the vouchers to use and booked an appointment starting from 10AM. So to start with, also had to wait outside to be let into the building. Perhaps if you are opening at 10AM and planning to open the doors even later - then don't allow people to book an appointment at that time? Next, the reception is likely where the whole experience got ruined. Again, this was my first time here so you'd expect extra care and everything being explained extra carefully. However, the lady just rushed through and DID NOT explain ANYTHING. She just showed me a picture of inside area and said there will be signs everywhere and explanations. And guess what - there weren't. Everything is only explained in German and French. It's 21st century - where is English translation?! So once you get changed you really have no idea where to go, where to start, how to do it properly, what's recommended and what's not. It was ridiculous. I eventually had to chase down some masseuse who went with me and explained how the whole system works. But at this point the mood and whole morning was ruined. Only the massages made it worth it but I was unlucky enough to get the same masseuse for both of my massages (one of them was foam and the other was oil massage) so she essentially did EXACTLY same thing but in different rooms.

Overall, perhaps only good if you know what to expect, know the system or at least speak the language. For tourists and locals like me who are only learning German and are going for the first time - I would not recommend. They really need to work on their customer service as it was NON EXISTENT. Even in the Bistro, you'd think there is only minimal contact with the staff, but even there the lady was rude and unpleasant. So unless you have a local friend coming along who can make this experience better for you, it might be rubbish. It is a shame as it is the only spa venue in central Bern which could have a lot of potential if only their staff would be...

It was difficult to understand how to follow the different stages of the 7-step hammam ritual or where to make the appointment for the massage, as the signs inside were only in German and French. The receptionists mentioned that there would be signs to guide us, but they failed to clarify that there would be no instructions in English. I later saw in their responses to similar feedback that the details in English are available on their website. However, it’s unreasonable—and certainly not relaxing—to expect guests to memorize an entire 7-step ritual before entering a spa. Since phones are not allowed inside, it’s impossible to use translation apps. Additionally, as the hammam is a quiet zone, it’s impolite to ask other guests for help. It’s also awkward and uncomfortable to observe others—who are often nude or semi-nude—to figure out what to do next. I would understand if the hammam catered exclusively to German or French speakers and was priced accordingly. However, they seem to welcome international guests and are on the more expensive side compared to other thermes in Switzerland. Given this, I strongly recommend they make the experience more inclusive by adding simple English translations beneath the existing signs. A single sentence in English under each instruction would take up minimal space and significantly improve the experience for non-German/French speakers. Otherwise, it gives the impression of intentional...

To start on a positive, all the staff were very friendly, polite and informative. The pool was nice to relax in, and the relaxation room on the top floor is very peaceful.

However, we were quite disappointed with the rest of the experience, especially considering the high costs of the spa. If you're after a relaxing experience, it may be worth it. But if you're after a proper hammam, this is not the place.

Hammam - the steam rooms do not get very hot, and at times you can even feel cold air. As the steam rooms do not get very hot, the scrub/peel does not work as your skin is not hot enough to enable the peeling through scrubbing with the kesa glove. We were in the steam room for plenty of time, and it did not help. I've been to hammam in the UK and in Turkey, of which both places you can see the effect of the steam and kesa within 10 mins.

Royal massage - whilst it was relaxing, it just felt like I was having oil rubbed all over my body with very little pressure. I requested focus on my shoulders, and more pressure, but was told that's not possible. Worth asking staff for which massages focus on ailments/muscles before booking in.

Admission fees approx. 51CHF pp Royal...