Affordable spa holidays in Bucharest 2024

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IIt’s 8pm on a Friday night and I’m looking out at a sea of ​​corpses. I sipped a pina colada and watched the men jump on the podium to the bouncy beat that started playing. Multicolored lights slowly change, casting shadows across the vast space dotted with giant palm trees and exotic plants. It was a lively scene, unlike any other Friday night I had ever experienced.

It’s not a nightclub, but Terme, Europe’s largest spa and probably the coolest place in Romania to spend a Friday night. There may be plenty of booze on the tap, but the atmosphere here is very chill, and rest, relaxation, and self-care are the order of the day. Doors open at 9am and close at midnight, making it an ideal choice for a tiled night out. And with recent statistics suggesting that 39 per cent of young people are celibate, this giant temple to holistic health seems like the ultimate hangout.

Size is everything at Therme, and its key stats are impressive. Opened in Bucharest in 2016, this vast estate covers his 44,000 square meters of wellness, leisure and spa space over two floors. There are 10 pools, 6 dry and 4 wet saunas, and Europe’s largest urban beach. Over 45 daily activities are included in your access fee, from the Aufguth ritual (a Germanic sauna tradition) and themed sauna experiences to clay mask and scrub rituals.

This wellness resort is home to nearly one million plants, making it Romania’s largest botanical garden and Europe’s largest palm plantation. There’s a Jacuzzi, hydromassage beds, daybeds, a lazy river, and a gigantic ‘Salt Library’ archway, over 5 meters high, made of 40 tons of Himalayan salt, said to purify the air. The Hollywood Sauna has David’s huge 7×5 meter screen showing his Attenborough documentary. There are also 17 water slides spanning a total length of 1.7 kilometers. Although made of wood, steel and glass, there is a distinct lack of plastic in the exhibit. The 900m2 glass roof will be retracted in the summer. Everything is very clean, new and shiny.

read more Spa and wellness breaks

Upon arrival, you will be taken straight to the treatment area where you will be presented with a menu of 6 different massage treatments. I chose the 1 hour CBD massage. There, the tough meat is pulled and pounded to make it soft. This costs 369 lei (£63). While you’ll come out of your room feeling zen, this is more of a luxury extra than an essential element of the overall spa experience.

From here, head to the Alhambra sauna, inspired by Andalusia’s landmark palaces, then shuffle into the Bavarian sauna, where temperatures reach 90 degrees. I go outside, follow the instructions to regulate my body temperature, then come back inside for a cold shower. I then tried to attend the Liquid Gold session, where participants applied honey to their bodies, but it was full. Unfazed, I wandered off to float in the heated outdoor pool. It’s already dark and I look up at the pitch black sky studded with stars.

From talking to the staff, Therme attracts everyone from locals looking to relax after a day at the office to tourists traveling from all over Europe and abroad to visit the place that has taken TikTok by storm. You can see that people are gathering. This inclusivity is a nice contrast to the transcendental atmosphere that can make the experience at other luxury spas unpleasant.

Besides the really good atmosphere and excellent facilities, the main factor behind Terme’s huge popularity is the price. Admission prices vary depending on whether you visit during peak times (Friday to Sunday and school holidays) and which parts of the spa you wish to access. A three-hour adult pass to The Palm costs 81 lei (£13.90), while a day pass with access to all three areas costs £29 from Monday to Thursday and £32 from Friday to Sunday, including school holidays is. Towels can be rented for 26 lei (£4.50). It can accommodate up to 4,000 people, so there’s none of the cramped feeling that can come with some of the UK’s very small spas.

Compare this to the daily price at some of the UK’s most popular spas. At AIRE Ancient Baths in London’s Covent Garden, you’ll have to pay a minimum of £115 for up to 90 minutes of bathing. Just two hours of access to the spa at Claridge’s is only available when combined with a treatment. The cheapest one is a one hour massage which costs him £195. His one-day spa pass to Ragdale Hall in Leicestershire, away from the capital, costs £172 per person (not including treatments), while a half-day pass to Armathwaite Hall and Spa in the Lake District costs £55. From £125 including. Precise treatment.

If you look at the price alone, Therme is definitely a bargain. But given the top-class facilities and overall atmosphere, it’s priceless. The future of Friday nights is in sight – and it’s steamy.

how to get there

We flew Wizz Air from Luton in London to Henri Coanda in Bucharest. One-way fares start from £16.51 (book early to get the best price). Flight time is approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes.

We chose Uber as local taxis tend to offer high flat rates. The cost was £16 door to door and the journey took 12 minutes. An Uber from Terme to the city center costs around £30 and takes around 30 minutes, depending on traffic. There is also a public bus (number 442) that runs regularly between the city center and Bucharest Henri Coanda Airport and Terme, and costs just 1 euro (85 pence). Just tap your card when you get on and check the timetable here.

We booked the 4 star PeakTure Hotel. When we stayed in a spacious and comfortable double room he was 69 euros (£59) a night. From here, the picturesque Old Town is just a 5-minute walk away. The hotel also has a great offer that includes a two-night stay and a two-day pass for just €135 (£115) per person based on two people sharing.

Joanna traveled to Bucharest as a guest of Wizz Air.

read more: If you take the train from St. Pancras Station to Dracula’s Castle, it will be a three-day weekend.