Les Bains d’AliA, a superb hammam at the gateway of Paris

Are you yearning for a relaxing and exotic getaway? We’ve found the spot you need. Pop in Les Bains d’AliA, a good address that is on its way to become the best hammam in Île de France! And for good reason, this relaxing place has everything it needs to delight. It’s as if the hammam get it all in advance to offer you the best experience possible… And actually, it’s just right.

What you need to know when visiting Les Bains d’AliA it’s that first, you don’t need anything else but your bathing suit. Yes, it’s out of question to trouble yourself with many stuffs. Here, you come with your hands in the pockets and the hammam supplies everything. And when we say everything, we mean everything: shower gel, the small basin, the fouta, flipflops without forgetting the black soap and the kessa glove! A pareo is even included in the lovely basket you’ve been lent at your arrival, to make sure you feel completely at ease.

The décor is breathtaking but it’s not too bling. It takes you straight to Morocco, to a true temple of wellness. The detail work of the Moroccan craft is given pride of place with the moldings including some gold leaves, beautiful columns, copper pieces, lights coming straight from Marrakech… when we say it’s exotic, we say it the way it is!

Les Bains d’AliA is a place very respectful of the art: the two hammam rooms, one for women, the second for men in the morning and couples in the afternoon, have their own rest room each, which are vital to lounge after your session. And each room has its very own atmosphere, its own décor.

The “Hammam Or” [Golden Hammam] for women is a true ode to femininity. Its bright restroom is a gentle showcase with pastel colors and its fountain which water runoff makes us dive into a bath of relaxation. Its hammam, as its name suggests it is adorned with golden touches.

The “Hammam Majorelle”, the one reserved for men in the morning and couples in the afternoon, takes you straight to a tale worthy of the Arabian Nights. The restroom lays under a beautiful constellation and lets your head be in the stars with midnight blue-tone walls and its soft light. Moving on to the hammam itself, it wraps you in a whirlwind of bronze and gold.

Here, you take your time. You enjoy this bath of youth with products supplied by the hammam. To do so, Les Bains d’AliA has decided to work with beauty products coming from Charme d’Orient, a French brand that supports natural and organic products, certified by Ecocert. Delicately wet your skin, soap it up with the traditional black soap, here scented with eucalyptus, and pop in the steam room to allow this ancestral beauty secret work its magic while waiting for the body scrub on one of the scrubbing tables.

And this is now the highlight of the hammam: the body scrub! Here, it’s done by true professionals, exclusively trained for this treatment, that will pop out your dead skin right before your eyes, a rare thing in hammams of this range. Of course, they know ho to adapt to your skin and your sensitivity, because from A to Z, you’ll be well cared about.

• To be read
• Where to shop for bargains in Paris?
• Tips for the week of April 22 - 28, 2024 in Paris: free or inexpensive outings
• What to do in Paris and the Ile-de-France region in April 2024? Our good plans and ideas to discover

Please note there’s one thing Les Bains d’AliA is very inflexible, it’s hygiene. So, you will have to play the game. It’s out of question to dye your hair inside the hammam, or to use rhassoul and even to wax or shave. It’s also mandatory to wear the provided flipflops. Complete nudity is also forbidden, women can be topless if they want to, but keep your panties on!

Following your body scrub, you can now use your shampoo and your body gel provided by the hammam, sweetly smelling honey and love-in-a-mist in the shower covered in gold. Makeup remover, cotton as well as a hairdryer are also available! Next, quietly lounge in the restroom before the next step: the massage!

And what massage? It’s up to you. The massage team is a dream team able to do any kinds: relaxing, invigorating, Swedish, slimming, sporting, ayurvedic, Californian, for pregnant women, or Balinese massage, make your choice! The service is custom-made according to what your heart desires. Whether it’s related to pressure or the zone you want to insist on, massagers do whatever you want?

This is how you go to one of the massage booths, listening to an oriental and relaxing playlist. First, you choose among the varied massage oils and there’s something for everyone. Roasted argan oil or not, sweet almond oil scented with orange blossom, fruit oil or oil with more oriental notes, the choice is all ours. You can even go for a shea butter with the perfect texture, smooth but not sticky. Massages can be for one or two.

Lay on the tables and the heating pads that lay there relax you even more! This is when the massager comes in and it’s the grand finale, comfort at its highest, maybe even the nirvana. Fairy fingers work their magic and put you in a second state without having you sleep. Without you even noticing, they work your knots with agility and you realize you’ve been tensed when knots are finally undone, and you feel surprisingly relieved.

At this moment, you don’t think you can be even more pampered. Head to the locker room and it’s done… well, this is what you think. But remember, you’re at Les Bains d’AliA and at Les Bains d’AliA, instead of having you leave right away, you’re taken to… the tea room. Seat on one of the super comforting armchairs in the room that surprisingly blends oriental and Scandinavian inspiration.

A true haven of peace with sweet tones and where you will enjoy your mint tea and your oriental treats delivered by La Rose de Tunis. Should you go in the weekend, you’ll also be treated to msemens, the famous Moroccan pancakes, as well as to beghrir, the honeycomb pancakes. And you can taste all these sweet delicacies while reading: books are available!

To enhance the whole experience, you can have your nails done. Yes, manicure is also on the menu especially with the application of semi-permanent nail polishes from O.P.I. Wax is also possible and soon, a hair salon will open and brightening, youth or anti-imperfection face treatments will be provided. To be continued very soon, then…

Please note that it's been over 4 years since our last visit, so the place and experience may have changed.