Hamam Ayala

It's been a cold winter, so a few weekends ago, we decided to warm up and wind down in a hamam.  We headed over to Hamam Ayala, reported to be the first hamam in Madrid, run by a terrific French guy who wanted to open up an authentic Arabic bath in the city.  He spent a lot of time in the Middle East and Africa, and was inspired to share his knowledge in Madrid.

When Hamam Ayala opened in 2009, there was a lot of buzz about it on Spanish television (if you understand Spanish, watch this short film -- as they say, the hamam offers an "opportunity to get clean on the outside and on the inside!).  

For our treatments, we opted for the Arabic bath and a 20 minute massage.  Basically, we entered the hamam, washed, sat in a mint/eucalyptus steam bath, got scrubbed, had a massage, and then were served mint tea and "Arabic" treats.  We paid 75 euro each for the hamam and the massage.

Overall, the experience was good.  The facilities were very clean, the steam room was especially nice (almost Scandinavian) and the service was friendly.  The Moroccan bath attendants (both female) were professional.  But, the place was very empty on a Saturday night, and we noticed that they took a few short cuts in some of the products, such as using the cheap brand of soap in the showers.

As we paid for the services at the end, we asked the owner how the hamam was doing during the economic crisis.  "Not good," was the response.  In fact, he is looking to sell the place in the next couple of months.  Such a shame, but it is one of the realities of the slow economy in Spain.

There are other hamams in Madrid, but Hamam Ayala is the real deal, at least for now.  If it's still around for your visit, try to stop by.


Hamam Ayala
Calle de Ayala, 126  28006 Madrid, Spain