If you are in Turkey and you search for a hotel's name plus "massage" or "spa", you will often be looking at the wrong city, because the same hotel name appears in many places across the country. This guide is meant to clear that up. It puts the three locations side by side, then goes through the hammam, pool, hours and access at each one, and ends with what to write in your booking message. For the pages of the locations themselves, see our Trabzon Boztepe location, the Ordu location and the hammam and massage location in Harbiye.
Why does the same hotel name bring up three different cities?
Because one hotel name is used by hotels in many Turkish cities, a search on that name alone lists businesses in several of them.
Our three locations are in three different provinces: Trabzon, Ordu and Istanbul. Treat them as three separate places, not as one spa with three doors.
Someone who types only a hotel name and "massage" into a search engine will also see hotels in other cities. That is perfectly normal; nobody has mistyped anything. But the result can be a call to Istanbul about a spa on the Black Sea coast, or the other way round. Adding a district to the search helps: "Trabzon Boztepe", "Ordu Boztepe" or "Harbiye Şişli".
The three locations at a glance:
- Trabzon: inside the Radisson Blu Hotel Trabzon, Soğuksu, Boztepe Mahallesi, Numan Gül Caddesi, Çamlık Sokak No:2, Ortahisar.
- Ordu: inside the Radisson Blu Hotel Ordu, Nizamettin Mahallesi, Boztepe Kümevleri Mevkii No:54/1, Altınordu.
- Harbiye: inside the Radisson Hotel Istanbul Harbiye, Harbiye Mahallesi, Cumhuriyet Caddesi No:46, Şişli.
Two of the locations share a district name, which is a second source of confusion. Both Trabzon and Ordu have a hill called Boztepe, and each location sits in the neighbourhood that carries the name. The Turkish Culture Portal describes the Boztepe in Ordu as a viewpoint about 450 metres above the sea and 6 kilometres from the city centre, reached by an asphalt road or, from Atatürk Park, by cable car. The Ordu governor's office also carries a page titled "Boztepe'ye çıkmalı, şu Ordu'ya bakmalı" (one should climb Boztepe and look down on Ordu), which shows the hill's place in the city. In short, "Boztepe" is not a city. It is the name of two different districts in two different provinces.
Where is each location and how do you get there?
The Trabzon location is about a 10-minute drive from the city centre and about 14 minutes from the airport.
The Ordu location is a 4-minute walk from the Boztepe cable car station. The Harbiye location is about a 10-minute walk from Taksim metro station.
These times come from the locations' own access information and from Google Maps directions; they can move by a few minutes with traffic and walking pace. Entrances and parking also differ, so here they are one by one:
- Trabzon: you enter through the hotel lobby, and the spa is on floor -4. The hotel car park is free; there is no valet. Most guests come from Ortahisar, Akçaabat and Yomra, and there is no separate shuttle for spa guests. There is wheelchair access.
- Ordu: you enter through the hotel entrance, and the spa is on floor -1, reached by lift or stairs. The car park is free; there is no valet. The spa and the hammam have wheelchair access.
- Harbiye: you enter through the hotel lobby. The spa is on floor -1 and is reached by stairs only; there is no lift. The hotel car park is open to spa guests and valet is free. Because of the stairs, we suggest you call the location if access matters to you.
A short note for anyone who knows Trabzon. The Turkish Culture Portal describes the city as a place with a long history on the Black Sea coast, whose historic fabric includes inns, hammams, a covered bazaar and the walls that once surrounded it. Our location is not in that old quarter; it is inside a modern hotel. Even so, knowing how far back the hammam tradition goes in this city may change how you see the hammam here. For the old public baths, read our guide to the historic hammams of Trabzon. On a short trip, planning your appointment as a visitor saves time.
Can I use the spa without staying at the hotel?
Yes. At all three locations you do not need to be a hotel guest; visitors with an appointment are welcome.
Booking ahead matters because it fixes your time and lets the location plan how the hammam will be arranged for you.
In Istanbul, the Harbiye location is open to people who live in the city as well as to hotel guests. In Ordu the spa is part of the hotel, and guests who are not staying there come by appointment. It is the same in Trabzon: if you live in the city or are there on business, you can book without a room. Because you enter through the hotel, you only need to give the name of the spa to the staff at the entrance, and they will point you the right way.
Whichever location you choose, the first step is the same: write to that location's line. We do not repeat phone numbers in this article, because the call card on each location page carries the current number, and that is where it should be read from.
What is the relationship between the Ordu spa and the hotel?
For Ordu, we can write this sentence: the spa of the Radisson Blu Hotel Ordu is operated by Beatus Spa. This sentence rests on the Ordu location's written answer.
For Trabzon and Harbiye we say only that the location is inside the hotel, and we write nothing further about the nature of the relationship.
It is worth being open about this, because a spa inside a hotel is easily taken for the hotel's own product. We do not want to exaggerate it or describe it wrongly. What we know and what we write for Trabzon and Harbiye is that the locations are inside those hotels, at the addresses given above. So look for spa information on the location page of this site and on the location's own line, not on the hotel's general pages.
In practice: for a spa question, write to the number on the location page rather than the hotel's main line. In Ordu, the staff at the hotel reception answer the WhatsApp messages; in Trabzon and Harbiye, the team on the location's own line answers.
How does the hammam work at each location?
The three layouts are different. In Trabzon the hammam and steam room are on the upper floor, reserved for women all day. In Ordu there is one shared hammam.
In Harbiye there are separate hammams for women and for men, and a hammam for couples.
The Turkish bath as a building type is sorted in the Turkey Tourism Encyclopaedia entry on the Turkish bath in a way that helps here. Public baths are the neighbourhood and market hammams open to everyone, and hammams are also classified as single and double. A single hammam is usually given over to men or to women at set hours, while a double hammam is made of two sections built side by side. The same entry lists the sections of a hammam as the changing room, the warm room and the hot room. The Islamic Encyclopaedia of the Turkish Religious Foundation (TDV) also has a long entry on the hammam, covering the double hammam and the building's history.
Applied to our three locations, the picture looks like this:
| Topic | Trabzon | Ordu | Harbiye |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hammam layout | Upper floor, reserved for women | One shared hammam | Separate for women and men |
| For women guests | Reserved all day | Scrub and foam planned at booking | Own hammam for women |
| For couples | Couples' massage room | Couples' massage room | Couples' hammam and massage room |
| Spa floor | -4 | -1 | -1, stairs only |
| Pool | Indoor, plus outdoor in summer | Indoor, sea view | None |
| Sauna and steam | Yes | Finnish sauna and steam room | Yes |
| Hours | 07:00 to 23:00 | Opens 12:30 | 10:00 to 22:00 |
| Last booking | 1 hour before closing for massage | 30 min to 1 hour before closing | 21:00 |
The "For couples" row shows a couples' massage room at all three locations, and a hammam for couples at Harbiye only. In Trabzon the jacuzzi is inside the VIP room; in Harbiye the two-person VIP room has a sauna, hammam, jacuzzi and massage room all within it.
Trabzon: a hammam floor for women
The Trabzon spa is on two floors. The lower floor is mixed, used by women and men together, and holds the pool, sauna, steam room and fitness room. The upper floor has the massage rooms, women's changing rooms, a steam room and the Turkish hammam, and the whole floor is reserved for women all day. So the hammam here is a women's area; we do not claim a separate hammam for men. You can read the details of this arrangement in our guide to the women-only hammam and massage floor.
Ordu: one shared hammam
In Ordu the hammam, sauna and steam room are a shared area used by women and men together. When a woman guest books a scrub and foam, the booking is planned at reservation and, for the length of the session, the hammam is kept for her alone. For this to work, the guest must say in her booking message that she wants a scrub and foam. We have written about this in detail in Ordu hammam: scrub and foam booking and opening time. For a checklist before you book, see the questions to ask when choosing a massage spa in Ordu.
Harbiye: separate hammams and a couples' hammam
At Harbiye there are separate hammams for women and men, and alongside them a hammam for couples and single-person hammams. The two-person VIP room has a sauna, hammam, jacuzzi and massage room inside it. If two people want to use a hammam together, they should ask for the couples' hammam or the VIP room when they book. For a general picture of this location, there is also our Harbiye spa and wellness guide.
Which location has a pool, a sauna and a gym?
Trabzon has an indoor pool, a sauna, a steam room and a fitness room, and an outdoor pool in summer.
Ordu has an indoor pool overlooking the sea, a Finnish sauna and a steam room. Harbiye has no pool; it has a sauna and a steam room.
The basic thing to expect from any pool is regular water testing. The Ministry of Health's General Directorate of Public Health says swimming pools are inspected every month under a regulation dating from 2011, that the water is analysed for physical, chemical and microbiological quality, and that chlorine, temperature and pH are measured at the poolside. The same page says these readings should be posted on a board that users can see. It is a sensible habit to look at that board before you get into any pool.
Trabzon: indoor pool, outdoor pool and fitness
The outdoor pool is used between June and September, but it depends on the hotel's decision each year, so ask the location for the current situation. The same decision settles whether fitness members can use the outdoor pool. A swimsuit and a swim cap are required in the pool; you can bring them or buy them at the spa. The jacuzzi is inside the VIP room. The fitness room is open from 07:00 to 23:00, and a trainer prepares a programme to suit you, but one-to-one personal training and group classes (yoga, pilates, zumba, aerobics) are not offered. For more on the pool, see our Trabzon hammam and pool guide.
Ordu: a pool with a sea view
The indoor pool in Ordu looks out over the Black Sea. Bring a swimsuit; a swim cap is required, and caps and shorts are sold at the location. After the pool come the Finnish sauna, the steam room and the hammam, and then a massage or a scrub and foam. There is also a fitness centre, ask the location for its terms of use. Facials and skin care are not offered here, and there is no skin-care room.
Harbiye: no pool, a hammam-centred visit
Because there is no pool at Harbiye, a visit is built around the hammam, sauna, steam room and massage. Skin care and body masks are also offered. For someone walking between Taksim and Nişantaşı, a hammam followed by a massage can make a natural break in a day in the city; for the area around, our things to do in Taksim guide is useful.
What are the opening hours and last bookings at each location?
Trabzon is open from 07:00 to 23:00. In Ordu the spa opens at 12:30 and massage sessions start at 13:00.
Harbiye is open from 10:00 to 22:00, and its last booking is at 21:00. For public holidays and special days, ask the location.
The thing to watch is that Ordu opens in the afternoon. We stress it so that nobody turns up in the morning and waits for nothing. In Ordu the last session is at 22:00, and the last booking is given 30 minutes to 1 hour before closing, depending on how far the guest is travelling.
In Trabzon the last booking is worked out in two ways: 1 hour before closing for a massage alone, and 2 hours before closing if you are taking a massage and a hammam together. So at a location that closes at 23:00, a session that includes the hammam means planning for the earlier part of the evening, not the late hours. At Harbiye the last booking is 21:00.
The hours are the ones on each location page, and the date of the last update is at the end of this guide. As always, asking on WhatsApp for the exact time on the day you want is the surest way.
How do I book, and what do I write on WhatsApp?
None of the three locations has an online booking system. You book by phone or WhatsApp, on the line of the location you want.
A message with the location, date, time, number of people and service is enough.
There is no central booking line; every location has its own, and the numbers are on the call card on each location page. Reply times vary by location: the locations tell us they usually reply within a short time, and at busy hours it can take longer. In Ordu the hotel reception staff answer messages; in Trabzon and Harbiye it is the location's own team.
What to put in your message:
- Which location you want (city and district).
- The date and an approximate time.
- How many people are coming.
- What you would like (massage, hammam, both, couples' massage).
- Optionally, your name.
You do not need to write any health information in a WhatsApp message; you can tell the massage specialist at the start of the session. A sample message for Trabzon:
Hello, we would like to book a massage and hammam for two people at your Trabzon Boztepe location on Saturday evening at 18:00. The women in our group will use the hammam. Could you tell us the available times and the total length? Thank you.
For Ordu, a woman guest should say plainly that she is booking a scrub and foam:
Hello, I would like to book a scrub and foam at your Ordu Boztepe location on Thursday at 16:00. I am a woman guest; could you confirm that the hammam will be kept for me during this session? Thank you.
For Harbiye, if you want a hammam for two or a VIP room:
Hello, we would like to book the couples' hammam or the VIP room at your Harbiye location for two people on Friday at 19:00. Could you tell us the available times?
Languages differ by location. At Harbiye the staff speak Turkish, English and Indonesian, and a WhatsApp message in Arabic can be answered in Arabic. In Ordu the staff speak English, and messages in Arabic are not answered in Arabic. In Trabzon there are English-speaking staff, and a translation app is used for other languages. In Trabzon, ask the location first about Arabic or write in English.
Which location suits which need?
If you want a hammam reserved for women all day and a pool, look at Trabzon. If a sea-view indoor pool and a Finnish sauna matter, look at Ordu.
If you want a day without a pool but built around the hammam and a couples' hammam, look at Harbiye.
The list below is not a ranking; it matches a need to a location.
- A hammam floor reserved for women all day: the spa with a pool in Trabzon.
- An indoor pool, a Finnish sauna and a hammam on one day, with a sea view: the hotel spa in Ordu.
- Using a hammam together as a couple, or a two-person VIP room: our location in Harbiye. Trabzon and Ordu have a couples' massage room; we do not claim a couples' hammam there.
- Fitness together with a spa visit: Trabzon (07:00 to 23:00). Ordu has a fitness centre, so ask the location for the terms.
- A spa early in the morning: Trabzon opens at 07:00. Ordu opens at 12:30 and Harbiye at 10:00.
- A break between Taksim and Nişantaşı: Harbiye, about a 10-minute walk from Taksim metro station.
- A hammam and a massage on the same day: possible at all three; for the order and length, read how to plan a hammam and a massage on the same day.
The choice depends less on the moment than on your travel plan. Trabzon and Ordu can sit on the same route; if you are planning a Black Sea trip, our Black Sea spa locations page and our Black Sea route article give you route ideas. We also have other locations in Istanbul, so if Harbiye is not convenient, have a look at our spa locations in Istanbul. For the range of treatments, see our massage page and our Turkish bath page.
What should I bring, and what should I be aware of?
A pestemal is provided for the hammam at all three locations.
If you will use the pool in Trabzon or Ordu, you need a swimsuit and a swim cap; Harbiye has no pool, so you do not need a swimsuit there.
A hammam and a sauna are hot environments. If you have a health condition, are sensitive to heat or are pregnant, speak to your doctor before the hammam, sauna or massage. Harvard Health Publishing also lists general precautions for the sauna: avoid alcohol before and after, keep the session short, cool down gradually afterwards, drink plenty of water, and leave at once if you feel unwell. The same source advises people with health conditions to talk to their doctor before using a sauna. This is general information; for your own decision, see your doctor.
For the type of session, the length and a suitable day, it is enough to write to the line of the location you want. If you wonder what makes one service choice differ from another, you can read our article on this.
