For most visitors from Istanbul, Sapanca is a weekend escape, and the day usually begins on the lakeshore. The Beatus Spa location inside the Wellwood Sapanca hotel takes care of the warm, indoor, slower part of the day: a steam hammam, a sauna, an outdoor pool and massage rooms. This guide answers the questions the location page doesn't: how the hammam works step by step, in which order to use the pool and the hammam, how to prepare, and how the Sapanca location differs from the others. We have a separate article on the winter programme and the lake area; here we stay on the hammam, whatever the season.
How does a hotel hammam work in Sapanca?
A hotel hammam session is a calm progression from the changing room to the hot room and then to rest. According to the Turkey Tourism Encyclopaedia (Türkiye Turizm Ansiklopedisi), Turkish hammam architecture generally has four parts: the changing room (camekân), the warm transition room (ılıklık, or soğukluk), the hot room (sıcaklık, or hararet), where steam and heat are strongest, and the furnace (külhan) that heats the building. In today's hotel hammams the furnace is a technical area guests never see; you use the first three parts.
At the centre of the hot room is a marble platform, the göbek taşı ("belly stone"). It's a heated marble surface that you lie on or sit around. The kurna is a marble basin of water at the wall, under a tap; you scoop water from it with a bowl and pour it over yourself. Knowing these two words helps you find your way around a hammam. For more terms, see our Turkish bath glossary.
The Beatus menu has three hammam rituals: the 40-minute Pasha Hammam (a full-body scrub or just an aromatic soap foam), the 55-minute Scheherazade Hammam (the same, plus an aromatic oil massage of the head, hands and feet) and the 80-minute Sultan Hammam (peeling, foam, an oil massage and sherbet). Ask when you book which ritual is offered at the Sapanca location that day. Our Turkish bath page describes each step.
A typical hammam session goes like this:
- Changing and getting ready. You move into the hammam area in a bathrobe and slippers; a peştemal (a thin cotton wrap) is worn in the hammam.
- Warming up. Sit for a few minutes around the göbek taşı or in the steam room while your body gets used to the heat.
- Wetting. Start by scooping warm water from the kurna and pouring it slowly; don't use very hot water straight away.
- Scrub. The scrub (kese) is a rubdown of the skin's surface with a coarse mitt. Tell your attendant how firm you want it.
- Foam. The foam massage spreads soapy foam over the body with a soft bag. We cover the scrub and foam steps in detail in our scrub and foam massage guide.
- Rinsing. Rinse the soap off thoroughly with warm water and wait a while in the warm room to cool down.
- Resting. Wrap up in a peştemal and rest in the lounge area. Don't hurry.
The TDV Encyclopaedia of Islam (TDV İslâm Ansiklopedisi) says the word hamam comes from an Arabic root meaning "to heat; to be hot", and that in Ottoman-Turkish society the hammam was as much a place for conversation and meeting as for washing. A hotel hammam keeps that sociable side, but more quietly: in separate sections for women and men, without hurrying anyone.
In which order do you use the hammam and the outdoor pool?
There's no single right order, but the most practical one is pool first, then the sauna or steam room, and the hammam last. After the pool your body is cool and wet, and a short shower followed by the sauna or steam room is an easy transition. Leaving the hammam for last turns the scrub and foam into a warm, slow, long finish. If you'd rather go into the hammam first, let your body cool down a little before getting into the pool.
A weekend plan might look like this:
- Outdoor pool first. Showering before you get in is both a pool rule and good manners. The Ministry of Health's General Directorate of Public Health says swimming pool facilities must have places where users can shower before entering the pool.
- Then the sauna or steam room. A sauna is dry heat and a steam room is moist heat; we explain the difference in our sauna vs steam room vs hammam guide. Harvard Health suggests staying in a sauna for no more than 15 to 20 minutes, cooling down slowly afterwards, drinking water after each session and not using a sauna after alcohol.
- Hammam last. The scrub and foam begin when you're already warm from your sauna or steam round, followed by rest.
For pool etiquette, see our hotel pool etiquette guide, where we cover swimming caps, clothing and shower rules.
Which seasons is the outdoor pool in use in Sapanca?
The Beatus Spa location inside Wellwood Sapanca has an outdoor pool. The months it's open are not given here because the location hasn't told us its dates. Please call or message the spa on WhatsApp for the current situation before you come.
It still helps to know roughly what weather to expect. According to the Turkish State Meteorological Service's 1951–2025 measurements for Sakarya, the average temperature in July and August is 23.6 and 23.5 °C respectively, and those two months are the driest of the year, with about 5.7 rainy days a month. In January and December, the average number of rainy days rises above 15. These figures are for Sakarya province and may not reflect Sapanca's local conditions exactly. The opening and closing dates of an outdoor pool depend on the property's operating decision more than on the climate.
Two practical notes for days when the outdoor pool is open:
- If you're going into the hammam after the outdoor pool, take a short shower and dry off first. Don't go into the hot area with wet hair.
- If it's cool, keep your time in the pool short, then warm up in the sauna or steam room. If you're sensitive to temperature changes, you can skip the pool and choose only the hammam.
The Ministry of Health's General Directorate of Public Health states that swimming pools are inspected regularly every month under the regulation published in 2011 (no. 27866), that chlorine, temperature and pH are measured at poolside, and that the operator must analyse these parameters at least three times a day, four hours apart. It also states that the results of the microbiological analyses, and the temperature, pH and free chlorine values, must be posted on a board where users can see them.
Are the hammams in Sapanca separate for women and men, and what is the VIP room?
Yes. At the Sapanca location the hammam is separate for women and men. Separate sections are a modern version of the traditional double hammam layout. When it describes the Istanbul II. Bayezid Turkish Bath Culture Museum, Türkiye's Ministry of Culture and Tourism says the building, dated 1507–1508, is a double hammam designed side by side for men and women, with changing, cool and hot sections and a furnace at the back.
In practice, this means that couples or friends who come together are in separate sections of the hammam and can meet again while resting. The location also has a VIP room; ask when you book how it works. For general information about couples' rituals, see our couples massage guide.
One general warning for the hammam, sauna and steam room: if you have a health condition, are sensitive to heat or are pregnant, check with your doctor, and tell the specialist at the start of your session.
Massage after the hammam, or hammam after the massage?
Both orders are used, but most guests choose the hammam first and the massage afterwards. After the hammam your body is warm and rested, so you move to the massage room without hurry. If you'd rather have the massage first and the hammam last, ask when you book which order is possible that day. Some rituals already combine hammam, foam and oil massage in a set order.
The Sapanca location also has massage rooms. You'll find the menu and durations on our massage page; ask when you book which combinations are possible on the same day. Think about the total time like this: if the Pasha Hammam takes 40 minutes and a massage takes 55, add at least 30 to 45 minutes for showering, drying off and resting. Trying to squeeze the session into under two hours spoils the point of the day.
If this is your first massage, our types of massage guide will help you see which technique suits you.
Before or after the lakeshore? A timetable for the weekend
If you leave the lake walk for the morning and the spa for the afternoon or evening, the day falls into a natural flow. The Sakarya Governorship describes Lake Sapanca as a freshwater lake: a surface area of 47 km², 17 km long from east to west, 5 km wide from north to south, and 31 metres above sea level. The Culture Portal presents Gölpark, on the lake shore, as a place for walking, resting and barbecues.
This article isn't a route guide. For Maşukiye, Kartepe and winter conditions, see our Sapanca in winter guide. The real tip for the hammam is this: if you come straight from a walk, still sweaty and in cold weather, don't go straight into the hot area. Take a shower first, drink some water and sit for a few minutes. You can ask the spa which days are quieter.
What should you bring to the spa, and what is provided?
For the hammam you need to bring almost nothing. At Beatus locations, a bathrobe, slippers, towel and single-use underwear are provided, and the clothing for Thai massage is provided too. What you do need to bring is:
- A swimsuit for the pool, and a swimming cap if needed; ask the spa about the cap rule.
- A hair tie, your personal care products and something comfortable to wear after the hammam.
- Leave your phone, watch and jewellery in the locker for the hammam and sauna; metal jewellery gets hot.
- A bottle of water; drinking water during the hammam is important.
Arriving about 15 to 30 minutes before your appointment leaves time for changing and a short chat. The International SPA Association (ISPA) also advises first-time spa-goers to arrive 30 minutes before their appointment. As Harvard Health advises, don't use the sauna or steam room after alcohol. If it's your first time in a hotel spa, our first-time hotel spa guide lists the questions to ask.
How does the Wellwood Sapanca location differ from Trabzon and Ordu, and how do you book?
What sets the Sapanca location apart is that it has separate hammams for women and men along with an outdoor pool. The table puts the Sapanca location next to Beatus's two Black Sea locations, Trabzon and Ordu.
| Location | Hammam | Pool | Other |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wellwood Sapanca (Sapanca) | Separate for women and men | Outdoor | Sauna, steam room, VIP room |
| Radisson Blu Hotel Trabzon (Ortahisar) | Separate for women and men | Outdoor and indoor | Sauna, steam room, VIP room, gym |
| Radisson Blu Hotel Ordu (Altınordu) | Single hammam | Indoor | Sauna, steam room, gym |
If you want an indoor pool, look at the Trabzon or Ordu location; if you want an outdoor pool and the lakeside area, look at Sapanca. For details, see the Wellwood Sapanca location page, where opening hours and the address are kept up to date. To compare all our locations, see our spas around Istanbul and our Black Sea locations.
To book, use the call card on this page to phone the Sapanca location or message on WhatsApp. In your message you can give the date, the number of guests and the ritual you'd like. Don't share health details by message; tell your specialist at the spa.
