A new bath complex that took two and a half years to build has opened in Almaty's Tastak district. It offers collective steam sessions, a hammam, outdoor jacuzzis and even a separate hay room. Almaty Baths is betting not only on traditional bath culture but also on a restaurant-style leisure format. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
At the intersection of Rozybakiev and Tole bi streets, near one of Tastak's main crossroads, a new place has appeared for those who prefer to spend their free time not only in restaurants and shopping malls. Almaty Baths opened in a building that just a few years ago was an unfinished concrete shell.
The project took about two and a half years to complete. Representatives of the complex told Kursiv LifeStyle that before turning the unfinished building into a bath space, the project had to be further developed and defended at KazGASA. Given Almaty's seismic features, the building was reinforced, and another floor was added during construction.
The project is backed by a company from Bashkortostan. It already operates six bath complexes in Russia, and Almaty has become a new city on the map of its bath business.
The space occupies two floors and starts from the second floor of the building. The first thing that greets visitors is a changing room with new individual lockers. They did seem somewhat compact, though. Instead of the usual division into men's and women's changing rooms, separate changing cabins are provided.
The complex operates seven days a week. Tuesday is reserved exclusively for women, the other days are for men, and Sunday is declared family day: on this day men, women and children can come together.
From the changing room, guests enter a large two-level hall with armchairs, tables and numerous seating places. It is here that it becomes clear that the concept of Almaty Baths differs somewhat from the idea of a classic city bathhouse. It feels more like a restaurant with full bath infrastructure than a bathhouse with a small snack area.
Here you can settle in after steaming, order food and drinks, and spend several hours with friends. For those who prefer to smoke, a separate room is provided.
There are also two jacuzzi zones. Some are located indoors, and two more tubs are on the terrace. In bad weather, the open area can be closed with a sliding roof — a solution that is especially relevant for Almaty with its changeable weather.
The rest room with hay deserves special attention. The walls here are covered with clay, and inside there is compressed hay. The space looks unusual and harks back to more traditional ideas of out-of-town recreation. However, the room is designed for only five people, so it will be a bit cramped for a large company.
The bath area is located separately from the main hall. There are several showers — both open and closed cabins — as well as two steam rooms where collective steaming sessions are held. This is one of the main features of the complex: instead of simply entering the steam room on your own, visitors are invited to join an organized process with steamers, music and a specific program.
The steamers work with guests, keep up the mood and involve participants in the common process. For those who prefer a calmer format, a hammam is provided.
As a result, the complex offers several leisure scenarios at once: you can spend time in the steam room, go to a collective steaming session, move to the jacuzzi, relax on the terrace or sit at a table in the restaurant, with reasonable prices from 1,290 tenge for 0.5 beer, Adjarian khachapuri for 2,790 and burgers for 3,600 tenge.
When estimating the cost of a visit, it is important to consider that visiting Almaty Baths is not just ordering food and drinks. First, a guest pays for an entrance ticket (3,000 tenge per hour until 17.00, 7,000 tenge — unlimited, evening, holidays and weekends — 6,300 for 2 hours), and only then can spend money additionally on the restaurant, drinks and procedures.
Thus, an individual steaming session and peeling will cost from 10,000 tenge, and a half-hour foam massage — 15,000 tenge.
For comparison: in other public baths in Almaty, the cost of entry varies noticeably. For example, Tsarskaya has rates from 5,000 tenge on weekdays to 7,000 tenge on weekends, while ASSU — 10,000 and 12,000 tenge respectively. The new baths in Tastak also have individual cabins for 6 and 10 people at 17,000 and 23,000 tenge per hour respectively. Slippers and bath accessories can be rented.
The address of the new complex is 207/1 Tole bi Street. Details about visits and steaming programs are published on the complex's Instagram @almaty.bani.
Ultimately, Almaty Baths is an attempt to combine the familiar culture of a public bathhouse with a restaurant and a modern SPA space. You can come here not only for the steam room but also to spend a full evening with friends or family. And the unusual hay room, open jacuzzis and musical steaming sessions give the complex several distinctive features.
For the densely populated Tastak district, there are not that many public baths, and Almaty Baths with its stylish modern design could become a new attraction point.