Historically, public bathing was a fundamental necessity for hygiene, giving rise to communal bathhouses in regions where private bathrooms were a rarity. In Japan, for instance, sento bathhouses ...

Bathhouses featured a sequence of rooms ranging ... It seemed like these sweat circles were one big members-only club that everyone was invited to, but I wasn’t specifically keen on paying ...

Sousa isn't the only one who's found romantic connection in spas. Urban bathhouses have exploded in popularity in recent years, driven by surging consumer interest in wellness, self-care ...