When Manchester found out they were getting world-famous wellness spa Therme in the UK – everyone was excited.
But then we found out it wasn’t going to open until 2027, which is part of the reason why my partner and I decided to take a trip to Bucharest in Romania and found ourselves at the Therme spa in Balotesti after exploring the city for a few days.
Flights to Romania are cheap, and tickets for a day pass at Therme cost around £30, so we decided to spend three out of the eight days we were in the area at Therme – a Tuesday, Thursday, and then the Friday we were flying home – as we knew there was somewhere to store our cases. But more on that later.
We stayed in the lovely Casa En Sol just down the road, which is about a 10-minute walk away from the spa, so I’d definitely recommend booking there if you want ease of access.
I went to Therme after seeing all the videos on TikTok, saying how amazing and super cheap it is, and that it even has a 4.5/5 rating on Tripadvisor, so I was expecting big things. It is breathtaking, huge, and separated into three sections (Palm, Elysium, and Galaxy). My partner and I had so much fun while we were here, but there are three things you need to know before you go so you’re not shocked like I was.
Don’t expect service with a smile
First off, you will likely receive a lukewarm welcome at the front desk, and I did not find many of the staff inside friendly, which, as someone who smiles at everyone, is quite jarring – but thankfully, you don’t have to deal with them much throughout the day, plus every branch is going to be different…
On Tuesday, when it was less busy, I noticed it less – but when we went on Thursday and Friday, the staff seemed extremely stressed because it was busier, so the atmosphere was more fraught.
Staff are constantly patrolling, trying to catch people taking their phones into the pool and telling guests to tie their hair back, but they’re very dramatic about it, which can be a little off-putting when you’re trying to chill. I understand rules are rules, but it seems as though some of the staff members think they belong in the police and are very regimental.
“Welcome and customer service was poor”, someone wrote on Tripadvisor, even sharing that “not a word” was exchanged when they paid at the end of the experience.
On Tuesday, we were served by a lovely bar staff member who was more than happy to pour us a Bucks Fizz (Prosecco and orange juice) because we noticed another couple drinking them, and he only charged us for the Prosecco. But on Thursday, when we asked for the same, we were told by someone else that he would not do that, as he smirked, and we’d have to buy them separately, despite the fact it’s less Prosecco, which I tried to explain politely. He was very argumentative, and it shocked me how different the attitudes of the staff were.
I would also recommend the suitcase storage area be made bigger because when we left and packed our things on Friday, we were told to go into the room rather than pack things outside of it because it “wasn’t nice” for people to see us quickly packing our beach bag into our suitcase.
The way she spoke to me made me feel like a child in primary school. The room was so rammed with cases – understandably, as Therme is so close to the airport that so many come if they have an evening flight- so my case would not open in the room, so the lack of understanding from her irked me. It feels like every bone the staff can pick, they will, but I have read reviews where the staff have been described as “lovely”, so we must’ve just got unlucky, as one Tripadvisor commenter wrote: “The only thing I would say to some people who are complaining is that probably wasn’t your day. 4 days I went and had no problems at all.”
Get there early (seriously!)
Even if you’re desperate to see Therme at night (which is honestly so much prettier than in the day thanks to the stunning lights), then you need to get there early to secure a seat – especially if you want to be in the Palm area. Someone wrote about the lights: “As the light began to fade Therme lights up and feels absolutely magical,” which is so true.
But you need to get there even earlier if you want a massage because after queuing for half an hour, being around eighth in the queue, we were told the treatment we wanted to book was “sold out”.
Someone else on Tripadvisor experienced the same thing. They wrote: “Despite being told to arrive early (between 10:00 and 11:30) to book a spa treatment, we got there just after opening and ended up waiting in line for 20 minutes. After the long wait, we were informed that all spa treatments were fully booked.”
They also shared: “I strongly urge management to improve their booking system and customer service to avoid leaving other guests frustrated and dissatisfied,” which I totally agree with. You should be able to book online rather than wasting potentially over half an hour of your day, and the lack of transparency around booking treatments is a little strange.
We arrived at 10am on both Tuesday and Thursday and had no problems getting a seat, but we arrived at around 11.30am on Friday as we were packing and tidying the accommodation we’d been in – and it was chaos. Due to this, if you’re planning a trip, I’d 100% recommend you visit on a Tuesday or Wednesday and avoid the weekend. Tuesday was calm and peaceful, yet Friday was getting rather rowdy.
However, after seeing reviews of Therme in the summer, I’m so glad we went in November. Someone described it as a “chaotic, overcrowded disaster,” saying it was more like a “packed football stadium with loud music, loud people screaming”. We didn’t experience much of this. But on Tripadvisor, someone else said: “Very crowded even on a Monday in mid-May. Queues for all saunas and pools and nowhere to sit. Staff shouty, autocratic and rude,” so it may be the luck of the draw how busy it gets when you’re there.
On Friday, we had to sit in the Galaxy section due to no seats in the Palm, and it was naturally more noisy – but this is because of the surrounding slides, and the wave pool, which was predominantly occupied by children. But I wasn’t too fussed as I can easily tune out of background noise like that and enjoyed reading my book.
Time also goes really fast when you’re in Therme, so although going at 10am and leaving at 10pm seems like a long day, it’s very much a ‘blink and the day has run away with you’ type of vibe.
Track what you spend
When you enter Therme, you’re given a wristband, which is the key to your locker, and you pay for things by tapping on a machine with your band. But this also means that you could be spending anything and you have no idea.
I’d keep an eye on how much you’re spending, because of course, cocktails which are around £5 are cheap, but you’re not allowed to take your own food, or even water in Therme (which I think is a bit silly, given they offer sauna services, surely there should be water fountains dotted around to refill bottles?) So if you’re there all day, the two meals you’ll eat, alcoholic drinks, and waters throughout the day can really add up to an eye-watering amount.
I think there’s a £100 spending limit on each wristband, though, as my partner scanned his for everything and was told he’d reached his limit – so I guess it depends on what your budget is. There are also places where you can clear off what you’ve spent already, if that helps you to stay on top of it. Before you pay, I’d check that everything adds up as well, just so you haven’t been wrongly charged for anything – just for peace of mind.
Final thoughts…
Overall, Therme is an experience I will never forget, and I’m so glad I went. Three days was a little much, I’d say, and Friday felt like a bit of a means to an end – somewhere to be while we waited for our flight – but the first day especially felt magical, particularly in the outdoor pool as the water was so hot, but it was snowing. It was stunning.
Now I’ve done it, I personally wouldn’t return to the one in Romania – however, when it opens in Manchester, I’ll be so keen to see whether it’s any different and what facilities they have on offer – and if the staff are any friendlier.
I’d certainly recommend visiting, as the amount of contact you have with the staff is minimal, and you can really take advantage of all the areas if you purchase a day pass for all three. There’s something for everyone, and it brought our trip to a fun conclusion. Definitely explore Bucharest while you’re there, though, because there’s so much to see!
