When preparing for this trip, I had read somewhere that going to Hot Springs without going to the bathhouse is like going to Egypt without seeing the pyramids. So, we decided it was worth a visit. We both like history, and what better way to learn about it than to experience it?
After registering for our treatments, I was whisked away up an old elevator to the second story and my fiancé was taken to the men’s rooms. Therefore, I will only be able to tell about the women’s facilities. Upon arriving at the second floor, I was shown to my locker and was told to completely undress and that she would be back with a bathing sheet. This was the point were I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Going into this, I really had no idea what to expect. However, I did as I was told. The attendant came back and wrapped me in a sheet that looked similar to a toga when she had was finished.
The wait for the bath was 20 to 30 minutes, so in the meantime I sat by the windows and just looked at the sights. In about 25 minutes the bathing attendant called my name and I went back to the bathing area. Each tub is in a separate “closet” with a sheet that covers the opening so no one else can see you. After getting over the initial shock of someone else seeing me without my clothes, I sat back and relaxed and enjoyed the whirlpool. In about 20 minutes, the bathing attendant came back and scrubbed me with the loofah sponge. I was then escorted to the sitz tubs, where I sat down in a small tub of very warm water. It is supposed to help with lower back pain. This time, there wasn’t a sheet to cover the door, but they do place a towel over you so others can’t see you. After 10 minutes in the sitz tub, I was moved to the vapor/steam closet. This was the hottest part of the entire process. Thankfully, I only had to stay in there for a few minutes. Then I was able to lay down on a padded table, and they asked me where I would like the hot towels (hot packs) to be placed. I chose one for ,y back. They also put a cool towel around your face, so it has a very neat effect. The last step was the needle shower, which lasted about 2 minutes. It was basically a shower surrounded by pipes that have holes in them to squirt the water out. It was really relaxing.
We chose not to do the massages due to time constraints, but if we had, this would have been the appropriate time for them. I was then able to go back and get dressed. Buckstaff provides hair dryers for you to fix your hair if you need to. Overall, I enjoyed the experience at Buckstaff. A few things that I would have done differently is 1) put up my hair before bathing and 2) not bothered with any makeup that morning. I would recommend this to anyone who visits Hot Springs, as it really does help you to feel more relaxed.