What’s the difference between a public hammam and a spa hammam treatment?

This is the single most useful thing to understand before booking, because "hammam" covers two genuinely different experiences. The public hammam is the original: a humble neighbourhood bathhouse where ordinary Moroccans come to wash properly every week. You pay a tiny entry fee, bring or buy your own black soap, kessa mitt and a bucket, and bathe communally in steamy tiled rooms — men and women strictly separated by hours or sections. For a little extra a kessala will scrub you, fast and firm and businesslike. It is loud, social, unglamorous and utterly real.

The spa hammam is the polished, private version built for relaxation. Here you have your own tiled suite or a small shared treatment room, soft lighting, gentle music, scented oils, rhassoul clay, mint tea and an attendant who takes their time. The same steam-soap-scrub-clay-massage sequence unfolds, but slowly, gently and as pampering rather than utilitarian washing. It is what most riads and hotels offer, and what people picture when they imagine a "Moroccan spa day."

The honest trade-offs come down to authenticity, comfort and price. The public hammam costs a few dirhams plus a small tip and gives you an unforgettable slice of real Moroccan life — but it is communal, modest, no-frills, and you must be comfortable being nude-ish (underwear stays on) and self-sufficient. The spa hammam costs many times more, is private and serene and beginner-friendly, but it is a curated experience rather than a cultural one. Neither is "better"; they answer different questions.

My honest recommendation: if you are nervous, short on time or want pure pampering, start with a good spa hammam in a riad. If you are curious and want the genuine article, go to a reputable public hammam — ideally with a local or a recommended one used to visitors — and embrace the brisk, communal scrub. Plenty of my guests do both on the same trip and love the contrast. Whichever you choose, bring or rent your own kessa and soap for the public one, and confirm men’s and women’s hours before you arrive.