We sent cabaret kween and sauna connoisseur Jason Reid to London sauna Pleasuredrome. He tested out their new deluxe pods, and get a lovely sensual massage! OoOOoh!
Saunas have been an integral part of the gay scene and LGBT culture for many years now and I have always been a fan. You’ve probably heard this before but it’s worth repeating. In the 70s, Bette Midler and everyone’s favourite crooner Barry Manilow would perform to groups of semi-naked gays in the bath-houses (you say sneakers, I say trainers) of New York.
It’s time we started loving saunas
I personally think that here in the UK saunas get a bad rap which I put down to how quintessentially British we are about sex. There’s an unspoken rule that we should maintain that stiff upper lip bullshit (yawn). In an age when more and more young gays are spending their nights glued to some stranger’s carpet in a random zone 3 flat, frantically messaging people on Grindr, I say it’s high time we started loving saunas as much as we do those little orange messages.
What makes a good sauna?
My favourite sauna is Pleasuredrome, Waterloo, which is seconds away from all the major transport links and it’s the biggest in London, I’ve visited many times but it was nice to pop along again recently, in daylight for once. There’s a few essential elements that go into making a good sauna: amenities, hygiene, lighting, music and atmosphere. Pleasuredrome ticks all of these boxes.
Have fun in the maze-like setup
There are two shower areas. The maze-like setup is perfect for exploring the myriad of sections. The design is modern and fresh. The lighting mirrors the mood and the facilities are constantly being updated. Those facilities include a four-hundred locker changing room to keep all your stuff safe. Sauna facilities include London’s largest gay spa pool, two steam rooms and two saunas. There are loads of private rooms and dark rooms to play in. There’s a cinema and a lounge and cafe area that sells (wait for it) alcohol 24/7.
Rent a deluxe pod
The latest addition to that list of facilities is the deluxe pods. Pods are private rooms that can be rented for between two and eight hours. All pods have controllable lighting, power points for charging (SO essential), pillows and luxury towels. There’s also a 32-inch flat screen TV with wifi and hundreds of channels to watch. The channels include porn, obvs. The pods are spacious and perfect for group play and even an overnight stay. They’re ideal because you don’t want to shell out for a central London hotel after a night up west.
Get a massage
After I’d explored almost every nook and cranny it was time to wind down with a full body massage. Professional masseurs offer a 50 minute session for £45 and massages happen in a totally private massage suite. I had my own choice of mood music and lovely oils to chose from. This is what I needed after a stressful week and it did me the world of good.
Chatting to the adorable bar tender and a few amorous punters was nice because the atmosphere in some saunas can be drier than the Gobi desert. If that’s not your thing you can easily bypass the bar and just snake in and out of the play areas.
Pleasuredrome sets the benchmark for modern gay saunas. Day or night, weekday or weekend, the doors are always open for a few hours of escapism.
• Pleasuredrome is at 124 Cornwall Road, SE1 8XE, open 24 hours all week. £17 entry, £12 under 25s with proof of age. £12 with QX ad.
More: The Definitive QX Gay Sauna Guide
