Dinner and a show. But in a sauna
Located right off the tip of the Las Vegas Strip lies Awana Spa, a facility home to a variety of treatments “inspired by European and Eastern rituals with a unique social approach.” When they say “unique social approach,” they’re not kidding. Seriously.
Their most unique offering is a Sauna-Meister-led journey" (no we didn’t make that up) where ex-Vegas dancers turned “meisters” “direct hot and scented steam towards you through the rhythmic movements of a towel.” Sorry for all the quotes, but we couldn’t figure out how to reword any of them.
Simply put, the four-day-a-week, 10-minute experience is basically a Cirque du Soleil-esque show featuring neon lights, music, and loads of strobe effects. The only key differences are that it takes place in a sauna, not a theater, and you’re sitting there naked in a robe, not all dressed up:
Image Credit: HEL
You may be thinking this is just another tacky Vegas experience aimed at casino-goers with too much money, or time, on their hands. It might be, but the experience itself is not a new one. It’s called Aufguss, a German term meaning “wellness theater,” and it’s extremely popular in Europe.
Not only is it available in most European saunas, but it’s now thought of as an art form that has become a competitive practice. Every year, Europe hosts the “Aufguss World Championships” where experts guide the audience through their own shows, competing for the master title.
You may be wondering where the “wellness” piece of this comes in. Apparently, the hot temperatures and rituals are intended to evoke intense emotional and physical reactions. It’s like back in the day when manic individuals would be sent to chant until they screamed from pure exhaustion. Think of Aufguss as a new, modernized form of group catharsis.
Not sure if you agree, but this feels like some sort of 18th-century witchcraft fever dream that would leave us with more anxiety than anything remotely beneficial. This experience isn’t something we’d go to alone, but also not something we’d go to with friends. Definitely not family either. Can you imagine?! It’s definitely not a first-date kind of spot, so maybe something we’d go to with a long-term partner perhaps?
Personally, we’d prefer to spend our money on a massage or a nice meal far more than this, but someone needs to try this out and report back. We have to know everything.
