March 28, 2024

Must buy: Entrance costs €27.50 (around £24.50), €22 (around £19) if you’re a student and allows you to use all the facilities, massages cost extra (from €40, around £35). It stays open until 10pm most evenings, and the weekdays and nights tend to be quiet, but even when it’s busy, there is enough space and different areas that never feel crowded. 

Address: Herengracht 115, 1015 BE
Website: saunadeco.nl 

Nurian Brow Experts, Oud Zuid

Good brows can truly frame, shape and enliven the face and Nina Nurian is the go-to brow groomer in Amsterdam. Their website claims that “your journey to amazing brows starts here!” They’re not lying. Nina, and her salon, are known for their brow lamination – a treatment where the brow hairs are straightened to appear fuller and thicker. They offer many treatments, from threading, tinting and waxing to lash lifts, facial threading or even permanent makeup. The reception area has large floor-to-ceiling windows that flood the space with light, and you can wait with a coffee in hand or browse Nina’s excellent own range of brow products. Treatments take place upstairs in a soft pink mezzanine space, and a curtain surrounds each chair for a sense of privacy, but crucially doesn’t block out the much-needed light for the team to groom clients’ brows to perfection. 

Must buy: Book the combo Brow Lamination, Shaping + Tinting, €92 (around £81) – shaping (and tinting if your brows are fair) ensure you get the best results from your lamination.

Address: Willemsparkweg 160, 1071 HS Amsterdam
Website: nurian.com

Ascend, Stadionbuurt/Oud-West

The newest workout in town, Ascend, is a 40-minute high-intensity cardio class on a Versa Climber – a full-body, zero-impact piece of climbing kit. Bolted to the ground, each Versa Climber is an angled pole with two pedals and two handles. Once your feet are strapped into the pedals, you grab the handles and, moving your arms and legs, you ‘climb’. It opened in late 2022 in Oud Zuid, and due to popularity, in early 2023, they opened a second studio in Oud-West. Each teacher brings their own playlist and teaching style – for example, Renzo will push you to the limit while Bernou plays seriously uplifting tunes. Every class takes you through a series of full-body moves, and by changing the resistance, pace and rhythm, you get an intense full-body workout quickly. What’s unique about Ascend is the class takes place in a room flooded with collagen-boosting infrared light, and the large screen at the front projects mesmerising kaleidoscopes to help calm the mind. After 40 minutes, you leave with your endorphins rushing and a real sense of achievement; it’s seriously addictive, and they cater for all levels and empower you to go at your own pace when needed.

Must buy: A single session is €25 (around £22) (but there are usually offers, so check their website.) Ascend is also available on ClassPass.

Address: Stadionweg 269,1076 NZ and Bilderdijkstraat 136,1053 LA
Website: ascendhigher.nl 

Renessence

Renessence, Zuidas

Renessence is an incredibly chic wellness emporium in the concrete jungle of the financial district. Step through the door, and you will find yourself inside a large space with floor-to-ceiling windows, a huge round velvet sofa, plants and soft beige concrete walls. You’ll be greeted by the friendly staff who are there to check you in, explain the treatments and offer you a cup of aromatic, chai-like tea. Everything from ice baths, cryotherapy and infrared saunas to the more traditional massages and reflexology is available. Also on the schedule are hot and yin yoga classes in a large, softly lit studio, with evening sessions held by candlelight. The Oxygen Hydroxy Therapy involves lying in an air-compressed tube for 25 minutes while oxygen is pumped inside which left me feeling energised yet strangely calm. A float in a sensory deprivation tank for an hour is ideal for the jet-lagged – I had the best nap of my life. You can book single treatments, but for true relaxation, book a package and while away a few hours in the aesthetically-pleasing surroundings. 

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