BiBen

I happened to be staying in Albany, NY for a couple of days and ended up coming here two days in a row. It's a small, yet very decent bathhouse. There are the usual amenities -- lockers, rooms, steam, sauna, wi-fi, two public computers, Jacuzzi, showers etc. There is a gym with free weights, machines, and two treadmills. The gym area has two different TV's showing broadcast television. They offer free coffee and tea (of a higher quality than I've usually experienced in these kind of places). You can buy snacks, supplies, etc from the front desk, and they can simply add it to your room bill -- so you can pay for it when you check out. I did find it strange that they have surveillance cameras throughout much of the facility, including two adult video lounges. I imagine this is to enforce the ban on any public play? But there are no cameras in other areas where I assume play is encouraged -- a glory hole room, a dark room, a room with a sling, etc. I thought the time limit was a bit strange as well -- 4 hours is all you get when you rent a room or a locker. The heat in both the Steam room and Sauna were disappointingly low, and the Jacuzzi water seemed a bit cloudy to my eye -- but overall I found the place to be clean and well maintained. I felt comfortable walking around barefoot. I enjoyed my time here -- the crowd skewed older, as they often do at these places, but I got to know several men more intimately. I bet you will too.

Peaceful Paradise

Escape is a peaceful paradise! It's a smaller boutique resort with 12 rooms, a pool, and a jacuzzi. The grounds are immaculate. The pool and the jacuzzi are sparkling clean. Other amenities include free wi-fi and a continental breakfast served daily. The Wi-fi is strong and reliable, and the breakfast spread is simple and clean. It includes fresh fruit, pastries, a variety of spreads, instant oatmeal, tea, juice, and coffee. They have a Keurig machine and have a variety of flavors including my favorite Dunkin' Donuts! I opted for a 'Courtyard Queen' room. It includes a queen size bed, a bathroom with shower, flat screen tv with cable and a dvd player, a mini fridge, a microwave, a safe, a closet, an alarm clock, and a robe. This room also included two chairs and a small table. Just outside the room is also a table and two chairs. The room was clean and comfortable and the decor was modern with a hint of retro style. The housekeeping service was prompt and professional. Escape is beautifully situated in South Palm Springs with a lovely view of the mountains. The mornings are particularly wonderful here. They play a gentle, meditative music by the pool -- that coupled with the view and the grounds makes for a truly blissful morning. The owners Mark and Greg are ideal hosts. They are friendly and accomodating, but not intrusive. They hold a social hour every Friday and Saturday at 6pm, which is a nice way to meet the other guests if you're so inclined. Like most of the gay resorts in Palm Springs, Escape is fully clothing optional. I was happy to be naked my entire stay. Escape is not a particularly cruisy resort -- it's more a place of relaxation and rest. But like any gay resort, you very well may get better acquainted with a new friend.

A great little gay bar in the valley!

I stopped by one weekday afternoon and had a good time. The bartender, Randy, was friendly and fun, and the few regulars at the bar that day were welcoming. Not an ounce of pretension to be found. It's a great place to hang out, have a drink and make a new friend. The drinks are very cheap by the way. While the crowd is mostly gay men in their 40s and 50s, there was still a lovely mix of ages and colors and sexual orientations. And everyone seems welcome. I loved that one of the televisions at the bar was showing gay porn, while the other one was showing the Home and Garden Network. Perfect! While I'm sure many patrons take home a new acquantance occasionally, this is more of a neighorhood bar than a cruise bar. There is no back room and I doubt any action takes place on the premises (perhaps late at night, who knows?) They have several themes throughout the week (karaoke, movie night, etc.) and a Sunday afternoon BBQ, which I hear is very popular. Highly recommended!

Not Bad At All

This is a decent bathhouse. Very simple and clean -- there's a television lounge with comfortable leather sofas and chairs, an eating area with vending machines, free coffee, a jacuzzi, sauna, steam room, showers, and a roof deck. Lockers and Private Rooms are available for rent -- and professional massage services are also available (I did not partake, so I cannot comment on that) It's fairly small, but I found the facilities to be clean and well maintained. And the guy working at the front desk was polite. The clientele is certainly a bit older -- you're not going to find too many 20 year old studs here, so this might not be for you if that's what you're looking for. However, the night I visited, I found a handful of attractive, fit, sexy and willing middle aged men that made for a fun evening.

Worth a visit

The first time I went to The Slammer, I hated it. There was a desperate, deliverance-type feel to the place that was a total turn off. I vowed I would never come again. However -- for whatever reason -- I gave it another shot and had a good time. They have done some remodeling of the play areas -- there's a great 'blowjob alley' -- a long row of open glory holes. And while I wasn't into many of the patrons here, I will say this is a no-attitude place. No standing and posing. So if you find someone you're into, there's a very high chance of you hooking up. There are lockers here for clothes, valuables etc. -- however you have to pay with quarters, and once you go into the locker, you have to pay again.

Thoroughly Enjoyable

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit here. Like its brethren Hollywood Spa, there's a charming Hollywood theme - with pictures and posters of movie stars and movies throughout. But unlike Hollywood Spa, the music is not overwhelming and the atmosphere is much more low key. In addition to the usual lockers, rooms (some with indoor windows allowing people see in), sauna, steam, and gym area -- there is also a cafe serving some basic food (pizza, burgers, snacks, etc), as well as an outdoor deck with a jacuzzi. The bathrooms, steam, and sauna areas seemed to be recently renovated, and the outdoor deck and jacuzzi were in good shape (I particularly enjoyed the jacuzzi). The rest of the complex was fairly clean, but the carpets were worn and should probably be replaced. There are two video lounges playing porn, as well as random televisions throughout the complex playing both network television and porn (including straight porn). I was here on a Sunday afternoon and there weren't that many men here (maybe a dozen or so), but there was enough activity for me to enjoy myself. I found the vibe to be no attitude, relaxed, and low key -- my kind of place.

A decent bathhouse

This is a decent bathhouse. Part of the Flex chain of bathhouses, it's not nearly as grand as the Flex in Cleveland, but it does have the usual amenities. Lockers, rooms, a full gym, video lounges, showers, etc. There is also a very nice outdoor area with a pool and jacuzzi. The water in the pool was a bit cold for my taste, but the jacuzzi was very nice warm temperature and had some very strong jets. Parking shouldn't be an issue as they have their own parking lot. Parts of the club have been recently renovated it appears, but overall it's a bit tired and worn -- however it's relatively clean. On the Friday afternoon that I visited, there were more than enough folks in the club for me to enjoy myself. The clientelle was mostly middle aged (30-50ish). Of all the bathhouses I visited in Los Angeles, I ended up having the most fun at Flex.

Massive Bathhouse

I finally got a chance to visit this bathhouse and overall I enjoyed myself. As advertised, it's a very large facility -- a massive lounge, a bar and food area (where they serve food and drinks), an outdoor pool, an outdoor "beach" (patio with sand), an indoor pool and jacuzzi, a massive gym, a huge maze-like steam room, two dry saunas, hundreds of rooms (including hotel-like suites), lockers, and several 'play' areas. I enjoyed the massive size of the facility, and I appreciated the fact that this was also a hotel (where I could actually spend the night in peace and sleep). I did find the facilities not quite as clean as it could be -- the floors were uncomfortable in bare feet (all the flooring was an industrial tile and was generally un-swept). Also, the lighting was a little too dim for my taste. And while the staff was generally pleasant (if not exactly friendly), I did find one of them to be a little non-chalant with my privacy -- which was a little troubling. I arrived here on a Saturday afternoon and stayed till Sunday morning. The place wasn't as busy as I thought it would be - but there were enough folks for me to have a good time. I thoroughly enjoyed myself in play area (which has a porn video lounge). Overall Flex Cleveland is definitely worth the visit.

Simple, Charming Korean Sauna

This 24/7 Korean run sauna in Jackson Heights, Queens is small and sparse, but it has its charms. Ring the doorbell and youll be buzzed into the run down building. Walk up one flight of stairs and the attendant will collect your $20 and hand you a towel. The main room has a row of large lockers, a large bench, a couch, a television (playing only Korean TV), a refrigerator with soda ($1 each), a water fountain, as well as an area with some basic toiletry items (q-tips, moisturizer, etc). There is also a sleeping area a room with mats, sheets, and pillows -- partitioned with a curtain. Past the main room is a wet area which has a dry sauna, a wet sauna, 3 shower stalls, two bath tubs, and an alcove with a massage table. Its bland, but relatively clean. The clientele is a mix of straight and not-so-straight with the straight guys mostly walking around in swimming trunks or boxers, and the rest of us going au naturel. Its a cruisy atmosphere, but not much overt action. The people who work there are a bit intrusive sometimes they all seem to be women and have no qualms about walking in and out with men in various stages of undress. Ive seen them go into the wet area as men were showering. One time I was in the sleeping area by myself completely naked and one of the women walked in, tidied up a bit, opened the curtain and then left. She didnt leer at me or anything, but it was still strange. I would imagine they would object if they walked in on any action although I'm sure they know what goes on. Overall, its a decent place to get a good steam, take a nap, relax, and possibly have some fun but if youre horny and really need to get laid, this is not the place.

Tired and worn, but has its charms

I've been going to the Northern Sauna in Queens on and off for the last 15 years, and in that time very little has changed. The entrance is a non-descript door with the words 'NORTHERN' above it. Once entering you go through another door and then into a tiny 'lobby' area where you pay $10 for a locker (you get $1 back upon returning the key). Unlike most bathhouses, you do not need to provide an ID to enter. The establishment takes up the entire first floor of this industrial building -- it's badly in need of a gut renovation. The entire place has a moldy/basement-y smell about it. Most of the walls are painted a dark blue...or are some variation of wood paneling. The flooring is mostly a thin industrial carpet (also dark blue), or a mish-mash of extremely cheap and poorly installed vinyl tile. The ceiling is made up of drop-in tiles over a grid...many of which seem to be badly water damaged. The worst area is the wet area -- the toilets leak, and there is no proper ventilation. So why do I keep going? Well, if you wear flip-flops and avoid the wet area, this place does have it's charms. There's a full gym area, a room with a combination pool/ping pong table (I've played some spirited ping pong games there). There's an adult video lounge (with very old, ratty furniture), as well as a room that plays broadcast television. There are also rooms in the back for rent, as well as 'public' rooms that anyone can use (so one does not need to rent a room to get some action). The clientele tends to be mostly Latin and Asian...with a fair number of whites and blacks as well. I would guess the average age is 50 or so..but there do tend to be younger Latins and Asians who frequent the place. There tends to be no attitude, and the I've found the staff to be mostly pleasant...and while it doesn't look like it, they do clean the place every night and every time a room turns over. It's not great, but if you prefer older men, or are particularly into Latin or Asian men, it's certainly worth a visit. Wear flip-flops!