Where to relax in Ostend: 10 spas, saunas and massages

The cheapest way to relax in Ostend (Oostende) is free: a long walk on the beach at low tide, with the wind in your face and the light going down over the North Sea. But when the weather turns, or you want someone else to do the work, the city has a good mix of places to unwind, from private saunas with a view to a walk-in public sauna, day-spa rituals and traditional Japanese shiatsu.

This is our shortlist. We chose places with a clear focus on relaxation, a real address and a professional website, and we left out anything that felt like a production line. No business paid to be included. Prices and opening days change, so check with the venue before you go, and book ahead for weekends and school holidays.

At a glance

1. Penthouse 14 — a private sauna fourteen floors up

If you want one unforgettable spa experience in Ostend, book the top floor of a tower on the Hendrik Baelskaai. Penthouse 14 is a private wellness suite for two, about 50 metres above the east bank of the harbour, and the whole floor is yours for the session. The view sweeps over the fishing docks, the city and the North Sea.

It is also the most design-led wellness on the coast: two carbon-fibre Hamaca hanging baths by the British studio Splinterworks stand in front of floor-to-ceiling windows, the panoramic sauna is a Klafs in Canadian hemlock, and there is a sanarium, experience showers, a cold outdoor design shower and a terrace with a heated cocoon corner. Bathrobes, linen, toiletries and drinks are included. The afternoon formula runs from 13:30 to 16:30; overnight packages with unlimited wellness are also available.

Good to know: for two people aged 16 and over; no pets, and no food or drink of your own. Book online.
Address: Hendrik Baelskaai 25, 8400 Ostend · Penthouse 14: prices, map and photos

2. Royal Astrid — a 1,000 m² spa a block from the beach

The Gautama wellness centre at Hotel Royal Astrid is the largest spa in Ostend: about 1,000 m² with several saunas, including a panoramic one, jacuzzis, a steam bath, a salt grotto, an ice grotto with crushed ice, a heated footbath and plenty of space to lie down between rounds. There are four treatment rooms for massages, hot stone treatments and facials.

The spa is split into two zones: in one, swimwear is compulsory; in the other, it is strictly forbidden, as is common in Belgian saunas. A bathrobe, towel and slippers are required and can be hired on site. The hotel sells day admission, which makes it the easiest big spa for visitors who are not staying the night; call ahead to check availability for non-residents, especially at weekends.

Good to know: open from 14:00 to 22:00 on weekdays and from 11:00 at weekends; children from 6, under-16s with an adult. The wellness zone is not wheelchair accessible.
Address: Wellingtonstraat 15, 8400 Ostend · Hotel Royal Astrid: rooms, wellness and map

3. Villa Aqua — the public sauna, no booking needed

Villa Aqua in Stene is Ostend’s public sauna: you walk in, pay for the day and stay until closing time. The complex has several saunas, pools, a whirlpool and a hammam, a garden lawn for lounging in the sun, a dimly lit relaxation room and an ice bath that the centre describes as unlike anything else in Belgium. A bistro serves food and drinks, so a full day here is easy.

This is a nude sauna in the continental tradition, and swimwear is not allowed. Slippers are compulsory and a bathrobe must be worn in the bistro; both are available at reception. Under-24s get a reduced rate.

Good to know: closed on Tuesday and Saturday; children from 12 with a parent. Phone ahead before a long trip, as information online is not always up to date.
Address: Pensjagersstraat 28, 8400 Ostend · Villa Aqua: hours, map and photos

4. ‘t Zonnehuis — private wellness and massage, open late

On the east bank, in the residential streets around the lighthouse, ‘t Zonnehuis combines a massage team, beauty treatments and a private wellness area in one friendly house. The private wellness, with a sauna, steam bath, jacuzzi, infrared cabin, plunge tub and a swim spa in the garden, is one of the best-value options in town for two people, and friends can join for a small supplement.

The massage menu is short and sensible: a relaxing full-body massage of 60, 75 or 90 minutes, hot stone massage, foot reflexology and pregnancy massage. Book a duo massage with a wellness session for a proper half-day treat.

Good to know: open until 22:00 on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday (20:00 on Wednesday) and closed at weekends. Bookings preferably by phone.
Address: Jacob Besagestraat 49, 8400 Ostend · ’t Zonnehuis: hours, map and photos

5. The Skin Company — two hours to unplug

A few minutes from the Kursaal and the beach, The Skin Company is a light-filled skin studio run by skin therapist Lindsay and her team. Most people come for the facials, but the treatment to book if you want to switch off is the Social Detox Experience: two hours with a scent journey, breathing and bodywork under a weighted blanket, headphones with your own music, and tea and a moment of reflection at the end.

The 90-minute Sensory Deluxe and Caviar Deluxe facials and the sensory body massage are calmer alternatives. The studio uses brands such as Medik8, Juliette Armand and jane iredale, and it runs small Pilates-based sessions in its own Studio Co.Zee.

Good to know: open Monday to Saturday, 10:00–18:00; book online. Bus 5 stops nearby and three car parks are within five minutes’ walk.
Address: Torhoutsesteenweg 1, 8400 Ostend · The Skin Company: hours, map and photos

6. Allure Babor Beauty Spa — a classic day-spa afternoon

Allure has been a beauty institute in the centre of Ostend for about twenty years and works only with the German skincare brand BABOR, whose spa division helped develop its body treatments. The Spa Moment is the one to book: two hours of body peeling, a relaxing massage and a facial, adapted to the season. There are shorter body wraps and peelings, a classic hot stone massage and the Skinfusor facial, the institute’s flagship.

Every treatment plan starts with a skin analysis, and a duo cabin lets you book treatments side by side with a partner or friend.

Good to know: during renovation work, appointments take place at a temporary address, Witte Nonnenstraat 53, and some treatments are unavailable; check when you book online. Closed on Wednesday and Sunday.
Address: Jozef II-straat 38, 8400 Ostend · Allure Babor: hours, map and photos

7. Body Melody — a bath in fresh milk

On the Groentemarkt, in the middle of the shopping streets, Body Melody offers something you will not find elsewhere on the coast: a Cleopatra bath in fresh cow’s milk from a local farmer, scattered with petals. The centre says it is the first and only beauty centre in Belgium to offer it. It is not cheap, but it is memorable.

For something simpler, book a herbal bath or the private wellness suite, with a jacuzzi, an infrared sauna and a tropical-style relaxation lounge, from two hours. Massages with hot or cold stones, facials and spa pedicures complete the menu, and snacks come from an in-house caterer.

Good to know: there are no fixed opening hours online, so book via the website or by phone.
Address: Groentemarkt 10, 8400 Ostend · Body Melody: prices, map and photos

8. Belle de mer — body wraps behind a Corten-steel door

A short drive or bike ride south of the centre, in the Vogelzang district, Belle de mer is a calm, minimalist beauty institute run by Nathalie, who has more than twenty years of experience. The highlights for relaxing are the body rituals, such as a mud and salt wrap with massage or a Dead Sea salt peeling; a Chinese head, neck and shoulder massage fits into a busy day. Facials use Maria Galland and HydroPeptide, after a skin analysis under a 40x magnifying analyser.

Good to know: private parking at the door. Closed on Wednesday and Sunday, and open until 13:00 on Saturday. Book online.
Address: Stijn Streuvelslaan 2, 8400 Ostend · Belle de mer: hours, map and photos

9. Touché — an honest massage near the centre

Sometimes you just want a good massage without a spa around it. Touché, a small, bright studio on the Hendrik Serruyslaan, is run by Vicky Vanneste, who retrained in massage and beauty in 2015 after twenty years in tourism. Her approach is holistic, working on muscles and meridians, and the menu is clear: an anti-stress massage, a full-body hot stone massage, a sports massage and deep tissue work, most also available as a duo. Add fifteen minutes in the infrared cabin first, or try the Japanese facial massage.

Good to know: closed on Wednesday and Sunday; book online.
Address: Hendrik Serruyslaan 60, 8400 Ostend · Touché: hours, map and photos

10. Kokai Shiatsu — Japanese shiatsu in a real dojo

For something completely different, book a shiatsu session at Kokai, a shiatsu school with its own dojo in Mariakerke. The name combines the Japanese words for light and sea, and in good weather the school’s qigong classes take place on the beach. Treatments are given by Frédéric Duribreux, a full-time therapist since 2015: about an hour on a futon, fully clothed, with pressure and stretches along the meridians, which he can combine with Japanese foot massage, ear reflexology, cupping or moxa.

Good to know: by appointment only, by phone or email; changes are free up to 24 hours before.
Address: Troonstraat 242, 8400 Ostend · Kokai Shiatsu: contact, map and photos

Also worth a visit

• Villa Cecha (Stene): a bed and breakfast with a private wellness area, including a Finnish sauna, a Turkish steam bath under a starry ceiling and a jacuzzi in the garden. Run by a chef, it offers wellness packages with food.
• Shellness at De Oesterhoeve (Spuikom): private wellness with a sauna, hammam and outdoor jacuzzi at a B&B on Belgium’s only working oyster farm. Book online.
• Abundance Within (near Maria Hendrikapark): relaxation, sports and deep tissue massage and Reiki, with sessions of 70 or 100 minutes and free parking by the park.

Tips for a relaxing visit

• Swimwear or not? Many Belgian saunas are nude, or have a separate nude zone. Check the rules before you go; the venue’s website or reception will tell you.
• Bring or hire a bathrobe, towel and slippers. Most saunas require all three, and hiring them adds a few euros.
• Book ahead. Private wellness suites and popular massage slots fill up quickly at weekends and in school holidays. Ask about gift vouchers if you are planning a surprise.
• Combine it with the sea. A walk on the beach or along the West Pier before a sauna is the most Ostend way to relax.

Plan your visit

• More things to do in Ostend
• Where to stay in Ostend
• The best seafood restaurants in Ostend

Last checked: October 2026. Spotted something that has changed? Let us know.