Guide to Hydrothermal Spa & Wellness Development Standards - Third Edition - What You Need to Know Before Building Wet Areas

Oct 28, 2026

Guide to Hydrothermal Spa & Wellness Development Standards - Third Edition provides practical guidance for planning, designing, constructing, and maintaining hydrothermal spa and wellness facilities. It explains key terminology, highlights hydrotherapy benefits, and organizes wet-area types by temperature and humidity, including saunas, steam rooms, hammams, plunge pools, and specialty experiences. The book also covers project architecture and design, health and safety and hygiene, sustainability and regenerative design, construction materials and building services, and essential references to building codes and industry safety guidelines.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryHealthcare

FormatPDF

Pages196

Reading Time8 h 14 min

AccessFree to download

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter One: Overview of Hydrothermal Bathing

Chapter Two: Hydrothermal Wellness Benefits

Chapter Three: Project Planning: Architecture & Design

Chapter Four: Thermal Bathing Areas – Function and Design

Chapter Five: Specialist Hydrothermal Treatments & Therapies

Chapter Six: Pool Areas – Function and Design

Chapter Seven: Hot Springs & Geothermal Mineral Waters

Chapter Eight: Construction Materials and Building Services

Chapter Nine: Health, Safety and Hygiene

Chapter Ten: Sustainability and Regenerative Design

Glossary

Index

GUIDE TO HYDROTHERMAL SPA & WELLNESS DEVELOPMENT STANDARDS What You Need to Know Before Building Wet Areas THIRD EDITION Guide to Hydrothermal Spa & Wellness Development Standards What You Need to Know Before Building Wet Areas Cassandra Cavanah © 2018 by Global Wellness Institute. All rights reserved. ISBN 978-0-578-17820-2 No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission of the copyright owners. All images in this book have been reproduced with the knowledge and prior consent of the owners and no responsibility is accepted by producer, publisher or printer for any infringement of copyright or otherwise, arising from the contents ofthis publication. Every effort has been made to ensure that credits accurately comply with information supplied. First published in the United States of America by the Global Wellness Institute 333 S.E. 2nd Avenue, Suite 3750, Miami, FL 33131 Telephone: +1 (212) 716 1205 [www.globalwellnessinstitute.org](www.globalwellnessinstitute.org) Disclaimer The content of this book is for general information purposes only and has been obtained from many sources, professional organizations, manufacturers’ literature and codes. The author and publisher have made every reasonable effort to ensure that this work is accurate and current, but do not warrant, and assume no liability for, the accuracy or completeness of the text or illustrations, or their fitness for any particular purpose. It is the responsibility of the users of this book to apply their professional knowledge to the content, to consult sources referenced, as appropriate, and to consult professionals for expert advice. Editor: Cassandra Cavanah Design and illustrations: Amy Detrick Third Edition 10/2018 Second Edition 10/2016 First Edition published 09/2014 Contents | Foreword | V | | --- | --- | | Introduction | VII | | Chapter One: Overview of Hydrothermal Bathing | 1 | | Chapter Two: Hydrothermal Wellness Benefits | 15 | | Chapter Three: Project Planning:Architecture & Design | 31 | | Chapter Four: Thermal Bathing Areas – Function and Design | 47 | | Hot and Dry: Finnish Sauna/ Russian Banya/ Bio Sauna/ Infrared Sauna | 49 | | Hot and Humid: Steam Room/Caldarium/Sudatorium | 55 | | Warm and Humid: Turkish Hamam/Moroccan Hammam | 61 | | Warm and Dry: Laconium; Tepidarium/Warm Relaxation Room | 66 | | Warm/Cold and Wet: Experience Showers; Foot Bath/Kneipp Walk | 71 | | Cold: Plunge Pool/Frigidarium; Snow Room; Snow Shower/Snowfall | 75 | | Chapter Five: Specialist Hydrothermal Treatments & Therapies | 83 | | --- | --- | | Specialist Rooms | 87 | | Specialist Water Treatments | 90 | | Specialist Beds/Tables | 93 | | Chapter Six: Pool Areas – Function and Design | 97 | | Lap/Exercise Pool | 99 | | Hydrotherapy/Vitality Pool | 100 | | Onsen Pool | 102 | | Cold Plunge Pool | 104 | | Specialty Pools: Floatation Pools; Watsu Pool; Mineral Pool; Kneipp Walk | 105 | | Chapter Seven: Hot Springs & Geothermal Mineral Waters | 121 | | Chapter Eight: Construction Materials and Building Services | 137 | | Chapter Nine: Health, Safety and Hygiene | 159 | | Chapter Ten: Sustainability and Regenerative Design | 167 | | Glossary | 175 | | Index | 179 | | Photo Credits | 182 | Notice to Readers Key terminology will be explained in the text. A glossary at the back of the book goes into further detail to help minimize confusion regarding the terms associated with modern hydrothermal spa areas. There will be references to building codes and other safety guidelines the global hydrotherapy industry follows, but these references are not exhaustive and you will need to consult your relevant local codes and guidelines. IV | Guide to Hydrothermal Spa & Wellness Development Standards Foreword By Susie Ellis Chairman and CEO Global Wellness Institute I have been in the spa and wellness industry for decades, and have been lucky enough to visit thousands of spas and sample hydrothermal exper

FAQs

What is the purpose of the Guide to Hydrothermal Spa & Wellness Development Standards?

It provides general guidance on developing hydrothermal spa and wellness areas, including terminology, planning and design considerations, and practical standards to avoid construction and operational failures.

How does the book organize thermal bathing experiences?

It groups facilities by function and design and classifies bathing areas by temperature and humidity, such as hot/dry saunas, hot/humid steam rooms, warm/humid hammams, warm/dry relaxation rooms, and cold plunge experiences.

What topics are covered besides spa area design?

It includes specialist treatments, pool area function and design, health and safety and hygiene, construction materials and building services, sustainability and regenerative design, and reference materials like a glossary and index.

Oct 28, 2026

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