What should you expect when visiting a gay bathhouse?
To answer these questions we must first define what a gay bathhouse is. A gay bathhouse is an all-male social club that serves the purpose of providing gay and bisexual men with a safe place in which to have sex. Most gay bathhouses provide facilities such as showers, saunas, steam rooms, porn lounges, group sex rooms, Jacuzzis, pools, lockers and private rooms. A man checking in would, for example, be given the choice of paying for a locker rental or a private room. Private room rental is suggested for those visitors who enjoy having a private space in which to relax, stretch out, and to host visitors for sexual encounters. Locker rental, however, is usually best for those visitors who are on a budget or who would rather hook up with members who have rented a room. Generally speaking, locker rentals cost roughly half the price of a room rental. In Los Angeles, for example, bathhouse room rentals cost approximately $30, but locker rental is less than $20, depending on the bathhouse and the day of the week. Some gay baths advertise half price rooms and locker rentals on certain days. Visitors will have to check bathhouse websites for information of this nature.
All gay bathhouses rent rooms and lockers at six, eight, or 12-hour increments, depending upon the bathhouse in question. Some cities, such as New York City, have passed ordinances prohibiting bathhouse room rentals to exceed 12-hours. Visitors can usually get around this regulation by checking out, and then checking in again if a longer visit is desired.
All gay bathhouses are licensed to legally operate in the city in which the business resides. These bathhouses operate as private clubs, which is why they require membership for all visitors. These annual memberships usually cost less than 20 dollars, depending upon the features of the membership. Many bathhouses offer minimally priced membership fees for daily or monthly memberships, such as the Vulcan Sauna in San Diego, California, which currently offers a daily membership fee of one dollar. The reason these membership fees are required is so that the visitor will be guaranteed a safe and secure bathhouse visit without the fear of arrest of legal harassment. Private membership clubs of this nature are totally legal within the various cities in which they operate. Also, it should be mentioned that most gay bathhouses in North America are legally required to register guests by recording their personal information, such as names and addresses, but this information is held in strict confidence by bathhouse owners who know that the confidentiality of their member’s information is of utmost importance. None of these bathhouses share, sell or divulge the personal information of their visitors for any purpose. As a result, visiting a gay bathhouse can be a fun and discreet experience.
While inside a gay bathhouse members are usually required to remove their street clothes and wear a towel. Some visitors prefer to wear a towel and a tee-shirt while others wear only a towel, underwear, or other types of fetish gear, depending upon the visitor and the bathhouse. For example, some gay baths feature a leather night in which visitors are encouraged to wear leather fetish gear. Some bathhouses even have a naked night in which all visitors are encouraged to walk around totally naked. The presence of street clothes tend to make other bathhouse visitors uncomfortable, so most managers require their employees to remind visitors that street clothes should be stored in the rental lockers or in the private rooms during visits. In addition, nobody wants to wear street clothes during sex, so this activity should be avoided while visiting the local baths.
On busy days most gay bathhouses attract a number of visitors who can be found walking the halls, taking showers, cruising the group sex areas, jacking off in the porn lounge, or relaxing in their rooms while waiting for a prospective sex partner to walk by and stop in for a visit. Generally speaking, men laying on their stomachs are looking for receptive anal sex while men sitting on their beds are interested in other types of sexual activities, such as oral sex, jacking off, or being the active partner in anal sex. One will usually know that a person is interested in sex by a prolonged look, a stare, or a smile. If a person does not seem interested in sex with you, then it is a safe bet that you should move on to another person who shows more of a willingness to play. Hooking up at the baths is not a mysterious undertaking: if someone shows interest, then go for it. If not, then look for someone else. Most men at the baths understand how to respond to sexual refusal, so if a person does not appeal to you, let it be known politely, and then go on your way.
While most North American gay bathhouses offer free condoms for visitors, not all offer lube, so be aware of this and take your own supply of lube when visiting. In addition, some bathhouses sell lube, sex toys, and other similar items, so be sure to take enough money on your visit.
Several dozen gay bathhouses operate within the United States, from California to New York City, and each bathhouse has its own particular vibe and style. For example, The Watergarden Gay and Bisexual Men’s Club in San Jose, California, is a more upscale bathhouse that tends to attract a variety of men, from young Latinos to college-aged and middle-aged men. Across the country in NYC, on the other hand, the East Side Club tends to attract older chubby men and their admirers. More examples include the Midtowne Spa in Los Angeles, California, which tends to attract a Latino and African-American clientele while the West Side Club in NYC attracts lean Chelsea boys and hot Latino and black men. Bathhouse clientele tends to vary depending upon geographic location.
The average bathhouse visit is approximately five hours in which the visitor has climaxed three times and has had at least three sexual encounters. Many baths tend to attract regular visitors, so don’t be surprised to see some of the same clientele during future visits.
It’s best to visit a gay bathhouse with a positive expectancy and a friendly attitude. Smile at the men who you find attractive because often a smile is all that is necessary to meet someone to have sex with. Men at the baths tend to shy away from those who appear unfriendly or uninterested, so if a man interests you, then smile to let him know you are interested.
Happy Hunting!
