Entry No. 45 — the Albuquerque file — filed under: sauna
Love's Healing Touch Day Spa
Operating out of a hidden Broadway compound, this local day spa features an authentic Finnish cedar sauna that reaches up to 190°F alongside a 104°F solar-heated hot tub and 55°F cold plunge.
The story
Drive down Broadway through an industrial stretch of downtown Albuquerque and you will pass right by the high-walled compound of Love's Healing Touch without giving it a second look [2.3.2]. Formerly operating as ABQ Baths, the urban day spa was taken over by sisters Love and Sunbeam Stropnicky, who kept the low-slung, surprisingly secluded bathhouse intact while shifting its focus toward therapeutic bodywork. Hide away inside and you find a sanctuary designed around the contrast of extreme heat, biting cold, and high-desert quiet.
The core ritual takes place in an authentic Finnish cedar sauna that climbs between 170°F and 190°F, sweating out tension in a fragrant, dry-timbered hotbox. From there, you drop into a 55°F cold plunge pool to shock your circulatory system back awake before slipping into the 104°F solar-heated hot tub—sanitized with skin-friendly bromine rather than harsh pool chemicals. The layout draws direct inspiration from Japanese onsens, Russian banyas, and Scandinavian saunas.
Between thermal rounds, you wrap up and sit outdoors in a private garden courtyard shaded by a purple vitex tree and flowering crape myrtle. The entire facility limits bath capacity to just six guests at any given time, ensuring the space stays quiet, secluded, and uncrowded.
What it's like
Arrive ten minutes before your reservation to change into your required swimsuit, provided spa robe, and rubber sandals in the locker room. Calling or texting ahead to reserve a bath pass is mandatory—with a six-guest limit, walk-ins do not happen. The atmosphere is kept conspiratorially hushed: cell phones are banned, soft whispering is required, and management explicitly posts a $50 fine for disruptive behavior. Regulars book weeknight bath passes to cycle between the scorching cedar sauna, the ice bath, and the courtyard chairs while train whistles blow through the nearby rail district.
The move: Grab dual bath passes to cycle between the scorching cedar sauna room, the icy plunge bath, and the quiet outdoor garden courtyard.
- 📍 Broadway / Downtown
- 💸 $$
- ⚡ Low-key
- 🌗 Indoor or outdoor
Where: 1218 Broadway NE, Albuquerque, NM 87102
Hours: Added 2026-07-21 — confirm current hours before you go.
Pair it with
- Hotel Parq Central — Follow up your thermal bath cycle with a rooftop drink or overnight stay at this restored 1920s railroad hospital located less than a mile away in EDo.
- Founders Speakeasy — Contrast the quiet tranquility of the garden courtyard with a subterranean cocktail inside a hidden basement vault beneath a downtown liquor store.
- Painted Lady Bed & Brew — Pair a cold plunge session with a craft pint at an 1881 former brothel and saloon in nearby Wells Park.
- Albuquerque Press Club (Whittlesey House) — Swap one hidden compound for another by grabbing a drink at this 1903 Norwegian-style log villa perched on the mesa edge.
Good to know
Do I need a reservation to use the sauna and pools?
Yes. Bath pass reservations are required to guarantee a spot because the spa caps capacity at six guests at a time [2.1.5].
What should I bring for a bath pass session?
Bring a swimsuit. The spa provides robes, sandals, lockers, towels, and private showers upon arrival.
Are the baths co-ed or clothing-optional?
The soaking areas are communal and co-ed, and swimsuits are strictly required in all shared hot tub and sauna spaces.
What are the rules regarding noise and phones?
Cell phone usage is prohibited, guests are asked to speak softly, and a $50 fee is charged for disruptive behavior.
Plan a visit & invite your people →
Further reading: Official site · newmexicomagazine.org · Reddit
last checked: 2026-07-21