Ancient wellness inspired by the ruins of the Diocletian Baths at Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome Hotel

A wellness hotel built partially over the ruins of the Baths of Diocletian

The magnificent marble palace that houses the hotel was designed and built by Gaetano Koch between 1887 and 1898, and its shape follows the form of the historic public baths in ancient Rome upon which stands.

There were libraries and two octagonal classrooms, one of which – the former Planetarium – now houses an exhibition of artefacts from the spa, including sculptures, granite basins, green porphyry – a rare stone from Laconia – and much more.

At the back was the great exedra, which had outdoor seating for public performances, competitions, debates, discussions, and meetings.

The Diocletian Baths and it vast complex– the largest ever built in the Roman world – could accommodate up to 3,000 people, who naturally required a considerable amount of water. That was handled by a branch of the 91-kilometre-long Aqua Marcia, Rome’s third aqueduct, built in 144 BC.

Over the centuries, these public baths in ancient Rome fell into ruin and, in anticipation of the international exhibition of 1911, the exedra, which had resisted until that moment, was finally demolished.

As in so many of the Eternal City’s palaces, however, what we see on the street level hides a completely different and fascinating world below. When you descend beneath the ground floor at Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome Hotel, you can see the remains of the exedra and the baths through the glass floor.

Discover the Roman rituals with Anantara Spa

With such rich history beneath our feet, Anantara Spa has designed a selection of indigenous Roman rituals with origins that date back two millennia.

Crafted with in-depth study, the Diocletian Healing Ritual represents the true sense of Roman well-being with historic ingredients used in modern ways:

• Olive oil: Called liquid gold in ancient times and massaged on the body after bathing, today olive oil is known as a powerful antioxidant that nourishes and heals the skin.
  
  
• Honey: “The food of the gods,” honey has purifying, aphrodisiacal, refreshing, firming, cooling and calming properties.
  
  
• Sea salt: Considered miraculous for centuries, salt is a pure concentrate of trace elements with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, draining and regenerating properties.
  
  
• Salt-pan mud: The Etruscans and ancient Romans loved it for its healing properties. Now known for its decongestant and draining power, this mud reactivates microcirculation and has beneficial effects on bones, joints, and cartilage.
  
  
• Medicinal herbs: St. John’s wort for calming and healing; laurel – invigorating and stimulating; sage – a digestant and disinfectant; lavender to cleanse and calm.

The ritual begins with an olive oil, honey, salt and laurel-based exfoliation, followed by a healing mud body wrap with cleansing and detoxifying properties. It culminates in a relaxing, personalised massage with a St. John’s wort macerate made by skilled therapists.

The Sabine Luxury Facial harnesses secret ingredients used by Roman women for a uniquely effective anti-ageing treatment that combats wrinkles and sagging skin with a restructuring massage that plumps and smooths.

Designed exclusively for men, the Gladiators Luxury Facial acts on skin stressed by pollution and atmospheric agents. The treatment begins with cell regeneration performed with AHA and BHA fruit acids and continues with a remineralising mask, followed by deep tissue hydration with medicinal plant hydrolats. The epic fighting ability of Rome’s gladiators is well documented; what’s less known is how much attention they paid to physical aesthetics.

As you think about the ancient wellness ruins, such as the Diocletian Baths, and the power of the Roman Empire, while discovering its healing traditions and pondering the amount of water it took to cleanse 3,000 people, you might be drawn to explore those aqueducts.

If so, the Anantara Spa team invites you to “Run Rome’s Ancient Aqueducts” – an exclusive experience that combines your workout with archaeological wonders in a running trail along the city’s waterways. With an expert personal trainer and historian at your side, start your historic run from the Palazzo Naiadi, where the secrets of the Diocletian Baths are revealed.

From there, venture up Via Sistina, through the piazzas to the Triton Fountain; past Trinità dei Monti, the Pincio snail and Piazza di Spagna to Fontana della Barcaccia and Via dei Condotti; take in the remains of the virgin aqueduct before running along Via del Nazareno to the Trevi Fountain and Vicus Caprarius, through Piazza di Pietra past the Pantheon and the remains of the Baths of Agrippa, and finally up to Piazza Navona and the fountain of the four rivers.

Any stay in the Eternal City is sure to ignite a fascination for history. At Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome Hotel, we invite you to immerse in it.

Plan your stay at Anantara Palazzo Naiadi Rome Hotel and explore the uniquely Roman treatments that await at Anantara Spa Rome.