newdad

No need to quote Marc. I've actually put him on my block/ignore list. 😃
And I totally agree with you: smiling and trying to speak French goes a long way... 😃

I'm surprised/impressed you put escorts in your will. Can't help but be reminded of Hugh Hefner.

Unfortunately, for us who have regularly engaged in the hiring game, this is part of the deal: men (and women) who “borrow” money or expensive items with no real intention or reasonable means of ever paying you back.
And there are those out there who would prefer to stop all communication with their lender than have to face the fact that they can’t it refuse to reimburse them or return what they borrowed.
You met one of those. There are plenty more out there just like him. Only lend what you can afford to lose, or make it a policy never to lend at all (and risk whatever perception they will make of you in the process). 

100% not true as it relates to Thermas, in my experience 
the good guys will take almost 95% of clients, but there are always a few clients that stand out as potential problems & the best guys don’t lack for options - they just don’t want to deal with bad people at any price.  
The working guys are generally open to all ages, ethnicities, body types & specific requests - it’s a bad attitude that is the deal killer.  Because they know a potential client w a bad attitude will never get better, only worse. 
There are different types of guys working in the sauna & you will be sorted accordingly. You won’t be aware of it, but that’s what’s happening behind the scenes. Frequently, the clients w bad attitudes get bad experiences….because the guys think that person deserves it and their performance really doesn’t matter. 

go with an open mind, reasonable expectations, a good attitude & money - you will find what you want at Thermas.
 

Lol. Are there never do-able clients at Thermas? Isn't it a bathhouse after all?

Thanks! I'm guessing the environment is like a typical bathhouse in the USA, but the only difference is that the providers are also in the bathhouse? Since, everyone will be naked or in towels, is it possible to mistake a customer from a provider then? Or is there anything that will help you identify customers vs providers (eg, wristband with a key)?

No need to quote Marc. I've actually put him on my block/ignore list. 😃
And I totally agree with you: smiling and trying to speak French goes a long way... 😃

No need to quote Marc. I've actually put him on my block/ignore list. 😃
And I totally agree with you: smiling and trying to speak French goes a long way... 😃

You got scammed dude, it happens to the best of us. Move on and don’t make the same mistake again. Sorry he got one over on you. It sucks. 

this is exactly where the “ugly American” stereotype comes from.  
The assumption is that for money, the locals will tolerate your behavior and/or cultural insensitivity. 
as for providers - I’ve seen plenty of guys in Thermas decline clients who wanted to pay, for whatever reason. A bad vibe is a bad vibe - money becomes irrelevant. 
they know how to spot the problematic clients.
language skills not required - a good attitude is 

First timer in Nice and hopefully not my last time. I saw La Cage Aux Folles both times but never knew how many gays are in this huge beautiful resort. Contrary to my expectations it's very upscale.Very warm. The central beach is potato sized rocks but great for sunbathing and swimming. The trendy Old City has a dozen gay bars snd a sauna or two. The guys are very cruisy and there's ten ads on RM and a couple dozen on Romeo Hunqz at a time. Many direct flights, even from NYC. 
A Paris by the Sea in style and food.
Heres the gay bars and saunas in just Old Town:

as Marc says, that has been the classic stereotype about Parisians for many, many decades......some truth to it, I suppose, but there are also many levels of toleration in Paris, just as in any large city!.......always make an attempt to speak French, smile, try, and you'll get along, mostly......

Nice is nice.
couldn't resist. It was actually my first time in Nice last summer and I loved it so much I skipped Barcelona and stayed an extra week. There are very expensive hotels down in the Old Town beach area but there are also very nice reasonable hotels in the center. I stayed in the new high-rise Holiday Inn Express which is really nice and great location across from Notre Dame de Nice for just over $100/night. 85-year old ladies in couture fashion and flawless makeup and hair would walk their poodles by us while we were having breakfast at 8am on the terrace. The food is amazing and amazingly cheap. There's a group of restaurants in the center locals all go to (and tourists "in the know"). The speciality is Riviera Pizza which is just amazing but a bite has calories for a whole day. More art than Paris as it was the working home for so many top artists. The real Old Town is 5 minute Uber from the center. It's sky high and lower quality. It has over a dozen gay bars, a gay sauna, a strip club and an Eagle with muscle dancers on the bar and in a sling in the back room taking tips. (the HIE has a gay drag/strip club down the block that i think is Nice's largest.) The guys on the beach are healthy and stunning muscles (no sand , just rocks). I enjoy the "French" lifestyle more there than what's left in Paris and for a lot less $$ than Paris or Barcelona. (i did a trip report here but too lazy to find it). Nice is big on Hunqz. But it's gay sauna really needs rentboys. 
 

when is the best time to go ?  Is it flooded w tourists like BCN ?

How is Nice in general? I plan to visit Paris this summer, and was told that Paris is not to happy about foreigners who don't speak French. I'm thinking of stopping by Nice.

Ah thanks for the response, but I already left Barcelona. Thank you though.

if you don’t like those words (or the person who posts it) - then don’t read it.
and you know how you can do that ? - place the person on ignore, which is the subject of this thread. 
But, instead of limiting what YOU see, you’d rather censor everyone else for your own delicate sensibilities- except when talking explicitly about hiring providers. 
make it make sense 

thank you for this - one of the most thoughtful & wise comments I’ve ever seen here.  this is a site where the core subject of interest is sex in context of providers, reviews & all things related - there is no confusion about that. It’s a place for free expression about topics that are typically off-limits elsewhere.
Yet, there are members using this site who attempt to control the narrative, censor and limit those expressions.  It’s not because they’re offended - they just don’t like the person posting or they just might disagree.  Typically, these are the people keeping the mods busy with their constant reporting & complaints. The “Karens” of the forum 

I’ve noticed a pattern among a few here whose sole presence is to find fault with the people who post about their real experiences, travel, etc.  instead of contributing something worthwhile, they zero in on grammar, spelling, politically correct terminology, etc simply to undermine the real experience conveyed.  Seems like a waste of time, but they need something to fill their days.  It’s all about their own jealousy & boredom in the end, not making a real contribution. 
And yes - the best way to deal with them is to place them on ignore.  I’ve often thought it would be fun to share our “ignored lists” - likely a definite no-no & that would make them crazy for sure.  
 
 

The beaches in Barcelona are accessible for everyone. Hence, you can't do gay stuff.
The beaches in Sitges are harder for other people to get to. There's 3 of them in Sitges, and Playa del Muerto is the one that's very secluded—and where sex is likely to happen.  FWIW, I'd only go to Sitges if it's the weekend, unless there's a big event on a weekday that you're guaranteed to expect an influx of people. When I went there, it was just a one day trip (Saturday). Train ride from BCN to Sitges is about 40 minutes for 4 euros one way. You can also rent a car.
Here are a few resources on how to find the nude beaches in Sitges:
https://www.gaysitgesguide.com/beaches/ https://www.theglobetrotterguys.com/gay-beach-sitges/  
 

Coming from the depths of rural Wales, it is not easy to meet anyone at all (let along muscular) therefore when I made friends with a bodybuilder who lived in Suffolk, I took it. The fact that I was 33 and he was 60 had no bearing on the subject at all.
I am still friends with him now, even more so since it was announced last year he is suffering from Alzheimer's

Ahhhhhh the memories….. 

I dont think we can. People are certainly going to have individualized objections to any number of words. However, restricting the cultural voice of others here is unnecessary. 
When your sexuality is the stand out factor that makes you divergent from the norm, it becomes an important part of your culture. It's a culture steeped in a rich tradition of freedom and expression regarding sex. That culture, and the freedoms that come with it, were fiercely fought for by many.
It typically allows us to freely have discussions about sex, and use any number of sexual terms, without shame or embarrassment. And while still in some ways, we may not be able to have those discussions, and use those terms, in "polite" society at large, there is absolutely no reason we shouldn't embrace and celebrate the tolerance to have those discussions, and use those terms, within our own community.   

This is what the Mods told me: " Use the link below. Add user you want to block here. They will see your posts though."
https://www.companyofmen.org/ignore
 
So if you're tired of seeing posts, reactions, and DMs from any of the members (for example, you're tired of me, yours truly). You can add that person on that ignore list! You'll never see any of their stuff. They'll still see the stuff you post though, which is not too bad (It'll let them still obsess getting your attention, and they can still respond to your posts, but they won't know you've ignored their existence.)
Also, Ask for more clarification in the “ask a moderator” sub forum if you need more help. Happy Browsing!

I’ve been going to Thermas since 2008 & my impression at that time was it had been open for several years.  There has never been an issue at Thermas affecting their ability to operate (except for Covid, which is unrelated to the discussion).  The owner is present & hands-on, running a safe environment for men.   I’ve never had a bad experience there among many visits over the years.  Yes, I know about the parties. Debating the legality is a moot point.  If Thermas closes one day, it will probably be because of lack of clients due to apps.

I’ve often wondered why Thermas works in BCN and nothing comparable in Madrid.  First, Sauna Adan in Madrid was a literal dump and the facility in no way compared to Thermas.  It was dirty & the working guys were random and surly. I did not feel safe imo. Second, Madrid isn’t flooded w tourists in the same way as BCN & certainly not in context of gay tourists, although that is changing.  Third, Madrid is a much more regulated city and it is evident everywhere you look - the streets are cleaner, the city is vibrant and there is no crime wave of petty theft targeted at tourists as in BCN.  In short, a true rentboy sauna in Madrid just would not be tolerated by the authorities. 
of course, the trolls will chime-in who want to pick apart real experiences in lieu of their online “research”
btw - I’m happy to see people still posting on this thread ….it is about Thermas !

The most similar one in Madrid would be Sauna Gran Via. It's starting to have a reputation to be escorts only sauna. However, I don't think SGV advertises itself as an escort sauna like Thermas does.