One of my favorite ways to end a long trip is with a visit to a luxurious day spa. I need to rest my feet and relax my mind before taking a ten-hour flight and heading straight back to work, after all! When I’m flying home from Rome, this means spending my last vacation day at QC Termeroma, an upscale spa resort where relaxation is serious business.
I wasn’t able to find much information about QC Termeroma online (aside from their official website, which can be a bit difficult to load and navigate). So, I wanted to write this guide to visiting QC Termeroma, including how to get there, what to expect when you’re inside, what’s worth your money, what might not be worth your money, and how to have a stress-free spa day at Rome’s coolest day spa.
What is QC Termeroma?
QC Termeroma is a luxurious day spa and hotel resort that is part of the QC Terme family of health and wellness facilities. Billing themselves as the “Spa of Wonders”, QC Terme now has eleven properties in total, including nine in Italy, one in France and one in New York City.
From my experience, when you visit a QC Terme spa you can expect to find a good variety of steam rooms, saunas, pools and relaxation areas, and a more relaxed atmosphere than you would find at, for example, a typical German sauna.
Where is QC Termeroma?
QC Termeroma is located in Fiumicino, a town that is part of the Metropolitan City of Rome. Fiumicino is the home of Rome’s main international airport, and the spa is about 250 meters from the road that leads into the airport. This makes it the perfect place to spend an afternoon or evening before you fly home the next day. If you have a full-day layover in Rome but don’t want to go into the city center, this could also be a great option.
Unfortunately, you can’t walk to QC Termeroma. Even if you’re staying in Fiumicino, or if you’re at the airport, the road to the spa is a narrow country road with heavy traffic and no safe shoulder or sidewalk. The spa can arrange an affordable shuttle from the airport, or if you’re saying in Fiumicino (like I do) then your accommodation can probably assist with either a transfer or a taxi booking.
Nearby, you’ll find the Imperial Port of Claudius and Trajan, an archeological site that is part of the wider Ostia Antica zone. You could spend an hour here before visiting the spa; tickets are available online for €6.
What’s Inside QC Termeroma
Your experience at QC Termeroma will begin in the change rooms, which are small compared to the number of guests they receive but generally well-equipped. You’ll be assigned a locker and inside that locker you’ll find a numbered bathrobe, towel and sandals.
Once you’re in the spa area with hundreds of other people it can be hard to keep track of which robe is which and whose shoes are whose since they’re all the same. Consider bringing a small ribbon or scrunchie to attach to your robe to keep track of it, and also consider bringing your own clean flip-flops. You might also want to pack an extra towel (I did) because if you use your towel around the spa, it won’t be clean and dry when you shower before getting dressed on your way out.
From the change rooms you’ll immediately walk to the spa entrance (shown above) where you can choose to either walk across the bridge or walk right underneath the waterfalls to begin your spa experience.
Note: You are allowed to use your phones at QC Termeroma, but there are signs asking you to use them respectfully. I tried to only take photos of the facilities where no other people were included, which is why I don’t have photos of everything.
The Underground Spa Area
I thought I was misreading the sign, but I wasn’t – this part of the QC Termeroma spa is actually located in a former cheese-making facility! Lots of underground space was needed to make the cheese and store it while it aged, and they were able to convert that space into a large spa facility.
There are four main underground zones, with two on each side of the bridge and waterfalls shown in the photo above.
One room had a Knippe foot bath (shown above), where you walk across underground pebbles in cold and warm water to improve foot health and circulation.
Another room had four large hot tubs with hydrotherapy massage bubbles that you could activate by pushing a button (also shown above). On average Italians move out of their parents’ home at age thirty, and this is definitely where twenty-something Romans come to kiss and grope one another away from their parents’ prying eyes; the vibe was a bit too “high school dance” for me as a North American.
A third room had two dry saunas, an ice machine and a small cold plunge pool, and the final underground room featured two steam rooms and “emotional showers” that aggressively blasted your body with hot water while lights overhead changed color. Honestly, the water pressure and heat was so intense that I wondered if they might have been broken during my visit?!
One thing I noticed was that locals didn’t seem to have a good grasp on spa etiquette. For example, people would hold the sauna door open and let all the heat out, or people would talk loudly in the designated silent areas. This is something you’ll want to be prepared for if you’ve spent time in luxury spas in other countries.
From the underground area there is also a semi-hidden stairway that takes you to the upper floor of the building (no exterior access). Upstairs there is a very weird relaxation room with an old horse-drawn carriage, a soundtrack that sounds like hooves clicking and clacking, and beds on the floor for people who want to imagine they’re in a barn. There’s also a room with swinging egg chairs (shown above).
The Outdoor Spa Area
The spa covers an expansive outdoor area that is so big I was frequently getting lost (even though there were maps I could never get my bearings).
There are several areas with warm outdoor pools (like mild hot tubs) including some hydrotherapy jets and small waterfalls. There are also cold-water pools, like the one shown above, which are less popular and therefore less crowded. My favorite was a long outdoor pool at the base of a glass-walled sauna (shown in a photo below) – both the people in the pool and the people in sauna were simultaneously watching and being watched.
There is also a small labyrinth-inspired garden with dense foliage, romantic benches, twinkling wind chimes and the outdoor sauna shown above, which has a glass ceiling marked with the words “Wonder Makes Memories”. This was by far the hottest sauna at QC Termeroma, and I assume that was because it was almost forty degrees outside and the sun’s heat was adding to the sauna’s heat.
The rest of the property is yours to explore and everywhere is dotted with different types of sun chairs and sunbeds. The areas closer to the pools are usually busy, while the areas further away are almost entirely empty. If you’re coming for a full day I’d recommend bringing a good book and spending an hour or two just reading and relaxing.
Food & Drink at QC Termeroma
There are two options for food at QC Termeroma: the Wellness Lunch and the Aperiterme.
The Wellness Lunch is served buffet-style and there are two options: a “break” featuring salads, meats and cheeses and light side dishes, or a full lunch with the addition of hot and cold first and second courses. Both include non-alcoholic drinks and wine. Lunch is served daily from 12:00 to 15:00, and while I think they prefer you to book in advance, they offered it to me upon arrival when I visited for an added fee of about €30.
The Aperiterme is a typical Italian aperitivo featuring sparkling wine and savory snacks. It’s included in your admission if you’re visiting in the evening, but the free drinks and nibbles tend to draw huge crowds. Personally, I’ve opted to leave the spa before the aperitivo starts at 17:00 both times I’ve been to QC Terme; I’d rather have a relaxing spa visit and then a nice meal at Indipensa Bistro in Fiumicino.
Aside from lunch and the aperitivo, the only food and drink available during my visit was water (at one station beside an outdoor pool), herbal tea (from one carafe upstairs in the indoor spa area) and a single meringue (from a random table that popped up near the change rooms). If you’re not planning to stay for a full meal, make sure to eat well before you go and consider bringing your own water bottle – I’m not sure if you can walk around with one, but you can definitely keep one in locker and go back for drinks every now and then).
Breakfast and dinner are also served in the hotel’s on-site restaurant, away from the spa facilities.
QC Termeroma Tickets
I bought my tickets to QC Termeroma on Get Your Guide, where you can choose between several different types of tickets:
- A five-hour visit
- Evening tickets
- A full-day ticket
For each ticket type you choose the day and time that you want to enter. Personally, I chose a five-hour ticket starting at noon on a weekday. Weekdays are usually less busy than weekends, and by starting at noon I was able to leave before the aperitivo and after-work crowds arrived.
Upon arrival, just tell the receptionist you booked on Get Your Guide and show them the QR code. They’ll scan your code, issue a wristband and send you to your locker in the change room.
Is QC Termaroma Worth Visiting?
Absolutely! This was my second visit to a QC Terme spa and I now actively seek them out when I’m traveling in Italy. I have always believed that spending a day at the spa is the best way to end a long trip, especially if you’re like me and often walk 20,000 steps a day (or more!) during your travels. It’s good for your body and it’s good for your spirit… what more could you ask for?
The QC Termeroma Hotel
There is also a hotel at QC Termeroma, with rooms spread across two buildings that look like the one shown above. If you’re looking for the ultimate in relaxation before your flight out of Fiumicino International Airport, spending the night at the QC Termeroma Hotel is a great option. Some room categories include spa access but others require a separate purchase.
I prefer to stay in Fiumicino town because I like walking around, checking out local businesses and eating at local restaurants (as I mentioned above, Indipensa Bistro is my favorite!). Both times I’ve stayed in Fiumicino I’ve stayed at Sleep and Fly Rome Airport, a family-run bed and breakfast in a great location with a host who can help with everything (including getting to and from QC Termeroma!).
I also visited QC Termemilano, their sister spa in northern Italy. Check out my full review here.
And if you’re into spas, also check out my guide to exactly what happens in a Turkish bath!
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