There are so many ways to Make Life/Work, but for me, one has always been getting in or near water – and the hotter the better!  So I am a big fan of Hot Springs, hot tubs, saunas and steam rooms, and we do have a great selection of them here in the PNW. I have visited almost all of the options in Oregon… so when I heard that the newest option, CASCADA, was being built in my NE Portland neighborhood, I was very excited to try it out.

Fast forward two years later…

Just before the 2024 holidays, I received an opportunity to become a founding member, but declined to join at the time; instead, I booked a session for mid-January to enjoy the Thermal Wellness Experience. I booked a New Year Deal for $90 for a 2.5 hour session (it also included a fitness class, which I didn’t use)… and I have to say that it is by far the most superior hot pool experience in the Portland area.

CASCADA is actually multiple offerings including a neighborhood hotel, a find dining restaurant, fitness studio and locker room + two levels of pools, which include the Conservatory, a light-filled, glass-enclosed space that features an infinity “vitality” pool (at 82 degrees year round!), day beds and bar – and allows socializing; and the Sanctuary, which houses the multiple underground pools, and is intended for silence and relaxation. 

(Note: Later this year they will open a second restaurant, an addition to the hotel, and an outdoor area with hot tub and gardens, and I’ll update this review once it’s fully realized).

I arrived through the main entrance on Alberta St., and mistakenly checked in the hotel front desk. So, instead you will want to head up to the second floor, where there is a separate check-in for the fitness classes and the pools. The check-in staff person was very friendly and provided me with two towels – one for the pools and one for a shower afterward – a pair of Havianna flip-flops and an RFID bracelet for the lockers. 

Side note: the They really have the locker thing figured out here! It’s also the best system I’ve seen… you get a rubber wristband that connects to the locker via RFID and it worked perfectly — no more entering in a code and entering a code and hoping that your locker locks and locks!

With a bathing-suit (required) and flip flops on, I headed back down a floor to the Conservatory, and then down again into the underground Sanctuary. The Sanctuary is dark and quiet and a bit slippery, so I was careful to watch my steps. The underground nature of it did not feel claustrophobic – and it wasn’t too crowded – I counted about 20-25 people at any given time over my 2.5 hour session.

They suggest a couple of different pool series based on what you are needing (revitalization, detoxification, etc), but this is the rotation I put together for myself: shower, warm pool (or ambient pool as they call it), hot pool, cold plunge, sauna, mineral pool, steam room, ice exfoliation, mineral pool — and then start all over again. After two rounds of that, I went upstairs to try the pool, which was also quite lovely + it was a sunny day here in Portland, so light was streaming in through the glass solarium windows (so gorgie!).

Some of the fun surprises included the ice exfoliation, which I haven’t seen at any spa, and is basically the really good round ice dropping from the ceiling and into a pot, which you can use to scrub your body for a cold exfoliation. (I also ate it, which was a really lovely way to bring body temperature almost all the way back down). The mineral pool was by far my favorite… it seemed to be set to exact body temperature (around 98.7 degrees), and offered a cooling effect rather than warming. Plus the mineral content gave it a bit of buoyancy, so I could *almost* float. I was so relaxed in this pool, I experienced a bit of a meditative sensation, with my mind completely clearing for a bit… Delightful.

Now for two slight irritations: talking and parking.

The underground Sanctuary was supposed to be a silent space, but some pairs and groups talked anyways, perhaps thinking their whispered tones wouldn’t be heard… but the cavernous design seemed to amplify whispered voices. The staff did a good job of reminding people, and also offered a clever solution –  using a singing bowl to tamp down talking, which we were warned about when checking in (the front desk team member said it will “either be a nice moment to pause and reflect, or feel like a passive-aggressive way to tell you to stop talking.”) For me, it had the former effect. 

Parking was not great either, as they built this compound into the existing Albert Arts neighborhood (right on Alberta Street) and so you’re basically parking in the neighborhood. 

Overall, I found the experience to be very relaxing and quite wonderful – and definitely the most premium water therapy offering in the Portland area (both in cost and experience). Given the price and the time commitment, it feels more of a treat, rather than a weekly or monthly session — and I plan to go back about once per quarter (I was also happy with my decision not to get the membership at $300/month). Also, note that you have to be 21 or over to enjoy the springs.

I also had one final treat on my way out…  in the lobby, there is the cutest little coffee shop Alberta Street Coffee, which offered a nicely curated selection of drinks, snacks and meals. I gleefully selected a gluten-free Blueberry Muffin, a Duck Soba Salad and a Chia Seed Pudding, and then headed outside into the sun and back home.