Deep Inside New York’s Worst-Rated Russian Bath House

For damp, sweltering, pitch-black rooms where gigantic, stern men slap you round the face with birch leaves as you struggle for breath, banyas—or Russian bath houses—are surprisingly popular places to visit.

Yet in New York City lurks a banya with awful online reviews and an owner with a fiery temper:

“Outright rude or aggressive”

“The warm pool had pubic hair floaters”

“Came into the female dressing room, found a cat living there”

Taji Ameen took his One Star Reviews team down to Alona K’s banya to see if it really was worthy of all the derision, and if she’s actually the monster she’s made out to be.

You can watch the full episode now in the player beneath, or at VICE’s YouTube channel.

Be sure to check out Taji’s new series Island Classified, running at his own channel here.

Previously: We Visited the Worst-Rated Bowling Alley in America