Social wellness is booming, and bathhouses equipped with communal saunas, cold plunges, and relaxation areas that encourage IRL hangouts are opening on what seems like every corner in New York City. As record lows and extreme cold blanket the city, saunas and bathhouses are a direct solution to thaw out. But the desire for health-conscious socializing transcends seasons, as a growing number of sober-curious folks, longevity-minded individuals, and business professionals seek third spaces year-round where they can trade cocktails for calm.
The centuries-old practice, usually associated with the ancient baths of Rome, hammams in Turkey, Japanese onsens, or Russian banyas, is experiencing a renaissance. New York's bathhouse culture in particular is nothing new, either; Aire Ancient Baths opened in 2012 and Bathhouse Williamsburg opened in 2019, while Russian and Turkish Baths, World Spa, and Spa 88 are longstanding bathing institutions in the city. New headline-grabbing hotspots (sorry), like Othership, Bathhouse, and The Altar, are rapidly opening new locations in the city and will roll out studios across the U.S. in the coming years. Each new bathhouse offers different programming, mission, and approach to bathing culture.
Beyond robust social programming and science-backed therapies, these newer spaces are just as much about setting the mood through innovative and engaging design as it is about sweating out your stress. Here are design-driven sauna and bathhouse spots we can't stop thinking about.
Akari
Sauna house Akari opened its second members-only studio earlier this month in Brooklyn's leafy Greenpoint neighborhood, following the success of its Williamsburg location that debuted in 2023. Inspired by the owner's upbringing in Tokyo, Akari pulls influence from traditional Japanese onsens and sentos (bathhouses) with the sauna as the central component, complemented by a cold plunge and relaxation area. Unlike some of the more socially driven bathhouses, Akari's intimate spaces exclusively for members is a place fostering true disconnection and quiet. To further emphasize, designer Erin Carstens and the architects at Stroop Design incorporated darker neutral hues, various types of wood, dimensional lighting, and rooted features like washi paper and traditional Japanese art.
Lore Bathing Club
Lore Bathing Club was founded by a former coworking executive who created this members-only neighborhood spot that centers around contrast therapy (switching between hot and cold temperatures). The 6,200-square-foot space in NoHo was designed by London's Studioilse and New York's Ringo Studio, whose designers anchored each space with natural materials like clay, travertine, walnut, white oak, and limewash plaster, which feels reminiscent of a tranquil luxury hotel spa. Members can enjoy the Finnish sauna, infrared sauna, cold pool, and hammam-style heated benches, plus thoughtful programming like guided cold water soaks, aromatherapy, guided stretching, and listening parties.
Othership
Othership is, so to speak, the party friend of the sauna bunch. Founded by Robbie Bent, Othership cultivates a more socially driven scene at its locations in Williamsburg and Flatiron. It's not uncommon for a DJ-led Shabbat or comedy show (yes, in the bathhouse) to be sold out on any given weekend. Though there are 'quiet' classes and 1:1 guided options, most classes are filled with intentional breathing, vocal toning, and immersive music that encourages community and connection. The design was led by Futurestudio and combines custom lighting, amphitheater-style lounges, sensory elements, and cedar, riverstone, and brick, together creating a lively and transportive wellness journey.
Remedy Place
Dr. Jonathan Leary brought the term 'social wellness' to the main stage when he opened L.A.'s first social wellness club, Remedy Place, in 2019. In 2022, Remedy Place came to New York City and continues to expand through Manhattan and around the U.S. Positioning self-care as a social experience, the club offers guided ice bath classes (six-minute club, anyone?), saunas, private contrast suites, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, IV drips, acupuncture and cupping, and functional medicine programs with deep diagnostic insight, VO2 max testing, breathwork classes, and fitness classes. Remedy Place's sleek spaces are recognizable for its brutalist aesthetic, earthy tones, rich textures, calming sensory details, and soft elements, like rounded archways and dimly lit rooms. The best part? You can enjoy an organic tea or energizing beverage on the plush loungers following your treatment, made all the more enjoyable if you bring friends or even clients.
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