Saunas for Success.

What the Sauna Teaches Us About True Wellness!

I can almost hear your thoughts as you read this:
A sauna… in a “Success Stories for Spa” series? Really?

Yes, really.

You’re absolutely right that saunas don’t directly bring in revenue. They rarely make it to the top of a spa’s P&L chart, nor do they get featured in glossy marketing photos. They’re often seen as a box to tick, a standard inclusion in a spa’s floor plan, a “must-have” that simply has to be there.

But here’s the thing: the sauna is one of the most underutilized, underestimated, and misunderstood wellness assets in modern spas.

Too often, I walk into beautifully designed spas only to find saunas that are, let’s be honest, lifeless.
No headrests.
No towels prepared.
No scent.
No light mood.
No guidance for guests on how to use them properly.

Sometimes, the eucalyptus bucket is empty.
Sometimes, the heater isn’t even turned on and will only be activated upon request, with a 20-minute waiting time.

In many properties, the sauna feels more like an obligation than an opportunity. And yet, when understood and activated properly, a sauna can be a central part of your guests’ wellness journey, a ritual that calms the mind, boosts the body, and embodies the essence of well-being.

A Sauna Story from My Childhood

Let me take you back to the 1980s.

When I was about six years old, my father fulfilled a lifelong dream: he built a sauna in the basement of our home in Germany. It wasn’t glamorous; quite the opposite. It was tucked away in the laundry room, so we had to walk through hanging and drying clothes to get there. But that little wooden cabin was ours.

It fit our family of four perfectly. Next to it, my father built a simple shower corner, just a cold-water tap, nothing else. In the room next door, he placed a few garden loungers so we could rest between rounds.

And we didn’t just go in for a quick sweat.
When my family went to the sauna, it was a ritual - three full cycles:

15 minutes inside the sauna → followed by a cold shower → then 20 minutes of rest

And we repeated this three times.

So yes, going to the sauna in our home meant dedicating at least two hours. Two hours of disconnecting, relaxing, laughing, and - even as a child - learning to listen to my body.

That was wellness and contrast bathing before these words became a trend.

What We Forgot About Saunas

When I share this story with spa teams today, I often see surprised looks. Many therapists, attendants, and even managers have never experienced a full sauna cycle themselves, and therefore can’t guide guests through one.

Most spas invite guests to arrive “20 minutes before their treatment to enjoy the facilities like sauna and steam room.”
But let’s be honest, in 20 minutes, you can’t even complete one proper sauna round.

And that’s where I see such a missed opportunity.

Sauna bathing, especially when combined with cold immersion or contrast bathing, doesn’t have to be fancy. You don’t need an ice grotto or cryotherapy chamber. Almost every spa already has what’s needed: heat, cold, and a place to rest.

What’s missing is education, ritual, and intention.

Helping guests understand how to use the sauna properly and not as a quick stop before their massage, but as an experience of cleansing, resetting, and rebalancing, can transform the entire flow of a wellness journey.

Reimagining the Sauna Experience

When working now on new projects, I love to reimagine what the sauna could be.

In today’s world, 40 years after my childhood basement sauna experience, we’re facing a new kind of challenge: helping guests stay still, calm, and present for 15 minutes without a phone in hand.

That’s where innovation and creativity can breathe new life into this classic ritual. Light. Scent. Sound. Touch. When combined intentionally, these elements can turn a sauna session into an immersive wellness journey.

Imagine a soft infusion of colored light synchronized with gentle sound frequencies. Or a curated scent experience that changes with the heat cycle. Or even raindrops falling from the ceiling synchronized to the sound.

When space allows, we also enjoy incorporating Aufguss rituals — guided sauna infusions led by a sauna master. They elevate heat bathing into a multi-sensory performance, with storytelling, scent, and movement. These experiences transform a “basic” facility into a destination moment — something guests will remember, talk about, and come back for.

The Real Sauna Success

But beyond design and technology, for me true sauna success comes from understanding.

Understanding that heat, cold, and rest are not just steps, they are an ancient rhythm that aligns body and mind.

Understanding that the sauna doesn’t need to be the most luxurious room in the spa to deliver a deeply luxurious feeling.

And understanding that when your team knows how to guide guests through a proper sauna ritual, you elevate your spa’s entire value perception without adding a single square meter.

So, I invite you to take a fresh look at your sauna. Is it simply a heated room on your floor plan or could it become a highlight of your wellness journey? Could it tell a story, engage the senses, and teach guests how to truly slow down?

And I strongly believe that even the most beautiful, cutting-edge sauna with the latest technology won’t make a difference if the ritual itself isn’t celebrated. Without intention, it’s just heat in a room. With ritual, it becomes transformation, a space where guests reconnect with themselves, where simplicity becomes profound, and where true wellness begins.