Bathe like a local: NEXT Wave of NYC BATHHOUSES
The new openings powering up the New York steam scene and why this is only the beginning
When it comes to bathing in New York City, Therme Group’s Robert Hammond knows more than almost anyone else. We get his take on the flood of new openings primed for 2026 and beyond.
Bathe like a local: NYC
So, let’s kick this off with two key questions:
What new bathhouses are opening in New York?
Do we have a map of all the bathhouses in the city?
If you want those answers right now, just scroll down. But to put these questions in context, let me take on another question that I hear constantly: “Isn’t this whole bathhouse/sauna/cold plunge wave just a bubble that’s about to burst? Aren’t we at peak bathhouse?”
My answer: absolutely not.
In fact, I think we’re at the very beginning of something massive. Think of where coffee culture was in the ‘80s, or where yoga was in the ‘90s. Sure, contrast therapy is the trendy sheen on top, but the core idea — communal bathing, communal heat, communal wellness — is thousands of years old. Almost all ancient cultures (remember: ours is still pretty new) on Earth have their own version of sweat culture. What’s happening right now isn’t a fad; it’s the rediscovery of something deeply human.
“We’re at the very beginning of something massive. Think of where coffee culture was in the ‘80s, or where yoga was in the ‘90s. Sure, contrast therapy is the trendy sheen on top, but the core idea — communal bathing — is thousands of years old.”
Robert Hammond
And here’s the twist: while other places in the U.S. — Minnesota, San Francisco, for example — have historically had more bathhouse options, New York is emerging as the center of America’s new bathing movement. With its energy, experimentation, design, and the social element: the majority of new concepts are opening right here.
The map above, created by Victor Jeffreys II, shows current bathhouses and those opening in 2026. Because this is all happening so fast, please let me know if I missed any crucial new openings. For precise locations of all the bathhouses, scroll down for my digital map.
Opening soon
Lore Bathing Club, NoHo (January 2026)
Address: 676 Broadway
Membership: $200/month (75-min sessions, Mon–Fri)
Week pass: $90
@lorebathingclub
Their offering: Big cold plunge pool, large-format dry sauna, infrared sauna and clothed meeting space.
My take: The membership model makes it different from Bathhouse and Othership. Lore calls itself a “neighborhood bathing club” designed for frequency and routine. The guys who started it came from Lifetime Fitness and Neuhouse so they know how to run spaces people love. And it’s on my walk home from work.
Schwet, Tribeca (Spring 2026)
Address: 78 Franklin Street
General admission: $150 for 2.5 hours
@getschwet
Their offering: Skin Suite with aromatic steam, a Japanese scrub room modelled after traditional onsen culture, and a red light infrared sauna. In the Grand Pool Room, you’ll find a hot mineral pool, a 48°F cold plunge (both have top-of-the-line water filtration systems), and a traditional Russian banya.
My take: Rooted in European bathing tradition but built for New York, Schwet combines self-care with club culture, bringing something decadent to the bathhouse landscape. The real play is that Schwet operates as a clubhouse as much as a bathhouse. There’s a jewel-box bar (Parcelle leads the wine program) and glowing fireplace, and programming that leans towards the indulgent: dinner parties, artist takeovers, treatments like Indian head massage and Russian platza.
The Altar, Chelsea/Flatiron (early 2026)
Address: 122 Fifth Avenue
Sauna and cold plunge sessions: $65
Vitamin IVs: from $300
Hyperbaric oxygen: $100
@thealtar_nyc
Their offering: 50-person sauna, cold plunge suite, and central gathering space — a health club meets community gathering space. A circular lounge offering Vitamin IVs, compression therapy, PEMF mats (don’t know what this is but I’ll try it), red light panels, hyperbaric oxygen chambers.
My take: It’s one of the few places in NYC that is explicitly trying to bring longevity protocols and communal sensory experiences into the same space. Beautiful design. The instructors come from a wide range of traditions: breathwork, aufguss, somatic practices and culinary arts (yes, that’s real). The crowd feels design-forward and culturally curious, and it’s the closest to my home.
SAINT, Chelsea (January 2026)
Address: 242 W 29th Street
Membership: $280/month (12 visits per month, priority booking)
@saint_nyc
Their offering: Four bespoke sauna and ice bath sanctuaries, each for up to 3 people, designed by Noam Dvir and Daniel Rauchwerger of BOND. Less community sauna, more stillness, solitude and privacy.
My take: While SAINT is not really a bathhouse (because it’s less social), I wanted to include it because it’s a different kind of offering and beautifully designed. With four sanctuaries, it’s for people that live close by, maybe even in the building.
Bathhouses in the works
Othership, Upper East Side (2027)
With their uniquely North American offering, Othership will be opening their sixth location. And watch out for our deep dive interview with co-founder Robbie Bent coming soon on Culture of Bathing.
@othership
Reunion Baths, Brooklyn (winter 2026)
Reunion Baths will blend classic contrast-therapy rituals with a casual, community-first environment. It aims to make communal bathing feel less like an escape and more like a way of life.
Sund, Brooklyn, (early 2027)
SUND, meaning “swim” in Icelandic and rooted in Iceland’s age-old bathing traditions, is introducing a new category of Nordic communal wellness: outdoors, open year-round. The concept draws on centuries-old Icelandic outdoor bathing and Finnish sauna traditions where heat, cold, and community shape daily routines and social connection. With a pricing model designed for frequent use, SUND intends to stick to its purpose of making outdoor bathing accessible. Set to launch its first location early 2027.
@sundsocialclub
Robert Hammond, President and Chief Strategy Officer, Therme Group
@thehighlineguy
News
Sweat. Plunge. Repeat. Floating Saunas Are on the Rise Across the Country.
Outside Magazine, December 10, 2025
Charred cedar facade enfolds kiln-inspired sauna in Japan
Design Boom, December 10, 2025
NYC’s trendy new ‘bathing club’ is the ‘next best thing after exercise that you can do for your health’
New York Post, December 15, 2025
Are Evening Wellness Rituals the New Nightcap?
W Magazine, December 10, 2025
One Last Thing
This sauna built within the trees is on our dream destination list for 2026.
We’d love to hear from you - please send a DM, or email hello@cultureofbathing.com
The sad thing about this ‘wave’ is how incredibly costly all these places are. The communal experience of a schvitz and a steam is very elite in NYC, unlike other places. I understand it’s real estate driven. But I question what kind of community will be possible for any of them. The Russian Turkish Bathhouse and Spa Castle are the only outliers.
Los Angeles Bathhouses when? :’)