HWS.

the ranking · fifteen of them

the 15 best hotel saunas in the world.

most hotels have a sauna somewhere near the gym. these hotels are somewhere near a sauna.

how we picked

a towel-warmer in the basement does not count. we looked for places where the sauna is the reason to book, and the room is where you sleep between rounds.

some of these are famous. most are not. at least one is, strictly speaking, not a hotel at all, and we made our peace with that.

the four tests

  1. 1

    sauna first. heat, build and ritual. the sauna has to be good on its own merits, not only in photos.

  2. 2

    setting. what is on the other side of the glass, and what you jump into afterwards.

  3. 3

    insider factor. would a sauna person cross a border for it? extra credit for places nobody has put on a list yet.

  4. 4

    real reviews. what guests and writers said, quoted and linked below, so you can check our homework.

the soot-darkened log benches of the kuurakaltio smoke sauna, lit by small lamps

no.1

fell centre kiilopää, kuurakaltio smoke sauna

kiilopää, near saariselkä, finnish lapland

the smoke sauna lapland hikers rate highest. it costs 21 euros, not 200.

type
log smoke sauna for about 25, plus a hotel sauna
heat
wood, smoke sauna
cold plunge
the kiilopuro fell stream out front · an ice hole in winter
access
public 90-minute shifts for guests and visitors · hotel sauna free for guests
price
21 € per person, 11 € for kids 4 to 12

run by suomen latu, the finnish outdoor association, at the edge of urho kekkonen national park. it is a dark, soot-blackened log room with a fell stream for a cold plunge and, in winter, an ice hole about 1.4 metres deep past the steps. it is the opposite of a spa.

  • “Kuurakaltio smoke sauna, better known as Kiilopää smoke sauna, next to Urho Kekkonen National Park”
    time out
  • “In our spacious smoke sauna, up to 25 people can enjoy the steam at the same time.”
    the hotel's site

the full listing →book at kiilopää ↗

inside the yksi sauna hut at lamp nojiriko

no.2

lamp nojiriko, the sauna

shinano-machi, lake nojiri, nagano, japan

arguably the cult destination of japan's sauna boom. five huts, one lake, and a fair claim to the title.

type
five finnish-style huts: two public, three private
heat
wood stove in yksi, a mondex stove from finland in neljä · varies by hut
cold plunge
spring-water baths · lake nojiri itself in summer
access
day-use sauna bookings, or stay at the lakeside guesthouse
price
public day use ¥3,500 weekdays, ¥4,500 weekends and holidays

a lakeside guesthouse that turned itself into a sauna land: five individually designed huts, vihta, and structures the staff built themselves. from roughly mid-may to the end of august, water level permitting, the cold plunge is a jump into lake nojiri, right in front of the sauna.

the full listing →book a session ↗

[OPEN: a photo of the sauna, empty, no people]

no.3

isfjord radio adventure hotel, kokeriet

kapp linné, spitsbergen, svalbard

no wifi, polar bears outside, and the arctic ocean as your cold plunge.

type
free-standing timber sauna on wheels, wall-to-wall window onto isfjorden
cold plunge
the arctic ocean, directly below
access
hotel guests · open february to september · arrive by snowmobile, boat or package tour from longyearbyen

a 1930s coastal radio station at the mouth of isfjorden, now a 15-room hotel. staff have had a sauna here since the 1950s. today's kokeriet sits on a wheeled steel frame so it can be moved for safety and the seasons. armed guides go with guests outdoors, which puts the walk to the cold plunge in perspective.

  • “At the far end of a cliff by the hotel is the Kokeriet, a free-standing sauna with panoramic windows facing the sea.”
    visit svalbard
  • “To follow the changing seasons and ensure safety in polar bear territory, the sauna was built as a mobile structure.”
    basecamp explorer

the full listing →enquire with basecamp explorer ↗

pale slatted benches and a wood-burning stove with visible flame in a fogo island inn sauna

no.4

fogo island inn

joe batt's arm, fogo island, newfoundland, canada

two wood-fired saunas on the roof of a building on stilts, at the edge of the north atlantic.

type
two rooftop finnish-style saunas, plus open-air hot tubs
heat
wood-burning stoves
access
hotel guests · reserve at the front desk

todd saunders' stilted modernist inn is the famous part, but the saunas on the fourth-floor roof deck are their own piece of architecture, designed by sami rintala and dagur eggertsson. one looks out over the sea, the other over the rocks. both are excellent choices.

  • “Designed by Norway-based architects Sami Rintala and Dagur Eggertsson, our two saunas are fuelled by wood-burning stoves”
    the hotel's site
  • “You don’t often see saunas in Newfoundland, but it suits this place.”
    the hotel's site

the full listing →visit fogo island inn ↗

the timber smoke sauna cabin on its deck on a wooded slope, a fire burning in front

no.5

ilmaveere

obinitsa, setomaa, south estonia

a unesco-listed sauna tradition, included in the room rate. the chickens and ponies come with it.

type
old võromaa-style smoke sauna, with a barrel sauna alongside
heat
wood · heating takes several hours
cold plunge
the barrel next door · one guest reports cold water in it, the listing is less committal
access
smoke sauna generally included in the room price · book ahead

the old võromaa smoke sauna tradition is on unesco's intangible heritage list, and this is a rare place where you can sleep in a design-minded boutique room in seto country and have the real thing thrown in. rustic, with chickens and ponies about, and a working smoke-sauna culture rather than a spa's impression of one.

  • “In a well-prepared smoke sauna, the air is clear and light, the steam pleasantly soft, and health-restoring.”
    visit estonia
  • “The use of the smoke sauna is generally included in the room price.”
    visit south estonia

the full listing →book a room ↗

a wooden sauna bench and heater before a floor-to-ceiling glass wall over a snowy river gorge

no.6

juvet landscape hotel, badehuset

valldal, fjord norway, near geiranger

everyone else comes for the ex machina cabins. sauna people come for the bathhouse.

type
concrete riverside bathhouse with a steam sauna and a 15-metre glass facade
cold plunge
the river valldøla below · outdoor hot tub alongside
access
hotel guests only, 12:00 to 19:30

jensen & skodvin's landscape hotel, the ex machina and succession location, is famous for its glass-walled cabins. the bathhouse is better: a single 15-metre pane of glass over the gorge, so you sweat looking straight down at the river, and then the river is your plunge pool. the house advice, roughly translated: if in doubt, take a dip.

  • “Wellness offerings centre on its striking riverside sauna and wood-fired outdoor hot tubs”
    globetrender
  • “guests can alternate between hot soaks and bracing river plunges”
    globetrender

the full listing →book the bathhouse ↗

aerial view of the spiral seashell-shaped wooden sauna among glamping domes

no.7

sana mane, sauna sazae

naoshima, kagawa, seto inland sea, japan

a sauna shaped like a seashell, on japan's art island. naturally.

type
private sculptural sauna built from about 5,000 cnc-cut plywood pieces
cold plunge
a swim in the nearby sea · a small pool beside the shell
access
glamping guests only · book in advance

designed by kengo kuma & associates (taichi kuma) and supervised by the sauna brand ttne, it is a spiral turban shell you walk into, with walls about 450 mm thick and an oculus overhead. it sits in a small glamping resort by an inlet of the seto inland sea, and has been open since 29 september 2022.

  • “When you bathe in plenty of moisture and heat, the air you feel afterwards is something else.”
    spa business
  • “Reserved for hotel guests only, Sazae must be booked in advance.”
    spa business

the full listing →see the project ↗

[OPEN: a photo of the sauna, empty, no people]

no.8

nimmo bay wilderness resort

great bear rainforest, mackenzie sound, british columbia, canada

the saunas float. the neighbours include a grizzly with a taste for shellfish.

type
floating saunas moored in the bay, plus floating soaking tubs
heat
wood-burning, per travel press
cold plunge
the ocean, straight off the float, per travel press
access
all-inclusive guests · reached by boat, kayak or paddleboard · roughly may to october
price
[OPEN: price from the hotel's own site]

a fly-in, boat-access eco-resort in the great bear rainforest, where the saunas sit on the water of the sound and the floating thermal circuits are included in the rate. wildlife on the shore is common enough that one reviewer filed it as a sauna feature.

  • “soaks in floating saunas near quiet stretches of beach, where I spied a lone grizzly emerging from the woods to eat shellfish”
    afar
  • “Enjoy included wellness experiences designed to restore mind and body, including floating sauna thermal circuits”
    the hotel's site

the full listing →visit nimmo bay ↗

the glowing gondola sauna on the shore of lake lucerne at dusk, mountains behind

no.9

hotel vitznauerhof, saunagondel

vitznau, lake lucerne, switzerland

a retired ski-lift gondola, now heated and parked on the shore of lake lucerne.

type
converted cable-car gondola, plus "the cube" outdoor sauna and an indoor sauna and steam bath
cold plunge
lake lucerne, a few steps away
access
hotel guests, plus a day spa and member card · gondola listed for spring and fall, 9am to 8pm

it sits at the foot of the rigi with alpine peaks across the water, and the lake jump is a few steps from the door. quirky, private and very swiss: even the novelty sauna runs on time.

the full listing →book at vitznauerhof ↗

timber sauna benches and stove facing a full-width window onto the lake at sunset

no.10

seefischer finest hideaway, seesauna

döbriach, millstätter see, carinthia, austria

a finnish sauna on stilts in the lake. the commute to the cold plunge is a ladder.

type
finnish sauna house on stilts with a panoramic glass front · three more saunas in the spa house
cold plunge
millstätter see, directly below, via steps from the deck
access
hotel guests · spa house open to day guests by reservation · saunas daily 13.00 to 19.30

the carinthian lake-sauna tradition at its best: a timber sauna standing on piles in the water, its glass wall framing the sunset down the lake, and the swim a few steps away.

  • “A sauna standing on stilts right in the lake? You'll only find that with us.”
    seefischer
  • “Many of our guests use the lakeside sauna even before breakfast.”
    the hotel's site

the full listing →book at seefischer ↗

a wood-lined sauna with l-shaped benches and a big window onto snow patches and rocky slopes

no.11

highland base kerlingarfjöll, highland baths

kerlingarfjöll, central highlands, iceland

iceland soaks. up here, it also sweats.

type
panoramic timber sauna with a picture window onto the mountains
heat
pools are geothermal mineral water · the sauna heater type isn't stated
cold plunge
a dedicated cold plunge beside the steaming pools
access
included for hotel, hut and lodge guests year-round, no booking · day visitors book online
price
day visitors isk 5,500, children 0 to 11 isk 900

a hotel by basalt architects and the blue lagoon group, in the icelandic interior at the edge of the hveradalir geothermal area. iceland is a soaking culture rather than a sauna culture, and this is one of the few places to pair a serious sauna and cold plunge with natural hot pools, a long way from the reykjavík lagoon circuit.

  • “Our facilities include a steaming pool, a cold plunge, a stunning sauna”
    the hotel's site
  • “Highland Base works in harmony with nature; staying here feels like being in communion with nature too.”
    country & town house

the full listing →book the baths ↗

a wood-burning stove between two benches, a glass end framing a lake and a connemara peak

no.12

ballynahinch castle

recess, connemara, co. galway, ireland

a wood-fired barrel sauna in a mossy oak wood, on a castle estate. ireland has been holding out on us.

type
outdoor barrel saunas with a panoramic glass end, in native woodland
heat
wood-fired stove
cold plunge
a cold bucket pull, or a dip in the estate's lake plunge area or the river
access
private hour-long sessions for up to four · towels, slippers, water and fruit included

tucked into connemara oak woods on the riverbank of a 700-acre castle estate, with the glass end framing the twelve bens and a wild dip waiting afterwards. about as atmospheric as irish sauna gets.

  • “Overlooking the estate's woodlands and lake, the saunas provide a private wellness experience for guests”
    the irish times
  • “The concept is simple yet striking: a wood-fired sauna surrounded by native trees”
    love ireland

the full listing →book at ballynahinch ↗

[OPEN: a photo of the sauna, empty, no people]

no.13

arctic bath

harads, swedish lapland, sweden

a log ring that floats on the lule river in summer and freezes into it in winter.

type
floating circular spa: two dry saunas and one steam sauna
cold plunge
a circular pool cut through the deck into the lule river · frozen into the ice in winter
access
hotel guests · spa day packages also offered

designed by bertil harström, who also did treehotel's bird's nest, for the same founders as treehotel. the cold bath sits open to the river in the middle of the ring. it is the best-known name on this list, and it ranks here only because it scored lowest on our insider test, not on heat.

  • “The simple cedar rooms with tiered benches offer a womb-like comfort, but it's only a few minutes before the heat gets to me.”
    dwell
  • “I lower myself into the circular cold pool cut directly through the deck into the Lule.”
    dwell

the full listing →book at arctic bath ↗

a wooden sauna cabin by a pond at dusk, lit with lanterns

no.14

rio palena lodge

palena, north aysén, patagonia, chile

a wood-fired sauna cabin by a pond in northern patagonia. the lodge also has a helipad, should you need one.

type
standalone wooden sauna cabin by a pond, plus two hot tubs over the river
heat
wood-fired
access
lodge guests · seven suites, all-inclusive

a remote former fly-fishing lodge on the río palena, run by eleven experience. the sauna cabin looks out at the mountains and is a proper end-of-day sauna rather than a spa amenity.

  • “A wood-fired sauna and two hot tubs invite you to unwind after a day of exploration, offering serene moments amidst the wilderness.”
    jacada travel
  • “Along with expert guides and a helipad, the lodge also offers wood-fired hot tubs and a sauna.”
    the hotel's site

the full listing →visit rio palena lodge ↗

a cedar barrel sauna with a glass viewing dome and a hot tub beside a hut on a coastal headland at dusk

no.15

red rock hut

bungaree, king island, tasmania, australia

one hut, two guests, and a barrel sauna with a window onto the weather. not technically a hotel. we allowed it.

type
cedar barrel sauna with a floor-to-ceiling viewing dome, plus a cedar hot tub
heat
wood-fired
cold plunge
private beach access on the coast · no dedicated plunge tub
access
exclusive to the hut's guests for the whole stay
price
$480 per night (one listing, unverified)

a micro-stay for two on 32 acres of king island's wild west coast. the domed barrel sauna is all yours for the length of the stay, facing straight into whatever is rolling in off the ocean.

the full listing →visit red rock hut ↗

that’s the list. quotes link to their sources. prices and hours change, so check with the hotel before you pack the towel.

checked 2026-10-11

every sauna on the world list →hotels with saunas by city →rooms with their own sauna →