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Sweat in Style: London’s best holistic health saunas
By Tessa Crowley | 8 September 2025 | Culture, Lifestyle
As we switch post-work pints for wellness pursuits, there’s a new type of third space in town, one offering community, connection, and calm — the sauna.
While hotel spas have long been beloved for their luxurious sauna and steam room facilities, and the popularity of home saunas has boomed, a new trend has been quietly emerging in the UK — the public sauna. A far cry from damp and dreary council swimming facilities, these spaces offer calming cocoon with community and a whole host of physical and mental benefits. Celebrities and sportspeople from Gwyneth Paltrow to David Beckham have long been advocates, and suddenly they’re popping up everywhere, promising transformative results. Proponents report a myriad of appealing outcomes, including reduced stress and inflammation, improved circulation and heart health, muscle relaxation, increased immunity, and even decreased pain.
And as we increasingly embrace a sober-curious lifestyle, there’s a newfound need for social third spaces beyond the pub. What better than a calm cocoon in which to share conversations and confessions?
So, whether you’re seeking a luxurious spot to socialise, or a cultural immersion and community, read on to discover three of London’s most unique bookable sauna space.
The society hotspot: Rebase, Marylebone
In the centre of Marylebone, steps from the High Street and its upscale shops and eateries, Rebase is a cocoon of calm. When it opened last spring it joined a burgeoning trend for holistic wellness venues; set apart by its focus on ‘community wellness’.
Browsing the shelves of its foyer imparts a swift who’s who of the wellness world, from cobranded supplements and skincare to a seasonal pop-up with eternal arbiter of cool Hunza G. Downstairs, a cryotherapy chamber, hyperbaric oxygen chamber and ice baths sit alongside private treatment rooms and private-use contrast suites, while a steady flow of sophisticated Londoners weave their way through the subterranean space. In the hyperbaric chamber, a polished businesswoman makes the most of the chamber’s wifi, tapping away while effortlessly acquiring all the benefits altitude training offers.
Regular group classes include yoga, breathwork, and contrast sessions combining sauna and ice baths, promising to optimise sleep, decrease stress, or enhance natural focus. This is undoubtedly community wellness for the well-to-do. With shared views on health optimisation and dedication, no wonder connections have been made here, while a new run club launching this month has taken note of demand for more social elements. As community continues to evolve and we seek more offline connection, where better to find likeminded locals with a love of clean living?
With a second, larger, space set to open next year in South Kensington, and a waiting list for certain membership tiers, Rebase is undoubtedly a name to know for preventative health devotees. 
The celebrity secret: Banya No. 1, Old Street
Tucked away in a side street near Old Street, Banya No 1. is a traditional Russian bathhouse. Down an unassuming staircase, you go from the hustle and bustle of Hoxton to a wood-clad wellness spa. This unexpected slice of Moscow promises lower temperatures than a traditional sauna, but don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security. The unique combination of steam, heat, and the Parenie treatment will leave you uniquely invigorated and cleansed. As an onlooker the practice is unexpected — protective wet branches draped over the face before leafy venik bundles made from birch, oak, and eucalyptus are used to waft steam over your body. The practice is intense and strangely meditative, a cycle of intensifying heat which culminates in steam being pressed into the skin, before being abruptly dispersed, giving momentary reprieve before the cycle commences again. It’s easy to believe claims to improve circulation, stimulate the lymphatic system, and detoxify the body. A swift cold plunge follows, leaving you exhilarated yet unnervingly calm, before a cleansing salt scrub and intensive deep-tissue massage purge the last of your worries away.
Popular with celebrity favourites such as Justin Bieber, Emilia Clarke and Laurence Fishburne, it’s a unique immersion into banya culture with a no-nonsense approach. Scenes from sauna culture across the years and Russian boxing illustrations adorn the walls of the relaxation room, while nourishing broths, teas, and fermented dishes grace the menu.
Beyond the public banya, a second suite of rooms offer privacy for groups of up to 10, featuring a private lounge, fully stocked fridges, and a dedicated therapist to administer scrubs, massages and parenie. With its unique blend of personal and community elements however, it’s perhaps unsurprising even famed names often opt to frequent the public space, enjoying the culture, clarity, and invigoration it brings.