London's Sauna Scene Has Gone Design-y — These 3 Are the Best, and Serve Inspiration for Feeling Calm, Inspired, and Energized Even in Your Own Bathroom

"Sauna this Saturday?" has never been a more popular phrase among the London hip, style-discerning community, and it isn't hard to know why both sauna dates and friend catchups are literally redefining the way people socialize in the British capital right now.

Like most metropolises, London is rarely associated with peaceful, stress-free downtime. Instead, it is more often referred to as the place where dreams can come true, and stuff gets done. But if there is one thing we can learn from the ongoing rise of saunas in London, it's that urban lifestyle is taking a U-turn. Yes, because if countryside spas in the UK remain the ultimate destination for Londoners looking to get away from it all, saunas in London are becoming the new cafes and bars.

From Peckham's zen-y Sauna Social Club to Hackney Rooftop Saunas and the newly opened Lowlu Sauna & Plunge in Kentish Town, the British capital will soon have more bathhouses than pubs staying open until late. That, in itself, captures a growing desire for experiences that don't just allow us to share precious time with others, but also ensure we get to rest and recharge, momentarily forgetting about what's required of us every day.

3 of the Best Saunas in London for Design Lovers Craving Some Calm

While saunas in London are proliferating, the bathhouses that pass our design check are still a select few. Picked for how they exemplify the positive influence that the right choice of palette, lighting, and materials can have on our body, our mind, and our general mood, the three addresses listed below trace the evolution of bathing rituals through their deeply sensory decor.

Although we know how tempting it is to book yourself in for a reinvigorating slot, we have also identified simple interior details that can help you inject some sauna-inspired peace into your own bathroom. Discover our edit of saunas in London below — and let yourself be inspired to recreate their feeling at home.

1. Arc

Best for a Space-y, Collective Experience

Level -2, Unit 46, Minus, 1 Crossrail Pl, London E14 5AR

The first entry in this curation of saunas in London couldn't go to any other bathhouse than Canary Wharf's ARC. Designed by the multidisciplinary architects at CAKE, who recently completed the Millennium Bridge location of specialty coffee group WatchHouse, this community wellness center blends ultra-modern facilities — including the largest communal sauna in the UK, eight cold plunge tubs for endorphins and recovery stimulation, and an amphitheater-like, circular lounge meant for unwinding and interacting with others — with a nightclub aesthetic.

Stepping inside, it feels more like walking into a sculptural cave of some sort than your ordinary spa. That's largely due to the choice of materials that constitute the space, which, varying from red and blue terracotta tiles and woods such as timber and cedar, to cool metallic touches interspersed with mesh, keep an organic tactility at its center.

The palette, too — burned reds like this Farrow & Ball Red Earth 64 paint, chocolatey browns, and ocean tones, occasionally revived by sophisticated, sheeny brass and chrome detailing — contributes to this natural feel, as does the theatrical yet never glaring lighting, combining linear fixtures with softly glowing porthole windows. The result embraces and comforts guests gently instead of making them feel in the spotlight, which is one of the core goals of wellness design.

ARC focuses on contrast therapy, or exposing yourself to extreme hot and cold temperatures to help stimulate the body's natural stress and relaxation responses. It offers guided classes, self-catered free flow sessions, and even evening sauna parties with aromatherapy and DJs crafting original soundscapes. Single classes start at £29 and entries can be purchased in bundles (£49 for three classes for the first month, £75 for the first month of ARC Membership, discounted by 50%).

Browse a selection of ARC-inspired homeware additions till you make up your mind on your favorite saunas in London, or book your slot at ARC.

2. Ellwood

Best for the Cool Urban Dweller(s)

16 Spurstowe Terrace, London E8 1LA

"Visiting Ellwood felt like I'd be handed the keys to my incredibly cool friend's flat for an hour," Livingetc's interiors editor Emma Breislin says of her experience of the Hackney wellness space.

"Tucked away on the second floor of a commercial building, you'd never have guessed what was hiding behind the door. Every detail has been considered — there's Aesop body products for pre- and post-sauna, a hairdryer, and a selection of books to flick through. And then there's the design, from the funky Henry Holland tiles in the shower to the shell-shaped sink, checkerboard tiles, and cafe-style curtains. An hour is all you need (though I wouldn't have complained about spending a whole day there)."

Although I have yet to go myself, what convinced me to include Ellwood in this design-driven edit of saunas in London was its inherently boutique feel. Bookable by individuals, couples, or very small groups, it only has one room, though it's a mighty one, equipped with a next-generation infrared sauna. Compared to traditional saunas, the infrared technology heats the body directly rather than through heat, granting you greater benefits than the former at lower temperatures and at a much faster rate.

The combination of pale woods, exposed red brick and cement walls, and mid-century modern furniture like the oh-so-cool brown leather Barnham Slab gives it an edgy, NYC loft conversion look, making it instantly covetable for all interior design lovers in need of a much-deserved break.

Into the Hackney hotspot? Start small by picking up some of the collectibles that decorate its sauna room, or book your slot at Ellwood. Prices start at just £39 for a 60-minute session for one or two visitors.

Rebase Recovery

Best for an Ancient Bath-Inspired, State-of-the-Art Ritual

1a St Vincent St, London W1U 4DA

Last but in no way least on this list of saunas in London with a visit-worthy design twist comes Rebase Recovery, a spectacularly crafted wellness destination nestled in the heart of affluent Marylebone. The work of Atelier Wren, this vibrant address opened in May 2024.

Since then, it has offered ice baths, saunas, cryotherapy, and hyperbaric oxygen sessions to the central London community and beyond, translating founders Alex and Waldo's vision to make healthy living as fun and social as possible into beautifully textural, immersive decor. Blame my Italian origins, but I couldn't help but notice the striking resemblance between Rebase Recovery's terracotta-hued subterranean sauna room and the structure of ancient Roman baths, where calidaria ("hot water pools") and frigidaria ("cold water pools") were divided by sinuous arches.

A detail that, paired with the sunset-shaded, suffused lighting, wood, marble, and speckled floor details, and the Adobe architecture-style cafe of this wellness center, not to mention its state-of-the-art, sci-fi technology, captures the evolving aesthetic of bathing rituals through the centuries.

Hosting anything from breathwork and yoga classes to lymphatic drainage massages, among several other wellbeing practices, Rebase Recovery feels native to the exclusive district of Marylebone. It reunites inspirations gathered on travels through India, Finland, and Mexico into one, and it will only cost you £15 for a quick, one-off dip in the sauna.

Go for its textural and vaguely tropical-inspired look, or book your slot at Rebase Recovery.

A quick visit to one of the best saunas in London — and in our case, to one of the city's most aesthetic wellness hotspots — is a great way to press pause on routine and recharge in style. Once you feel like you've got your energy levels back, though, head to one of the best ski resorts in Europe and the world to let more steam off down the slopes.