Communal saunas aren’t really a new concept — you can find them worldwide throughout human history — but they are surging in popularity right now.
Unlike the mainstream spa (think tranquil, quiet, emphasizing the individual experience), the communal sauna, steam and cold-plunge facilities that have burst onto Calgary’s spa scene have activities like dedicated social and anti-social hours, group stretching classes and guided cold plunges.
Even on Friday and Saturday nights, once reserved for the quintessential “night out on the town,” you can find social saunas open and ready to be the new hangout spots, emphasizing social connection, community building and shared wellness.
With more people flirting with sobriety, looking for in-person connections and feeling an increasing appetite for hacking their health to achieve peak personal fitness — mental, physical, emotional and social — a communal wellness activity has obvious appeal.
No one will “shush” you at one of these facilities if you’re talking to your friends (at least during social hours) and you can leave feeling really good. Best of all, you’ll feel great the next day, too!
Potential therapeutic benefits of saunas and cold plunging include reduced stress levels and inflammation, better-regulated blood pressure, quicker recovery after a workout, reduced risk of heart disease, and improved mood and mental health. The list is seemingly endless. Some of these claimed effects may be the result of the body’s stress response to extreme hot and cold sensations and the feeling of accomplishment when you withstand and “overcome” the discomfort. And, while most of the health claims have not been rigorously tested by science, you can test them anecdotally yourself at these spots around the city.
Offline Wellness Club
When it opened: May 2025
Best suited for: Busy, on-the-go folks looking to log off their devices.
What to try: Social hour drop-ins for upbeat music and socializing with friends.
The run-club-turned-wellness-facility has a sauna that can seat more than 30 people, along with free-standing cold-plunge tanks (two people per tank) offering multiple temperatures. There are dedicated social hours and quieter “anti-social” hours more reminiscent of a traditional spa. Water, tea, coffee and electrolyte drinks are offered free of charge at the lounge.
1214 11 Ave. S.W., offlinewellnessclub.com
PRML
When it opened: June 2025
Best suited for: Post-workout and recovery.
What to try: Guided cold plunge on Saturday mornings at 8 a.m.
PRML (pronounced “primal”) is Rumble Boxing’s sauna/cold-plunge recovery offering located above the boxing studio on 17th Avenue. The hot and cold circuit is self-guided, but PRML offers guided breathwork and cold-plunge times, too. There are four individual cold-plunge tanks (two people can use each tank), a lounge area with water and tea provided and a sauna for 20.
Level 2, 720 17 Ave. S.W., prmlsocial.com
One8T Wellness
When it opened: Slated for December 2025 opening at time of publishing.
Best suited for: Those seeking more privacy.
What to try: The vitamin C-infused, carbon-filtered shower during or after your circuit.
The hydrotherapy routine at One8T (pronounced “one-eighty”) lasts for 80 minutes. The first 20 minutes are in a semi-private area and the last 60 are inside a private luxury suite (go solo or bring up to two friends, but you won’t be socializing with strangers). The circuit includes hydrating beverages, a massage chair and Vibr8 percussion therapy (targeted massage with a massage gun). Then you move into a private suite for infrared sauna with optional red-light and vibrational-resonance therapy, a saltwater cold plunge and finally the vitamin-infused and carbon-filtered shower.
1934 33 Ave. S.W., one8t.com
SKA Thermal Spa
When it opened: December 2022
Best suited for: Those who want add-ons, like a facial or a bottle of wine while they lounge.
What to try: Combine the hydrotherapy circuit with a massage appointment.
SKA, by the same folks who founded Leela Eco Spa, is located underground in the Beltline area — convenient for downtown folks. The hot and cold tubs are communal pools, rather than individual tanks. The circuit is self-guided except for some classes that incorporate stretching and breathwork into the hot and cold ritual. You can also book various massage and facial treatments to combine with the hydrotherapy experience at SKA.
638 11 Ave. S.W., skathermalspa.com
More Wellness Spaces
Clear Nordic Spa
Who’s it for: Those looking for a nearly silent, semi-private experience. (The spa room is silent, but the Zen room allows for socializing.)
Leela Thermal House
Who’s it for: Those who want a private experience (for up to two) and to be guided through a hydrotherapy ritual, followed by massage.
Cedar and Steam
Who’s it for: Those seeking a casual and affordable drop-in spot, with kombucha on tap and unisex saunas, as well as a steam room.
Drift Away Wellness Spa
Who’s it for: Those wanting unique services, like a seaweed-and-beer bath or the only Kneipp path experience in town, where you walk through two ankle-deep pebbled pools — one hot and one cold.
Eau Claire Athletic Club
Who’s it for: Those looking to spend a day at a private luxury facility with outdoor patios for working out and lounging, plus premium dining.
