Saunaday

Fantastic and luxurious experience. Sínead was so helpful getting us checked in and oriented. Excellence space. Went home feeling refreshed!

I have been two times and both were very relaxing experiences! It was great place to unwind after a stressful week. I will definitely be back!

I first visited at the end of last year just to try out the sauna experience and was surprised by how much I loved it. The space is beautiful and I always leave feeling incredibly relaxed (and my skin looks so healthy and hydrated!) I also really appreciate having quiet hours on the weekends in the early morning. The vibe is very meditative and being in the space with others still feels communal without conversation. I struggle with some levels of noise and not everyone is mindful of volume during non-quiet hours. I do wish staff would give gentle reminders to those who continue talking during quiet hours, as not everyone respects it. Overall, I have really loved my visits to Saunaday and am glad to have found it.

LOVE LOVE LOVE Saunaday!! Super clean, relaxing atmosphere, and the staff was really friendly. The sauna was amazing and I left feeling so refreshed. Definitely coming back!

This place is AMAZING! I always walk away refreshed, relaxed, and ready to come back!

Just always such an amazing experience! Last week was my first time sauna-ing in the morning, I have only gone in the evening before, and I love the state my body + mind are in. Such an amazing way to start a day.

Incredible experience! Will absolutely be going back. The space is beautiful and really enjoyed the cycle through from scrub, steam, sauna, plunge, rest, and repeat.

This place is horrible, cultural appropriation at its finest. I don’t know why anyone would have pay 60$ for one visit and I can’t believe that the “membership” is just 10% of the full price. Also, jumping in the lake and turning the heat up in your house does just the same thing.

TL;DR, I tried Saunaday recently, and overall it was a great experience. The facilities are clean and beautiful - I'd like to shake the designer's hand. And I felt so relaxed afterwards. But it's disappointing that they don't have a communal hot tub, which is why it will always be 4 stars and not 5. When I was a teenager, I had the opportunity to go to Japan for a six week stay with a host family. I came to love the bathhouse (sento) and hot spring (onsen) culture and wished that we had something like that in the US. To me, public bathing is like a democratized, affordable spa experience. It's the most relaxing activity I've ever taken part in. Regular (or any) visits to the spa are out of reach for most of us. In fact, I always joke that if I ever won the lottery, I'd open a bath house. So, when I found out about Saunaday, I was thrilled! Saunaday is different than Japanese or Korean bathhouses (like King Spa in Chicago). You wear a suit and it's mixed gender. Which kind of makes sense to me - I don't think most people in Wisconsin want to walk around naked with strangers, plus the mixed gender setup enables you to enjoy the experience with your partner or friends of the opposite gender. At Saunaday, the emphasis is on the sauna experience as opposed to bathing (hence the name). As I said, I think the best thing about Japanese and Korean bathhouses is that it democratizes an experience that you could previously only get at a spa in Madison. $55 isn't necessarily cheap, but it's affordable. However, if you want a bathhouse-like experience, you have to pay $130 for the Hinoki Hot Soak. Which I did, because I was treating myself. It was lovely, but there are only three tubs (I think) and they each only fit two people. I felt like a snob perched up there in my tub. I wish they would have allocated more space for a common hot soak area rather than the tubs and private saunas. I understand that their model was based on Finnish sauna culture and not bathhouse culture, but still. Also, I can get behind the idea of the private sauna setup for big groups, but again, I like the idea of a democratized space that the average joe can enjoy, and I wish they had leaned into that rather than the "premium" experiences. As a result, I think this is something I'll only do every once in a while compared to all the time. That said, I had a great time at Saunaday. It really is such a novel space in this part of the world, and I'm grateful that they are offering an affordable spa-like option, because before, there were none. I felt so wonderfully relaxed and tired afterwards. The body wash, shampoo, and conditioner smelled great. Also, it seems to be a great way to meet new people without the distraction of technology (I highly approve of the decision to make it a tech-free space and struck up conversations with a number of nice people). When I was there, the crowd was skewed towards young people, but all are obviously welcome. It was very clean and nobody was creepy. I hope the business does well so they can open more locations across town, ideally with more affordable bathing options :) I'm willing to throw down $50 bucks a couple times a month, but not $130. And if there's not a hot tub, it's not the same, in my book. But to each their own. Final PSA - the floor is pretty slippery. There were employees squeegeeing water the whole time, but it's going to be slick where there is water on tile. Next time, I will probably invest in some sauna shoes to prevent injury. Make sure to be careful walking around.

Excellent bathhouse and a fantastic amenity for Madison. Facility is as you’d expect it; living up to the beautiful branding and storytelling online. What set it apart for me were 1) impeccable cleanliness 2) friendly and attentive staff (always there, never ‘in the way’) 3) coherence of the design idea (it all just fits together so well). Love to visit Sunday evenings as a reset before the week.