The Best Modern Bathhouses
In Australia & New Zealand/Aotearoa. A Sneak Peek from inside Volume 05 ‘The Senses Issue’.
Click here to pre-order your copy of our collectible travel magazine, and receive half-price on postage.
Once the domain of ancient traditions, bathhouses are experiencing a modern revival, offering more than just a place to soak. These contemporary sanctuaries are trending for all the right reasons, blending the art of communal relaxation with a sense of escape from the fast-paced world outside. Where traditional spas might be about indulgence through massages and facials, bathhouses focus on the restorative power of water—thermal pools, saunas, and soaking tubs are at the heart of the experience.
What makes modern bathhouses stand out in today’s wellness landscape is their balance between social interaction and solitude. It’s about sinking into the moment, whether that’s alone or with friends, in an environment designed to nourish both body and mind.
Australia and New Zealand have fully embraced this trend, creating bathhouses that feel wonderfully local, connecting guests not only to a sense of calm but also to the surrounding natural world. It’s a new wave of wellness that’s far from the pampered spa day—here, it’s about true renewal, both inside and out.
SOL Elements Bathhouse, Queensland
Tamborine Mountain / Yugambeh Land
Floating at the edge of a rainforest-fringed lake on Tamborine Mountain, SOL Elements blends nature, geometry, and ritual in a serene circular sanctuary. Inside, Japanese-inspired details — from Yakisugi charred timber to a Zen garden with a blooming red bud tree — shape interiors that feel both grounding and transcendent. Guests move between magnesium pools, cold plunges, float caves, a cedar sauna overlooking the lake, a silent steam room, and a Himalayan salt cave — all within a phone-free sanctuary designed for connection and stillness.
For deeper privacy, two secluded suites invite couples or small groups to retreat with mineral baths on private balconies, infrared saunas, ice baths, and wellness minibars stocked with teas and spatinis. Every detail, from volcanic mud masks to crystal hot stone rituals, is considered — creating an elemental retreat you’ll carry home with you.
COMMA SPACES, Victoria & New South Wales
Melbourne/Narrm; Byron Bay/ Cavvanbah
Comma Spaces brings its signature blend of sleek, modern design and thoughtful wellness to two distinct locations—urban Melbourne and the coastal sanctuary of Byron Bay. In Melbourne’s Cremorne, this moody, minimalist hideaway offers a respite from city life, with magnesium baths, saunas, and steam rooms designed to create balance amidst the fast-paced urban landscape. Meanwhile, the Byron Bay location pairs the same contemporary, clean-lined design with a lush, green oasis vibe. Surrounded by nature, it’s a sanctuary that invites you to unwind in magnesium pools or enjoy the calming outdoor spaces, offering a luxurious escape that’s equally rooted in both sophistication and serenity. Whether you’re in the heart of the city or relaxing in a verdant coastal haven, Comma Spaces encourages you to pause, breathe, and recharge.
SENSE OF SELF, Victoria
Melbourne / Naarm
In Collingwood’s creative heart, Sense of Self is a modern bathhouse where ancient rituals meet thoughtful design. A magnesium pool, sauna, hammam and cold plunge create a rhythm of heat, chill, and stillness, while massage and lounge spaces invite deeper restoration. The interiors balance Mediterranean warmth — brass details, greenery, sun-washed tones — with Brutalist honesty in their monolithic forms and raw materials. From the crisp white reception through to the softly lit bathing spaces, every detail guides guests into a slower, more grounded state. More than a bathhouse, SOS is a gathering place — a community hub where everyone is welcome to reconnect, recharge, and share in the rituals of communal bathing, shaped in part by its founder’s years in Norway, where communal bathing is a way of life.
SECRET SPOT, Rotorua
Aotearoa/New Zealand
Hidden among the lush forests of Rotorua, Secret Spot feels exactly like its name—a well-kept secret nestled in the heart of New Zealand's geothermal wonderland. Known for its cedar hot tubs that overlook dense native bush, this bathhouse offers a private and uniquely Kiwi experience. Each tub is infused with pure spring water, heated to the perfect temperature for soaking, and accompanied by your very own "drinks in a barrel." It’s a place where simplicity meets nature, with the added magic of Rotorua’s geothermal activity bubbling just beneath the surface.
CAPYBARA BATHING, New South Wales
Surry Hills / Gadigal Land
Capybara draws on global soaking traditions — from Japanese onsen to Moroccan hammam and Russian banya — and reshapes them for an Australian audience. Terracotta tiles, curved edges and timber details create a warm, tactile space designed for restoration. Guests move through a hot-stone sauna, steam room, mineral magnesium bath, cold plunge and heated lounge with an ice well — all within a curated 90-minute session.
Named after the world’s most social mammal, Capybara embraces the spirit of bathing together. With space for only 20 guests at a time, the experience is intimate yet communal, encouraging both quiet pause and shared connection. The result is a neighbourhood sanctuary that feels both elevated and welcoming, a retreat designed for regular rituals rather than rare occasions.
TANK BATHHOUSE, Queensland
Sunshine Coast/Kabi Kabi
With a breezy, white-washed Mediterranean aesthetic, this Sunshine Coast bathhouse is split between two idyllic locations—one set along the river in Mooloolaba and the other hidden in the hinterland at Bli Bli, known as Tank Farm. At the heart of both locations are six large concrete tanks, each finished with luxurious marble tiles and filled with soothing magnesium water infused with botanical elements to heighten the sensory experience. The tanks range in temperature, from a hot 38 degrees to cool ambient pools and even a cold plunge, creating the ideal space to unwind no matter the season.
