The new going-out spot isn’t a bar. It’s so much hotter than that

The new going-out spot isn’t a bar. It’s so much hotter than that

Montreal’s RECESS Thermal Station, a hybrid sauna and cold plunge, has become a hub for socializing that defies traditional notions of nightlife. By 10 p.m., the Friday crowd was already drenched in sweat, their bodies glowing under the club-like lighting that transformed the circular sauna into a vibrant gathering space. Attendees, many of them fit and well-groomed, moved with the rhythm of DJ Brinassa’s house beat, while an employee in a shirtless, tattooed state swayed to the music, using a folding hand fan to circulate the heat.

Unlike conventional bars, these spaces blend wellness with community. In a lounge adjacent to the sauna, couples lounged in plush chairs near the DJ booth, while singles sipped herbal tea and engaged with icebreaker prompts from cue cards. RECESS, which launched in September, is part of a growing movement across North America where saunas and baths are redefined as social venues. “There’s a possibility of meeting new people. There’s a high energy, or vibe. You can dance,” said cofounder Adam Simms, highlighting the connections forged through shared heat and sound.

From saunas to social hubs

These businesses are spreading rapidly. Months after its debut, Montreal will welcome another social bathing spot when JOY Wellness Club opens this spring. Meanwhile, Bathhouse, known for its lively scenes in New York City, is set to expand to Philadelphia later this year. The Altar, a 50-person sauna on Fifth Avenue, is scheduled for 2026, with the tagline “Health as a cultural gathering space” underscoring the trend’s emphasis on collective wellness.

Historically, communal bathing has been a universal practice, from Ottoman hammams to Roman thermae, North American sweat lodges, and Finnish saunas. However, over time, many of these traditions faded, replaced by private indoor plumbing. Mikkel Aaland, a Norwegian-American photographer and writer, refers to this period as a “long forgetting.” His work, including the 1978 book “Sweat” and the 2023 documentary series “Perfect Sweat,” captures the global revival of such spaces, which he calls a “long remembering.”

Modern reinventions

Across North America, these bathhouses often borrow from historical roots while adding contemporary twists. Floating saunas on the Oslo fjord, for instance, reflect Norway’s embrace of design-driven communal bathing. In the U.S., the trend has taken on unique forms, with venues like Othership in Toronto leading the charge. Opening in 2022, Othership’s Toronto and NYC locations host events ranging from stand-up comedy to sound baths, reimagining the sauna as a dynamic social platform.

“There’s a new form of socializing,” said Othership co-founder Myles Farmer. The idea aligns with a post-pandemic desire for offline interaction. “People in big cities aren’t regularly making authentic connections,” Farmer noted. This shift has spurred a wave of wellness-focused businesses, turning once-private rituals into opportunities for bonding. As Robert Hammond, president of Therme US, explained, “As soon as we created heat, we built spaces to share it together.”

“It’s the beginning stages of something very exciting,” said Aaland, who has spent decades documenting the evolution of sweat bathing. “There’s a growing awareness that loneliness and isolation are affecting our health, so people are seeking fresh ways to connect.”