Blue Mountains Sauna — Attraction in Sydney

I have been a sauna enthusiast for many years. With a sister living in Helsinki, I have been very fortunate to visit Finland many times and to sink myself into its deep-rooted sauna culture. Public saunas in Finland are a place for people to gather, to connect, and to allow their bodies and minds to rest and recover.

I am constantly in search of such spaces in Australia; they are few and far between. So, when I came across the Blue Mountains Sauna as part of some NSW summer holiday planning, I was delighted. They had a beautiful marketing video on their website and their philosophy seemed to align with exactly what I wanted; finally, I thought, someone else in Australia understands my respect for the Finnish public sauna and they have brought this dream to life.

My experience of the Blue Mountains Sauna was disappointing. I could appreciate what the owners had tried to do; and although some of the elements were executed very well, others left me wanting.

I’ll start with what I liked: (1) the sauna itself. It was beautifully made: the timber, the heat, the size: all perfect. The bottom bench was around 80 degrees and the top bench was around 100. Serious sauna heat. (2) the staff: they were friendly and welcoming, they showed us where everything was and what the suggested order and timing of activity was.

What let the experience down: (1) The missing connection to nature. Given that the Blue Mountains is a very special part of Australia, with immensely beautiful mountains and forests, I did expect that the sauna would have been positioned in a way that would allow visitors to soak in some nice views of the natural landscape. This was not the case; the facility is located at the back of the main shopping strip in one of the towns, and the outdoor resting deck looks out onto a carpark.

(2) The chaotic movement of people and staff between all the various zones. The facility is not thoughtfully designed around the flow of people. To enter the facility, one must walk straight through the middle of people in towels ‘resting’ on the outdoor deck, and the indoor ‘resting space’ co-functions as a reception. So, in each of these so-called resting spaces, there is constant movement and chatter of people arriving, people leaving, and people moving between zones. My partner and I both agreed that these spaces felt more like a youth hostel communal area than actual spaces to rest and feel calm in.

(3) The inconsistency of investment across the facility: whilst a couple of areas of the facility felt like the ‘luxury’ experience we had paid for (namely, the sauna and the cold plunge), the rest of the space felt like a bit of an afterthought that had been cobbled together as cheaply as possible. For example, the changerooms had not been renovated: paint was peeling off the walls, and no shampoo or conditioner was available for guest use.

(4) The excessive number of rules. Upon entry, we were told to remove all jewellery. Then there were the rules written in very large text on the wall; some of them were normal (eg. shower before getting into the cold plunge), but others felt a bit dictatorial (eg. there was also a rule against doing breathwork in the sauna….which was very unusual).

In short, I am grateful that the owners of this particular business have made an attempt to bring a taste of European sauna culture to Australia; I just think that they didn’t quite hit the mark. I suspect that the owners have over-invested in marketing the business, at the expense of creating a space that is truly restorative for visitors. I won’t be...

We went here yesterday but unfortunately we didn’t enjoy our experience as much as other people from the reviews. I’m going to start with the positive aspects: Since coming to Australia we miss having infusions in saunas so this was something we very much enjoyed and appreciated. We also liked that everyone was asked to be quiet in the sauna in the evening which facilitated relaxation. Besides that I also think that the tea station is a lovely idea, but that’s about it. First of all I think the sauna is way too small for the amount of people who are there at the time, you’re basically crammed in which is not pleasant. Besides that, there’s two rest areas I would like to address as well. One of them is inside next to the counter where people check-in, store their bags, make themselves tea etc. - how are you supposed to relax that way? Furthermore, there were only metal stools and a wooden bench to sit on in that rest area, both weren’t very comfortable (maybe some cushions would help?). Also our session was booked until 9pm but the staff started taking the trash out way before that and while we were still in the rest area - I personally think that should be done after all guests are gone, at least that’s how I know it coming from a service background as well. The other rest area is outside with a view on the parking lot which could easily be improved by wooden panels and plants to make the space more appealing. Also in that second rest area there’s only a wooden bench without a backrest and wooden sun beds - again without cushions and not very comfortable. In general I feel that the rest areas lack a bit of soul and don’t invite to relax and unwind at all but maybe I’m just spoiled by the European standards here. But that’s not it. After the sauna someone took one of our towels we rented for 7$ each so we kindly asked the staff member whether we can have a new one since it isn’t our fault. But instead of listening and finding a solution she simply said „I’ll be in trouble with my manager if I give you another“ and „that happens all the time“. Well, if it happens all the time maybe one should think about a solution to prevent that from happening especially when it is a service you paid for. Anyway, we ended up sharing one towel to dry after the shower which was not convenient as you can imagine because the towel was very wet at some point when two people are forced to use one. Not quite sure whether that’s good...

Original: A true Finnish Sauna in Australia! As a sauna lover for years until now I'd not managed to participate in a real Finnish Sauna. The temperature and humidity was perfect - AMAZING (90c & 20%). Worth a drive from Sydney City. Facilities are great. Enjoyed sitting outside after cooling down. Large sauna room. Educated staff. Spacious. Wish I had time to stay longer - 2 hours flew by! I will be back. After visiting saunas around the world I can attest that the general 'box with heater' has a massively different feeling to a true Finnish sauna. I've been to Finland and visited multiple saunas there - this is authentic!!!

Staff working here are great to chat with and checked in too.

Odin ice bath was lovely & clean - and chilled. Watched the staff pour in 2 buckets of ice to further lower the temp - it was 0.8c, yes, ZERO POINT EIGHT! - AMAZING.

Dreamy in every way......

EDIT: second visit today for my birthday today. Greatly appreciate Ari wishing me the best + having a dragon ball to add to the sauna to celebrate. Memorable. Kindest thanks! Also attended the steam session with Ari. Hours later still buzzing from it. Wow!

Second edit: I’ve now attended 6 different steam sessions with 3 different sauna meisters. Nothing short of amazing. If you check my profile out you’ll see I’ve reviewed a lot of sauna. BMS is the best world wide. The steaming sessions are magical.

Another edit, why not? :): Had a great chat with Nik after yesterday's sauna. We got chatting about saunas in Helsinki. Nik's knowledge of Helsinki public saunas, the different types of each (wood, smoke etcc), the locations of them, as well as the surrounding was impressive. As someone planning on heading back to Helsinki, being able to chat to someone who off the top of their head can confidently name the various saunas to visit and why to visit each of them, beyond the common 2-3 was great. Nik's suggestions have helped me in planning my future holiday - thank you. Very clear Nik & the team care about the authentic Finnish sauna experience having broad and deep first hand knowledge. You'd think by now BMS would stop being able to surprise me, but nope - every visit continues to instil unanticipated magic. See you for a...