Why outdoor saunas are becoming a must have for Australian retreats
By Trove Collective Co | Outdoor Living
A few years ago, a sauna was a nice extra. In 2026, it's fast becoming the feature guests actively search for. If you're running a glamping site, eco retreat or outdoor hospitality venue and haven't considered adding one, the numbers and the guest behaviour behind them are worth a closer look.
Why saunas specifically
Heat based wellness experiences are one of the clearest threads running through Australian travel trends right now. Guided sauna ceremonies, scented steam rooms and mineral rich spa pools are named among the top wellness microtrends for 2026, with Australia particularly well positioned thanks to options ranging from hot springs in Victoria to coastal spa retreats in New South Wales.
It's not just happening in spas either. In Tasmania, floating saunas and forest bathing are part of a broader rewilding movement drawing travellers toward slow nature immersion, with boutique retreats across regions like the Huon Valley blending rugged landscapes with deep restoration experiences. The sauna has become shorthand for exactly the kind of considered, restorative experience today's traveller is booking for.
There's also a seasonal angle worth noting. Cool climate travel is increasingly popular, with travellers seeking calmer destinations and off peak months that help them feel energised and restored, opening up new wellness windows where the quieter months become the ideal time for a mindful getaway. A sauna is one of the few amenities that genuinely shines in those cooler months, exactly when many outdoor properties traditionally go quiet.
What this means for occupancy and rate
For operators, this isn't just a guest experience story, it's a revenue one. A property offering a genuine wellness amenity can typically justify a higher nightly rate than one offering accommodation alone. It also extends the booking calendar. A site that relies on warm weather appeal for its drawcard tends to soften in winter, while a site with a sauna gives guests a reason to book in exactly the months that would otherwise be slow.
The broader trend also tends to deliver strong customer loyalty, with this kind of customisation encouraging repeat visits and strengthening brand attachment to a property over time. Guests who have a genuinely restorative experience are more likely to return, and more likely to bring the kind of five star review that drives future bookings.
Privacy is part of the appeal
It's also worth noting what kind of wellness experience today's traveller actually wants. Privacy is increasingly described as the new luxury, with travellers seeking low density, discreet stays where they can genuinely switch off, whether that's boutique glamping in a remote hinterland or a quiet forest retreat.
This plays directly to the strengths of smaller, independent operators. A single, well positioned outdoor sauna on a private site can deliver exactly the kind of intimate, personal wellness experience that a guest can't get at a large day spa, and that's precisely what's driving demand right now.
Getting it right
The opportunity is real, but it depends on doing it properly. A sauna that's poorly built, badly positioned, or unable to handle repeated guest use will undercut the very experience it's meant to deliver. The properties capturing this trend successfully are the ones treating the sauna as a genuine feature of the site, well positioned, well built, and integrated into the overall outdoor experience rather than bolted on as an afterthought.
We're building out our sauna range at Trove Collective Co. specifically for operators looking to meet this growing demand, premium, long lasting and built for the realities of commercial guest use.
