Sauna Jungle. 5210 Wilson Blvd., Arlington.
Cold weather is on the way, but something hot is headed to Arlington. Sauna Jungle, a Finnish-style sauna and contrast therapy destination, is slated to open in January 2027.
Co-founders and husband and wife Steven Hu and Kira Self got into a sauna routine during Covid, when they moved from DC to San Francisco. Dealing with burnout and social isolation, they found the heated sessions were a great way to get off their phones, slow down, and relax together after work. When the world began opening up again, they watched a burgeoning social sauna culture develop in the Bay Area.
But upon moving to Arlington, Hu and Self didn’t find the same thing happening here. (There is a history of social spa experiences in DC, Hu mentions, including the old marble baths under the Capitol as well as the sauna inside the Finnish Embassy.) There were saunas in gym locker rooms and hotel spas, but he struggled to find somewhere with löyly, a Finnish word that describes the steam that comes from throwing water on rocks and the feeling that goes with it. The gap inspired Hu to start a sauna social network that helps connect people with mobile saunas, but it still didn’t satisfy his search for a Finnish-style communal sauna. So, the couple decided to build one themselves. The name, conceived by Self, is a play on “concrete jungle,” imagining the sauna as a serene oasis amid the urban landscape.
When Sauna Jungle opens this winter, it will feature a massive space with a rinse area, three cold plunge pools, and two saunas. The cold plunges will run at 40, 50, and 60 degrees, so people can customize the intensity of their experience. Two Scandinavian-style sauna rooms are being custom built and will span 300 square feet. While they can fit up to 40 people, Hu is planning to limit sessions to 15 to 18 people. One sauna will be a quiet space, and the other will have a more social vibe. The saunas will also operate at different temperatures: a toasty 185 to 190 option and a “cooler” alternative at 175 degrees.
“The key feature will be letting all of our customers actually grab a ladle and a bucket of water, and being able to throw the water on the rocks at their own pace,” says Hu.
After a few rounds of contrast therapy, sauna-goers can rinse off in the shower area, which includes two cold bucket showers. Bathing suits are required.
Rendering of the shower area courtesy of Sauna Jungle.
Keeping in line with the social mission, bench seating is scattered around the space. There are also plans for programming such as parents’ date nights and meetups for cyclists and runners.
The sauna currently has a waitlist for $130 unlimited memberships. Other tiers and access options will be available, too, including $50 day passes and a $90 subscriptions with four visits a month. While the first sauna has yet to open, Hu is already scouting for the next location in the District and soliciting recommendations from the public.
“I think the dream is, instead of people in Arlington or DC saying, ‘Hey, I’ll meet you for coffee to catch up,’ it’s, ‘Hey, let’s meet up at the sauna and catch up for 40 minutes, and knock out a great wellness benefit at the same time.”
Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Takoma.
