The social sauna bringing people together in SLU.
What if your favorite neighborhood hangout combined the energy of a beer garden with a sauna and cold plunge?
That’s the idea behind Tuli Lodge, Seattle’s newest social sauna and cold plunge garden, now operating at Lake Union Piers (900 Fairview Avenue North) in South Lake Union for the summer season. Guests can rotate between hot saunas, icy cold plunges, and cozy gathering spaces complete with fire pits and seating—all designed to encourage connection as much as relaxation.
For founder Hannah Goldstein, the inspiration came from an unexpected place: a trip to Norway.
“A few years ago, I went on a vacation to Norway with some friends,” Goldstein said. “I had never been in a sauna before, and my friends insisted that sauna’ing is the thing to do when visiting Norway. After my first session, I was hooked.”
“I was so inspired by how casual and community-oriented the experience was,” she said. “I saw people of all stages in life in one space together, typically socializing, and in this space that was a regular part of their daily lives.”
When she returned home, Goldstein searched for a similar experience but couldn’t find one. While sauna has grown in popularity in the United States, many experiences felt more focused on luxury, solitude, and optimization than community.
That realization eventually led her to launch Tuli Lodge.
The name Tuli means “fire” in Finnish, a nod to the Nordic roots of sauna culture and the warmth and connection the company hopes to foster.
Goldstein often describes the concept as “beer garden energy meets wellness.”
“Most wellness spaces ask you to be quiet, be still, optimize,” she said. “That’s great, but that’s not Tuli. We want to center our experience around energy, joy, and connection.”
Instead of gathering around drinks, guests gather around the shared experience of heat, cold, and conversation.
“When I think about the feeling of a beer garden, I imagine something lively, unpretentious, a place where you actually talk to people, and a spot you meet up regularly, not just on special occasions,” Goldstein said.
That philosophy also informs Tuli’s pricing. Sessions are booked by the hour and cost $27 per person, a price point Goldstein hopes will remain less expensive than a couple of cocktails at a bar.
For first timers, the experience is designed to be approachable. Guests wear a swimsuit and move between the sauna, cold plunge, and outdoor gathering spaces throughout a 60-minute session. Tuli recommends spending 10-20 minutes in the sauna followed by one to three minutes of cold exposure, though the cold plunge is completely optional. The saunas are open to all gender identities, and the emphasis is less on performance and more on finding a rhythm that feels good while enjoying time with friends—or making a few new ones.
Goldstein hopes Tuli can become what sociologists call a “third space,” somewhere that isn’t home and isn’t work, but still feels familiar and welcoming.
“A third space is somewhere you feel yourself and feel a sense of belonging,” she said. “The dream is for Tuli to be as dependable as your favorite bar—somewhere your friends know to meet you, or somewhere you go alone and leave having met someone new.”
For now, that vision is taking shape along the shores of Lake Union, where South Lake Union residents can experience a different kind of gathering place—one built around conversation, connection, and a little heat. But Goldstein’s ambitions stretch well beyond a seasonal pop-up.
The long-term goal is a permanent Seattle location, ideally in South Lake Union, and eventually bringing Tuli to major cities across the country.
Story by Ethan Chung. Photos courtesy Tuli Lodge.
