Don Genders, founder & CEO of Design for Leisure, gives a primer on what to consider when looking for a site for a new bathhouse. Given the popularity of my recent blog post on the bathhouse investment opportunity , I wanted to share thoughts on site selection. Over the past 35 years, designing hydrothermal spaces, I’ve seen brilliant concepts struggle simply because the wrong building or plot was chosen. A disused retail property, depending on location, can be a great site

Around the world, the conversation about athlete performance is shifting. It’s no longer just about how hard you train — it’s about how intelligently you recover. And increasingly, collegiate programs are recognizing that world-class hydrothermal environments are essential tools in keeping athletes healthy, resilient, and competition-ready. TCU is one of the clearest examples of this shift happening in real time. The university's new Human Performance Center features a fully

Don Genders, founder & CEO of Design for Leisure, explains why it's time investors take a closer look at the new wave of social, sensory, and mentally restorative wellness clubs. If you’ve been watching the wellness world, you’ve probably noticed a new kind of heat rising. Once seen as relics of another era,  bathhouses  are now pulsing with renewed energy—from Brooklyn to Austin to Los Angeles—drawing in the same experience-hungry audiences that have transformed fitness, d

When it comes to powering athletic performance, recovery is everything. At Texas Christian University (TCU) , that philosophy now has a...

While saunas are a go-to place to sweat, unwind, relax, and even catch up with friends, could that time in the heat actually be adding years to your life? 

The differences between true Finnish sauna "sweat bathing" and infrared heat therapy might surprise you!

Written by Don Genders, founder & CEO of Design for Leisure . This article originally appeared in chapter four of the “Guide to...

Are you considering remodeling or building an entirely new hydrothermal spa area? Whether you're the project owner/operator/developer or...