Bathhouse Opens Brooklyn Flagship, Fueling NYC's Hot Wellness Market

BROOKLYN, NY – May 15, 2026 – A new epicenter for wellness is set to open its doors in the heart of Brooklyn. Bathhouse, the brand that has redefined urban relaxation with its "anti-spa" ethos, will welcome the public to its newest and largest location at 540 Atlantic Avenue on May 16, 2026. The sprawling 32,000-square-foot facility marks a significant milestone in the company's ambitious expansion and a major new player in the borough's increasingly competitive wellness scene.

The massive space, comprising 27,000 square feet indoors and a 5,000-square-foot outdoor backyard, is strategically positioned at the crossroads of Boerum Hill, Cobble Hill, Brooklyn Heights, and Downtown Brooklyn. It's a deliberate choice for a brand that aims to be woven into the fabric of the neighborhoods it serves.

"Atlantic Avenue sits at the intersection of four of Brooklyn's most vibrant neighborhoods. The energy is palpable," said Jason Goodman, Co-Founder of Bathhouse. "This location feels like stepping into another world but also truly local, and offers a convenient place to sweat and reset closer to home."

The 'Anti-Spa' Rises

Since its 2019 debut in Williamsburg, Bathhouse has cultivated a following by rejecting the hushed, passive preciousness of traditional spas. Instead, it champions a philosophy of "functionality over preciousness, recovery over relaxation." The Atlantic Avenue location is the grandest expression of this vision yet.

Guests will find an environment designed for active recovery and state change. The facility boasts four pools—three indoor thermal pools and one outdoor—alongside three distinct saunas and a steam room. An additional outdoor sauna is planned for the summer. The core experience is contrast therapy: the intentional movement between extreme heat and cold. This practice, long favored by athletes for its ability to reduce inflammation and speed up recovery, is now a mainstream wellness trend. By cycling between hot saunas and cold plunges, guests stimulate circulation, activate the body’s natural healing systems, and experience a profound mental and physical reset.

The design, handled internally by the Bathhouse team, is a crucial part of the experience. It builds on the architectural DNA established in their Williamsburg and Flatiron locations, guiding visitors on a sensory journey.

"Guests move through a sequence of spaces designed to slow perception and heighten awareness, reinforcing the timeless function of bathhouses as places of transformation, restoration, and ritual," explained Co-Founder Travis Talmadge. This focus on functional wellness, which addresses the root causes of stress and fatigue rather than just symptoms, positions the brand at the forefront of a major industry shift.

A Calculated Expansion in a Competitive Market

The Atlantic Avenue opening is not just a new location; it's a statement of intent, backed by serious capital and a clear national strategy. Bathhouse recently secured a staggering $35 million in a funding round led by Imaginary Ventures, the venture capital firm behind consumer giants like Skims and Glossier. The investment, which brought the company's total funding to over $76 million, also attracted a roster of celebrity athletes, including Klay Thompson and D.K. Metcalf, underscoring the brand's appeal to a performance-driven audience.

This financial backing is fueling an aggressive national rollout, with plans to operate 10 locations by 2028. Future outposts are already slated for Los Angeles, Chicago, Nashville, and Philadelphia, including a colossal 85,000-square-foot flagship on LA's Sunset Boulevard.

However, Bathhouse is expanding into a fiercely competitive landscape, particularly in New York City, where a "sauna war" is brewing. In Brooklyn alone, it will compete with established players and new entrants alike. Massive facilities like the 50,000-square-foot World Spa in Midwood offer a vast array of global bathing traditions, while boutique spots like cityWell and Recoverie provide more intimate or specialized recovery services. By planting its largest flag yet in Brooklyn, Bathhouse is betting that its unique brand of social, functional wellness can not only compete but dominate.

Forging a New Hub on Atlantic Avenue

The choice of Atlantic Avenue is a strategic move that taps into a dynamic urban corridor while also posing questions about neighborhood evolution. The Atlantic Avenue Business Improvement District (AABID) has worked for years to cultivate a vibrant mix of businesses while preserving the area's historic character. The arrival of a large-scale, premium wellness destination like Bathhouse introduces a powerful new economic engine.

The facility is expected to create jobs and attract significant foot traffic, potentially benefiting surrounding shops and restaurants. For the thousands of residents in the adjacent, densely populated neighborhoods, it offers a new and accessible world-class amenity. In a nod towards accessibility, day passes for the Atlantic Avenue location will start at $29, a notably lower entry point than its other New York locations.

Still, the arrival of such a high-profile, luxury-adjacent brand inevitably brings conversations about urban development and gentrification to the forefront. While the brand aims to be a local hub, its premium memberships and treatment costs, which can run into the hundreds of dollars, highlight the ongoing tension between development and affordability in rapidly changing Brooklyn neighborhoods.

More Than a Soak: A Social and Sporting Destination

Further distinguishing itself from the quiet solitude of a typical spa, Bathhouse is leaning into its role as a social and event-driven destination. Just days after its grand opening, the Atlantic Avenue location will host the Aufguss USA Nationals Show Aufguss Competition. Aufguss is a multisensory sauna ritual where a "sauna master" uses water infused with essential oils and theatrical towel movements to circulate heat.

Hosting this national competition is a power play, immediately establishing the facility as a major hub for a growing global wellness movement. The event will take place in what is being billed as the largest event sauna in the country, capable of holding over 100 guests at a time. This transforms the facility from a simple place of recovery into a performance venue and community gathering space, perfectly aligning with its mission to modernize bathhouse culture for a performance-driven, social wellness audience.

As Bathhouse Atlantic Avenue prepares to open, it represents the confluence of several major trends: the commercialization of contrast therapy, the strategic expansion of venture-backed wellness brands, and the ongoing transformation of New York's urban landscape. It's a bold gamble on the idea that in an increasingly disconnected world, people are craving communal, functional, and transformative experiences—and are willing to pay for them. With its doors opening this week, the brand is poised to see if Brooklyn is ready to sweat.