Ember, a new bathhouse and thermal wellness center, is targeting a late 2027 opening at 1200 Stewart St. in Seattle’s Denny Triangle, co-founders Joe Kelley and Marcus Holmquist told What Now Seattle.
The company has signed a 15-year lease for an 8,800-square-foot space on the third floor of Aero1200’s east tower, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal. The space will include a steam room, cold plunges, a wellness bar, two baths, and two saunas. One of the saunas will accommodate up to 46 people.
“We aren’t a traditional spa,” Kelley said. “We’re not trying to just offer ultimate luxury or relaxation in the way that a nice hotel would. We really want this to be an accessible third space for the public.”
Kelley said guests will be able to cycle through the saunas, cold plunges, baths, and lounge based on their preferred routine. A visit could last 20 to 30 minutes for someone stopping in before or after work, or up to two hours.
The larger sauna is planned as an event space. Programming under consideration includes Aufguss ceremonies, in which a sauna master uses a towel to circulate heat, along with meditation, yoga, sound baths, listening parties, and sauna raves.
The wellness bar will serve only nonalcoholic beverages. Kelley said the menu is still under development but could change by season and include drinks intended to be refreshing or energizing after a sauna session.
The founders plan to use local wood and stone to give the space a Pacific Northwest feel. Japanese bathhouses, Finnish saunas, and other bathing traditions will also inform the design.
The idea began approximately three and a half years ago after Holmquist’s wedding in Stockholm. Several guests stayed at the Grand Hôtel and tried its thermal spa, leading to conversations about why similar experiences were less common in the United States. Kelley also attended the wedding, and the experience stayed with both founders.
They continued exploring the idea after returning home. Kelley visited bathhouses in Japan, and the founders also spent time at locations across the country, particularly on the East Coast, before putting together the plan for Ember.
“We realized that this is an amazing cultural experience that’s been around for hundreds of years, and it really hasn’t reached Seattle in the way that it should,” Holmquist said.
The founders initially considered constructing a bathhouse from the ground up before shifting to leased space. They toured properties across Seattle and the Eastside before selecting Aero1200, citing the surrounding residential population, foot traffic, parking, and access from apartments within the development.
Nearly 1,600 people had joined Ember’s waiting list as of the founders’ interview with What Now Seattle.
“Seattle is craving another bathhouse. The demand is there,” Holmquist said. “And I think that we are trying to do it at a scale that just hasn’t been done before. We are super excited to bring that to the city.”
Follow Ember on Instagram for construction updates or join the waiting list through the company’s website.
