Steam saunas in Auckland, New Zealand
Takapuna Pool and Leisure Centre
Auckland Council's Takapuna centre on Killarney Street sits a block from the beach and keeps its spa, sauna and steam room together as a Swim Plus Zone for over-17s only: a 38C spa pool, a sauna at 70-90C and a 44C steam room, reached with a wristband from reception. The rest of the building holds a 33.3m six-lane pool and a 32C learners' pool. Adult Swim Plus is $10.50 and children under 16 swim free.
Tepid Baths
Built in 1914 as saltwater baths and refurbished in 2012, the Tepid Baths on Customs Street West are a Category 2 Historic Place still in daily use. Behind the brick facade sit a 25m lane pool, a 15m learners' pool, a 39C spa, a sauna at 70-90C and a 45C steam room, all wheelchair accessible. An Adult Swim Plus ticket at $11.50 covers the spa, sauna and steam; swimming alone is $9.50 and under-16s are free.
The Olympic
The Olympic on Broadway is Newmarket's pool complex and the closest thing central Auckland has to a public bathhouse: spa pools, a sauna and a steam room are all included with entry rather than charged as an extra. It opens at 5:30am on weekdays and 7am at weekends, which makes it the usual before-work stop for Newmarket swimmers who finish a session in the hot water rather than the changing room.
West Wave Pool and Leisure Centre
West Wave in Henderson is the biggest of Auckland Council's aquatic centres: a 16-lane pool, a wave pool, a dive pool with boards, a 34C hydrotherapy pool and two spas at 36C and 39C. Its Swim Plus Zone holds a sauna at 75-85C and a steam room limited to over-17s, closing early on Thursday and Sunday evenings for cleaning. Adult Swim Plus costs $10.50, concession Swim Plus $6.30, and under-16s are free.
Chuan Spa at Cordis Auckland
Chuan Spa occupies level two of the Cordis on Symonds Street and builds its ritual around tri-bathing: a sauna, a herbal steam room, a snail shower and an ice experience, with a heated rooftop pool alongside. A day pass costs NZD80 per person and is sold Monday to Friday only, which makes it one of the few Auckland hotel spas the public can walk into. The spa runs 8:30am to 8:30pm daily.
Luxe Spa at Pullman Auckland
Luxe Spa runs the wellness floor of the Pullman on the corner of Princes Street and Waterloo Quadrant, refurbished in 2022 along with its six treatment rooms. The facilities are a 25-metre heated indoor pool, a sauna, a steam room, a jacuzzi and a gym. Wellness facilities open 6am to 10pm with last entry at 9:30pm, while treatments run 9am to 7pm.
ONE FIVE ONE Health Club
ONE FIVE ONE is a boutique members' club on level eight of the SAP Tower, at the corner of Queen and Wyndham Streets. Behind the gym floor are a 25-metre indoor pool under a glass roof, a full-size tennis court, a hot dry sauna, a steam room and a spa with a cold plunge pool, plus towels, toiletries and a laundry service. Access is by membership rather than a casual ticket.
Takapuna Pool and Leisure Centre
Auckland Council's Takapuna centre on Killarney Street sits a block from the beach and keeps its spa, sauna and steam room together as a Swim Plus Zone for over-17s only: a 38C spa pool, a sauna at 70-90C and a 44C steam room, reached with a wristband from reception. The rest of the building holds a 33.3m six-lane pool and a 32C learners' pool. Adult Swim Plus is $10.50 and children under 16 swim free.
Tepid Baths
Built in 1914 as saltwater baths and refurbished in 2012, the Tepid Baths on Customs Street West are a Category 2 Historic Place still in daily use. Behind the brick facade sit a 25m lane pool, a 15m learners' pool, a 39C spa, a sauna at 70-90C and a 45C steam room, all wheelchair accessible. An Adult Swim Plus ticket at $11.50 covers the spa, sauna and steam; swimming alone is $9.50 and under-16s are free.
The Olympic
The Olympic on Broadway is Newmarket's pool complex and the closest thing central Auckland has to a public bathhouse: spa pools, a sauna and a steam room are all included with entry rather than charged as an extra. It opens at 5:30am on weekdays and 7am at weekends, which makes it the usual before-work stop for Newmarket swimmers who finish a session in the hot water rather than the changing room.
West Wave Pool and Leisure Centre
West Wave in Henderson is the biggest of Auckland Council's aquatic centres: a 16-lane pool, a wave pool, a dive pool with boards, a 34C hydrotherapy pool and two spas at 36C and 39C. Its Swim Plus Zone holds a sauna at 75-85C and a steam room limited to over-17s, closing early on Thursday and Sunday evenings for cleaning. Adult Swim Plus costs $10.50, concession Swim Plus $6.30, and under-16s are free.
Chuan Spa at Cordis Auckland
Chuan Spa occupies level two of the Cordis on Symonds Street and builds its ritual around tri-bathing: a sauna, a herbal steam room, a snail shower and an ice experience, with a heated rooftop pool alongside. A day pass costs NZD80 per person and is sold Monday to Friday only, which makes it one of the few Auckland hotel spas the public can walk into. The spa runs 8:30am to 8:30pm daily.
Luxe Spa at Pullman Auckland
Luxe Spa runs the wellness floor of the Pullman on the corner of Princes Street and Waterloo Quadrant, refurbished in 2022 along with its six treatment rooms. The facilities are a 25-metre heated indoor pool, a sauna, a steam room, a jacuzzi and a gym. Wellness facilities open 6am to 10pm with last entry at 9:30pm, while treatments run 9am to 7pm.
ONE FIVE ONE Health Club
ONE FIVE ONE is a boutique members' club on level eight of the SAP Tower, at the corner of Queen and Wyndham Streets. Behind the gym floor are a 25-metre indoor pool under a glass roof, a full-size tennis court, a hot dry sauna, a steam room and a spa with a cold plunge pool, plus towels, toiletries and a laundry service. Access is by membership rather than a casual ticket.