Saunaday Madison: Building a Modern Bathhouse with Ancient Roots

By Colin Cabalka (Head of Creative | Director of Marketing)
📍 Madison, Wisconsin | September 2025

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When the founder of Saunaday, Roshelle emailed with an invite to checkout Saunaday while I was in town, I almost said, “Next trip.” I was cooked—travel, meetings, and a marathon build day stacked back-to-back. Curiosity won. I planned a fast walkthrough: check the layout, smell the cedar, back to the car. Instead, I lost track of time, cycled heat and cold like a local, and finally booked the Hinoki soak “just to try it.” My 30-minute plan? Three hours and change. Zero regrets.

A New Kind of Wellness Space

In the heart of Madison, Wisconsin, a quiet revolution in wellness is happening. Saunaday, the city’s first modern bathhouse, blends centuries-old sauna traditions with contemporary design and community values. Opened this year in 2025, Saunaday has quickly become a place where people unplug, connect face-to-face, and experience the benefits of contrast therapy, alternating between heat and cold.

Before we dive in, an important note: we absolutely can’t take credit for Saunaday’s overall stunning interior design, the thoughtful hospitality experience, or the beautiful community they’ve built. That vision belongs entirely to the Saunaday founders and their team.

Our role was that of supplier and sauna experts, helping with layout, benching, heater placement, ventilation, and sourcing premium materials. Our team at Superior was proud to empower the Saunaday team who envisioned and brought this special place to life.

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The Vision: More Than Just Heat

Saunaday was born from co-founders Roshelle and Jason Ritzenthaler’s desire to create a community-driven bathhouse where people could reconnect after years of screen time and social isolation.

“We wanted people to have a space to unplug and feel better than when they came in,” Roshelle explains. “Madison is such a community-focused city. This space is about connection, wellness, and giving people the confidence to follow their own rhythm of heat and cold.”

That mission resonated deeply with Superior Sauna’s approach: building saunas that are functional, durable, and experiential.

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The Bathhouse Ritual

Every Saunaday visit is designed as a two-hour self-guided ritual. Guests move through a sequence of spaces, each carefully crafted with Superior’s design expertise and material sourcing.

1. Showers & Cedar Salt Scrub

Guests begin with cedar-lined showers, stocked with natural scrubs and shampoos. The Western Red Cedar (sourced from Vancouver Island) releases a grounding aroma as the steam rises—an intentional design choice that sets the tone for the ritual.

2. Steam Sauna & Belly Stone

The first heat step is a gentle steam sauna, inspired by Turkish hammams. A heated stone slab invites bathers to sit or recline, loosening muscles and preparing for deeper heat. Superior ensured the right vapor-proof construction and ventilation so the space feels calming, not stifling.

3. Cedar Sauna: Social & Aromatic

The large cedar sauna is the centerpiece for social sweating. With two-tier benches and a double pair of Homecraft’s high-powered APEX heaters, it’s designed for group conversation or quiet communal focus. As one staff member put it: “The cedar sauna smells amazing—it’s my favorite place to just be.”

4. Aspen Sauna: Silent & Starry

For a quieter option, the Aspen Sauna uses Aspen wall cladding from the Lake Superior region, accented with basswood benching. Overhead, a fiber-optic starry night ceiling twinkles with constellations. Guests describe it as meditative and otherworldly.

5. Cold Plunge

Then comes the shock: a 4-foot-deep plunge pool, kept at 54°F. Here, guests test their willpower and reap the benefits of reduced inflammation, endorphin release, and mental clarity. Strategically placed windows even offer glimpses of Lake Monona, tying the ritual to Madison’s landscape.

6. Rest & Repeat

Between rounds, bathers lounge on heated benches or in daybeds, hydrating and letting their bodies reset before diving back into the cycle.

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Private Contrast Suites

For those who prefer privacy, Saunaday offers two private contrast suites, named the Sisu Suite and the Löyly Suite. Each includes a Finnish-style sauna, private ice bath, rainfall shower, and lounge area.

To set these apart, the design features Thermory Ignite wood—a heat-treated material with a dramatic black, brushed finish. Superior supplied the cladding, benches, and heaters, ensuring durability in a high-moisture environment.

“We wanted the private saunas to feel moody and enveloping, almost like a retreat within a retreat,” Roshelle says. The result is a cocoon-like sanctuary where guests can create their own rituals.

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Materials that Matter

The soul of Saunaday is in the materials. Superior sourced and supplied every key component:

• Western Red Cedar: aromatic, rot-resistant, ideal for showers and the social sauna.
  

• Aspen & Basswood: pale, smooth, heat-resistant woods perfect for benches and silent spaces.
  

• Thermory Ignite: dark, durable cladding for dramatic suites.
  

• Premium Heaters & Ventilation: The life of each sauna, ensuring comfort and efficiency.
  

Together, these choices create a sensory-rich experience—the smell of cedar, the cool touch of aspen, the visual drama of black Thermory boards.

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Community Response

From day one, the space resonated with Madison locals. Guests describe the ritual as transformative:

• “You can tell people come in stressed, but they leave looking more alive,” says Saunaday staff.
  
• Regulars have coined the term “cold plunge smile” for the goofy grin that follows conquering the icy water.
  
• Others see it as a healthier alternative to a night out—social, but restorative.

The bathhouse’s tech-free policy is also a hit. Without phones, people engage in real conversations—or enjoy silence—without distraction.

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Why Superior Sauna?

For Saunaday, working with Superior meant more than just buying lumber. It was about turnkey expertise—a partner who could handle layout, heater placement, ventilation, and material selection.

“Superior gave us peace of mind,” Roshelle says. “We knew we were getting the best materials and advice on building a safe, beautiful sauna environment.”

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Warm Hearts, Cool Heads

Saunaday’s motto says it best: “Warm hearts, cool heads.” With its mix of cedar, steam, starlight, and cold plunges, the bathhouse has quickly become a Madison treasure.

For Superior Sauna, it’s proof of what happens when thoughtful design, premium materials, and trusted expertise come together. Whether it’s a bathhouse, a pro sports facility, or a rooftop spa, the formula is the same: build with intention.