The Asheville Playbook
Wellness stays · Asheville, NC

Five stays with the sauna already out back

A sauna you book across town is an errand. One twenty steps from your bed becomes the rhythm of the trip. These are five places near Asheville where the heat and the water come with the stay, picked the way we'd pick them for friends.

Full disclosure: we host two of these, Hygge House and Arc Haus, and we'd happily stay at all five. Nobody paid to be here.

Details and ratings checked .

Covered lower deck at Hygge House: two striped loungers on a round rug, a cedar barrel sauna at the edge of the trees
The covered lower deck at Hygge House, Swannanoa.

Why your own sauna changes the trip

When the heat is on the deck instead of on your itinerary, you stop scheduling rest and just take it. Nobody drives back damp. Nobody watches the clock.

  • i.Mornings get slower. Coffee, a sweat, a cold rinse, and the day starts on your terms.
  • ii.Evenings stay in. After a long hike or a long dinner in town, the soak is waiting at home.
  • iii.Groups actually hang out. A sauna holds a conversation better than any restaurant table.

Find your fit

The five

Ratings checked November 2026.

Hot tub on the covered lower deck at Hygge House, with the cedar barrel sauna and striped loungers behind it, surrounded by trees
Inside the cedar barrel sauna at Hygge House, two benches facing the heaterOutdoor gas fireplace on the top deck at Hygge House, with mountain views through the trees

Best for groups

01 Hygge House

One of ours

Swannanoa About 20 min from downtown Asheville

Sleeps 16 5 bedrooms over 3 levels

  • Four-person cedar barrel sauna
  • Six-person hot tub, on a covered lower deck
  • Both open year round, rain or snow
  • A deck on every level, outdoor gas fireplace up top
  • Yoga mats in the house
  • Up to 2 dogs welcome

5.0 guest rating

Who it's forFor a group that wants to stay in together: slow coffee, a sweat, a soak, a long dinner, nobody driving anywhere. For a couple it's simply more house than you need.

View the stay Hygge House at hyggehouseasheville.com (opens in a new tab)

Opens at hyggehouseasheville.com

Steaming hot tub on the covered deck at Arc Haus, with the sun setting over the mountains

Best for groups

02 Arc Haus

One of ours

Leicester About 25 min west of Asheville

Sleeps 14 3 bedrooms

  • Four-person sauna
  • Six-person hot tub on the lower deck
  • Mountain-view decks with a fire table
  • Game room and yoga mats
  • Dogs OK

5.0 from 107 reviews Airbnb Guest Favorite, top 1% of homes

Who it's forFor a group that would trade a quicker drive into town for long views and more quiet. Leicester is farther out, so plan to cook in a few nights.

View the stay Arc Haus on Airbnb (opens in a new tab)

Opens on Airbnb

Best for couples

03 The Understory

Swannanoa

Sleeps 3 Tiny home with a king loft

  • Private outdoor soaking tub
  • Shared sauna
  • Wood stove and rain shower
  • Fire pit in the rhododendron woods

4.99 from 330 reviews Airbnb Guest Favorite

Who it's forFor two people who want to disappear into the woods for a few days. The soaking tub is all yours. The sauna is shared, so it's a little less spontaneous than having one to yourself.

View the stay The Understory on Airbnb (opens in a new tab)

Opens on Airbnb

Best unique stay

04 Forest Bathhouse

Fairview Part of Asheville Forest Baths

Sleeps 2 Loft with a king bed

  • Private cedar hot tub
  • A complimentary private two-hour session in the Treehouse Sauna Pavilion

4.98 from 431 reviews Airbnb Guest Favorite

Who it's forFor a couple who wants the sauna to be the main event, not an extra. The treehouse session is a set two hours, so you'll plan your day around it, and that's rather the point.

View the stay Forest Bathhouse on Airbnb (opens in a new tab)

Opens on Airbnb

The splurge

05 7k sq ft Mountain Estate

Asheville

Sleeps up to 20 6 bedrooms

  • Two sunken hot tubs
  • Barrel sauna and a cold plunge
  • Home gym with a Peloton

4.89 from 72 reviews

Who it's forThe splurge: for groups of 18 to 20, or when budget isn't the point. It's also the only stay on this list with a cold plunge and a home gym.

View the stay 7k sq ft Mountain Estate on Airbnb (opens in a new tab)

Opens on Airbnb

At a glance

StayBest forSleepsSaunaSoakRating
Hygge HouseGroups up to 1616Private barrel, seats 4Hot tub, seats 65.0
Arc HausGroups up to 1414Private, seats 4Hot tub, seats 65.0
The UnderstoryTwo, maybe three3SharedPrivate soaking tub4.99
Forest BathhouseTwo, and a sauna ritual2Private 2-hr session, includedPrivate cedar hot tub4.98
7k sq ft Mountain Estate18 to 20 peopleup to 20Private barrelTwo hot tubs + cold plunge4.89

Planning for a bigger group? See our top group stays →

Free guide

Get The Asheville Reset: six wellness experiences near Asheville

Our six favorite ways to slow down in and around Asheville, for the days you're not soaking on the deck. Printable, and free.

Get the free guide

Already have it? Send it to whoever you're traveling with. More Asheville playbooks

Questions people ask

Which Asheville rentals have a private sauna?

Of the five on this list, Hygge House in Swannanoa, Arc Haus in Leicester and the 7k sq ft Mountain Estate in Asheville each have their own sauna. Forest Bathhouse in Fairview comes with a complimentary private two-hour session in its Treehouse Sauna Pavilion. The Understory's sauna is shared.

What's the best wellness stay near Asheville for a large group?

Hygge House sleeps 16 in five bedrooms, about 20 minutes from downtown, with a four-person barrel sauna and a six-person hot tub on a covered deck that's open year round. Arc Haus sleeps 14, about 25 minutes west, with the same size sauna and hot tub plus mountain views. For 18 to 20 people, the 7k sq ft Mountain Estate sleeps up to 20.

What's the best wellness stay near Asheville for couples?

The Understory in Swannanoa: a hand-crafted tiny home in the woods with a private outdoor soaking tub, a wood stove and a king loft (its sauna is shared). For something more unusual, Forest Bathhouse in Fairview pairs a private cedar hot tub with a private two-hour session in a treehouse sauna.

Are any of these dog-friendly?

Hygge House welcomes up to two dogs, and Arc Haus is dog-friendly too. For the other three, check the pet rules on each listing before you book.

Do the hosts pay to be on this list?

No. Nobody pays to be included. We host two of the five, Hygge House and Arc Haus, and they're labeled on the page. The other three are stays we'd book ourselves.