How can aufguss sessions benefit a spa’s business?
What sort of experiences appeal most to customers
and at what price point? Cassandra Cavanah talks
to the CEO of Thermen Resorts to find out
Dolman’s resorts employ 60 sauna masters across six sites
Thermen Resorts, a family-run business, has six spa resorts across The Netherlands. It started offering aufguss sessions in 2006, but in 2013, it launched a training programme for sauna masters to take this offering to the next level.
Today, the group has 60 members of staff dedicated to this entertaining heat experience and recently its site in Bussloo hosted the 2024 Aufguss World Championships (Aufguss WM) in a newly built €2 million (US$2.2 million, £1.7 million) state-of-the-art event sauna which can fit up to 200 people.
On p66 we reveal more about the championships, while in this article, Thermen Resorts CEO, Fabian Dolman, tells Cassandra Cavanah how other operators could introduce a successful aufguss programme.
What sort of aufguss sessions do you offer? At Thermen Bussloo, we have more than 20 saunas with aufguss masters leading 36 rituals a day.
We offer three types of aufguss sessions lasting up to 15 minutes. Traditional offerings incorporate towel wafting, aromas and temperatures of up to 100˚C and ritual (zen) experiences that include mindful practices such as meditation, sound baths and breathwork. The third type of session is a show aufguss that’s based on performing arts.
What makes aufguss so appealing? Sometimes guests don’t sit in a sauna for long because they aren’t engaged, but in an aufguss experience, you’re thoroughly entertained and likely to stay for the full 15 minutes. We find older people are drawn to the more traditional sessions and those seeking health benefits of personal development prefer the zen rituals. The third type of customer, who we call the ‘experience guest’, seeks out the show aufguss sessions.
What do the sessions bring to the table from a business point of view? In 2006, we had just seven saunas at Thermen Bussloo, but today, we have over 20 as we saw the demand for aufguss grow. We have the capacity for 500-600 guests a day and up to 70 per cent of our customers try an aufguss session – some even come primarily for them.
These unique emotional and spiritual experiences are great for creating loyal customers.
Do you charge for aufguss experiences? Initially, we offered them for free to create value-added, memorable experiences to drive repeat business. Today, we still offer complimentary, shorter taster sessions but charge for longer experiences such as a 60-minute ritual in our Latvian pirt, which costs €14.95 (US$16.23, £12.58).
We charge €50 (US$54, £42) for a spa day pass at Bussloo. Many of our competitors offer lower entry fees but then charge for each ritual. That’s not our model.
For special events like Aufguss WM, we charge €100 (US$109, £83) for the day and give guests access to five out of 16 sessions. The competition drew in approximately 500 people per day to our property.
Can any spa with a sauna introduce aufguss sessions? Yes – our smallest sauna fits 18 people. However, you must ensure you have the right equipment.
What basic equipment do you need? The sauna stones and stove must be of a high enough quality to handle the excess water, ice and aromas in aufguss sessions. Poor quality stones won’t hold the heat well and will need replacing often. If the stove’s heating elements aren’t protected from water, you’ll have problems. If the essential oils aren’t 100 per cent natural, they may burn off harmful chemicals.
Basic equipment includes a bucket for water, a spoon and towels to wave. What nice-have features might you add? If you’re ready to operate a true show aufguss, you might think about embedding theatrical lighting into the ceiling or adding a digital multiplex system for controlling sounds, music and lighting. All of which will need to be protected from the heat.
What staff training is required? In 2013, we introduced a three-day programme for our sauna masters and we’ve grown our aufguss team to 60 members of staff across six sites. The programme is based on training outlined by the Sauna Federation of The Netherlands. It covers the basics: how to use the stove, oils, ice balls and water. And, importantly, how to gauge guests’ comfort levels (ensuring it’s not too hot, etc).
We’ve created a buddy system for those new to the profession, while waving techniques are a skill that’s perfected over years of practice.
How do you sustain people’s interest in aufguss? Aufguss performers are naturally very innovative. One mistake I’ve seen a spa director make is to try to control the shows to ensure standards are met and it’s a fine balance. We have a team that maintains the quality of aufguss covered in the training as this is essential for repeat business, but at the same time, we don’t try to mould our aufguss masters because they need space to be creative – to develop something new each year to delight our guests and keep them coming back for more.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2024 issue 4
Editor's letter: Pleasure time
It’s time to make ‘pleasure health’ the new ‘play’ to realise the true value of the wellness sector, says Katie Barnes
Spa people: Luuk Melisse
Sanctum's co-founder Luuk Melisse on going global with the unique, spiritual workout that originated in Amsterdam
Interview: Dean Kowarski
Virgin Active is transforming its gym business with 230 sites and 1.2 million members into a social wellness brand. The CEO reveals more details to Liz Terry
First person: Steamy situation
Cassandra Cavanah is moved to tears (and also a little nervous) as she joins hundreds of near-naked heat enthusiasts at this year's Aufguss World Championships
Promotion: TechnoAlpin: In touch
Sara Brenninger talks
to wellness expert
Alina Hernandez
about the power of
real snow to create
immersive touchless
wellness experiences
Interview: Fabian Dolman
How can operators make a successful business out of aufguss programmes? Thermen Resort's CEO gives some tips
Sponsored: Best of both
Alina Hernandez, Gharieni Group advisory board member, explains how Metawell – its portfolio of tech-forward mind/body technologies – is right on time for the next era of wellness
Sponsored: Elevate your business with EGYM
Transform your business with fully connected, personalised and data-powered solutions that drive results
for members, trainers and businesses
Sponsored: Outstanding in its field
RKF Luxury Linen has had a stellar year in 2024, hitting new standards of excellence with a raft of certifications
Promotion: Rest and repeat
Starpool is drawing on science, innovation and equilibrium to offer the industry’s leading recovery solutions
Sponsored: Iyashi Dôme's Oteire
Modern consumers demand solutions that blend cutting-edge technology with proven results, and Iyashi Dôme is rising to the challenge by redefining industry standards
First person: Sparkling Water
Mary Bemis is one of the first to visit the stunning new Sacred River Spa at Four Seasons Bali at Sayan
The Spa Life UK Convention returns from 21–23 June 2026 at Whittlebury Park Hotel, Spa &
Golf Resort, bringing together spa managers, directors and owners for two days of focused
education, meaningful connection and commercial insight. [more...]
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Gharieni Group
For 35 years, the Gharieni Group has
redefined wellness, spa and medical
equipment, setting global [more...]
Borghese Roma
Borghese is an Italian luxury skincare brand founded in 1957 by Princess Marcella Borghese. [more...]
How can aufguss sessions benefit a spa’s business?
What sort of experiences appeal most to customers
and at what price point? Cassandra Cavanah talks
to the CEO of Thermen Resorts to find out
Dolman’s resorts employ 60 sauna masters across six sites
Thermen Resorts, a family-run business, has six spa resorts across The Netherlands. It started offering aufguss sessions in 2006, but in 2013, it launched a training programme for sauna masters to take this offering to the next level.
Today, the group has 60 members of staff dedicated to this entertaining heat experience and recently its site in Bussloo hosted the 2024 Aufguss World Championships (Aufguss WM) in a newly built €2 million (US$2.2 million, £1.7 million) state-of-the-art event sauna which can fit up to 200 people.
On p66 we reveal more about the championships, while in this article, Thermen Resorts CEO, Fabian Dolman, tells Cassandra Cavanah how other operators could introduce a successful aufguss programme.
What sort of aufguss sessions do you offer? At Thermen Bussloo, we have more than 20 saunas with aufguss masters leading 36 rituals a day.
We offer three types of aufguss sessions lasting up to 15 minutes. Traditional offerings incorporate towel wafting, aromas and temperatures of up to 100˚C and ritual (zen) experiences that include mindful practices such as meditation, sound baths and breathwork. The third type of session is a show aufguss that’s based on performing arts.
What makes aufguss so appealing? Sometimes guests don’t sit in a sauna for long because they aren’t engaged, but in an aufguss experience, you’re thoroughly entertained and likely to stay for the full 15 minutes. We find older people are drawn to the more traditional sessions and those seeking health benefits of personal development prefer the zen rituals. The third type of customer, who we call the ‘experience guest’, seeks out the show aufguss sessions.
What do the sessions bring to the table from a business point of view? In 2006, we had just seven saunas at Thermen Bussloo, but today, we have over 20 as we saw the demand for aufguss grow. We have the capacity for 500-600 guests a day and up to 70 per cent of our customers try an aufguss session – some even come primarily for them.
These unique emotional and spiritual experiences are great for creating loyal customers.
Do you charge for aufguss experiences? Initially, we offered them for free to create value-added, memorable experiences to drive repeat business. Today, we still offer complimentary, shorter taster sessions but charge for longer experiences such as a 60-minute ritual in our Latvian pirt, which costs €14.95 (US$16.23, £12.58).
We charge €50 (US$54, £42) for a spa day pass at Bussloo. Many of our competitors offer lower entry fees but then charge for each ritual. That’s not our model.
For special events like Aufguss WM, we charge €100 (US$109, £83) for the day and give guests access to five out of 16 sessions. The competition drew in approximately 500 people per day to our property.
Can any spa with a sauna introduce aufguss sessions? Yes – our smallest sauna fits 18 people. However, you must ensure you have the right equipment.
What basic equipment do you need? The sauna stones and stove must be of a high enough quality to handle the excess water, ice and aromas in aufguss sessions. Poor quality stones won’t hold the heat well and will need replacing often. If the stove’s heating elements aren’t protected from water, you’ll have problems. If the essential oils aren’t 100 per cent natural, they may burn off harmful chemicals.
Basic equipment includes a bucket for water, a spoon and towels to wave. What nice-have features might you add? If you’re ready to operate a true show aufguss, you might think about embedding theatrical lighting into the ceiling or adding a digital multiplex system for controlling sounds, music and lighting. All of which will need to be protected from the heat.
What staff training is required? In 2013, we introduced a three-day programme for our sauna masters and we’ve grown our aufguss team to 60 members of staff across six sites. The programme is based on training outlined by the Sauna Federation of The Netherlands. It covers the basics: how to use the stove, oils, ice balls and water. And, importantly, how to gauge guests’ comfort levels (ensuring it’s not too hot, etc).
We’ve created a buddy system for those new to the profession, while waving techniques are a skill that’s perfected over years of practice.
How do you sustain people’s interest in aufguss? Aufguss performers are naturally very innovative. One mistake I’ve seen a spa director make is to try to control the shows to ensure standards are met and it’s a fine balance. We have a team that maintains the quality of aufguss covered in the training as this is essential for repeat business, but at the same time, we don’t try to mould our aufguss masters because they need space to be creative – to develop something new each year to delight our guests and keep them coming back for more.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2024 issue 4
Editor's letter: Pleasure time
It’s time to make ‘pleasure health’ the new ‘play’ to realise the true value of the wellness sector, says Katie Barnes
Spa people: Luuk Melisse
Sanctum's co-founder Luuk Melisse on going global with the unique, spiritual workout that originated in Amsterdam
Interview: Dean Kowarski
Virgin Active is transforming its gym business with 230 sites and 1.2 million members into a social wellness brand. The CEO reveals more details to Liz Terry
First person: Steamy situation
Cassandra Cavanah is moved to tears (and also a little nervous) as she joins hundreds of near-naked heat enthusiasts at this year's Aufguss World Championships
Promotion: TechnoAlpin: In touch
Sara Brenninger talks
to wellness expert
Alina Hernandez
about the power of
real snow to create
immersive touchless
wellness experiences
Interview: Fabian Dolman
How can operators make a successful business out of aufguss programmes? Thermen Resort's CEO gives some tips
Sponsored: Best of both
Alina Hernandez, Gharieni Group advisory board member, explains how Metawell – its portfolio of tech-forward mind/body technologies – is right on time for the next era of wellness
Sponsored: Elevate your business with EGYM
Transform your business with fully connected, personalised and data-powered solutions that drive results
for members, trainers and businesses
Sponsored: Outstanding in its field
RKF Luxury Linen has had a stellar year in 2024, hitting new standards of excellence with a raft of certifications
Promotion: Rest and repeat
Starpool is drawing on science, innovation and equilibrium to offer the industry’s leading recovery solutions
Sponsored: Iyashi Dôme's Oteire
Modern consumers demand solutions that blend cutting-edge technology with proven results, and Iyashi Dôme is rising to the challenge by redefining industry standards
First person: Sparkling Water
Mary Bemis is one of the first to visit the stunning new Sacred River Spa at Four Seasons Bali at Sayan
Global Wellness Day (GWD) will mark its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
Longevitix, a clinical platform for preventive and longevity medicine, has launched its AI-
powered intelligence system to help physicians deliver continuous, personalised longevity-
focused care at scale.
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
A recent survey by the UK Spa Association (UKSA) into the industry’s approach to cancer care
has revealed that almost half of participating respondents (46 per cent) are unaware that
cancer is a disability and guests with a cancer diagnosis must be given
The Spa Life UK Convention returns from 21–23 June 2026 at Whittlebury Park Hotel, Spa &
Golf Resort, bringing together spa managers, directors and owners for two days of focused
education, meaningful connection and commercial insight. [more...]
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Gharieni Group For 35 years, the Gharieni Group has
redefined wellness, spa and medical
equipment, setting global [more...]
