Health
The founders of the Hot Box sauna Dan O’Connor, Liam Irwin and Luke Williams
Photo: Hot Box sauna
One of Ireland’s largest sauna operators is planning to invest €2m in a landmark facility at Dublin’s Boland’s Mills as it plots expansion into the lucrative US market.
The Hot Box Sauna is planning to open a flagship sauna destination in Boland’s Mills featuring multiple handcrafted saunas, plunge pools, and relaxation zones. The development will create 15 jobs, with the company already operating 16 saunas across the six locations in Dublin, Meath, Sligo, Louth and Kilkenny, employing 60 staff.
Photo: Hot Box sauna
Dan O’Connor, a co-founder of The Hot Box Sauna, said the Boland’s Mills sauna would be a statement facility.
“We see enormous potential,” he said of the business. “The wellness and recovery industry is growing at a phenomenal pace, and The Hot Box is perfectly positioned to be at the forefront of that growth.
“Our model is scalable, our brand is strong, and the demand is global. We’re ambitious and we want to see The Hot Box become a name synonymous with world-class sauna experiences, whether you’re in Dublin, Los Angeles, or anywhere in between.”
O’Connor said they were interested in international expansion, including in the “massive” US market. It will also look to open a Galway sauna later this year.
Sauna culture is still in its early stages in the US
The Hot Box Sauna has been self-funded so far. As it scales and takes on larger projects, O’Connor said the business would be open to “strategic funding”.
The Hot Box Sauna was co-founded by O’Connor and his friends Luke Williams and Liam Irwin in 2021 as a self-built sauna trailer in Co Meath.
The Hot Box Sauna serves around 24,000 customers each month. All saunas are handcrafted in Ireland by its sister company, Aalto Saunas.