One of Western Australia's fastest-growing sauna brands is set to open its flagship location in the heart of East Fremantle. Over the past three years, Alchemy Saunas has been transforming the heritage-listed Royal George Hotel into its most impressive centre to date. The grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, June 27.
Roman Bathhouse Inspiration
Alchemy co-founder and managing director James Browne revealed that the design vision draws from ancient Roman bathhouses, with an Alchemy twist. “We’re leveraging everything that was already there — the 7m high ceilings, the massive limestone archways and the vast corridors,” he said. “We’re enlarging the offering that is Alchemy… and the beauty of the venue is in the fabric of the building.”
Sauna enthusiasts have previously accessed a small area housing two saunas, showers and ice baths. The new two-storey development activates the entire facility. An existing area has been refurbished into a communal social space, with expanded sauna facilities, a steam room and retail offerings now opening.
Key Attractions
The main draw card will be Alchemy’s first 50,000-litre ice pool, flanked by a hot magnesium pool, inspired by the historic bathhouses of ancient Rome. Mr Browne expressed excitement about reviving such an iconic building for the East Fremantle community.
Since the early 1900s, The Royal George has been a key part of local history, operating as horse stables, a hotel, a pub and most recently a popular restaurant. It had been abandoned for several years before Alchemy's renovation.
Heritage Preservation
During renovations, several artefacts were uncovered, including metal horseshoes and old menus. Mr Browne said these are being used as decorations to pay homage to the site’s rich heritage. “We secured a long-term lease and made a significant commitment to restoring it and activating it for the benefit of the community,” he said. “Our focus was preserving the building and what people love about it. All the walls and natural materials have been kept much the same, but we’ve given it a new purpose.”
The artefacts will be showcased throughout the bathhouse with plaques explaining their history.
Growth of Alchemy Saunas
Alchemy Saunas began as a backyard experiment in Fremantle and has evolved into a renowned wellness brand, garnering tens of thousands of bookings each month. It operates across WA with locations in Port Beach, Point Walter, Karrinyup, East Perth, West Leederville, City Beach and Scarborough. The company is also proposing a new venue on the ski shed roof at North Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club. The Cottesloe council has invited community feedback on the plan, which has received mixed public response.
This expansion coincides with a surge in sauna popularity driven by wellness trends. Nearby, the Swan Yacht Club operates Drift, a unique sauna on a floating pontoon in the river.
Health Benefits and Community Response
Saunas are known for physical and mental health benefits, including improved cardiovascular function, stress reduction and muscle soreness relief. “The response has been pretty incredible from day one. It hasn’t come easy, but with Royal George, people have been following the project for the few years we’ve been working on it and there’s enormous excitement around getting ready to open,” Mr Browne said.
Membership allocations for the flagship centre have already been exhausted, but casual drop-in sessions will remain available. The number of bookings per session will be capped to prevent overcrowding.
Opening Weekend
The opening weekend will feature free coffees, giveaways and music for members and the local community. “Every new one that opens becomes the flagship because they’re all becoming better and better. But for now, this is it,” Mr Browne said. “It’s home to us, it’s where the business began, and it feels really good to have something of this scale in our own backyard.”
