Perth's Urban Wellness Sanctuary Expands with Global Bathing Traditions
Perth's Ember Bath House has unveiled a significant expansion that brings together ancient bathing traditions from around the world under one roof in Osborne Park. The transformed warehouse now offers visitors an immersive journey through global wellness practices, from Turkish hammams to Japanese onsens.
A Journey Through Heat and Water
Imagine lying face-down on heated stone as warm water cascades over your body in rhythmic waves. Traditional kese gloves scrub skin from head to toe before a thick layer of bubbly foam envelops the body, slowly melting away with a faint woody aroma. This ritual draws directly from centuries-old Turkish hammam traditions that originated during the Ottoman Empire, where marble bath houses served as communal spaces for relaxation and social connection.
Today, this experience isn't found in Istanbul but within a converted industrial space in Osborne Park. Ember Bath House's expansion represents a carefully curated collection of global bathing practices reinterpreted for modern Australian wellness seekers.
From Global Inspiration to Local Reality
Owners Samantha Rodarte and Ryan Congdon embarked on extensive international travels to experience ancient bathing rituals firsthand before bringing their interpretation to Perth. The original Ember Bath House opened in late 2023 with Finnish saunas, Moroccan steam rooms, Japanese onsen showers, and hot and cold plunge pools.
"Every time we go somewhere new, we have to see how their culture honours bathing," Samantha explains. "Most recently we spent time in Estonia, which was probably one of my favourite saunas I've ever done. It was nude, which is quite different to Australia, but I really love that — it strips everything down."
When the original space proved insufficient for their growing vision, the couple expanded into a neighbouring warehouse rather than seeking a separate location. This allowed them to create their "dream" bath house while maintaining connection between the original and new wings.
Design as a Journey
Working with interior design specialists Studio Traces, the owners have created a 500-square-metre sanctuary centred around the traditional hammam. The expansion adds a hinoki sauna crafted from fragrant Japanese wood, an onsen room, sunken baths, a tearoom, and a private dining lounge.
"The design itself is a journey," Samantha says. "You get to go through the space and discover all these new rooms and little secret moments. We've tried to honour the essence of these different cultural traditions through the materials we have used and the rituals we offer our guests."
The contrast between bathing spaces illustrates this thoughtful approach. The original Finnish-inspired sauna uses cedar and creates a hotter, darker environment, while the new hinoki sauna floods with natural light and features the distinctive scent of Japanese wood, overlooking a delicate bonsai garden.
Creating Spaces for Presence and Connection
At the heart of Ember Bath House's philosophy is creating spaces for genuine disconnection from daily chaos. "We live in a world that's so busy and there aren't too many spaces where you can just go in and disconnect from the chaos and be transported to another world without needing to travel anywhere," Samantha reflects.
The owners recognise that bathing traditions serve different purposes across cultures. "Bathing spaces are gathering places where people meet friends, share stories and mark life events. In Japan the onsen is much more of a quiet space than a sauna in Finland. But they are both places where people honour their connection to themselves or others through heat."
Navigating Cultural Differences in Bathing Etiquette
One significant cultural consideration involves nudity in bathing spaces. While many traditional cultures embrace nude bathing as natural and egalitarian, Australian norms typically require swimwear. Ember Bath House maintains swimwear requirements for mixed-gender sessions but has introduced "Bare sessions" for women in response to customer feedback.
"We got a lot of feedback from people who wanted it to be nude, because that was their expectation based on their travels," Samantha notes. "I do think it's so beautiful to bathe nude, it really just honours the body in such a natural way that brings everyone to the same level. I do think we need more spaces where we can drop down those barriers and start to feel more comfortable with ourselves."
A Global Wellness Journey Close to Home
Visitors to the expanded Ember Bath House experience what feels like a curated world tour of bathing traditions within 90 minutes. From the communal warmth of Turkish hammams to the reflective quiet of Japanese onsens, each space offers distinct sensory experiences while maintaining a through-line of mindfulness and presence.
The lounge area, with its subtle 70s-inspired design featuring carpeted platform seating, provides space for reflection and tea sipping after bathing rituals. It's here that the full impact of the experience settles — a sense of having traveled through time and cultures while remaining firmly in Perth.
"When you're bathing, you can't be anywhere else but in the moment," Samantha observes. "And I think that's what's so special about all these cultures, is they create these places where you can be mindful and present. Ultimately, it really is just stripping things down to what's necessary."
For Perth residents seeking escape without extensive travel, Ember Bath House now offers an expanded urban sanctuary where global wellness traditions converge, creating spaces for both individual reflection and communal connection through the universal language of heat and water.
