Guide · By Donncha O Toole · Updated
How to start a sauna business in Ireland.
Ireland has gone from a handful of saunas to hundreds in five years, and new ones open every month. Here’s what to check before you buy a sauna: where you can put it, which permits and insurance you need, how to price it, and how to take bookings from day one.
1. Check the demand where you are
The sauna boom is real. A November 2025 survey by spas.ie counted at least 242 independent saunas in Ireland. Around 90% opened since 2020, and more than half opened in 2025 alone. The same survey puts a typical session at €16 to €35 for 45 to 75 minutes.
That growth means competition. In May 2025 the Irish Times counted at least 40 saunas along the Cork coast. Before you commit, visit the saunas nearest your spot at the busy times. The quietest slots are early mornings on weekdays, so work out who would come then.
- Who swims there already? Sea swimmers are most venues’ first regulars.
- When is it busy? Count people at the slots you plan to sell, not just on a sunny Saturday.
- What’s missing? Private hire, evening sessions, a quieter beach or better changing space can all be a reason to choose you.
2. Choose your site before your sauna
Permission is the biggest risk for a new sauna, and it depends on the site, not the sauna. Settle where you’ll operate before you pay a deposit on a sauna or trailer.
Private land
A sauna on private land can need planning permission, including for the change of use and for screens, kiosks or changing huts. In Sandycove, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council granted a commercial sauna in a private garden a three-year retention permission, with opening hours of 7am to 7pm, and the decision was appealed to An Bord Pleanála (TheJournal.ie, April 2025). Talk to your council’s planning section first. If you lease land, get the landowner’s agreement in writing.
Beaches, piers and harbours
Councils are writing their own rules for saunas, so the answer changes from county to county:
- Kerry: from June 2026, twelve of the county’s sixteen Blue Flag beaches have designated sauna areas under council permit. Applicants describe their noise controls, signage, opening hours, first aid and fire prevention, and saunas can’t sit on sand, even above the high-water line (Irish Examiner).
- Cork: in June 2026 the Carrigaline district adopted a €1,400 annual fee for sauna and food operators in busy coastal spots, and other districts may follow (Irish Examiner).
- Elsewhere: in May 2025 one Wexford district had paused mobile sauna applications, and many owners were waiting for their council to write bylaws (Irish Times).
The foreshore, the land between high and low water, falls under the Maritime Area Planning Act 2021, and the Maritime Area Regulatory Authority (MARA) handles many licences there. If any part of your set-up touches the foreshore, ask MARA as well as your council.
3. Pick the sauna, then cost it properly
Wood-fired saunas suit beaches and off-grid sites. Electric saunas need a reliable supply but are easier to run on a fixed site. A trailer sauna lets you move if a site falls through, but you may need a BE licence to tow it, so check your vehicle and licence with the Road Safety Authority.
Get quotes for everything that recurs, not just the sauna:
- Public liability insurance, and employer’s liability if you hire staff
- Council permit or casual trading fees, and any site rent
- Firewood or electricity, water and cleaning
- Changing space, towels, signage and a cold plunge if you offer one
- Booking and card fees on every session you sell
Insurers will ask about your safety rules, so write them down before you call.
4. Write your safety and house rules
Put these on your booking page as well as on site, so people agree to them before they pay:
- Who shouldn’t use the sauna without medical advice, such as during pregnancy or with heart conditions
- No alcohol, a minimum age, and how long people should stay in
- Drinking water, a first aid kit and a named person on duty
- Fire safety for the stove, fuel and the area around the sauna
- What happens in storms, high winds or water-quality warnings
This list is a starting point, not professional advice. Your insurer and council may require more.
5. Price it so the numbers work
Work backwards from a realistic week, not a full one. This example is illustrative, not a forecast:
| Assumption | Value |
|---|---|
| Slots a week | 20 (five a day, four days) |
| Seats sold per slot, on average | 5 of 8 |
| Takings a week | €2,000 |
| Takings at a full house | €3,200 |
Compare your realistic week against your weekly costs from step 3. Add private hire at roughly what a well-filled shared session earns, so selling a slot privately never loses you money. Our guide to setting up sauna bookings covers slot lengths, shared seats and private hire in detail.
6. Take bookings online from day one
Many saunas start with Instagram DMs, WhatsApp and a spreadsheet. It works for the first few weeks, then costs you evenings, double bookings and no-shows. Paid online booking from the start fixes all three, and regulars get used to it straight away.
Look for a booking system that:
- Shows how many seats are left in each slot
- Sells shared seats and private hire without double-selling the sauna
- Takes payment when people book, into your own account
- Shows your weather and cancellation terms before payment
- Works on a phone, with no app or account to download
- Shows your customer the full price from the start, with nothing added at checkout
That last point matters more than it looks. A €20 session that becomes €20.40 at the last step is a small surprise, and Irish consumer guidance says any extra charge must be shown up front. Read booking fees in Ireland, explained.
How Olladay helps new saunas
Olladay is sauna booking software made in Ireland, for venues in Ireland and the UK. It sells shared seats and private hire on one timetable, shows seats left, and shows your terms and the full price before payment. It’s free for you, with no monthly fee: customers pay a €0.49 booking fee a place, shown in your price. Or pay 1% yourself (€0.20 on a €20 seat) and they pay exactly your price. See pricing. Session packs, memberships, gift vouchers and waitlists are built in. Setting up is free, and if you’re switching we’ll set up your timetable for you.
Questions
Do I need planning permission to open a sauna in Ireland?
It depends on the site, the structure and your council. A sauna on private land can need permission for the change of use and for structures such as screens or changing huts; in Sandycove, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown granted a commercial garden sauna a three-year retention permission. Ask the council’s planning section before you buy or build.
Can I run a sauna on a beach in Ireland?
Only where your council allows it. Rules are set county by county through bylaws: Kerry has designated sauna areas under council permit at twelve Blue Flag beaches from June 2026, while one Cork district has adopted a €1,400 annual fee for coastal operators. Check with your council first, and with MARA if you plan to use the foreshore.
How much do customers pay for a sauna session in Ireland?
A November 2025 survey by spas.ie found typical sessions cost €16 to €35 and last 45 to 75 minutes. Off-peak seats tend to sit at the lower end and private hire of the whole sauna at the top.
How should a new sauna take bookings?
Online, with payment at the time of booking, from the first day. A booking page that shows seats left in each slot stops double bookings and no-shows, and saves you answering DMs. Read how to set up sauna bookings for slot and pricing set-up.
What does Olladay cost a sauna?
Nothing to the venue by default: your customer pays a €0.49 booking fee per paid place, shown in the price, so a €20 seat shows as €20.49. Or pay 1% yourself (€0.20 on a €20 seat) and the customer pays exactly €20. No monthly fee. See pricing.