KOS Sauna Brings Floating Nordic Bathing to Upstate New York
By Arlene Scott
Senior Wellness Correspondent & Hospitality Consultant
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Kate Butchart discovered sauna culture in Oslo, then built a floating sauna on Saratoga Lake that books up weeks in advance.
In this story2 sections
Kate Butchart didn’t set out to start a sauna business. She moved to Oslo in 2018, and floating saunas became part of her weekly routine. After more than a decade abroad, she returned to the US with an idea: bring authentic Nordic sauna culture to Upstate New York. KOS Sauna, a floating sauna on Saratoga Lake, is the result.
The build
Butchart worked with Norwegian architect Bjornar Skaar Haveland to design the sauna, incorporating Finnish construction principles: multi-level seating for proper heat distribution, dedicated ventilation, a curved ceiling to improve loyly (steam) circulation, and high-quality materials throughout. It’s a small operation, but it’s built right.
Sessions book out weeks in advance.
Why It Matters
KOS Sauna is part of a broader pattern: individuals with firsthand experience of Nordic or Finnish sauna culture returning to the US (or Canada, or Australia) and building authentic sauna experiences in their local communities. These aren’t venture-backed rollouts. They’re passion projects, and the bookings suggest the demand is real.
Butchart attended the World Sauna Forum in Finland in 2024, which deepened her understanding of Finnish sauna construction standards. She’s focused on “meaningful growth” rather than rapid expansion, with potential for additional saunas and new locations down the line.
More waterfront sauna news: In Canada, Saunoa is advertising an Ottawa river opening in fall 2026 and a November Toronto opening, with river access in Ottawa and a deck plunge tub in Toronto.
