Source : Perth Now news
One of WA’s fastest-growing sauna brands is about 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 centre is set for a grand opening on Saturday, June 27.
Alchemy co-founder and managing director James Browne said the design vision was Roman bathhouse 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-goers have been able to access a small area of the building that houses 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 and more expansive sauna facilities, a steam room and retail offerings are being opened.
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 that dominated ancient Rome.
Mr Browne said he was excited to bring such an iconic building to life again for the East Fremantle community.
Since the early 1900s, The Royal George has been a key part of local history. It has operated as horse stables, a hotel, a pub and – most recently – as a popular restaurant. It has been abandoned for several years.
The renovations process uncovered several artefacts including metal horseshoes and old menus, which Mr Browne said are being using 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.
“We kept (the artefacts) as heirlooms that will be showcased throughout the bathhouse for people to read plaques and understand how we went about the process.”
Alchemy Saunas began as a backyard experiment in Fremantle, and has since developed into a renowned wellness brand garnering tens of thousands of bookings each month.
It operates across WA, with other locations in Port Beach, Point Walter, Karrinyup, East Perth, West Leederville, City Beach and Scarborough. The company is also proposing to build a new venue on the ski shed roof at the North Cottesloe Surf Life Saving Club. The Cottesloe council has invited community feedback on the plan, which has so far received a mixed public response.
This expansion comes amid a surge in sauna popularity driven by wellness growth. The nearby Swan Yacht Club operates another unique sauna style called Drift, where the sauna sits on top of a floating pontoon in the river.
Saunas are known to offer physical and mental health benefits, such as improving cardiovascular function, reducing stress and soothing sore muscles.
“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 have already been exhausted for the flagship centre, but casual drop-in sessions will remain available to ensure everyone gets a chance to experience it. The number of bookings per session will be capped to ensure the space doesn’t become overcrowded.
Mr Browne said the opening weekend will be celebrated with 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,” he 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.”
