Holiday Apartment with Sauna: Types, Booking Tips and Saunas in the Building

By Daniel Schulz, residir GmbH · Last updated: 14 October 2026

A holiday apartment with sauna either has its own cabin inside the flat or in the garden, or guests share a sauna in the building. There are also infrared cabins and outdoor barrel saunas. Before you book, it pays to check usage times, extra costs, cleaning and towels, because this is where offers differ widely.

We are currently fitting out a building with 54 apartments in Lehel, which includes an outdoor sauna for all guests. During planning we asked ourselves many of the questions guests have before booking: when is the sauna free, who cleans it, does it cost extra? This guide gathers the answers from a guest’s point of view. Information as of October 2026.

In this article:

• Types of sauna
• Private sauna or shared sauna?
• What to look out for when booking
• Travelling with a dog
• Using the sauna properly: tips and health
• City or countryside?
• Our building in Lehel
• Conclusion
• Frequently asked questions

Type of sauna	Temperature (guide value)	Where you find it	Suits
Private Finnish sauna	80 to 100 °C	in the apartment, basement or bathroom	Couples, families, flexible times
Shared or outdoor sauna	80 to 100 °C	in the building, garden or courtyard	Guests who do not use the sauna every day
Infrared cabin	40 to 60 °C air temperature	in the apartment, often in the bedroom or bathroom area	Beginners, short warm-up time
Barrel sauna	70 to 90 °C	in the garden, on the terrace	Country holiday homes, close to nature

Holiday apartment with sauna: the different types

A listing for a “holiday apartment with sauna” can mean all sorts of things. In holiday regions the sauna is often part of the building; in cities it is less common. If you are looking for holiday apartments in Munich or in the mountains, read carefully which type is meant and who else uses it.

Holiday apartment with private sauna

In a holiday apartment with its own sauna, the cabin is inside the flat, usually in the bathroom, the basement or a side room. You heat it up yourself whenever you like and share it with nobody. A holiday apartment with a private sauna is correspondingly popular and usually more expensive than comparable apartments without one.

These apartments are especially popular with couples: a romantic holiday apartment with its own sauna is a classic for a winter weekend for two. If that is what you are after, book early, as supply is smaller than demand, particularly between November and March.

Shared sauna and outdoor sauna in the building

More common is a sauna that all guests in a building use together. It may be in the basement, in the garden or as an outdoor sauna in the courtyard. Depending on the building, there are fixed opening times, a sign-up list or a schedule giving each apartment its own time slot.

Infrared cabin

An infrared cabin warms the body via heat emitters, while the air stays considerably cooler at around 40 to 60 °C. It needs little space and heats up quickly, which is why you often find it in city apartments. It is not designed for infusions (Aufguss). If you are expecting a traditional sauna, check the listing to see whether it is an infrared cabin.

Barrel sauna in the garden

A barrel sauna is a round wooden sauna shaped like a barrel that stands in the garden or on the terrace. It is heated electrically or with wood and is particularly common at holiday homes in the countryside. It is only a few steps from the sauna into the fresh air, and in winter you can cool off in the snow, provided your host has no objection.

Holiday apartment with private sauna or a shared sauna in the building?

Whether a private sauna is worth it depends on how often you want to use it. If you want a sauna every evening, a holiday apartment with its own sauna is the better choice. If you are planning two or three sessions a week, a sauna in the building will do nicely and usually saves you money.

	Private sauna	Shared sauna
Times	any time, heated by you	fixed times or reservation
Privacy	only your travel group	other guests, often with swimwear or a towel
Cleaning	often by guests after use, final cleaning by the host	usually by the host or housekeeping
Costs	included in the price or electricity flat fee	included in the price or a fee per use
Availability	fewer, booked up early	more common, also in city buildings

House rules apply to shared saunas. In many buildings people use the sauna with a towel or swimwear, as guests from different apartments meet there. Families with children should ask whether children are allowed and from what age.

What to look out for when booking

A photo of a sauna cabin tells you little about how it works day to day. Clarify these points in advance, ideally in writing in your booking enquiry.

Usage times and reservations

Ask from when until when the sauna can be used and whether you need to reserve times. In buildings with several apartments there are often fixed slots of 60 to 90 minutes. Some hosts only switch the sauna on by request; others preheat it daily at fixed times.

Costs and electricity

An electric sauna stove uses a lot of power – as a guide, 6 to 9 kW for typical cabins for two to four people. That is why some hosts charge a flat fee per session or per day. If the listing says nothing about it, ask explicitly whether the sauna is included in the nightly rate.

Hygiene, cleaning and towels

Find out who cleans the sauna and how often. With a sauna in the building, the host usually takes care of it; with a private cabin, guests are often asked to wipe down the benches and leave the door open to air it. Also important: are there sauna towels and bathrobes, or only ordinary towels? For a sauna session you need a towel long enough to lie on with your whole body.

Holiday apartment with sauna and hot tub

A holiday apartment with sauna and hot tub is the wellness option among holiday lets. The tub is either in the bathroom or outdoors on the terrace. When searching, it is worth trying both word orders, as listings may be called “holiday apartment with hot tub and sauna” or “sauna and jacuzzi apartment”.

With a hot tub, ask about water changes and water temperature, and for outdoor tubs whether they are heated in winter. It is similar with a holiday apartment with pool and sauna: an indoor pool can be used all year round, an outdoor pool usually only from May to September. In an apartment with sauna and pool, the facilities are almost always shared with other apartments in the complex.

Holiday apartment with sauna and dog

Finding a holiday apartment with a sauna that also accepts dogs is harder than finding either feature on its own. Many hosts with a private sauna exclude pets because hair and smells are hard to get out of the wood. Others allow dogs in the apartment but not in the sauna area.

If you are looking for a dog-friendly apartment with a sauna, mention both in your enquiry and ask where the dog stays while you are in the sauna. A dog should never go into the sauna itself – the heat is dangerous for animals. With a shared sauna, it stays in the apartment.

In our building in Lehel, dogs are possible on request depending on the apartment category. Our page on dog-friendly apartments in Munich explains how life with a dog in the city centre works.

Using the sauna in your holiday apartment properly

A sauna in a holiday apartment is not a public spa with staff keeping an eye on the rules. That makes it all the more important to know how a sauna session works and when you are better off skipping it.

Tips for sauna beginners

• Beforehand: shower and dry yourself well; do not use the sauna on a full or completely empty stomach.
• Duration: as a guide, 8 to 15 minutes per session; beginners should stay for less time and on the lower bench.
• Cooling down: in the fresh air, then a cold shower, legs first, then the body.
• Resting: rest for at least as long as the session lasted. Two to three rounds are enough.
• Drinking: water or tea after the last round, not during the session.

Electricity, airing and cleaning

Switch the stove off after use if it has no timer, and leave the door open so the wood can dry. Wipe down the benches and take your towels with you. Only use infusion scents if your host allows it, as essential oils can discolour the wood and stones. These points are usually covered in the house rules or in the apartment’s welcome book.

Health: when to give it a miss

For healthy adults, saunas are generally considered well tolerated, and many find them relaxing. If you have a cold with a temperature, acute inflammation, heart or circulatory conditions, are pregnant or take medication that affects your circulation, talk to your doctor first. This section is general information and not medical advice.

Alcohol and saunas do not mix well, as both put a strain on your circulation. So if you are heading to the Starkbierfest in Munich in March, save the sauna for the next day. Children may join in when accompanied, but for shorter sessions and on the lower bench.

Holiday apartment with sauna in the city or the countryside?

The choice is greater in the countryside. In the mountains, by the lakes and in the Bavarian Forest, a sauna is standard in many holiday homes. Holiday apartments with a sauna in Bavaria are found above all in the Alpine foothills and winter sports resorts, often as a shared sauna in a larger building.

If you are travelling with family or friends, you will often look for a holiday home with a sauna rather than an apartment. Renting a whole house with a sauna means you have the cabin to yourselves and can plan your times freely. On the other hand, such houses are usually off the beaten track, and you will rarely manage without a car.

In the city, an apartment with a sauna is rarer because space is expensive. But there are alternatives nearby: public saunas, hotel spas and swimming baths. Our guide to the best Munich spa options gives an overview of saunas, day spas and thermal baths.

For a whole day in the water, the trip out to Erding is well worth it. Our guide to Therme Erding explains how to get there by S-Bahn (suburban train) and what the sauna area has to offer. In the evening you are back in your own apartment, cooking for yourself.

A city apartment has a different advantage: after the sauna, museums, restaurants and beer gardens are within walking distance. If you come for a few days in winter, you can combine sightseeing with an evening sauna without getting in the car.

A shared sauna instead of one in the apartment: our building in Lehel

To be upfront: our apartments at Ländstraße 6 do not have their own sauna or hot tub. The building has an outdoor sauna that all guests can use. We will give you details of usage times, reservations and towels when you enquire, so you know exactly what to expect before you book.

The 54 apartments range from 25 to 50 m², each with its own kitchen and fast Wi-Fi; towels and bed linen are included. Washing machines and dryers are available in the building, and check-in runs around the clock via a safe. There is no breakfast, reception or gym. Lehel U-Bahn station (U4/U5) and Isartor S-Bahn station are just a few minutes’ walk away, and the Isar is not far either.

Guests on longer stays in particular appreciate a sauna in the building: after a working day or a winter’s day in the city, it becomes a fixed part of the daily routine. If you are staying for several weeks or months, you will find information on temporary housing in Munich. The building opens in autumn 2027, and we are already taking enquiries.

Conclusion

A holiday apartment with sauna is worth it if you check in advance what type of sauna it is, when you can use it and what it costs – and if you are working in the city, you will find serviced apartments in Munich in Lehel with an outdoor sauna in the building rather than in the apartment.

Frequently asked questions about holiday apartments with sauna

What is the difference between a holiday apartment with a private sauna and a sauna in the building?

A holiday apartment with its own sauna has the cabin in the apartment or garden; only you use it and you set the times yourself. A shared sauna in the building is used by all guests, usually with fixed usage times or reservations. It is more common and often cheaper, but less private.

Is the sauna in a holiday apartment included in the price?

That varies from one property to the next. Some hosts include the sauna in the nightly rate, others charge a flat fee per day or per session, often because of electricity costs. Ask before booking if the listing does not say.

How long does a sauna in a holiday apartment take to heat up?

As a guide, an electric Finnish sauna takes 30 to 60 minutes to reach 80 to 90 °C. An infrared cabin is ready to use after about 10 to 20 minutes. A wood-fired barrel sauna may take longer, depending on the stove and the outside temperature.

Do I need to bring my own towels for the sauna?

Usually not, but do check: many holiday apartments provide towels, but not always extra sauna towels or bathrobes. In the sauna, a large towel should go under your whole body so that no sweat gets onto the wood. If you are planning two sessions a day, you will need more towels accordingly.

Can I take my dog into the sauna in a dog-friendly holiday apartment with sauna?

No, dogs should never go into a sauna – the heat is dangerous for them. In a holiday apartment with sauna that welcomes dogs, the dog stays in the apartment while you are in the sauna. Shared saunas usually have an explicit ban on dogs in the sauna area.

Is an infrared cabin a real sauna?

Strictly speaking, no: an infrared cabin mainly warms the body via heat emitters, while the air stays considerably cooler than in a Finnish sauna at around 40 to 60 °C. Many people find it gentler, and infusions are not intended. The listing should state exactly which type is installed.

Is there a sauna in the apartments at Ländstraße 6?

There is no sauna in the apartments themselves. The building in Lehel has an outdoor sauna that all guests can use. We will give you usage times and details when you enquire.