SWTHZ Provides a 3rd Space for Disconnecting and Going All-In on Human DND Mode

Every smartphone has a Do Not Disturb setting. The problem is that most people never use it. Americans average over seven hours of daily screen time, receive a work notification every two minutes during core hours and, according to a 2026 report by Shift Technologies, 62% now suffer from repeated digital exhaustion. The demand for a place to fully power down has never been louder, which is part of what makes SweatHouz (SWTHZ) so well timed.

The contrast therapy franchise, which just opened its 100th studio nationwide, has built its entire model around something increasingly rare: privacy. Each SWTHZ location features private suites equipped with an infrared sauna, cold plunge and vitamin C shower, all controlled by the guest at their own pace. There are no group classes, no shared spaces during your session and no reason to look at your phone for a full 60 minutes.

“We didn’t design SWTHZ to compete with gyms or spas,” said CEO Nico Varano in a statement on Thursday, March 26. “We designed it to be the one place in your day where nobody can reach you. That kind of privacy is what people are really craving right now.”

It’s a concept that fits neatly into what the Global Wellness Institute’s 2026 trends report calls the rise of wellness “third spaces,” places that exist outside of home and work where people can reset on their own terms. The global wellness economy hit a record $6.8 trillion in 2024 and is projected to reach $9.8 trillion by 2029 — and a growing slice of that spending is going toward private, recovery-focused experiences over communal fitness settings.

“People walk into our studios overstimulated and overtired,” Varano said. “They walk out an hour later feeling like they got a full reset. That loop is what turns a first visit into a weekly routine.”

SWTHZ now operates in more than 25 states with additional territories in development across Virginia, Utah, Colorado, Connecticut and New York. The brand delivered over 2 million hours of private recovery sessions in 2025 and projects up to 12 million cold plunge sessions across all studios in 2026 through its strategic partnership with cold plunge brand Plunge.

Stefani Rizzi, the company’s Head of CX and Design, has said that the private suite model is intentional. “The experience is about autonomy,” Rizzi told Athletech News in November 2025. “You move into your own space. You’re able to customize your own experience every time you’re in there.”