Hot springs are nice, but now wellness seekers can dip their toes into places around the world with new experiences inspired by traditional spas from Korea to Turkey — all while staying in Colorado.
New buzzwords at spas for 2026 are “contrast therapy” and “regulate your nervous system,” with members and guests moving from hot to cold spaces for optimum wellbeing.
“Contrast therapy is associated with a range of benefits, including lowering blood pressure and heart rate, increased metabolism, decrease in muscle soreness and healthier lung function,” said Aaron McCallister, general manager of Iron Mountain Hot Springs in Glenwood Springs.
At the end of February, Iron Mountain will debut a new addition, The Summit, that highlights this contrast therapy with re-creations of Turkish hammams, Finnish barrel saunas, Korean steam rooms, Russian banyas, Polish salt rooms, and plunge pools of varying extreme temperatures. Iron Mountain already offers Premier Access (previously dubbed Upriver), a 21-and-up section with soaking pools designed to imitate the mineral content of hot springs from places like the Dead Sea in Israel, Osaek Hot Springs in South Korea, or the Blue Lagoon in Iceland.
“The alternating temperatures can help stimulate blood flow and activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which encourages relaxation and restoration,” McCallister said.
The Summit also will be restricted to guests over the age of 21, and will include a guide to walk bathers through the “wellness circuits” to focus on specific problem areas such as muscle recovery or cardiovascular health.
Iron Mountain Hot Springs will soon have a total of 35 mineral pools that range from 98 to 108 degrees and the dedicated cold plunge pools, along with the five saunas. People can choose a half or full-day experience as they self-pace throughout this circuit. The property has three distinct areas, including a family pool for all ages in the Select Access section.
Each of the new saunas has been designed with architectural styles, aromatherapy and chromotherapy (color therapy), as well as temperature and humidity to approximate the original heat therapy options.
“Contrast therapy is rooted in the combination of mineral-rich geothermal pools and cold water immersion available throughout the property,” said McCallister. “Guests can choose the experience that best fits their schedule and goals.”
While Iron Mountain Hot Springs has mountain and river views from all over the property, there are options for contrast therapy in other Colorado cities, too.
- The R3 Spa in Englewood has a 190-degree Finnish sauna and three cold plunges (each a different temperature, from the 50s to the 30s); memberships are available or it can be booked by the hour.
- Izba Spa is a Russian banya in Denver that includes a massage therapist who pours water and essential oils over the hot rocks so the room is filled with steam and then uses bundles of oak leaves to move the steam. Expect to have the leaves tapped along the body before honey is applied and then rinsed with a splash of cold water.
- PORTAL Thermaculture, with locations in Denver and Boulder, describes its contrast therapy as “modern Scandinavian saunas” combined with a cold plunge. Guests can plan to spend 15 minutes in the heated sauna, then three minutes in the cold, and repeat that twice. PORTAL Thermaculture defines itself as a “wellness social club” and not a spa.
- SweatHouz (SWTHZ) in Denver doesn’t lay claim to a tradition from abroad, but instead touts its private 145-175-degree infrared saunas combined with 48- to 50-degree cold plunge and then topped off with a vitamin C shower to refresh for contrast therapy.
While these indoor contrast therapy sessions can be added to the daily urban routine by stepping inside for a therapeutic session, The Summit at Iron Mountain Hot Springs is more of a vacation destination that isn’t readily found in other places.
“There is no other location in the U.S. that offers this unique variety of saunas and pools,” said McCallister. “This level of scale and variety allows guests to fully experience contrast therapy in a way that isn’t typically available elsewhere.”