Newport Sauna brings traditional Finnish sauna to Aquidneck Island and the surrounding communities, bringing heat, happiness, and connection into nature. Our mobile sauna, ONNI—Finnish for Happiness—appears in pop‑up sessions at Third Beach in Middletown and is also available for private rentals for special events or at‑home gatherings, offering a flexible, authentic way to experience authentic sauna in Rhode Island.
I designed and built ONNI after deep research into traditional Finnish sauna design and practice, moving through multiple prototypes before settling on the final form. The spark came from my Finnish heritage and a spur‑of‑the‑moment desire to try winter swimming in 2019, which quickly evolved into a broader vision for how sauna could live along our New England coastline. At the time, mobile saunas were almost unheard of in this region, and many early conversations were met with skepticism; today there is a rapidly growing interest in sauna, echoing the wave that swept Europe, and mobile units are appearing across the area.
I now operate Newport Sauna as a solopreneur while also owning Finn Woodworking & Design, LLC, which keeps my schedule full, but having ONNI at the beach remains the highlight of my week. I cherish the ritual of sauna rounds and cold plunges, the conversations with guests and local dog walkers, the familiar crows that stop by, and the shifting light and weather that frame each session along the shore.
At the center of my work is a simple philosophy: sauna belongs in nature, and it belongs to everyone. It should be affordable and accessible to anyone who is curious, reflecting the Finnish tradition of sauna as a gathering place for families, friends, and acquaintances, and as a kind of social equalizer where titles and status fall away—an ideal I work hard to uphold.
Sisu—grit, courage, and perseverance—is the quiet motto behind both my business and my life.
One of the greatest joys of Newport Sauna, beyond the excellent löyly, is that there is no “typical” guest. Sessions bring together young and old, families, friend groups, solo visitors, athletes, winter swimmers, locals, and visitors from far away, all sharing the same cycle of heat, cold, and conversation. What inspires me most is how people feel when they leave; again and again, guests tell me that even a single hour of sauna leaves them feeling noticeably better in both body and mind, and I can personally attest that these benefits are real and long‑lasting.
Looking ahead, I am developing a public sauna facility that will carry forward the spirit of ONNI in a permanent, community‑focused setting. My aim is to finalize the design drawings in the summer of 2026 and complete construction in early 2027, creating a dedicated place where the core values of accessibility, nature, and shared happiness at the heart of Newport Sauna can continue to deepen and grow.
