Tony Lowe
A patron enjoys the Schvitz in Detroit.
Detroit’s oldest bathhouse, The Schvitz, is opening a second location in Lexington, about an hour north of the city. Dubbed “Schvitz North,” the new outpost on the shore of Lake Huron will offer the ultimate sauna and cold plunge experience. And no, it won’t be a swinger sex party haven — the Schvitz hasn’t gotten down like that since 2017.
Schvitz North will be situated on a four-acre lakefront property with a farmhouse that guests can rent out. Eventually, they plan to build an on-site sauna. Unlike the classic location at 8295 Oakland Ave. in Detroit, Schvitz North will only be open to private parties who want to rent out the whole place.
“The plan is to establish Schvitz North — a destination for Detroiters and other urbanites looking to retreat, relax, and restore in a breathtakingly beautiful setting,” The Schvitz wrote in an Instagram post. “Lexington is only an hour away but it feels much farther when you’re there. We think it’s just the perfect getaway spot, especially for Detroiters. And you’d be hard-pressed to find a better cold plunge than Lake Huron itself.”
In case you aren’t familiar, the original Schvitz did actually used to be a swingers haven. The Russian-style banya (steam room and cold pool) had a legendary “couples night” on Fridays and Saturdays that was basically a front for orgies. When they got new ownership in 2017, however, the orgies were done away with and the business focused more on the sauna.
Now, they have both co-ed and single-gender hours with rotating popups by restaurants, massage therapists, and tarot readers.
Schvitz North should be ready for summer rentals by June, while the sauna is expected to be erected by the fall of 2022.
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