NRG Haus opens Toronto recovery lounge with sauna, cold plunge and mocktails

NRG Haus opened in Liberty Village with a clear thesis: recovery works better when it feels like a place people want to return to. The 5,000-square-foot lounge at 171 East Liberty Street, Unit 113, put sauna, cold plunge, mocktails and a social space under one roof, with posted hours running from 7 a.m. to late night across the week, and public access beginning Feb. 20, 2026.

The club built that idea into its format. Guests move at their own pace through open-flow contrast sessions, with a daily 90-minute experience on the schedule and a longer Haus Party format on select evenings with live DJs. The plunge tubs are temperature-controlled from 2°C to 10°C, while the sauna seats about 55 to 60 people. LED-guided visuals are designed to support breath control, focus and calm presence, a small but telling detail for nervous first-timers who want structure without feeling rushed. The result is less clinical than a standard plunge studio and more inviting for beginners, including people who may want the ritual without the pressure of a nightlife scene.

That social layer is central to the pitch. NRG Haus framed itself around “nourish, recharge, gather,” and paired the cold and heat cycle with an alcohol-free lounge, curated music, recovery drinks and deliberate social nights. The functional drinks are positioned around hydration, minerals, focus and recovery, while IV therapy, administered by licensed medical professionals, can be added alongside contrast sessions. For women, sober-curious newcomers and anyone trying to build a habit instead of chasing a one-off challenge, the appeal is obvious: the space turns ice bathing into something closer to a recurring social ritual than a solo endurance test.

Ivan Ho is the driving force behind the concept, after more than a decade building Toronto fitness brands including Fit Factory Fitness, Refined Reformer and CORE 9:24 Club. Reporting tied the idea to Ho’s sobriety journey and to the belief that non-drinkers had “nowhere to gather.” Will Edwards, the club’s director of operations, said the aim was to make recovery, connection and good energy coexist, whether guests came alone or with friends.

NRG Haus also arrives in a crowded but growing market. Toronto has seen 11 sauna-and-cold-plunge spots open since 2022, a backdrop that makes the membership push and early booking incentives more than a marketing flourish. In that context, NRG Haus is not just selling cold water and heat. It is testing whether a social recovery club can keep first-timers coming back long after the novelty of the plunge wears off.