The UK’s first-ever public floating sauna, where you can go straight from luxury sauna to outdoor wild swimming, has opened just an hour from Manchester.
Wyld Sauna is home to a 30-person sauna, ice baths, luxury changing rooms and direct access straight into one of the North West’s most iconic bodies of water.
There are also two cold waterfall showers, four heated outdoor showers to salt rubs, and changing rooms decked out with Dyson hair dryers, lockers, mirrors and swimsuit dryers.
The unique experience has opened in the last month on Princes Dock in our neighbouring Liverpool, created by friends Jon Miller and Tom Berendsen.
The 42-year-old pair wanted to create a floating sauna that blends the ‘serenity of nature with the urban vibrancy of the city’.
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Wyld is bringing traditional Nordic saunas to modern life, in a communal environment that’s suitable for everyone from novices to long-time devotees of hot and cold therapy.
Wyld Sauna floats on the water with views of the Liverpool skyline.
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Princes Dock has grown in popularity as a natural swimming spot in recent years, with a growing community of open-water enthusiasts taking the plunge here.
Wyld, the UK’s first FLOATING sauna has opened just an hour from Manchester. Credit: The Manc Group
Visitors to Wyld will have direct access to the water (which is regularly tested and has life guards) from a private pontoon.
Jon Miller, Co-Founder of Wyld Sauna, explained: “We’ve always believed in the power of saunas – not just for physical health, but for building community and creating moments of calm in our busy lives.
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“Wyld is our way of making that experience accessible to as many people as possible. Our mission is to bring the best of the Nordic sauna tradition to Liverpool, where anyone can come, unwind, and reconnect – whether it’s their first sauna or their hundredth.”
Tom Berendsen, Co-Founder, added: ”Princes Dock is the perfect setting for Wyld. Being on the water adds another layer to the experience, with the city skyline on one side and the calm of the dock on the other.
“It’s a place where nature and urban life meet, which is exactly what Wyld is all about. We’re very excited to be opening the UK’s first floating sauna, right here in the heart of this beautiful city that’s steeped in heritage and culture.”
Liza Marco, Senior Asset Manager for Liverpool Waters commented: “We are very excited for Wyld to open at Princes Dock next month. It is the perfect location for such a fantastic and luxurious experience on the water, surrounded by some of Liverpool’s most iconic buildings.
“Princes Dock is a popular and growing destination with more people now living and working there, and an increasing number of visitors to its bars, cafes, restaurants, and hotels.
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“Wyld Sauna will be a great addition to the Dock alongside the open water swimming, canoeing and yoga already on offer there and we look forward to seeing everyone enjoying themselves in this fabulous location.”
Thanks to Terminal 2’s major upgrade, now holidays really do start at Manchester Airport
Danny Jones
It’s a phrase that’s almost as old as air travel itself, but luckily, Manchester Airport are well and truly getting your holidays started early, courtesy of the new and improved Terminal 2.
T2‘s massive upgrade technically finished in 2025, but with other bits debuting already this year and even more to come in 2026, Manchester’s biggest terminal is a more fully-fledged travel hub than ever.
Complete everything from the essentials and a healthy supply of food and drink, to lots of luxuries and plenty of ways to unwind and kill time between both before and after flights, you can feel extra smug about getting to the airport early.
As part of their latest ‘Terminal Explorer’ campaign, we recently paid a visit to see just how much fun we could get up to in and around T2. Spoilers: quite a lot.
With a little help from their wayfinding screens dotted around the various areas, from the World Duty Free section and ever-growing internal shopping district, to all the bars and restaurants that have opened since the big refurb, we took ourselves on a very fun day out.
And that was without even having an actual holiday booked to look forward to, so just imagine how good it must feel to top all this off with a real trip away.
In fact, you don’t even need to think that hard about it; roughly 80% of all passengers heading in and out of Manchester Airport now come through T2, and with the experience improving all the time, they’re seeing a serious uptick in visitors and their time spent enjoying some leisure before their getaway.
From additions like the LEGO store to keep the kids entertained, as well as numerous places to grab a brew, a bite, or even your first adult beverage of the holiday, it’s up to you how you choose to explore – they’ve just given you plenty of options.
There’s no bigger testament to the latest hospitality offerings in Terminal 2 than the recently opened Great Northern Market, which brings a rather big taste of the Mackie Mayor vibe to Manchester Airport.
A VERY comfortable place to wind down any wait times before you fly.
You’ll be blown away by the amount of choice on offer in here – we certainly were – and, of course, the multi-vendor culinary destination epicentre is just one of many fantastic food and drink offerings now boasted by the T2 ‘2.0.’
For instance, we could happily spend most of the time before our next hypothetical flight just chilling in the super stylish Fever-Tree Bar, which includes a wonderful range of breakfast and light bites, charcuterie boards, small plates, sandwiches and so on – plus a cocktail menu perfect for any occasion.
Put simply, you’ve now been given all the tools and means to turn downtime of almost any duration into an excuse to explore Manchester Airport at its best; in fact, scratch that: it’s an opportunity to go for a wander and make the most of it – and it’s one you don’t want to waste.
Whether it’s stocking up pre-flight or kicking back with your first drink of many, don’t just be another person sitting watching the departures board, be a terminal explorer.
Iconic Manchester hotel with secret rooftop bar reveals new look and rebrand
Daisy Jackson
Manchester will say goodbye to Hotel Gotham, one of the city’s most iconic hotels, as it announces a major rebrand.
The luxurious five-star hotel has announced a ‘new era’, and will be rebranding to The Rex next month.
Hotel Gotham is a real landmark in the city centre, a striking art deco building that was previously a bank for Manchester’s elite.
The building converted from a bank into a hotel back in 2015, a few years after Jamie Oliver took over the ground floor with a Jamie’s Italian restaurant (it’s now Lucky Cat by Gordon Ramsay).
Over the last decade, Hotel Gotham has become one of Manchester’s top-rated premium hotels, as well as being home to a secret rooftop bar and member’s club.
But now it’s apparently time for a refresh, as it announces its new identity as The Rex.
Leonardo Limited Edition UK has promised that the elegant art deco history of the building will be preserved and reinterpreted.
The 60-room hotel will ‘continue to celebrate its historic grandeur but introduce a modern style’.
Central to the rebrand is The Reserve, the private members’ club at The Rex, which is hidden up on the seventh floor behind vault-like doors.
Hotel Gotham will officially rebrand to The Rex next month. Credit: Supplied
High above the city with three rooftop terraces, The Reserve will offer everything from daytime working to relaxed drinks and small plates to members, as well as an events space called The Treasury.
The hotel’s main restaurant and bar will also be given a refresh, serving afternoon teas, five-course tasting menus, live entertainment, and private dining spaces.
Jenny Oh, general manager of The Rex, said: “While our name has evolved, the hotel our guests know and love remains very much the same.
“This rebrand is an expressive upgrade, retaining the character, comfort, and connection people cherish, while introducing a more modern, sophisticated expression of who we are today.
“It reflects our commitment to our guests, our team, and the community we’re proud to be part of, while honouring the history that has shaped us.”
The Rex rebrand will officially be in place from 23 April, with bed and breakfast rooms priced from £179.
Daisy Jackson -
13th December 2024 
