Federico Checo, CEO of Perfect Wellness Group, Discusses the Growing Trend of Hammams

Perfect Wellness Group designs unique and luxurious thermal spaces for homes and commercial spaces.

Hammams (aka Turkish baths) are rooted in ancient Middle Eastern traditions and culture and have been around for centuries. In addition to pampering and relaxation, they provide numerous health benefits such as improved circulation, reduced muscle tension, improved skin texture, reduced stress and anxiety, and more.

Perfect Wellness Group designs unique and luxurious thermal spaces for homes and commercial spaces, ranging from residential homes to five-star hotels. They work to uphold the wellness benefits of ancient heat traditions with state-of-the-art technology, allowing for a more enjoyable and relaxing wellness experience. They work with eco-friendly, top-quality materials that are produced with careful attention to detail for durability and low maintenance.

Discover the Health Benefits of Saunas and More

Perfect Wellness Group’s steam-filled spaces are designed to promote relaxation and detoxification, and their unique design allows for optimal heat circulation, creating a comforting and soothing atmosphere. We chatted with Federico Checo, CEO Perfect Wellness Group, to learn more about the growing trend of hammams at home and in spas, their numerous health benefits, and more.

When was Perfect Wellness Group founded and where is the company based?

Perfect Wellness Group was founded in 2015 as the North American distributor and partner of Effe, a wellness company based in Italy with over 30 years experience in the wellness sphere. Perfect Wellness Group is based in Tribeca, NYC with a corporate showroom and office on 225 Broadway.

Tell us more about your services and offerings.

Perfect Wellness Group is the exclusive purveyor of Effe wellness products in North America, a line that includes luxury, top-of-the-line saunas, hammams, steam generators, and aromatherapy. Perfect Wellness Group offers both Plug&Play and completely bespoke thermal spaces, appropriate for both home and commercial use. Our technology, design, and craftsmanship are unmatched.

At Perfect Wellness Group, we built our company to serve the customer with a 360° approach. From spa consulting to the building phase, supply phase, and after-sales with specific maintenance programs, we are committed to providing our customers with exceptional service and support every step of the way.

Perfect Wellness Group is the exclusive purveyor of Effe wellness products in North America, a line that includes luxury, top-of-the-line saunas, hammams, steam generators, and aromatherapy.

What’s the difference between hammams and saunas?

A hammam, also known as a “steam room” or Turkish bath, is a wet environment that contains a steam generator that fills the space with steam. On the other hand, a sauna is a Finnish tradition and is a dry, high-heat space usually reaching temperatures of up to 212 degrees Fahrenheit and is a dry space. You can tell the difference between them because a hammam is usually tiled and is, of course, steamy, while a sauna can be identified by the traditional vertical wood slats in the interior and the heater with stones. While both are high-heat and have therapeutic benefits, some may prefer one over the other and they do have slightly different benefits.

What are the health benefits and how often should one use them?

Both sauna and steam are high-heat spaces and as such, both can contribute to better cardiovascular health, a lower blood pressure, stress reduction, a faster metabolism, and greater recovery after workouts. The high-humidity environment of a steam room may contribute to brighter/healthier skin, hair, and nails, as well as an improved immune system, relief from congestion, and the loosening of stiff joints. Usually, one would only experience either sauna or steam at a time, but regular, proper use of either space will yield benefits.

How long has this trend been around and what has led to its rise in popularity?

Use of steam and sauna in spa environments has been around forever, but we’ve seen the popularity of at-home thermal spaces rise in the past few years, as people have spent more time at home and were sometimes unable or unwilling to visit public spaces. Moreover, the wellness benefits of these thermal spaces have seen an uptick in awareness, so more and more people want to reap the benefits without having to repeatedly visit spas.

Perfect Wellness Group offers both Plug&Play and completely bespoke thermal spaces, appropriate for both home and commercial use.

Where is the ideal spot in one’s home for installing a hammam?

A hammam requires a drain, a water source, and an area with proper ventilation so the steam doesn’t damage other areas of the house, but one of Effe’s Plug&Play saunas only requires a basic electrical connection and can really be installed anywhere within the home. While some saunas widely available on the market seem like the kind of unit you’d tuck away in a basement, the Effe saunas are beautifully designed pieces that are meant to act almost like furniture within your home, creating an oasis and a space you won’t want to hide away. So, we’d say that you can install an Effe sauna anywhere you’d like, as long as the surface is level and there’s an electrical connection. 

Do you offer different options? What are your most popular requests?

With Effe, we offer a range of styles and design options, all of which are available to browse on our website. Some feature wide glass panels so you can look out of your sauna, while others provide a more traditional experience with fir wood, for example. In the sauna space, some of our most popular requests are dark wood types, which we offer as heat-treated wood. None of our woods are ever applied with a finish or stain; everything is high-quality, responsibly sourced natural woods. 

Can you create customized hammams?

Absolutely! All our cabins can be customized within several options for size, wood type, porcelain tile, fixture finishes, etc. and we also create completely custom designs.

How long does it take to install a hammam?

At home, installing a sauna or hammam cabin can take as little as one to two days. Installing an internal steam generator and steam diffusers in a home shower requires a counter box installed in the wall prior to tiling, but the installation of the actual generator is very easy. 

Perfect Wellness Group’s steam-filled spaces are designed to promote relaxation and detoxification, and their unique design allows for optimal heat circulation, creating a comforting and soothing atmosphere.

How can the addition of a hammam improve a spa’s business?

We work with both big-name spas as well as smaller/independent spas and hotels, and we always say that adding en-suite saunas or steam generators in en-suite showers instantly boosts the value of a hotel/inn room. Because our products are luxury and our steam generators feature patented, unmatched technology, it can be a no-brainer for a hotelier to consider increasing the value of their rooms by adding Effe thermal spaces. 

What are some of the well-known spas you’ve created hammams for?

A couple of the commercial spas we’ve created include the QCNY spa on Governor’s Island, NY; Mii Amo Spa in Sedona, AZ; and Yuan Spa in Seattle. One of our favorite designs was the custom wooden slats commissioned by QCNY that were carved to mimic the New York City skyline. 

What’s the average cost for installing and maintaining a hammam?

The Plug&Play sauna cabins Effe offers begin around $15k while the combined sauna/steam cabins start at $60k and go up depending on the level of customization, the model selected, and the size. Both the cabins and the steam generators are very low maintenance for the home. Our steam generators feature proprietary Smart Boiler Cleaning technology, a process in which the steam generator initiates thermal shock to break down any limescale or dirty water within the boiler, leaving the unit clean and empty after every use. Compared to other steam generators, this technology means that Effe steam generators don’t require expensive monthly maintenance. It could take years before a home steam generator requires professional service. 

One of Perfect Wellness Group’s most memorable designs was commissioned by QCNY to mimic the New York City skyline. 

For more information about Perfect Wellness Group, visit their website and follow on Instagram: @perfectwellnessgrp

[Photos courtesy of Perfect Wellness Group/Stefano Pasqualetti Photography]

Kamala Kirk is a University of Southern California graduate and has been an editor/writer for more than a decade. She has written for E! Online, Total Beauty, TravelAge West, Malibu Times Magazine, and many more. She resides in Los Angeles and is a proud pug mom. Follow her on Instagram: @kamalakirk