Schwet’s Mauri Waneka on Detox-Retox Hospitality, Social Wellness & the Future of IRL Connection

In this episode of The Layover, we sit down with Mauri Waneka, founder of Schwet, a hospitality-meets-wellness concept built around saunas, pools, steam, social connection, and what Mauri calls a “detox, retox” approach to living well. Rather than positioning Schwet as just another cold plunge or wellness space, Mauri frames it as a new kind of hospitality product: sexy, social, design-forward, and rooted in connection.Mauri shares how her path from derivatives trading to real estate development to community building led to Schwet. After moving to Los Angeles, she began hosting dinners as a way to meet interesting people, eventually growing those gatherings into large-scale social experiences that blended business, art, science, entertainment, and culture.Mauri breaks down how Schwet is:Reimagining wellness as living well, not rigid self-denialBlending contrast therapy, social time, and nightlife energy into one hospitality experienceCreating a space where people can connect without phones, pressure, or the usual members-club stiffnessBalancing exclusivity with public access so the community stays fresh and dynamicBuilding a brand voice that is funny, irreverent, privacy-conscious, and intentionally anti-flexPositioning itself for a future where wellness, hotels, clubs, and hospitality increasingly overlapThe conversation also explores New York’s current social renaissance, why Mauri believes the city beats Los Angeles for spontaneous connection, and how boutique hotels inspired Schwet’s mix of locals, visitors, friends-of-friends, and new faces.Whether you’re interested in hospitality, wellness, community design, nightlife, or the next wave of social spaces, this episode offers a look at how Schwet is making wellness feel less precious—and a lot more fun.💧 Learn More Follow Schwet at https://www.getschwet.com/ to see the space, the vibe, and Mauri’s very unserious approach to serious hospitality.