Hidden Gems: Meet Thomas Moore of R3 Spa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Thomas Moore.

Thomas, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I am from Texas and my wife is from Russia. I really fell in love with the sauna while traveling to visit her family. Growing up in Texas, I always thought saunas were a gross hot box in a gym. But after trying a REALLY hot and beautiful sauna I quickly got addicted. In Russia the weather is TERRIBLE 8 months of the year. To put it in perspective the sunniest place in Russia (Sochi) gets as much sun as the least sunny place in America (Seattle). In Moscow they get about 60 days of sunshine a year, and the first time I visited in 2019 we got 6 hours of sun the entire month of December. So in Russia, sauna is a way to combat the depression of terrible winter weather, and the grey days that don’t seem to end for months on end, so the market there is developed. There is a sauna on every block, and the competition means the quality is unmatched.

My wife and I met in 2019 traveling. We were broke backpackers for years, trying different things to make money. We faced a lot of challenges, like employees stealing from us, geopolitical issues, being stuck in Mexico and totally broke. One time I had $16 and we were living on the beach in Mexico in a hippy commune hostel with a nudist pool because it was the only place I could afford to stay. We did a lot of things to make money, whatever we had to to survive during this time really. I worked online in marketing, we had an agency, we worked in consulting etc. etc. etc. Then my wife had some success in social media and she pushed me to try also.

I started making videos in May 2022, and by the end of the year, I had a little success. We actually moved to Bali with only $500 in the bank to try to make it as influencers. We were spending around $15 a day for the both of us. Wild times.

I continued to grow and eventually we both became quite successful as influencers. I realized to level up professionally we had to move to the US, so I applied for a visa for my then girlfriend. It took years just to get the visa and we spent $5K + on all the fees etc. But in the end we got to America and got married in June 2024. We took a road trip around the US so I could show her our country, and everywhere we went we tried the local sauna (because we are still addicted).

And we realized most American saunas are either improperly built, or just aren’t hot enough to get the full benefits. You need strong heat to get the relaxation, the heat shock proteins, the mental and physical relaxation, the endorphins and serotonin, and above all the cardiovascular benefits. Did you know that a sauna over 175 degrees f 3 times a week is shown to reduce all cause mortality by 40%?

So after traveling 12,000 miles around the US, and after talking about it for years, we decided it was time to open our own sauna.

We signed the lease in November, and we worked SO hard to bring R3 Spa to life in Englewood. In the end it took over 10 month’s just to open. But we are sure it has all been worth it! We see that it really brings a lot of joy and a much needed space to relax for the community. And we believe that is the most important part of our business – the community we build – because its no fun to sit in a hot box alone. *cough SweatHouz cough*

R3 Stands for Relax, Rejuvenate, Repeat. And we believe the most important thing is that people feel welcome to come back. We work very hard to create a space where all are welcome, and where people can really let go. A safe space to relax and work on your health. And, I really believe there aren’t enough sober activities that don’t involve the outdoors in Colorado, so the concept is to provide a place that is fun to visit that brings people back, where they can stay sober and get “high” in a healthy way. To build a community of health conscious people that really enjoy each other’s company.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
No, especially building. It felt like everything went wrong or was late. The sauna heater never worked right and it took months to get a refund. The general contractor really let us down and was 2 months late. Half the equipment we bought was broken. I could go on and on. But, I am grateful. It’s been a learning experience and we are stronger for all of it.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
You can find more on the site at r3experience.com – but theres a lot about our philosophy and what the space really exists for in the first response about “our story”.

Ammenities:

190 degree traditional sauna with 2 giant gas heaters
3 cold plunges with 3 different temperatures to plunge (we keep one filled with ice)
2 showers for people to rinse
complementary towels
3 changing rooms
lockers

Emphasis on friendly staff and chill music.

We priced the membership lower than the market to make it accessible for everybody. You can book a single session but it only takes 4 sessions for the unlimited membership to pay for itself.

We also do private bookings of the entire space for groups or events – you can email us at info@r3experience.com to enquire.

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Hmm. Don’t really believe in luck. I think the universe is chaotic and it throws things at you that are very challenging but also the universe is just an algorithm you can hack. If you keep trying you’ll learn how. And when you REALLY decide you’re going to do something, your brain can figure out how to make it happen. If it’s too difficult to be worth it, the friction is the universe’s way of telling you that you’re in the wrong industry or you don’t have a product market fit. Lots of businesses I gave up on because it wasn’t worth the effort just to sell the product. This is my 14th startup. It takes a lot of effort to find the right product. But if you keep trying, you’re going to get to success.

Pricing:

• $35 single session
• $129 monthly unlimited
• $285 for 3 months unlimited ($95/mo)
• $150 for 5 sessions bundle ($30/ session)
• $250 for 10 sessions bundle ($25/ session)

Contact Info:

• Website: https://r3experience.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/r3.experience/?hl=en
• Other: https://maps.app.goo.gl/3HURLNsKBF4j2cgk7