- Equinox, best known for its high-end gyms, plans to launch 33 luxury hotels over the next 10 years.
- Equinox Hotels’ CEO said at least half will be in the US.
- Its pipeline currently includes coastal resorts and properties in Texas, California, and Hawaii.
Equinox is eyeing a country-wide expansion — not just with its gyms, but its hotels.
The luxury fitness giant operates a New York City hotel with plans to launch 33 more over the next 10 years. At least half will be in the United States, Chris Norton, the CEO of Equinox Hotels, told Business Insider, with properties in Texas, Northern California, and Hawaii already in the pipeline.
Expect a resort on the East Coast to be succeeded by another on the West Coast. Norton called Los Angeles, New York, and Miami “strategic priorities,” followed by Nashville, Atlanta, Austin, and Detroit.
Internationally, in addition to an announced resort in Saudia Arabia’s Noem development, Equinox Hotels’ CEO said the company is now also considering locations in London.
Equinox is best known for its growing collection of more than 110 “fitness clubs,” which start at $325 monthly — not including an initiation fee. Despite (or maybe because of) the hefty expense, its fit crowds, eucalyptus-scented towels, and Grown Alchemist-stocked bathrooms have created a cultlike following beloved by investors and affluent fitness buffs.
Expect the same wealthy and healthy tribe at its coming hotels.
At its six-year-old New York City property, guests have in-room supplement mini-bars, daytime and nighttime soaps, a trendy 60,000-square-foot gym, and access to spa treatments such as cryotherapy and IV drips.
Upstairs, they can feast on a fluke crudo and pasture-raised chicken at a trendy rooftop restaurant. Downstairs, they can see and be seen at the outdoor pool with barrel saunas and unfettered views of the Vessel.
“If you stay at the hotel, you can experience this entire universe of a multi-dimensional Equinox experience,” Norton said.
The list of amenities has created a five-star go-to for travelers who want to eat, sleep, and breathe (four counts in, four counts out) the lucrative fitness and wellness world.
However, it’s also why Norton estimates nine out of 10 of its future properties would have to be new builds.
Not many existing hotels have what the company is looking for: gyms averaging 30,000 to 40,000 square feet with pilates and cycling rooms that might otherwise sit empty between classes.
“The New York hotel has clearly moved and will continue to move Equinox into a luxury lifestyle brand versus a gym brand,” the hotel brand’s CEO said.
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