Equinox Holdings Inc., New York, plans to open luxury hotels that cater to health-conscious travelers, according to a story in the Wall Street Journal.
Harvey Spevak, CEO of Equinox, which owns 75 health clubs, told the Journal that the company expects to open 75 hotels worldwide, most with a fitness facility inside that would be open to hotel guests and Equinox members. Some hotels may have an Equinox club nearby instead.
The first hotel will open in Manhattan in 2018, and the second will open in 2019 in Los Angeles.
The first hotel will include a 60,000-square-foot gym as well as indoor and outdoor pools. That property will be located in Hudson Yards in a development being created by the Related Co., New York, a real-estate development company with assets of more than $15 billion. Related Co. also is Equinox Holdings' majority investor. Related Co. plans to invest several billion dollars in the Equinox hotels during the next few years, a Related spokeswoman told the Journal.
A health club and hotel combination is not new. The Houstonian Hotel, Club and Spa, Houston, has combined the two concepts into one brand for 30 years. Leisure Sports, Pleasanton, CA, also operates two Renaissance ClubSport locations that combine a hotel and health club.
In addition, some hotel brands have increased the size and offerings of their gyms to appeal to travelers. One hotel brand, The InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), Atlanta, has opened a lifestyle hotel brand called EVEN hotels that have a focus on fitness and wellness.