With what appears to be an endless stream of fitness clubs popping up all over town, it’s hardly surprising that it can be a tricky decision ascertaining which one to sign up to. Do you go with the local leisure centre, cheap and cheerful but with a pool full of squealing rugrats of a weekend? The big chain names with their pumping dance tunes and slightly feet-scented changing rooms? Or splash out on somewhere a little more swanky, with all the little extras that might just persuade you to go that little more often for that little bit longer? I recently paid a visit to one that most certainly falls in to the latter category, and what a pleasant change it did make.
Equinox, the US brand of health clubs, has a flagship London location on Kensington High Street, housed in the historic Art Deco Tom Derry building (home to Kensington Roof Gardens, opposite the Daily Mail) – the birthplace of Biba fashion – at the foot of Kensington Gardens. An illuminated elliptical dome is the central architectural feature of this visually stunning. Upon entering one is struck by the vastness; it’s certainly one of London’s uber-gyms. Rows and rows of treadmills, bikes, crosstrainers and step machines all face into a central floor housing state of the art weight training equipment, strength ropes, kettlebells and body bars. Not at all daunting for a gym-phobe like myself…
As well as the main room the club is home to yoga and fitness studios, one of which being totally glass-fronted which will surely either put you off ever setting foot in it or encourage you to push yourself that much harder as the rest of the gym is watching you; I’m sure their plan is for it to be the latter. An intimate pilates studio with sparkling equipment and a cycling studio complete the line up. With a packed daily class schedule running from 7am – 8.45pm most days, there’s certainly bound to be something that floats your boat, from spinning, yoga and pilates to the latest trends in Tabata, barre workouts, Thai boxing, HIIT (high intensity interval training) and the demonic sounding treadmill workout that is Tread and Shred.
The club also prides itself on its industry-leading personal trainers, dedicated to merging your current fitness level with your personal goals to build a results-based program to ‘inspire, challenge and transform’. Equinox’s trainers range in level from Tier 1 to Tier 4, based on their experience and education, with each client being personally matched to a trainer dependent on fitness levels, schedule and medical history. From what I witnessed during my short visit there seemed to be a number of PT sessions on the go with clients of varying fitness levels, yet everyone certainly seemed to be enjoying the experience.
It’s often the little extras that make such a destination that bit extra special, and Equinox’s are no exception. Changing rooms are kitted out with Kiehl’s products in all the showers, stations of hairdryers, straighteners, deoderant and hairspray. An abundance of towels is available throughout the club, my favourite being the fridges filled with cold, damp towels infused with eucalyptus oil – unbelievably refreshing when coming off a hot, sweaty treadmill and definitely something more clubs should look into! As if all that wasn’t enough, the club also boasts a spa full of invigorating and relaxing treatments that are the perfect antidote to tough workouts.
Be warned, such a high brow club doesn’t come cheap, but dependent on your dedication to fitness and your level of disposable income if it’s a serious health club with serious equipment and results you’re after it might be the one for you.
Equinox London, 99 Kensington High Street, W8 5SA
Tel: 020 7666 6000
www.equinox.com
Love Laurel x
