Health club operator Equinox Holdings Inc will branch out into full service hospitality with the opening of its first hotel in 2018.
The company has earmarked a property on Manhattan’s west side as its first hotel, which will feature indoor and outdoor swimming pools and the largest ever Equinox gym measuring 60,000 square feet.
A second property will open the following year in Los Angeles, the company said.
Equinox eventually expects to expand the hotel business to as many as 75 hotels globally, said Equinox chief executive Harvey Spevak.
"We are appealing to the discriminating consumer who lives an active lifestyle and wants to have that as a hotel experience," Spevak said.
Health and wellness has been an emerging trend in hospitality in recent years with several big names launching brand initiatives focused on fitness and spa services.
InterContinental’s EVEN brand, Starwood’s Westin and the TRYP by Wyndham chain all showcase fitness amenities and healthy lifestyle driven programs in what is becoming an ever crowded market segment.
