Work It Out ... In More Ways Than One

At the Century City Equinox, members have a gym and spa combo. But is it worth it?

For most people, going to the gym is about getting pumped up to sweat it out, while going to the spa is about winding down to chill out. So what happens when the two worlds collide? The answer can be found at the Equinox location in Century City. But ... isn't it kind of a drawback to have the spa and the gym together in one spot, both sharing a change room? Aren't people skeptical about the concept?

"That's the biggest downfall, but we change their minds once we get them in the door," says Vance Soto, the spa director for Equinox Spa.

Equinox has carved out a name for itself as being a high-end gym, offering fitness options that outclass your typical meat market muscle-fest. But surprisingly, the addition of a spa was something that was discussed when the Century City location was in its infancy. When the spot came up, it just so happened that another spa – called Mystique – was calling the second floor home. Equinox took that as their sign and started preparations for the hybrid.

Still, the concept of mixing a gym environment with a spa environment seems curious. Both venues share the same change room, and spa goers have to take a quick tour through the main hallway on the ground floor to get to the elevator that takes them to paradise. But once they step off, the environment changes. Gone is the thump-thump-thump of fitness-related music, and guests are treated instead to a serene sitting room that allows them the chance to unwind before being ushered back to one of 20 treatment rooms.

"We wanted to create total wellness, where clients could spend the entire day doing personal training and follow it up with a massage or facial," Soto says. "It's been challenging marrying the two, but it's starting to come together. We're definitely more spa, but we're still Equinox and known as fitness, so we tried to create a more intimate fitness setting."



And don't doubt the treatments you'll get – they're world class. Take, for example, the Equinox Solstice Spa Ritual, which envelops you in spa-y goodness the likes of which you've never felt. Starting with an exfoliation to remove dead skin, you're then painted with mud for a purification wrap in preparation for a Lomi Juma massage, using techniques indigenous to the Pacific and Mediterranean that release the flow of energy, remove tension and improve circulation to allow you to drift off into dreams of being plundered by Johnny Depp.

Oh, sorry -- where were we? Right -- spa treatment. It's heavenly, memorable, and Equinox's skilled technicians are well versed in the ways of the body. The spa's retention rate proves it. Not only have they taken on the clientele left behind by Mystique, but Equinox fitness clients have been buying into the "total wellness" theme in droves.

"I think we're starting a trend -- other gyms are starting to realize the benefits," Soto says. "Other locations are spa-oriented, wellness, and the fitness trend is really going in that direction. People are starting to realize that gyms and spas can work hand in hand."

With a massage incentive, it's an easy bet that more people will find reasons to get off the couch and get into the gym.

For more information on the Equinox Spas, check out http://www.equinoxfitness.com/.