FROM MAYFAIR TO MANHATTAN, SOCIAL WELLNESS CLUBS ARE ON THE RISE: A MODERN EVOLUTION OF THE TRADITIONAL GYM, SPA, AND COUNTRY CLUB, BLENDING HEALTH, FITNESS, RECOVERY, AND COMMUNITY INTO A SINGLE, HIGH-CONCEPT MEMBERSHIP EXPERIENCE

BY AMANDA McCOY

E BY EQUINOX

London and New York

When the first Equinox location debuted in Manhattan’s Upper West Side in 1991, it helped pioneer the still-nascent premium health club concept. Taking a lifestyle-centered approach over the traditional rough-and-tumble gym model, the sleek members-only facility offered spa-like amenities, high-tech equipment, world-class trainers and health counselors, and wellness services under one roof. The concept took off, and when Equinox opened its flagship locale in 2004 (a sprawling 40,000-square-foot super-gym in Columbus Circle), the company introduced another tier, dubbed E. Subscribers had access to an exclusive training studio within the facility, where they worked one-on-one with health coaches in fitness, nutrition, and regeneration. In 2017, the first standalone E by Equinox health club opened its doors in London; one year later, it landed in Manhattan, granting deep-pocketed devotees “the  most personalized Equinox experience” ever.

Located in a historic Madison Avenue townhouse, E by Equinox is all luxe: locker rooms feature heated floors, doublesize showers, and an espresso machine, and members are gifted custom robes and complimentary laundry service, so they’ll never have to lug sweaty gym clothes home again. A steam room (an Equinox staple) is on site, as is a full-service recovery spa offering facials, massages, and the same vascular and compression therapies favored by professional athletes. There’s also a group fitness studio, strength floor, and member lounge with cozy sofas and a fireplace to relax and mingle. equinox.com

CONTINUUM CLUB

New York

You’ll need an invitation to join this newly debuted health club in Greenwich Village, and membership is capped at 250 people to ensure exclusivity (as does the $10,000 per month price tag). But once you’re in, prepare for true white-glove wellness – complete with a velvet rope entrance. The 25,000-square-foot facility is described as a “social wellness country club,” a place to rub elbows with other high-net-worth masters of the universe in-between your cold plunge and coffee. The facilities are both sleek and sweeping: a state-of-the-art gym with Keiser and Woodway equipment, chic social lounge with plush seating, a marble bar, workspaces, and nap pods, and an amenity-rich spa with hyperbaric oxygen chambers, cold plunge baths, Himalayan salt saunas, float tanks, red-light therapy, and treatment rooms.

Each new member undergoes extensive biometric tests, including blood panels, VO₂ max, bone density scans, sleep studies, movement analysis, and more. All data is analyzed by AI to craft a “digital twin,” which members can access in the Continuum app, along with their personalized wellness plans across exercise, recovery, and lifestyle (like nutrition and IV therapy). Personal trainers, physical therapists, nutritionists, wellness experts, and more are all on site to guide the process, moving members through their curated wellness programs to achieve full-body vitality. If a six-figure annual wellness membership feels steep, Continuum’s CEO Jeff Halevy said to expect a similar (and reasonably priced) app available to the public in the near future that aggregates data from wearables like the Oura Ring to create personalized health plans. continuum.club.

SURRENNE

London

Set in the U.K. capital’s Victorian-studded Knightsbridge district, Surrenne is a subterranean sanctuary for the city’s wellness cognoscenti. Spread across four Rémi Tessier-designed floors under The Emory and The Berkeley hotels, the club spans roughly 21,000 square feet and operates as a members-only wellness and longevity retreat for its deep-pocketed clientele (hotel guests have access to the facilities, as well). Creative director Inge Theron collaborated with psychologists and designers to curate every detail – lighting, scent, color, and AI-generated soundscapes – each crafted to cocoon guests in sensory serenity.

The experience at Surrenne is holistic and deeply personalized. A multi-disciplinary general practitioner offers functional diagnostic testing – from blood panels to microbiome mapping – paired with bespoke wellness plans. Wellness amenities include the U.K.’s only Tracy Anderson fitness studio, a 72-foot gold-leaf-ceiling lap pool with underwater audio, a pink quartz sauna, steam rooms, snow showers, hyperbaric oxygen chambers, infrared sauna, and seven spa treatment rooms for therapies like Ashiatsu barefoot massages, hammam, and onyx salt rituals. Nutritionist-curated menus, silk robes by Alice Temperley, spa-launched Alo Yoga kits, and even champagne-by-thepool options render the club an indulgent yet restorative haven. In essence, Surrenne is both a luxury club and medical-grade wellness institute, providing an elite, science-rooted retreat less about sacrifice and more about precision, comfort, and community. Membership is strictly capped (around 100 members initially), and costs approximately $12,550 per year, plus a $6,250 joining fee. the-emory.co.uk/surrenne.

LOVE.LIFE

Los Angeles

Tucked away in El Segundo, just a short drive from downtown L.A., Love.Life is a sleek, members-only wellness sanctuary that blurs the lines between a high-end health clinic, fitness studio, and serene social club. Conceived by John Mackey (cofounder of Whole Foods), the 45,000-square-foot flagship offers a lush canvas where diagnostic medicine, physical performance, and mindful recovery coexist. From VO₂ max testing and continuous glucose monitoring to personalized functional medicine plans, every member receives physician-led care tailored to optimize longevity. The space pulses with vitality; state-of-the-art gym machines, three indoor pickleball courts, meditation pods, cold plunges, saunas, and daily group classes in yoga, pilates, HIIT, breathwork, and sound baths all ensure both body and mind are nurtured.

But Love.Life is just as much a social ecosystem as it is a wellness destination. With plant-forward café offerings, a spa, recovery suites, and even Ayurveda-inspired therapies, the club invites members to gather, connect, and thrive in a vibrant yet tranquil atmosphere. Membership tiers, ranging from $250 to $750+ per month, unlock various combinations of medical care, fitness access, and spa treatments, with an all-access “Unlimited” tier starting around $50,000 per year. It’s a modern-day “country club for your health,” where like-minded individuals come together not just to work out or recover, but to build community and invest in longevity – an evolving trend among wellness-obsessed generations. love.life.