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Equinox Hotel, New York – an achingly hip Manhattan hang-out that is not just for fitness freaks

  • The recently opened property is the swanky health club chain’s first foray into hospitality
  • Its launch taps into the millennial obsession with all things health and wellness

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The outdoor ‘leisure pool’ at New York City’s Equinox Hotel offers skyline views of Manhattan.
Vincenzo La Torre
What is it? Equinox is the Pure Fitness of North America, a chain of swanky health clubs where you’re likely to run into celeb­rities, models and those who look like celebrities and models. Reflecting a trend that has been happening in fashion for years (Bulgari and Ferragamo are just two examples), Equinox is now making a foray into hospitality, with its first hotel in New York and more to come throughout the United States.
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So what’s special about it? Equinox Hotel taps into the wellness and fitness obsession, which has become something of a status symbol among wealthy millennials. With gym memberships on the rise, health stores sprouting like mushrooms after a rainstorm and the success of companies such as Goop, founded by actress-turned-wellness guru Gwyneth Paltrow, it’s perhaps no surprise that a gym company would want to create a “360-degree experience”, offering a full immersion into all things wholesome and holistic.

Is this place just for fitness freaks, then? While the branding of the property clearly aims to attract that demographic, the hotel has more to offer. Its sleek elegance has nothing to do with breaking a sweat, rather a modern take on the widely copied aesthetic championed by five-star brands such as the Park Hyatt and the Mandarin Oriental.

The vibe is luxurious without being showy, with a predominance of matte surfaces in dark hues that make for a palate cleanser in the urban jungle that is New York. The outdoor “leisure pool” is a lovely spot, where guests take in the Manhattan skyline without having to show off their swimming skills, or lack thereof.

The rooms are luxurious without being ostentatious.
The rooms are luxurious without being ostentatious.
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So what if I am a fitness freak? Then this is the place for you. As you might expect, the gym is far from an afterthought but pretty much the raison d’être. Covering an entire floor, it is equip­ped with the latest machinery, an Olympic-sized indoor pool, yoga studios and all the bells and whistles of a fancy fitness centre.

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