Metro Atlanta is set to get a new premium gym. "Club Studio," a newly launched upscale gym from Fitness International, LLC, is due to replace the existing, roughly 50,000 square foot LA Fitness in TOWN Brookhaven (755 Brookhaven Avenue) in Brookhaven.
LA Fitness, also owned by Fitness International, opened its Brookhaven facility in August 2011, at which time it reportedly signed a 20 year lease.
LA Fitness is due to close as of August 25. Including Brookhaven, the Irvine, California-based gym operator currently operates 40 facilities under the LA Fitness branding in the greater metro Atlanta area. Overall, Fitness International has more than 700 locations across the country, including Esporta Fitness and City Sports Clubs.
The new Brookhaven gym is expected to feature five specialized studios: CS4 (Run. Ski. Row. Reps.), yoga, cycling, boxing, and reformer pilates, as well as more traditional gym offerings like free weights, cardio equipment, a lap pool, and basketball courts. Also planned are so-called "holistic wellness" offerings like compression therapy, full-body cryotherapy and saunas.
Club Studios also feature a boutique retail offering and an on-premise "beaming" cafe which offers assorted smoothies, bowls, and coffees as well as a curated assortment of packaged vitamins, supplements, beverages, and snacks.
The first Club Studio debuted in December 2022 in the company's home market of Irvine in southern California. Club Studio Irvine opened in place of a former Orchard Supply Hardware, a bankrupt regional hardware store. Today there are four Club Studio locations open with ten more coming soon, according to the Club Studio website. The Brookhaven location, and another planned for a former Bloomingdale's in Santa Monica, are not among the ten listed.
Brookhaven would mark the third existing LA Fitness location to be converted to the new, more premium (expensive) concept. The three other operating Club Studio locations occupy former locations of Best Buy (Long Beach), Randalls, a regional grocer (Kingswood/greater Houston), and 24 Hour Fitness (Tysons Corner).
Data analytics firm Placer.AI published an extensive report last June comparing the Irvine Club Studio to an existing nearby LA Fitness. Notable findings from their analysis included that Club Studio members tend to have a higher median HHI (household income) of $130,000 vs $107,000 for LA Fitness. "They also tend to have more education, with two-thirds of Club Studio members holding a BA or higher vs half of LA Fitness’ membership." The full report can be found here.
Other planned locations are a mixture of conversions of other gyms, department stores and grocery stores as well as new builds.
According to an LA Fitness employee in Brookhaven, the conversion is expected to take eight to twelve months with more information and pricing expected to be released closer to the reopening. (A separate ill-informed employee directed us to "one of the other Club Studio locations in Atlanta" when we inquired about the club's expected pricing and was surprised when we informed them that the Brookhaven location will be the first in the state.)
If looking at pricing at open or upcoming Club Studios is any indication, current LA Fitness members in Brookhaven are in for some serious sticker shock.
Although Brookhaven is not currently taking new members, its pricing is consistent across all Atlanta area locations. A "Classic, multi-club membership" within the state of enrollment costs $44.99 per month with an additional annual fee of $59. A "Classic +1 guest" with national access costs $39.99 per month plus a $75 initiation fee and a $59 annual fee.
Club Studio, however, based on the pricing and likely the size of their current network, is a lot closer in price to rival Life Time [Fitness].
Below are the monthly prices of Club Studios that currently list their membership options:
Irvine, CA - $189 individual, club of enrollment and $249 per month, multi-club
Long Beach, CA - $199 and $249
Kingswood, TX - $139 and $249
Tysons Corner, VA - $169 and $249
Citrus Heights, CA (presale) $129 and $249
For its part, Life Time Buckhead, which opened at Phipps Plaza in December 2022 and spans more than 100,000 square feet over five stories, has perhaps the highest monthly prices in the state: $299 for the first person age 26 and older, $100 for an additional person 26 or older (maximum one) and $80 per person under age 26 (unlimited). Despite the breathtaking price, the Buckhead location has a waitlist, according to the location-specific website.
Life Time commands such high prices claiming that it delivers a "country club experience" but recent reviews of the facility suggest competitors like Club Studio may have room to grow if they can consistently deliver a higher level of service. Twelve of the last 15 Google reviews of Life Time Buckhead are one or two stars, with many lamenting the same cleanliness and service concerns.
Life Time also operates a large format location in Sandy Springs priced at $199 for their "signature" plan - members 26 and younger, and 65 and older are priced at $169.
There are also new locations planned to open later this fall in North Druid Hills (former Athletic Club Northeast) and Perimeter (former Concourse Athletic Club) next spring.
LA Fitness also operates pairs of locations in both Buckhead and Dunwoody/Sandy Springs, including one on Peachtree Road at "The Block at Phipps" (fka Lenox Marketplace) across the street from Life Time at Phipps Plaza.
It will be interesting to see how strongly the new Club Studio opens or if their current or would-be customers find their way to other nearby LA Fitness locations....or the competition.
Have you ever been to a Club Studio? What is the maximum amount you would pay for a monthly gym membership? Are you excited about Club Studio opening in Brookhaven?
Please share your thoughts below.