Follow Health Club Management on Twitter Like Health Club Management on Facebook Join the discussion with Health Club Management on LinkedIn
FITNESS, HEALTH, WELLNESS

Latest news

Virgin Active to debut its social wellness club concept in London

Virgin Active will open its first social wellness club in London in July
The concept blends training, recovery, work spaces and community
The Mayfair site will include studios, a gym, spa facilities, recovery and co-working spaces
It marks a strategic shift towards wellness-led clubs, with more UK sites expected to follow

Virgin Active is set to open its first social wellness club in London, with a relaunch of its Mayfair site in July.

Virgin Active, which has 224 clubs in nine countries, serving more than a million members, is repositioning its health clubs as social wellness clubs that become the second space. The concept has been designed to sit alongside everyday life: a place where training, recovery, focus, connection, work and nutrition are brought together with intent.

Experience director at Virgin Active, Rob Lewis, said: “This is a complete reimagining of what a club can and should be. The new Virgin Active Mayfair has been designed for the way our members actually live — a space where training, recovery, work and community sit alongside each other naturally.”

There will be five dedicated studios: Combat, Lift Club, Mind and Body, Reformer and Tower Pilates, and a 1:1 Pilates suite.

The extensive gym will be split equally between strength and cardio, with a dedicated team of personal trainers delivering tailored programmes.

Additionally, there will be a contrast spa including a Finnish sauna, infrared sauna, cold plunge, vitality pool and a 20-metre indoor pool.

The recovery area will incorporate heated hydromassage beds and the latest Hyperice technology.

Longevity treatment rooms will offer services from on-site physios, osteopaths, sports therapists and performance specialists.

Additional services include spacious co-working lounges with private meeting rooms and call booths, a dedicated concierge service, and Kauai Café, which will serve considered, protein-rich food. Events, member engagement moments and brand collaborations will run throughout the year.

Elena Chambers, country director at Virgin Active UK, said: “Mayfair represents exactly the direction we’re committed to across our UK portfolio. This is a significant investment in the space, the experience, and the standard our members can expect from us, and it is the first of several steps we’re taking across the UK in the coming months and years.”

Virgin Active CEO, Dean Kowarski, first outlined plans for the elevation of clubs in his presentation at the HCM Summit in 2024. You can watch this here.

Virgin Active is set to open its first social wellness club in London, with a relaunch of its Mayfair site in July. Virgin Active, which has 224 clubs in nine countries, serving more than a million members, is repositioning its health clubs as social wellness clubs that become the second space. The concept has been designed to sit alongside everyday life: a place where training, recovery, focus, connection, work and
HAF,FIT,IND,PTS,HSP
The spa at Virgin Active's Mayfair social wellness club / Virgin Active
Latest News
London-based high-performance fitness club, ONE LDN, is raising funds for a multi-site expansion across London, ...
Latest News
A new brain clinic has opened in London, which uses non-invasive brain stimulation to treat ...
Latest News
Good Boost’s digital exercise programmes are helping adults with MSK at a lower cost than ...
Latest News
With Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, announcing his resignation this morning and Andy Burnham as a ...
Latest News
Koru Health Club launched recently within Luxembourg’s multi-experience destination, GRID X, which combines culture, retail ...
Latest News
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Elevate has had its busiest show to date, with almost 200 ...
Latest News
A new report from Your Personal Training (YPT) suggests UK gym operators could be missing ...
Latest News
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, ...
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Starpool supports Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs, says Riccardo Turri
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Third Space partnered with IndigoFitness to deliver a bespoke training space for its new club at The Whiteley
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Greg Bradley looks at the shift towards strength training in gyms and advises on how operators can create the ultimate training environment
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
David Lloyd is stepping up its commitment to women’s health as it continues to explore what fit-for-purpose looks like for the female population
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Find out how your gym can tap into the corporate wellness boom
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
SnowDome Fitness has added 50 per cent more space with cutting-edge Technogym solutions
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
EGYM has opened a new HQ in Paternoster Square, London and revealed a range of new launches
HCM promotional features
Promotion
BLK BOX has been reimagining elite performance spaces for more than a decade. Founder and former athlete, Greg Bradley, tells us what it takes
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Active IQ is calling for greater accountability in online fitness advice with the launch of a new trustmark
HCM promotional features
HCM magazine
If the health service is to survive, we must recognise that it is a disease service – and that wellbeing rests with us, says the activity advocate and healthy ageing champion. He talks to Kate Cracknell
HCM magazine
Collaborations with the medical profession and greater aspirations around wellbeing are creating a need for more experts in our sector. It’s time to reboot our thinking around the workforce
HCM magazine
HCM People

Stephen Price

Founder, SP&Co Group
Working in public health over the last few years has lit up parts of my brain again
HCM magazine
For every member with a tripod and a big following, there are others irritated at the way equipment is being hogged or wary they’ll be in the background on someone’s Insta feed. Do influencers offer valuable, free marketing or are they just a nuisance? Kath Hudson finds out how operators are responding
HCM magazine
Strength training is evolving, driven by changing consumer preferences. Julie Cramer talks to innovators about how their products are meeting this demand
Opinion
promotion
Strength training has moved from the margins to the mainstream.
Opinion: Building smarter strength spaces for today’s operators
Featured supplier news
Featured supplier news: CoverMe extends matching service to personal training, rewriting how members and personal trainers connect
CoverMe, the global leader in fitness workforce management, today launches CoverMe PT, an on-demand personal training platform that connects the right personal trainer to the right client in under 10 seconds.
Featured supplier news
Featured supplier news: Reaching the people most gyms miss: Bedford Gym & Swim Campaign delivers 410 new members
One of the biggest mistakes the fitness industry still makes is advertising almost exclusively to people who already look and live like gym members.
Company profiles
Company profile: Escape Fitness Ltd
Escape Fitness has driven fitness innovation for 20+ years. Founded by engineer Richard Januszek and ...
Company profiles
Company profile: Gharieni Group
With a presence in 140+ countries, Gharieni is trusted by the world’s most prestigious professional ...
Supplier Showcases
Supplier Showcase - Future-proofing
Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
Featured press releases
Swimming Teachers' Association (STA) press release: The Ripple Effect delivers first success as learners qualify and secure employment
STA's The Ripple Effect initiative has reached an important milestone after learners completed the charity's first fully funded swimming teacher training programme, resulting in seven newly qualified swimming teachers.
Featured press releases
Pulse Fitness press release: Pulse Fitness’ Trakk ecosystem supports Walsall Leisure in driving community engagement and delivering measurable ROI
Pulse Fitness’ digital solution, Trakk, is helping Walsall Council transform community health engagement into measurable outcomes by combining body composition tracking with targeted physical activity interventions.
Directory
Water experiences and hydrotherapy solutions
Aquaform s.r.l.: Water experiences and hydrotherapy solutions
Spa and beauty equipment
Oakworks Inc: Spa and beauty equipment
Hot tubs
MSpa International Ltd: Hot tubs
Lockers
Crown Sports Lockers: Lockers
Industrial washing machines
Miele Company Limited: Industrial washing machines
Fitness tracking platform
SpiviTech: Fitness tracking platform
Property & Tenders
Stratford, East London.
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Property & Tenders
Y Felinheli, LL56 4QN
Newmark
Property & Tenders
Diary dates
22-23 Jun 2026
WX Wakefield , Wakefield, United Kingdom
Diary dates
21-24 Sep 2026
The Langham Huntington Pasadena , Pasadena, United States
Diary dates
06-08 Oct 2026
Messe Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
Diary dates
22-22 Oct 2026
QEII Conference Centre, London,
Diary dates
26-29 Oct 2027
Koelnmesse Exhibition Centre, Cologne, Germany
Diary dates

Latest news

Virgin Active to debut its social wellness club concept in London

Virgin Active will open its first social wellness club in London in July
The concept blends training, recovery, work spaces and community
The Mayfair site will include studios, a gym, spa facilities, recovery and co-working spaces
It marks a strategic shift towards wellness-led clubs, with more UK sites expected to follow

Virgin Active is set to open its first social wellness club in London, with a relaunch of its Mayfair site in July.

Virgin Active, which has 224 clubs in nine countries, serving more than a million members, is repositioning its health clubs as social wellness clubs that become the second space. The concept has been designed to sit alongside everyday life: a place where training, recovery, focus, connection, work and nutrition are brought together with intent.

Experience director at Virgin Active, Rob Lewis, said: “This is a complete reimagining of what a club can and should be. The new Virgin Active Mayfair has been designed for the way our members actually live — a space where training, recovery, work and community sit alongside each other naturally.”

There will be five dedicated studios: Combat, Lift Club, Mind and Body, Reformer and Tower Pilates, and a 1:1 Pilates suite.

The extensive gym will be split equally between strength and cardio, with a dedicated team of personal trainers delivering tailored programmes.

Additionally, there will be a contrast spa including a Finnish sauna, infrared sauna, cold plunge, vitality pool and a 20-metre indoor pool.

The recovery area will incorporate heated hydromassage beds and the latest Hyperice technology.

Longevity treatment rooms will offer services from on-site physios, osteopaths, sports therapists and performance specialists.

Additional services include spacious co-working lounges with private meeting rooms and call booths, a dedicated concierge service, and Kauai Café, which will serve considered, protein-rich food. Events, member engagement moments and brand collaborations will run throughout the year.

Elena Chambers, country director at Virgin Active UK, said: “Mayfair represents exactly the direction we’re committed to across our UK portfolio. This is a significant investment in the space, the experience, and the standard our members can expect from us, and it is the first of several steps we’re taking across the UK in the coming months and years.”

Virgin Active CEO, Dean Kowarski, first outlined plans for the elevation of clubs in his presentation at the HCM Summit in 2024. You can watch this here.

Virgin Active is set to open its first social wellness club in London, with a relaunch of its Mayfair site in July. Virgin Active, which has 224 clubs in nine countries, serving more than a million members, is repositioning its health clubs as social wellness clubs that become the second space. The concept has been designed to sit alongside everyday life: a place where training, recovery, focus, connection, work and
HAF,FIT,IND,PTS,HSP
The spa at Virgin Active's Mayfair social wellness club / Virgin Active

Latest news

London-based high-performance fitness club, ONE LDN, is raising funds for a multi-site expansion across London,
A new brain clinic has opened in London, which uses non-invasive brain stimulation to treat
Good Boost’s digital exercise programmes are helping adults with MSK at a lower cost than
With Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, announcing his resignation this morning and Andy Burnham as a
Koru Health Club launched recently within Luxembourg’s multi-experience destination, GRID X, which combines culture, retail
Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Elevate has had its busiest show to date, with almost 200
Active Blackpool is deploying Cornerstone Connect, a new digital interface allowing disparate information from multiple
A new report from Your Personal Training (YPT) suggests UK gym operators could be missing
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives,
Elevate Arena is underway at London's Excel and the hot topic of AI was the
PureGym Group has announced that group chief financial officer, Alex Wood, is taking over the
Independent operator, Fitness Worx Gyms, is introducing private blood testing as a service to members.
International industry lobbying associations are calling for physical activity and strength training to be deeply
As healthcare continues to shift towards prevention, there’s a growing focus on helping people stay
Global group exercise specialist, Les Mills, is inviting operators to sign up to its Workout
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider, HUM2N, to launch
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, is gearing up to unveil its most significant redevelopment
Researchers in the US have identified an antibody which could greatly reduce the loss of
Peloton has made the strategic acquisition of Pilates start-up, Skōp, to support the expansion of
Crunch Fitness has announced the launch of Crunch Reform Pilates – its own reformer concept
One of the biggest mistakes operators in the fitness industry still make is advertising almost
The 20th State of the Industry Report from LeisureDB has revealed a resilient, expanding and
Purpose Brands has announced its entry into the Italian market, having sold the franchise rights
1 - 20 of 12,300
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Starpool supports Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs, says Riccardo Turri
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Third Space partnered with IndigoFitness to deliver a bespoke training space for its new club at The Whiteley
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Greg Bradley looks at the shift towards strength training in gyms and advises on how operators can create the ultimate training environment
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
David Lloyd is stepping up its commitment to women’s health as it continues to explore what fit-for-purpose looks like for the female population
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Find out how your gym can tap into the corporate wellness boom
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
SnowDome Fitness has added 50 per cent more space with cutting-edge Technogym solutions
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
EGYM has opened a new HQ in Paternoster Square, London and revealed a range of new launches
HCM promotional features
Promotion
BLK BOX has been reimagining elite performance spaces for more than a decade. Founder and former athlete, Greg Bradley, tells us what it takes
HCM promotional features
Sponsored
Active IQ is calling for greater accountability in online fitness advice with the launch of a new trustmark
HCM promotional features
HCM magazine
If the health service is to survive, we must recognise that it is a disease service – and that wellbeing rests with us, says the activity advocate and healthy ageing champion. He talks to Kate Cracknell
HCM magazine
Collaborations with the medical profession and greater aspirations around wellbeing are creating a need for more experts in our sector. It’s time to reboot our thinking around the workforce
HCM magazine
HCM People

Stephen Price

Founder, SP&Co Group
Working in public health over the last few years has lit up parts of my brain again
HCM magazine
For every member with a tripod and a big following, there are others irritated at the way equipment is being hogged or wary they’ll be in the background on someone’s Insta feed. Do influencers offer valuable, free marketing or are they just a nuisance? Kath Hudson finds out how operators are responding
HCM magazine
Strength training is evolving, driven by changing consumer preferences. Julie Cramer talks to innovators about how their products are meeting this demand
HCM magazine
Small improvements to sleep, diet and physical activity have major benefits for the heart, according to new research from the University of Sydney
HCM magazine
I experienced a blissful feeling of joy I hadn’t felt since I was a kid
HCM magazine
Raphael Cuomo explores the powerful link between addiction, health and behaviour change
HCM magazine
As the entrepreneur who started Wexer, Fresh Fitness, Fitness DK and Repeat, as well as being a former elite athlete, Rasmus Ingerslev’s life looked perfect from the outside, but onthe inside it was a different story. He talks to Kath Hudson about healing old wounds
HCM magazine
Welcome to Elevate 2026
HCM magazine
UK market penetration has risen to 18 per cent – one of the highest globally, yet with 100 per cent of people seeing benefits when they exercise, how high could it go? Kath Hudson asks the experts…
HCM magazine
Opinion
promotion
Strength training has moved from the margins to the mainstream.
Opinion: Building smarter strength spaces for today’s operators
Featured supplier news
Featured supplier news: CoverMe extends matching service to personal training, rewriting how members and personal trainers connect
CoverMe, the global leader in fitness workforce management, today launches CoverMe PT, an on-demand personal training platform that connects the right personal trainer to the right client in under 10 seconds.
Featured supplier news
Featured supplier news: Reaching the people most gyms miss: Bedford Gym & Swim Campaign delivers 410 new members
One of the biggest mistakes the fitness industry still makes is advertising almost exclusively to people who already look and live like gym members.
Company profiles
Company profile: Escape Fitness Ltd
Escape Fitness has driven fitness innovation for 20+ years. Founded by engineer Richard Januszek and ...
Company profiles
Company profile: Gharieni Group
With a presence in 140+ countries, Gharieni is trusted by the world’s most prestigious professional ...
Supplier Showcases
Supplier Showcase - Future-proofing
Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
Featured press releases
Swimming Teachers' Association (STA) press release: The Ripple Effect delivers first success as learners qualify and secure employment
STA's The Ripple Effect initiative has reached an important milestone after learners completed the charity's first fully funded swimming teacher training programme, resulting in seven newly qualified swimming teachers.
Featured press releases
Pulse Fitness press release: Pulse Fitness’ Trakk ecosystem supports Walsall Leisure in driving community engagement and delivering measurable ROI
Pulse Fitness’ digital solution, Trakk, is helping Walsall Council transform community health engagement into measurable outcomes by combining body composition tracking with targeted physical activity interventions.
Directory
Water experiences and hydrotherapy solutions
Aquaform s.r.l.: Water experiences and hydrotherapy solutions
Spa and beauty equipment
Oakworks Inc: Spa and beauty equipment
Hot tubs
MSpa International Ltd: Hot tubs
Lockers
Crown Sports Lockers: Lockers
Industrial washing machines
Miele Company Limited: Industrial washing machines
Fitness tracking platform
SpiviTech: Fitness tracking platform
Property & Tenders
Stratford, East London.
Lee Valley Regional Park Authority
Property & Tenders
Y Felinheli, LL56 4QN
Newmark
Property & Tenders
Diary dates
22-23 Jun 2026
WX Wakefield , Wakefield, United Kingdom
Diary dates
21-24 Sep 2026
The Langham Huntington Pasadena , Pasadena, United States
Diary dates
06-08 Oct 2026
Messe Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
Diary dates
22-22 Oct 2026
QEII Conference Centre, London,
Diary dates
26-29 Oct 2027
Koelnmesse Exhibition Centre, Cologne, Germany
Diary dates
Search news, features & products:
Find a supplier:
Partner sites