NYC's Exclusive Fitness Lounge is Sure to be the First of Many

Ghost fitness lounge in New York City is a peculiar innovation. Equal parts luxury gym and exclusive clubhouse, Ghost styles itself as the “intersection of health and hospitality”.

With an impressive suite of the most effective training equipment on the market and a sleek, futuristic interior design, there is no question that Ghost Fitness Lounge is an impressive enterprise. Read on for an in-depth look at what this unique establishment has to offer as we ask ourselves: could this be the future of fitness?

What is Ghost Luxury Fitness Club?

If the term "Fitness Lounge" seems too vague to mean much, it’s probably because it’s intended to be that way. At a glance, Ghost does offer a lot more than can be categorised by one simple term.

By day, Ghost is a private gym and intimate exercise space, with private trainers, small groups and self-directed work-out facilities. The space also includes a co-working facility, cafe and social lounges. By night, the venue transforms into a clubhouse, featuring a performance space and plenty of room to socialise.

Styled as a breakaway from the typical corporate gym, Ghost claims to cater to the self-driven and entrepreneurial: Thought-leaders of the modern world who work on their own clock and make their own success.

This Silicon Valley-esque "disruptor" sentiment is strongly expressed by the venue’s ostentatious architecture, hefty price tags and invite-only membership.

Workouts at Ghost Fitness

The fitness offering at Ghost make the gym a stand out among its peers. Before new entrants even set foot in the boxing ring, or lift a single weight, their bodies can be measured to generate a complete profile of biometry and musculoskeletal data. From here, a uniquely tailored fitness regimen is developed by the gym’s in-house algorithms, ostensibly to give members the tools they need to optimise their performance and fitness.

The gym also offers private coaching with its handful of trainers (including the enterprise’s CEO) to guide members according to their own needs as well as the recommendations of its proprietary algorithmic system. The coaching categories include some of the usual suspects, such as progressive strength training, athletic conditioning and recovery, as well as an all-important prehabilitation programme, where members build strength and flexibility that will help them avoid future work-out or sporting injuries.

In addition to private coaching, the gym offers group training, with small classes (called microgroups) that are intimate enough to maintain the exclusive and personable service while encouraging a team atmosphere. To top it all off, the gym’s amenities include rain-showers, luxurious waffle-style Turkish towels as well as Himalayan salt infrared saunas.

Ghost Lifestyle

Ghost Cafe and co-working space is available during all opening hours to members, where they can network with their fellows and recharge their batteries with a range of specially-formulated smoothies and meals.

After hours, Ghost becomes more of a private clubhouse than a fitness centre. Intended as the ultimate networking centre for CEO’s and digital nomads alike, it’s a sleek, exclusive site for events ranging from performance and entertainment to health and wellness conferences. For the time being, however, Ghost has put all after-hours events on hold, to comply with NYC’s COVID-19 regulations

Becoming a Member

Part of what sets Ghost apart from the run-of-the-mill corporate gym is its exclusivity. A strict member cap means that the venue is never too busy to train in, and it also ensures that the team has time to pay special attention to each and every one of its members.

Throughout most of the normal operating year, Ghost imposes an invite-only membership process. Even on the rare occasion that membership is open to the public, prospective Ghost members must still pass an interview to gain entry to this exclusive club.

Admission isn’t cheap, either, starting at $3,000 US per year, as well as a $400 registration fee. Access to any degree of private training comes with a much higher price tag as well, with private trainers being charged out at up to $250 per session, or $4,800 for a block of 24 sessions.

So, is This the Future of Fitness?

While private gyms with hefty price tags have been around for quite some time, Ghost does offer something unique that seems to dovetail with emerging trends in the health and wellness industry. Namely, that social status and identity have become interlaced with health and fitness, which are, in turn, key expressions of the new luxury lifestyle.

With more and more affluent consumers living luxury rather than just purchasing it, this model of exclusive clubhouse gym is sure to catch on in cities all around the world.

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