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Equinox Group

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Equinox Holdings, Inc.
TypeSubsidiary
IndustryFitness
FoundedSeptember 23, 1991; 34 years ago (1991-09-23)
FoundersDanny, Vito and Lavinia Errico
Headquarters
New York City
,
United States
Key people
Harvey Spevak (chairman)
Marc Mastronardi (president) [1]
ServicesHealth club
RevenueIncrease US$2 billion (2025)
OwnerThe Related Companies
Number of employees
10,000+ (2023)
SubsidiariesEquinox
SoulCycle
PURE Yoga
Precision Run
Equinox Hotels
PROJECT by Equinox
Equinox Explore
Equinox Media
Websitewww.equinox.com

Equinox Holdings, Inc. is an American luxury fitness company and health club headquartered in New York City. The company operates more than 300 club facilities in major cities in the United States, as well as in London, Toronto, and Vancouver in Canada.[2]

Equinox Group also has a digital platform, the Equinox+ App, that provides access to digital classes.[3] Equinox is owned by a group of investors including Harvey Spevak, executive chairman and managing partner, as well as principals of Related Companies. It operates several lifestyle brands: Equinox, Equinox Hotels, Precision Run, Project by Equinox, Equinox Explore, Equinox Media, Furthermore, Pure Yoga, Blink Fitness, and SoulCycle.

History

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The first Equinox location opened on September 23, 1991 in Manhattan's Upper West Side. It was started by the Errico family—Danny, Vito and Lavinia Errico. In 2000, Spevak led a management buyout of Equinox to two private equity firms, North Castle Partners and J.W. Childs. In 2006, he partnered with Related Chairman principals to acquire a controlling interest in Equinox and secured a significant minority investment from private equity firm L Catterton in 2017.[4][5]

In 2008, Equinox brought Pure Yoga to the United States from Hong Kong. In 2011, Equinox launched Blink, a separate fitness company, and acquired SoulCycle.[6][7] In July 2019, Equinox launched Equinox Hotels in Hudson Yards, Manhattan.[8] In January 2023, Equinox banned gym memberships submitted on New Year's Day, to both praise and criticism.[9][10] The company said the purpose of the ban was to "snub short-term resolutions".[11][12]

Equinox acquired SoulCycle in May 2011.[13] In 2014, the company acquired six Sports Club/LA Rebook Sports Clubs.[14][15][16]

Controversies and criticism

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Hard-to-cancel practices

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Equinox and SoulCycle have been accused of making it hard for their members to cancel subscriptions. In 2025, Equinox entered into a $600,000 settlement with the state of New York for these practices.[17][18][19]

Employment practices

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A 2019 article in The New York Times reported that trainers often worked long hours, sometimes as many as 80 hours a week, forcing some to sleep in employee locker rooms or their cars between shifts. Former and current trainers also described intense pressure from the company to recruit and retain clients drawn from the club's members.[20]

In 2013, the company resolved two California lawsuits concerning unpaid overtime for trainers via out-of-court settlements.[20]

Fundraising boycott

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Businesses owned by and affiliated with Equinox, primarily Equinox gyms and SoulCycle, faced calls for a boycott. The boycott was first prompted by a widely publicized fundraiser for then-president Donald Trump by Stephen Ross, the founder and principal owner of Related Companies.[21] Equinox and SoulCycle responded to the boycott by stating it did not endorse the fundraiser and argued Ross was a "passive investor."[22]

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On August 12, 2024, Blink Fitness filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, blaming slow sales caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and increased rising costs as part of the decision. The company plans to shutter some of its locations and plans to sell itself.[23]

In December 2024, Blink Fitness was acquired by PureGym for $121 million, outbidding Planet Fitness in a bankruptcy auction.[24] PureGym began rebranding the gyms the following year.[25]

Buckhead Village redevelopment

Equinox announced plans in 2026 to open its first Georgia location in Atlanta’s Buckhead Village. The project resulted in the displacement of several local businesses. Affected business owners said they were given limited time to vacate their premises and expressed concern over the disruption to long-established businesses.[26]

Key people

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Harvey Spevak

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Harvey Spevak is the Executive Chairman and Managing Partner of Equinox Group.[27] Spevak became the CEO of Equinox Group in 1999.[28][29] In 2000, he led a management buyout of Equinox to two private equity firms, North Castle Partners and J.W. Childs. In 2006, he partnered with Related Principles to acquire and secure a significant minority investment from global consumer-focused private equity firm Catterton in 2017.

In 2019, Spevak opened Equinox's 100th club in Hudson Yards, Manhattan, followed by the brand's first hotel, as well as coworking venture Industrious at Equinox, in the same neighborhood.[30]

See also

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References

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  1. ↑ "Mystery Solved: Former Michigan Dean Becomes Equinox President". Yahoo. June 7, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Equinox Group announces its entry into on-demand fitness streaming". CSGA. August 14, 2019. Retrieved November 3, 2020.
  3. ↑ "Equinox Luxury Fitness Club - It's Not Fitness, It's Life". www.equinox.com. Retrieved 2022-11-02.
  4. ↑ Kahn, Howie (March 27, 2019). "The Hotel Where You'll Be 'Sleep-Coached' Into Bed". The Wall Street Journal.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  5. ↑ Tan, Gillian; Doherty, Katherine (April 1, 2021). "Equinox Group Draws SPAC Interest After $350 Million 2020 Loss". Bloomberg News.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  6. ↑ Beth Landman. "Sotomayor v. Equinox Fitness: The Case of the Canceled Membership". NYMag. Retrieved 2015-10-21.
  7. ↑ Erika Owen (2016-02-17). "Equinox to Launch Hotel Brand with a Focus on Fitness Away From Home". TravelandLeisure. Retrieved 2019-04-19.
  8. ↑ Mzezewa, Tariro (2019-07-10). "Equinox Gets Into the Hospitality Game". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-05-01.
  9. ↑ Kish, Matthew (January 2, 2023). "Equinox bans new members on January 1, leading to criticisms of 'shaming' and praise of 'bold' strategy". Business Insider. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  10. ↑ Muir, Ellie (January 2, 2023). "Luxury gym club Equinox divides members with 'exclusionary' anti-new year's resolution campaign". Yahoo News. Retrieved January 2, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Equinox bans new members on January 1, sparking criticism". FOX13 News. January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  12. ↑ "Equinox Under Fire for Banning New Members on New Year's Day". TMZ. January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  13. ↑ "SoulCycle Co-Founders Cutler and Rice Have Resigned: Exclusive". Fortune. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  14. ↑ Kim, Susanna (28 July 2014). "Equinox's Plan to Take Over Fitness As We Know It". ABC News. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
  15. ↑ Koltun, Natalie (2014-08-04). "Equinox Fitness Acquires Sports Club/LA | The Georgetowner". Georgetowner. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
  16. ↑ "Equinox to pay $110M for remainder of Millennium's fitness-club portfolio". bizjournals.com. Retrieved 2026-06-30.
  17. ↑ Gedeon, Joseph (2025-07-08). "US court strikes down 'click-to-cancel' rule designed to make unsubscribing easier". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077.
  18. ↑ "New York Equinox and SoulCycle members may be eligible for $250 refund. Here's how to get it. - CBS New York". www.cbsnews.com. 2025-06-02.
  19. ↑ "Equinox and SoulCycle Customers in New York May Receive Refunds Over Membership Cancellation Issues". People.com. 2025.
  20. 1 2 Yaffe-Bellany, David (5 December 2019). "Working at Equinox: 'It's Very Hunger Games'". The New York Times. Retrieved 14 June 2020.
  21. ↑ Jennings, Rebecca (2019-08-08). "An Equinox and SoulCycle investor is hosting a Trump fundraiser. Now, members are boycotting". Vox. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  22. ↑ Rosman, Katherine (2019-08-08). "They Paid $42 for a SoulCycle Ride, Not for Trump". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-31.
  23. ↑ Meyersohn, Nathaniel (August 12, 2024). "Blink Fitness files for bankruptcy and may close some gyms". CNN. Retrieved August 12, 2024.
  24. ↑ Rehfeldt, Courtney (6 November 2024). "Planet Fitness Makes Play for Blink Fitness in Last-Minute Bid". Athletech News. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  25. ↑ "Blink and You'll Miss It: PureGym Is Upon Us". Hell Gate. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 14 January 2026.
  26. ↑ "Businesses say they're being forced to move as Atlanta's 1st Equinox comes to Buckhead Village - CBS Atlanta". www.cbsnews.com. 2026-08-06. Retrieved 2026-08-06.
  27. ↑ "Equinox betting superfans can cut through New York hotel glut". Crain's New York Business. 2019-07-26. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
  28. ↑ Flora, Liz (16 January 2025). "Equinox Is Trying to Make Health the Ultimate Status Symbol". The Business of Fashion. Retrieved 10 March 2025.
  29. ↑ Millar, Jamie (23 January 2020). "Equinox's Mr Harvey Spevak On His High-Performance Lifestyle".
  30. ↑ Mzezewa, Tariro (2019-07-10). "Equinox Gets Into the Hospitality Game". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2020-03-02.
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