Luxury U.S. Fitness Giant Equinox Opens At Commerce Court on Bay Street

Is your muffin top going to pop? Maybe a 24-carat gold facial will help

The Executive Hub at Equinox Bay St.

If you ever doubted the opening of a gym would be cause for a party of Gatsby portions, do a burpee. Last night, it was a splashy formal debut for Equinox, the high-end U.S. fitness giant infiltrating Toronto’s Goodlife-loving hordes. 

In a whopping two-floor, 35,000-square-foot flagship center located inside Commerce Court (199 Bay St.), Equinox is poised to be a haven the luxe-hungry suits from Bay St. and beyond, having already acquired the fancy-fancy Yorkville Club. Fine, the club is impressive: change rooms bigger than all your condos on your floor put together, wrap-around views of Financial District, a fashion-forward juice bar that looks like every lounge on King West. There’s also abstract art bursting from the walls, lush wood finishes, a fully-functional spa (with a 24-carat gold facial on the menu) to rival every major hotel. And, duh: yoga, cycling, boxing, Pilates and group fit classes like Barre Burn. (We bet more than one straight dude was guilted into joining by the parade of hot-bodied gays strutting around, owning the opening like it was the MET Gala.)

The weight floor overlooking TSX

In an official statement, Equinox CEO Harvey Spevak explained the intent: “There has been a huge demand for an innovative, upscale fitness facility in a number of cities where the market is under-served. By opening in Toronto, our aim is to meet the needs of a highly discerning consumer who demands the best and currently doesn’t have the opportunity to get it.”

Depending on your income bracket, membership costs can be steep: $160 per month for the Bay club, or $188 for access to clubs across Canada and the U.S.

Don’t get it twisted: we love being pampered and distracted as much as the next person struggling with weight issues — but, really, what happened to a pair of sneakers and old-fashioned park boot camps? Is that, like, so passé? 

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