Review: Exhale Spa

Posted on February 12, 2010 by kymarie13

So I have reviewed almost all the classes but I haven’t told you about Exhale Spa.

“Exhale is a new breed of spa – merging the paths of mind and body wellbeing and fulfilling the need for an experience that improves and transforms lives in one environment. The core of exhale is a unique and talented team of individuals with a genuine passion for helping people bridge the mind and body to improve overall wellbeing. With plans to grow their well being paradigm to 20 spas over the next few years, exhale currently operates spa and studios in carefully selected upscale locations in New York, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Florida, Los Angeles, Turks + Caicos, and has several additional spas in development.”

Exhale Spa is a unique kind of gym, but I wouldn’t even call it that. It is a Spa that offers Core Fusion and Yoga classes that focus on your wellbeing. There is no fitness equipment so don’t expect to find that there. They offer four different Core Fusion classes: Core Fusion, Core Fusion Sport, Core Fusion Yoga, and Core Fusion Cardio (coming soon). They offer a variety of different yoga classes. The one thing that I really like in New York is all of their teachers rotate locations so if you have a favorite teacher you do not have to worry about going to one location to find them. In New York Exhale has 6 locations: Central Park South (Midtown), Upper East Side, Soho, Gansevoort, Manhattan House, and Bridgehampton.

Central Park South: Is their main location. It has a full spa with two studios; a yoga studio and a Core Fusion Studio. It also has beautiful locker rooms with showers and all the amenities you would need after class including their GRN products. I heard it can get really crowded on the weekends in their core fusion classes.

Soho: Is a temporary location, they should be moving into a new studio in about a year. It only has one studio and no locker rooms. But there is a bathroom you can change in. It offers all the Core Fusion classes and a couple of yoga classes. Tip: The 5:30pm and 6:35pm classes are the busiest classes during the week so make sure to reserve a spot early. On the weekends the busiest classes are 11am.

Gansevoort: Is located in the meatpacking district in the lower level of the Gansevoort Hotel. It has one studio, spa, and locker rooms. The locker room is pretty small but it has showers and lockers to put your stuff in. The studio sadly has no windows. It offers both yoga and core fusion classes. They do not offer as many classes as other locations because it is a smaller studio. In the summer they offer classes on the rooftop of the Gansevoort, I didn’t get to try last summer but I heard it was amazing so next summer I will be checking it out.

As for the Upper East Side and Bridgehampton I have not been able to visit those locations but as soon as I do I will let you know what I think. The Manhattan House location is part of an Apartment building and is only offered to residents.

As for pricing it is pretty expensive. In New York they offer a couple of different options. For all access to all locations and unlimited yoga and core fusion classes it is $285 a month (3 month commitment) or $265 a month with a 12 month contract. They offer a special price for unlimited classes at the Soho location (because it is a temporary studio) $170 a month (3 month commitment) or $150 a month with a 12 month contract. If you would like access to all downtown locations (Soho and Gansevoort) it is $205 a month. You can also buy single or multiple class packages and if you are a member of Rue La La they offer specials for Exhale every couple of months so keep an eye out for that. If you are not a member of Rue La La or don’t know what it is and want more information or to be a member e-mail me and I will invite you!

The special the offer for new students is an unlimited week of Core Fusion and Yoga at any location for $40. It is a great deal if you have never tried a class because one class is $30. For more information on classes or spa services visit their website www.exhalespa.com.

  • Pros: Amazing classes, friendly/helpful staff, multiple locations, I can see the results since I have been here
  • Cons: Very expensive, no cardio machines or other equipment, only offers Core Fusion classes and yoga

I have been a member since June 2009 and I am very happy here. Everyone knows me by name and if I ever have any concerns or questions about my progress they are always there to help. It has been a great experience and I highly recommend trying it if you haven’t.

Images from Exhale.

Filed under: Gyms | Tagged: , , , , | 4 Comments »

Review: Club H Fitness

Posted on February 12, 2010 by kymarie13

I had heard good things about Club H Fitness so I decided to go check it out. Club H has four locations: Hells Kitchen (West 55th Street), Hoboken (Sinatra Drive), Murray Hill (34th and 2nd), and Jersey City (Coloumbus Drive). So if you don’t live near any of these places it probably won’t be worth the trek to get to the gym. Club H stands for Humbluxury. “Humbluxury is having all the luxury amenities and latest equipment you expect with an easy, neighborhood vibe and more-than-helpful service you deserve. We work hard to pay personal attention to each member, so if there’s something you’re missing or want more of, just tell a Club H staffer. We strive to make you feel at home at Club H Fitness. After all, this is your gym too.”

I visited the Murray Hill located on 34th street. Walking in, my first impression was very chic and modern. The clientele of this gym is very young, I would say just out of college to late 20′s. But this was also the Murray Hill location. They also have a Cafe H and Spa H. Which are located on the first floor. The Cafe is more like a juice bar. The Spa offers all the normal amenities: Facials, Wraps, Peels, Waxing, and Massages. Prices are normal, not a deal by any means but not too crazy. A 60 minute Deep Tissue Massage is $110.

Upstairs is where the locker rooms, cardio equipment, weights, and exercise rooms are located. I went around 8:00pm and the cardio equipment was not over crowded! The gym didn’t seem very busy, which I was shocked by but I really liked. The cardio machines are placed in two different locations which breaks it up a little. The whole gym is very spacious, which is great! There is a lot of space and weights are not crowded into one place. I think even if the gym was crowded it wouldn’t feel too crowded or claustrophobic because of the way it is laid out. The locker rooms are very large. It offers towels, blow dryers, and Club H products like: shampoo, conditioner, soap, and razors. They also have a steam and sauna room. They offer a wide range of fitness class and have a cardio studio, yoga studio, pilates studio (with transformer machines), and a spin studio. Club H also has many personal trainers and offers different training packages.

  • Pros: very spacious, not over crowed, variety of classes, clean
  • Cons: Only a couple of locations

As for pricing right now they are offering an initiation fee of $99 and the rest of the month of February for free. You have to sign a 12 month contract and each month is $99 unless you want to pay up front which is $999 with no other fees. After speaking to their membership representative he wasn’t very helpful or had any enthusiasm of me joining. Nice gym but I still like NYHRC the best so far. So until the next gym…

Image from Club H Fitness.

Filed under: Gyms | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 2 Comments »

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