Destino Says...
The first Equinox opened in New York in 1991, founded by the Errico siblings, and quickly became a benchmark against which every other luxury gym is measured. The formula is consistent wherever you find it: architectural interiors, instructors at the top of their field, and a level of finish — from the locker rooms to the towels — that makes the workout feel almost incidental. There are now more than 300 clubs worldwide, though international expansion has been deliberate: outside the US, you’ll only find Equinox in London, Toronto and Vancouver.
Three London clubs
London was the first city outside the States to get one. Kensington arrived in 2012, taking over part of the Art Deco building on Kensington High Street, and remains the flagship — a vast, open-plan strength floor beneath a domed skylight, with dedicated boxing, yoga, cycling and Pilates studios. E St James’s followed in late 2017, occupying a converted bank on St James’s Street; it operates under the E by Equinox banner, which means a smaller, more discreet club built around one-to-one personal training rather than a packed class timetable. Bishopsgate, the newest, opened in 2022 across five floors and 32,000 square feet near Liverpool Street, and is the one to choose if you work in the City.
What membership actually gets you
Beyond the equipment (and the kit is pretty phenomenal) the appeal is everything wrapped around it. Eucalyptus steam rooms, Le Labo amenities in the changing rooms, a members’ lounge designed for lingering, and The Shop for the activewear you didn’t know you needed. Bishopsgate adds a café and complimentary laundry service; while E St James’s has a laundry valet, executive lockers and a Hyperice recovery station. It’s a pricey commitment: expect somewhere north of £300 a month, more at E St James’s — but the clubs are designed to be used daily, and members tend to.
The spa is the way in
Every London club has a full-service spa offering bodywork, facials and sports massage, and all of them are open to non-members. It’s the smartest way to test the water: book a treatment, arrive early, and you’ll get a proper sense of whether the Equinox way of doing things is worth the outlay before you sign anything.
Featured Elsewhere
Become a Hunter.
Together, we're on a mission to find out the products that work best. Why? Because you know your skin, hair and body better than anyone.
Join Us
