Hotel gym
Equinox Hotel New York (Hudson Yards)
GETAWAYS • Staycation
I’ve always appreciated that Equinox fitness clubs feel like luxury hotels at check-in. But as I emerged from the elevator into the 24th-floor lobby of the Equinox Hotel New York, familiarly outfitted in the brand’s grayscale monochromatic minimalism, I immediately asked myself: Do I want my luxury hotel to feel like a gym?
Before long, I had the answer to that question: yes. The Rockwell Group, which also designs the fitness clubs, has artfully translated the hallmarks of the club’s design into a soothing luxury hotel. At 212 rooms, it’s set within a handsome 92-story glass and limestone residential tower (spanning floors 24 to 38) by architecture firm SOM, looming tall above Hudson Yards, with a view of the river on the far west side of Manhattan. Architecturally and geographically removed from the rest of the city’s hustle and bustle and grit, it’s as close as it gets to a resort experience in the middle of the city.
True to Equinox’s fitness club roots, the hotel is a place to indulge in a 360-degree wellness experience, starting with the impressive 60,000-square-foot fitness club, the largest in the brand’s portfolio. Beyond the gym floor, there’s a 25-yard indoor saltwater lap pool, a group fitness studio, yoga studio, Pilates studio, and outrageously luxurious locker rooms with steam rooms and saunas. SoulCycle is also on-site.
The Spa by Equinox Hotels is an oasis with its own locker room and sauna, as well as a relaxation lounge with private window seating nooks overlooking the Hudson. The menu is exhaustive and features advanced technologies from cryotherapy to microneedling. I enjoyed an incredible customized Biologique Recherche facial with a lymphatic drainage massage, Oxylight LED microcurrent, and collagen mask.
The piece de resistance is the rooftop pool deck with views spanning the Hudson River and Hudson Yards. It’s a scene year-round, comparable to a Soho House pool; ideal for sunbathing in the summertime and soaking in the winter when it transforms into a hot tub. There’s also the restaurant Electric Lemon by Stephen Starr with a buzzy bar and fashionable outdoor terrace.
Rooms feature floor-to-ceiling windows, with views ranging from city to river. I checked into a deluxe king on the 38th floor, overlooking the Hudson with a sitting area featuring a low-slung built-in sofa and table. Beds are extremely comfortable and made up in the Scandinavian method, with two duvets folded in half. The minibar is outfitted with typical high-end snacks and spirits, but there’s also an entire cabinet of health supplements, teas, and gym clothes. Bathrooms are spacious in sand-toned, veined marble with a big rainfall shower and separate water closet.
After a weekend stay, I had fully bought into Equinox Hotel’s 360 luxury lifestyle wellness experience — gym, spa, pool, eat, drink, sleep, yoga, repeat. –Shayne Benowitz
→ Equinox Hotel New York (Hudson Yards) • winter rates from $701.