Best gyms
By Bahk Eun-ji
Whether it’s for an investment or for the sake of enjoyment, now could be the right time to buy a membership at one of Seoul’s luxury leisure clubs.
People have started selling non-essential assets that are,
such as memberships of golf clubs and resorts as the hangover from the global recession drags on.
According to portal website acegolf.com that trades in sports club memberships, joining the fitness club at Seoul Walkerhill hotel now costs 61 million won ? down from 65 million won in May 2011. The price of the membership at the Grand Hyatt Seoul has also dropped to 55 million won this year from 64 million won last year.
Dropping prices is bad news for those who bought it as an investment but good news for those who want to enjoy great facilities and services at Seoul’s most prestigious hotels and fitness clubs.
The Westin Chosun City Athletic Club
Location
3rd floor, The Westin Chosun hotel, Sogong-dong, Jung-gu
Features
The club has been recently renovated by Adam Tihany, a renowned American interior designer famous for his creativity. The whole floor is used for exercising, and the design, which resembles a sports car, creates an active atmosphere. In the pool, members feel like they are swimming in the ocean because natural light shines through the window onto the ceiling.
The gym offers 70 different kinds of exercise equipment.
Frequented by
Since being renovated, the age group of people interested in the club has lowered. The gym is frequented by lawyers and people working at foreign companies located in Jung-gu.
Banyan Tree Club & Spa Seoul Fitness center
1~2nd floor, Banyan Tree Club & Spa, Jangchungdong, Jung-gu,
his fitness center is located at the foot of Mount Nam, enabling members to enjoy a natural landscape even while exercising indoors.
When the weather is clear, members can run on treadmills and mini-jogging tracks on the rooftop gym. The gym is separated into two parts ? the first floor for weight training and the second floor for aerobic exercise.
People in their 30s and 40s. Many professionals and celebrities are Banyan Tree’s major customers. The center is open not only to members but also to guests of the hotel.
Conrad Seoul Pulse 8
8~9th floor, Conrad Seoul hotel at the IFC Seoul complex building, Yeouido-dong, Yeoungdeungpo-gu
Conrad Hotels and Resorts is a brand of Hilton Worldwide and Conrad Seoul is expected to change the lifestyle of residents of and business people in Yeouido.
Members can enjoy the cutting- edge facilities including a spacious 25-meter-lane indoor pool. Gingko wood is mostly used for the interior design creating an oriental ambience.
The fitness club is now recruiting members. As Yeouido is Seoul’s financial and political district, people from those sectors are expected to frequent the club.
Center 1 Wellness
Location 3rd floor, Center 1 building, Suha-dong, Jung-gu
Features The gym at Center 1 building faces Cheonggye Stream, and members will appreciate the view.
The club, covering 4,960 square meters, offers many different sporting apparatus, so members do not spend too long on one piece of gear during the peak hours from 7 to 9 p.m.
Various fitness and exercising programs such as yoga, dance, gym ball exercise and screen golf are offered for pay by the hour.
Frequented by People in their 30s and 40s from foreign consulting firms and financial companies MF Fitness Location W building, Yeoksam- dong, Gangnam-gu Feature The most distinctive feature of the club is the diverse programs that cater to various levels of physical strength. The gym also offers new forms of activities including crossfit workouts and Jukari a way of working out using flexible bands.
Frequented by The center is located in Gangnam district, packed with corporate buildings.
Therefore the majority of its members are people in their 20s and 30s who work around the area.