London Private Health Club KX Plots US Expansion

• KX New York, in collaboration with Casa Cipriani, will open in Q3 2021 at Lower Manhattan’s iconic Battery Maritime Building 
• The 15,000 sq ft space, which will include a wellness spa and café, is the company’s first international expansion, having opened boutique spin-off KXU in 2017 
• Having adapted to offer 24 hour turnaround COVID-19 testing in London during the pandemic, the company will launch KX Medical, a discreet medical concierge service available to all members, this spring 

NEW YORK CITY, United States — London’s luxury private health club KX announced it will be unveiling a new site in New York later this year, in collaboration with private members club Casa Cipriani. 

KX New York will be housed in Lower Manhattan’s Battery Maritime Building, overlooking the city’s iconic Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty. 

Fusing athletic performance with luxury fitness, the space will include a wellness spa and café and span Casa Cipriani’s dedicated 15,000 square foot health and wellness floor. 

Founded in 2002, Chelsea-based KX has made a name for itself as one of the capital’s premium private members gyms. In 2017, the company opened a more accessible sister studio, KXU, running pay-as-you-go group exercise classes. 

KX New York will sit alongside Casa Cipriani’s 47 luxury guest rooms and suites, lounge, restaurant and Jazz Café, and include a holistic exercise studio designed for yoga, spin, combat, reformer Pilates, dance, barre and cross-training. 

“Can’t wait for the storm to pass”
KX’s projected New York launch is welcome news for a fitness – and hospitality – industry that has been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic on both sides of the Atlantic. 

In March 2020, KX’s gym, spa and restaurant, as well as its boutique spin-off KXU were forced to temporarily close their doors due to the virus sweeping across the UK. 

Reduced capacity and two further national lockdowns have since followed, restricting the brands to virtual PT and online group workouts. 

Meanwhile, in the US, the hospitality and leisure industry at large is enduring some of the highest unemployment rates across any sector.

In November, the IHRSA reported that 15% of gyms, health clubs and studios in the US had closed permanently through Q3 2020 and that 25% of facilities were expected to close by the end of the year. 

Despite the challenges, CEO Graziano Arricale says simply shutting down and waiting for the storm to pass simply wasn’t an option for KX. 

“It was extremely important that members could still rely on our experts to take care of their health from home,” Arricale told Welltodo. 

“Within the luxury sector, particularly when it comes to private members clubs, you can’t simply shutter the business and wait for the storm to pass – you have to work to provide members with the same standard of service remotely.” 

KX Medical
Arricale is also Operating Partner of Food & Beverage at Oakley Capital, which includes roles as Chairman of Italian restaurant group Chucs and the recently announced CEO of Mayfair brasserie Langan’s. 

Having joined KX in early 2020 to oversee the brand’s international expansion, his first task was to help the company adapt to the immense challenges presented by Coronavirus. 

Shortly after the UK’s first lockdown, KX began offering virtual PT to members, while the restaurant has offered home delivery and bespoke food packages throughout. The spa, meanwhile, has remained open for essential medical services, such as osteopath and physio. 

KX was even able to offer 24-hour turnaround COVID-19 testing and as a natural evolution, the experience of lockdown has led to the birth of KX Medical — a discreet medical concierge service available to all members, which will be launching in London this spring. 

“In terms of KX New York, this was on the cards long before the pandemic hit,” Arricale continued. 

“Of course we have experienced some delays as a consequence, but it’s vital we ensure that we open only when it is completely safe to do so – and of course, that members are able to fully take advantage of everything we have to offer.” 

Roaring 20s
While Arricale admits the pandemic has led to a huge shift in the way we live our lives and forced people to withdraw from their natural social habits, he’s confident both the fitness and hospitality sectors, especially at the premium end of the spectrum, will roar back in popularity. 

“When it comes to returning to the gym, as well as restaurants and bars, I’m sure many will be extremely cautious at the outset,” said Arricale. 

“That being said, as an industry, we have the opportunity to do things better than ever before. At KX, the pandemic has affirmed the importance of our holistic approach to wellness, which has led to the development of KX Medical. 

“As for the hospitality industry, I predict this year will mark the start of the roaring 20s. We will never again take dining out – and the opportunity it gives us to connect – for granted. It’s what life is all about.”