Equinox has built a waiting list of more than 1,000 people for its $40,000-a-year “Optimize by Equinox” membership, as demand for high-end health and wellness programs accelerates among wealthy consumers, according to the company’s chairman.
The $40,000-a-year Optimize by Equinox membership has a waiting list exceeding 1,000 people.
The high-end fitness chain launched Optimize by Equinox in 2024. The program is described as one of the most expensive gym memberships in the world and includes personal training, nutrition planning, sleep coaching, massage therapy and access to a “health concierge.”
Harvey Spevak, Equinox’s executive chairman, told Inside Wealth that the program has seen remarkable demand. He characterized the appetite among affluent consumers for longevity and wellness services as “insatiable.”
“Health is the new luxury,” Spevak said. “The No. 1 thing in the experience economy, besides travel, that the consumer wants, is, ‘How do I live a high-performance lifestyle?’”
The Optimize initiative forms part of Equinox’s strategy to position itself as a leading luxury brand within the expanding global health and wellness sector. The company has broadened its offerings beyond traditional fitness clubs to include hospitality, performance programs, IV centers and laboratory testing collaborations.
Expansion Beyond Fitness Clubs
Equinox currently operates 115 fitness clubs and plans to open 40 more. New locations are slated for Nashville, Tennessee; Toronto; Charlotte, North Carolina; and South Florida.
Spevak said the company remains focused on New York, where it is already the largest retailer by square feet, and continues to expand in its home city.
In 2019, Equinox opened its first hotel in Manhattan’s Hudson Yards neighborhood. The company is preparing to open a second hotel in Saudi Arabia.
Spevak said Equinox will likely operate close to a dozen hotels globally within the next seven to eight years, including properties in the Middle East, the Caribbean and the United States.
The company’s IV-drip lounge at the Equinox Hotel in Hudson Yards, its only such lounge to date, has become “a seven-figure business,” Spevak said.
Personalized Health and Biomarker Testing
The Optimize membership leverages Function Health, a lab test company that provides clients with tests for 100 biomarkers twice a year. The results are used to tailor fitness, nutrition and lifestyle programs for each participant.
Biomarker testing has gained traction within preventive health models, with metrics often including cardiovascular, metabolic and inflammatory indicators. By combining laboratory diagnostics with coaching and structured training, the program aims to integrate medical data with performance goals.
Spevak said Optimize has rolled out in Los Angeles and Dallas. The program is expected to launch in New York at a later stage.
Equinox has also introduced a women-focused program called EQX ARC. The initiative uses diagnostics, wearables and specialized coaching designed around different stages of a woman’s life and health journey. The program has already generated its own waitlist.
The global wellness market is projected to reach nearly $10 trillion by 2030, up from $6.8 trillion in 2024, according to estimates from the Global Wellness Institute. The institute tracks spending across categories including fitness, nutrition, preventive medicine and wellness tourism.
As the population of millionaires and billionaires ages, demand for longevity-focused products and services has expanded. Industry analysts have documented increased spending on personalized health programs, advanced diagnostics and hospitality experiences tied to wellness.
While Equinox is privately held and does not disclose financial results, Spevak said 2025 was a “record year” for the company. He added that he expects 2026 “to be even bigger.”
According to Spevak, high-end consumer companies are approaching Equinox about potential partnerships in the health and wellness space. He attributed that interest to a broader shift from a product-driven economy to what he described as an experience economy.
“When you think about the economy moving from a product economy to an experience economy, a lot of big consumer companies are saying, ‘Well, how do I continue to serve my consumer and health and wellness, and who do I talk to?’” Spevak said.
“There’s truly only one brand that has the authority and the brand equity,” he said.
A version of this article first appeared in the Inside Wealth newsletter with Robert Frank, which focuses on high-net-worth investors and consumers.