Virgin opens Siam Discovery club in Thailand
Virgin Active has opened its Siam Discovery leisure club in Thailand.
The club is the first of up to 20 new centres planned to open in the next six years. Siam Discovery is Virgin Active’s fourth club in Thailand and will build on the company’s ambitious plans to invest up to 5.2 billion Thai Baht (£115 million) in the country, creating up to 1,500 new jobs.
The company also plans to invest an additional 100 million Singapore dollars (£55m) in Singapore, as the Virgin Active brand expands its presence in Southeast Asia.
Joining its clubs in Empire Tower, EmQuartier and Westgate, Virgin Active Siam Discovery covers more than 5,000sq m, and is one of the largest members-only fitness clubs in Asia.
It offers an air-conditioned 20-metre indoor swimming pool, hydrotherapy pool, an ice room and Himalayan salt inhalation room. Club lounges will serve healthy meals and offer free Wi-Fi and computer stations, as well as business meeting pods and sleep pods.
The club will also boast the largest indoor climbing wall in Thailand, as well as the company’s second Altitude studio set to mimic training conditions at 3,000 metres above sea level - higher than Thailand’s highest point, Doi Inthanon at 2,565 metres. The club also features a multi-sensory mind and body studio where members can take part in hot yoga ‘under the setting sun’, as well as The Grid - a training zone - and a bespoke boxing studio.
Matthew Bucknall, president and founder of Virgin Active, said: “The resounding success of our first three clubs shows that we are creating an unrivalled health and fitness club offering in Thailand. It sets a strong foundation for our ambitious plans to grow the number of clubs we have here and across South East Asia, and we’ve already identified six new sites for 2017.”
Virgin Active’s next club will open in Bangkok’s new Central Festival East Ville. It will feature Asia’s first fully dedicated children’s fitness facilities incorporating the latest junior activities, which will include ‘learn to swim’ programmes from the UK and Australia.
Bucknall is convinced that clubs in Southeast Asia will transform the region’s fitness market, appealing to a new wave of consumers who want more from their workouts and to be part of the brand.
As part of the Siam Discovery opening, the company will also unveil its new logo. The logo will be rolled out as new clubs open in Bangkok, London, Singapore, Sydney, Cape Town and Milan.
Tim Carter, Virgin Active Group brand director said: “Since our first club opened in 1999, we have brought innovation to health and fitness club users the world over, disrupting the status quo as only Virgin brands can.
“With this in mind we are revolutionising our brand and amplifying the Virgin values that sit at the heart of our business. We’ll soon start to extend our revamped identity into new territories and across all existing channels. It’s the next step in our growth, with a lot more surprises to come.
“As one of the world’s most exciting fitness hubs, Bangkok was the obvious choice for this unveiling and signals our exciting growth plans in the region.”
Virgin Thailand leisure club AsiaNuffield Health completes purchase of 35 Virgin Active sites
Virgin Active rules out move towards ‘hyper-exclusive’ health clubs
Virgin Active to expand Asia Pacific portfolio
Branson reveals plans for major Virgin Active international expansion
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
