Youfit expansion hots up with Baltimore opening
by Tom Walker | 08 Aug 2016
Youfit was founded in 2008 by entrepreneur Rick Berks
US-based budget club operator Youfit has opened its latest site in Baltimore, Maryland, increasing the number of sites in its portfolio to nearly 120.
The Baltimore club features a large gym floor with resistance stations and cv machines supplied by Cybex and also offers personal training through its YouCoach programme.
There is also a 30-minute Express Circuit course, while SilverSneakers classes – a wellness programme designed exclusively for older adults and created by fitness giant HealthWays – will be made available.
The club is YouFit’s second in the state of Maryland.
Founded in 2008 by entrepreneur Rick Berks, Youfit is one of the fastest-growing fitness companies in the US, with an average of three clubs opening per month.
Based on a low-cost model, monthly memberships start at just US$10 for a single club. The company’s “Lime Card”, which gives access to all of the chain’s clubs across the US, costs US$19 per month.
The group also places emphasis on environmental responsibility. Gym floors are made from Nike Grind and other recycled rubber materials, and each Youfit location – some which are operated on a franchise model – is required to practice additional eco-friendly initiatives.
In 2014, Youfit secured venture funding from PWP Growth Equity, a private equity entity focused on investing in lower middle market growth companies.
Fitness
US-based budget club operator Youfit has opened its latest site in Baltimore, Maryland, increasing the number of sites in its portfolio to nearly 120. The Baltimore club features a large gym floor with resistance stations and cv machines supplied by Cybex and also offers personal training through its YouCoach programme. There is also a 30-minute Express Circuit course, while SilverSneakers classes – a wellness programme designed exclusively for older adults
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David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
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New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
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The heritage-listed Department of Lands building in Sydney, Australia, has relaunched as a major cultural and events destination, as part of a mixed-use redevelopment of two iconic buildings known collectively as the Sandstone Precinct. Singapore-based Pontiac Land Group owns the property, as well as the building next door that was the former Department of Education building. The two-phase restoration project has seen Pontiac turn the Department of Education building into
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
by Magali Robathan | 16 Apr 2026
World of Frozen has opened at Disney Adventure World in Disneyland Paris with new offerings across the entire park. The expansion almost doubles the size of Disneyland Paris, immersing guests in a life-size recreation of the Kingdom of Arendel. The World of Frozen features a Tangled -inspired attraction, 14 new dining locations and a large lake debuting a new night-time spectacular. It also features a daytime celebration, themed shopping, and
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
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The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has revealed plans to expand its presence in Egypt with the renovation and operation of two historic hotel properties and the brand’s first-ever luxury river cruise. In 2022, Mandarin Oriental announced it would open its first Egyptian property, Mandarin Oriental Shepheard in Cairo. The hotel is undergoing a comprehensive renovation and is due to open in 2027. Ownership and development The river cruise, Old Cataract
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
by Helen Andrews | 27 Mar 2026
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Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
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4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
by Helen Andrews | 04 Mar 2026
Design firm 4a Architekten has shared details of the recently-completed extension to the wellness facilities at destination spa park Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa in Germany. The upgrades to the leisure pool facility, which has been in operation since 1984, included the addition of a thermal spa and sauna in a new building that integrated sensitively into the landscape. Commissioned by the facility’s operator, utility company Stadtwerke Bad Dürkheim, the
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