Luxury gym sector shaping up for a healthy share of the action

Boutique fitness classes are not new, but people willing to spend large slices of their disposable income on keeping in shape are now demanding an upmarket experience that could include a spa and a cocktail bar

Perpetua Fitness: ‘This experience, coupled with a hotel concierge-style front of house service, attracts customers who are willing to pay hundreds of euros a month for the right to join a 45-minute session a few times a week’

In a dark room decorated with neon lights, Craig Lawless is directing people who are running on treadmills that cost €19,000. The trainer at Perpetua Fitness on Windmill Lane in Dublin is leading what the exercise world terms a boutique fitness class.

It is his job to keep the participants moving - switching between high-intensity cardio bursts on the treadmill and floor rounds with weights, slam balls, kettlebells and ceiling bands.

“Hit those sled buttons, ...