Brian Morris has always enjoyed “real estate for a reason rather than real estate for itself”. A qualified chartered surveyor, it was through his first job at Whitbread Plc in the 80s that he discovered a deep interest in how people experience buildings, over and above the building process itself.
It was this realisation that led him to operations rather than construction – but that isn’t to say he doesn’t relish a construction challenge. First in London with the iconic Riverside and Espree clubs, then in Europe, Morris found himself inspired to build and operate “health and wellbeing clubs that pushed the boundaries and did things better than any other”.
This vision remains evident today in the distinctive projects he cherry-picks and develops for the Aspria Group, the pan-European lifestyle health club group he founded in 2000.
He acknowledges: “Our projects tend to have a level of complexity that most operators would find daunting, but we enjoy taking on difficult things: protected buildings, complicated sites, complex development permits.”
The result is “worth every effort”: a unique portfolio of eight luxurious Aspria clubs and three Aspresso ‘clubs for everyone’, many of which have “remodelled, refocused and redefined” existing clubs and facilities and breathed new life into historic buildings.
Leading the way in wellbeing
Aspria Roosevelt is a prime example. Currently under construction in Brussels as the brand’s ninth destination club, it was once a chateau and Solvay family home – and is a project Morris has nurtured for 24 years. Little wonder he is so excited by the prospect of finally unveiling this 14,000sq m Belgian flagship in its four hectares of beautiful grounds.
Aspria Roosevelt will be the brand’s fourth club in Brussels, alongside Aspria Arts-Loi (2001), Aspria Avenue Louise (2005) and Aspria Royal La Rasante (2005). The estate also extends into Milan, Hamburg, Berlin and Hannover, with all clubs embodying the brand’s Live Life Well ethos via a 360° approach to wellbeing: sports and fitness, spa, healthy dining, family activities and strong social connectivity.
“We believe all of this contributes to wellbeing and we can track the impact via our signature lifestyle assessment, AspriaPro,” says Morris. “Yet above all, wellbeing is about how you feel. Contributing factors vary by individual. For some of our older members, ‘wellbeing’ might not even be about fitness at all, but about feeling more positive as a result of coming to the club, being active and meeting friends. That works for us. That’s wellbeing delivered the Aspria way and for real people.”
It is a view that has become increasingly mainstream as post-pandemic consumers embrace self-care – so much so that where Aspria once blazed a trail of wellness, recovery, health, hospitality, third spaces and premium experiences, now these trends shape the broader health club sector.
“Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery,” observes Morris, confident in his team’s decades of experience and buoyed by significant new senior hires from rival David Lloyd. “Companies will always be able to compete with elements of what we do, but if people want the full package, there’s nothing that compares with what we provide our members and guests.
Brian Morris, founder and CEO of The Aspria Group
A ’budget family’ model for Belgium
He is equally energised by Aspresso, launched in 2023 as the Group’s affordable model. Occupying “the relatively unpopulated ‘budget family’ segment” and currently operating three sites in Spain and Italy, these expansive clubs offer large gyms, pools, multiple outdoor sports and activity spaces, food and beverage and kids’ facilities.
“This is our way of giving back, making improved health and wellness available to more people and broadening the appeal of the Group. It isn’t entirely altruistic – Aspresso is a business just as Aspria is – but it is strongly socially aware and socially responsible.”
A business indeed, with Morris forecasting strong portfolio and performance growth across the Group, currently backed by Fortress Investment Group as financing partner.
A headline-grabbing 297 per cent growth in EBITDA in 2022–23 is dismissed by Morris as evidence of a necessarily steep post-pandemic recovery. Of more interest to him is the 70 per cent EBITDA growth targeted for 2025 and the rising valuation of the Group: a forecast €150m by the end of this year and €200m by the end of 2026.
“Following major investment across our Brussels estate in 2024 and with immature clubs on a strong trajectory, we expect to see good growth from our existing estate. We also have nine sites in the pipeline that will come to fruition over the next two to four years, in existing markets and three new ones.
