After weeks of speculation, it has been confirmed that Aspria, the luxury health and wellness group, has been bought by British luxury gym chain David Lloyd Clubs.
Founded in 2000 by Executive President Brian Morris, Aspria has a large footprint in Brussels. The group has three high-end wellbeing and fitness clubs in the city: a sports and wellbeing club in Woluwé-Saint-Lambert, an adult-only centre on Avenue Louise and a city-centre health and fitness club in Arts-Loi.
A fourth Brussels club, Aspria Roosevelt, is under construction and is scheduled to open later this year. Aspria also runs wellness clubs in Berlin, Hamburg, Hanover and Milan.
On Friday afternoon, Morris sent an email to Aspria members informing them of the takeover by David Lloyd Leisure, which is headquartered in Hertfordshire, UK.
“I have signed an agreement with David Lloyd Clubs that will result in a change of ownership in the near future, subject to regulatory approval and the completion of the transaction” he wrote.
Morris assured members that their membership with Aspria will remain valid. “Should any changes occur affecting your membership terms, rates, access, or club experience, we will inform you directly and in advance,” he said.
Glenn Earlam, Executive Chairman of David Lloyd Clubs said: “We are really pleased to welcome Aspria and its members into the DLC Group. Aspria is a business that we have admired for many years, and a team that shares our values and ambition to provide members with world-leading health and wellness facilities.
"Europe is a big opportunity for DLC and we see this acquisition as an important step forward in growing our business across the Continent.”
Brussels status symbol
An Aspria club membership has become something of a status symbol in Brussels. People join the club not only for the health benefits, but also for the networking potential it can offer.
The club is particularly popular among the capital’s lobbyists, politicians and policymakers. Last year, Morris told Politico that the firm “had every prime minister pretty much since the time we opened”.
David Lloyd Clubs was founded in 1982 by British tennis star David Lloyd. There are over 100 David Lloyd gyms in the UK and the firm has a growing presence in mainland Europe, including gyms in Uccle and in Sterrebeek, Zaventem.
