BANGKOK - Virgin Active today unveils its new club at the iconic Siam Discovery building, designed to give customers in Thailand an unparalleled experience, innovative product offering and wide range of facilities, not seen together anywhere else in the world.

The first of up to 20 new clubs planned to open in the next six years, Siam Discovery is the fourth club in Thailand, and will build on the company’s ambitious plans to invest up to Bt5.2 billion in the country, creating up to 1,500 new jobs. The company also plans to invest an additional Bt2.6 billion in Singapore as the Virgin Active brand sets to expand its presence in Southeast Asia, further cementing its position as the world’s leading health and fitness club brand.

Matthew Bucknall, President and Founder of Virgin Active, commented:  “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.

The global health and fitness industry is evolving rapidly.  Many of the current Asian health and fitness club offerings are outdated, fitness-only formats. We believe our unique state-of-the-art clubs, like the one we’ve opened today in Siam Discovery, will transform the region’s fitness market. Along with more of our large premium clubs, we are also looking at exciting new formats to offer something for everyone.”

Joining its clubs in Empire Tower, EmQuartier and Westgate, Virgin Active Siam Discovery will set a new standard for lifestyle and fitness performance in this thriving business and retail district. Occupying over 5,000 square metres, the club is one of the largest members-only fitness clubs in Asia, incorporating stylish designs that set standards unseen in the world of health and fitness clubs.   Aligned with Siam Discovery’s vision to reinvent the shopping experience, Virgin Active has taken a cutting edge approach to its club design, from the innovative use of open spaces to integrating natural finishes throughout. Virgin Active has attracted the best personal trainers in the country and its studios and fitness equipment will incorporate the latest technology. 

Aside from the focus on member experience, this luxurious club offers a broad range of facilities and a highly innovative group exercise programme, including: 

• The latest in Italian pool and spa design – an air-conditioned 20 metre indoor swimming pool, hydrotherapy pool, experiential showers, an ice room and Himalayan Salt Inhalation room, beautiful change rooms with toiletries from Panpuri and RFID lockers for ease of use

• Spaces to relax, socialise and do business in - one of the largest dedicated club lounges serving healthy meals and offering free Wi-Fi and computer stations, as well as uniquely designed business meeting pods and sleep pods for those needing to unwind

• Innovative new products and experiences – the club will 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 - even 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 do hot yoga ‘under the setting sun’, as well as The Grid, a functional training zone unique to Virgin Active and a bespoke boxing studio

• A new retail offer in partnership with Under Armour, a leading sports and lifestyle apparel brand

• The latest gym floor equipment and technology - Artis® Collection, free weights and cable weights from Technogym® plus PowerPlate and Woodway Curve

Virgin Active’s next club will soon 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 includes its highly popular and innovative ‘learn to swim’ programmes from the UK and Australia.

Bucknall is convinced that Virgin Active’s unique 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. He added: "Unlike other industry operators, we have a globally recognisable brand which gives us a head start in securing iconic locations. Consumers expect a Virgin business to be different and to disrupt the industry."

As part of the Siam Discovery opening, the company will also unveil its new logo. The first step in a revolution of the brand’s identity, the logo will be rolled out as new clubs open in some of the world’s best loved cities including Bangkok, London, Singapore, Sydney, Cape Town and Milan.

Sir Richard Branson said: “Virgin constantly seeks to challenge the way things have been done before. With new clubs and a fresh look to be proud of we hope to deliver on our purpose of making exercise irresistible for our members.

“Virgin Active is a longstanding and proud member of the Virgin family. It has established itself as the leading name in fitness clubs worldwide, attracting members who want the best possible experience and club teams who believe in delivering it. I am incredibly proud of the team that has made this possible.”

Tim Carter, Brand Director of the Virgin Active Group 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.”