The gym that made us question our membership.
Walk into the Equinox Hotel's fitness floor and something unusual happens: you forget you're in a hotel. The 40,000 square foot facility functions as a genuine world-class training center that just happens to have rooms upstairs. It earned a 94/100 on our inspection — the highest score in our review history — and joins a tiny club of hotel gyms that legitimately deserve the ELITE designation. This isn't a "pretty good for a hotel gym" verdict. It's a "this is one of the better gyms we've walked into, period" verdict.
Where it earns its score.
The free weight section is exceptional. Dumbbells run from 5 to 150 lbs with no gaps in the rack. Two full power cages sit in a dedicated lifting zone with proper rubber flooring and ceiling clearance for overhead work. Cardio equipment is all Technogym Skillmill and Excite series — commercial-grade machines with full streaming integration. The 16 treadmills have never-seen-a-busy-morning capacity. Cleanliness scored a perfect 12/12 — the first perfect score in that category in our review history. Staff wipe equipment between every use, dispensers are stocked at every station.
What fell short.
Only one point was lost in Safety: the AED defibrillator, while present, is stored in a cabinet requiring staff assistance — a procedural issue that should be corrected. The single missing Amenities point traces to no natural light on the main gym floor, which is intentional by design but worth noting. This is also not a budget experience — day passes run north of $50 for non-guests.
Should you book here?
The Equinox Hotel sets the benchmark for what a hotel gym can be when a fitness brand, not a hospitality brand, controls the facility. Everything works. Everything is clean. The equipment selection covers every training style. If you're serious about fitness and traveling to New York, there is no better option.