By Jim Carchidi
April 22, 2024
The latest "athletic country club" concept by Minnesota-based Life Time, Inc. is set to open in Winter Park at the Ravaudage mixed-use development. The $50 million facility at 1225 Bennett Ave. includes 91,000 square feet of indoor space with studios, a salon and spa, children's fitness programs, a café, and coworking spaces. Recreational and athletic pools are located just outside at Life Time's resort-style Beach Club.
The Orlando Real went on a tour of the facility before the doors open at 4 a.m. on Friday, April 24.
Fitness fixes
Life Time goes beyond traditional fitness centers with features geared toward a range of goals and lifestyles. The offerings change very little from one location to the next, resulting in consistent quality of the product. Specially designed classes, brand-specific health, beauty, and nutritional products, and unique spa experiences are part of the package.
The volume of fitness training machines fills a vast studio featuring 15 Olympic Platforms. The range of classes includes Alpha Strength, Pilates, and Life Style's own workout, CTR (Core. Tone. Reform.) which combines performance-based training with the control of reformer movement.
Additional offerings include a noise-canceling yoga studio that insulates classes from the rest of the fitness floor and controls temperature via ceiling-mounted radiant heat panels. A special recovery area features massage guns and compression boots. HydroMassage chairs offer pressurized water therapy and CryoLounge chairs provide targeted hot and cold therapy.
Luxury and rejuvenation
The spa begins with the choice of one of seven scents, which will follow the client through the entire spa experience. A relaxation room offers a serene start with chairs arranged in a neutral, quiet setting.
The salon features five massage rooms, a facial room, and a full hair and nail studio with an adjoining room for pedicures.
Men's and women's Rejuvenation Suites offer dry saunas, steam rooms, cold plunges and whirlpools.
Resort-style amenities
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As with most fitness facilities, Pickleball is a must. Its popularity has replaced adult basketball courts at Life Time locations and the Winter Park Beach Club offers five fully outdoor courts and five covered courts. Three additional indoor courts can be found in the fitness center.
Kids Academy
Special memberships for children include fitness classes and activities for ages 3 months to 11 years. Life Time's Kids Academy promotes healthy habits through specialized yoga and tumbling classes, a toddler play area, kid-sized climbing walls, a basketball court, and arts and crafts classes. Kids Academy members can also take part in swim lessons and swim team competitions at the Beach Club pools.
Childcare services are offered for parents during their workouts but special fee-based Parents' Night Out services are offered on Friday nights, allowing three hours of kids fitness and activities.
Work-life balance
The club's quick-service eatery, LifeCafe, includes salads, grain bowls, breakfast and grab-and-go options, and a make-your-own-bowl menu. Coffee drinks and smoothies are also available. A premium coworking space by the LifeCafe dining area gives members an off-site office to take care of business after their workout.
Bottom lines
Life Time operates 190 facilities throughout the U.S. and Canada with eight statewide locations between South Florida and Tampa. A Lakewood Ranch location is expected to open in October and another is slated for Hamlin in 2028.
"It's really special for us to open in Winter Park and begin connecting with Central Florida," said Natalie Bushaw, Life Time Vice President of Public Relations and Corporate Communications. The Winter Park facility created about 285 jobs but Bushaw estimates the number could go over 320 with summer positions opening at the Beach Club and Kids Academy.
Monthly memberships start at $100 for Kids Academy and around $339 for adults with discounts for family memberships. Potential members are invited to take a tour and speak with staff.
For more information, long onto lifetime.life.
Sponsor: The Orlando Real is sponsored by the Pozek Group — the #1 real estate team in Orlando and the Official Real Estate Team of the Orlando Magic.
About the Author
Jim Carchidi is an Orlando journalist and photographer with previous work at the Orlando Sentinel and Orlando Business Journal. He covers development, arts, culture, and local stories for The Orlando Real.
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