The Lay Out: Equinox Hotel Pool

As you'd expect, everyone there works out, and it shows.

Joe Thomas for Equinox

In 2019, Equinox, the elite gym membership club, opened their first hotel location (and somehow survived 2020). No bones about it, it’s a price-y hotel but with access to its 65,000 square foot fitness facility it makes complete sense.

I appreciated (and was surprised) to find so many rich textures throughout the decor of the hotel, from carpets and hotel hallway dressings to countertops and bathtubs. They refrained from the (oftentimes tacky) NYC-centered art. You won’t find black and white images of the MTA or any floor-to-ceiling skyline photos. (Look out the windows.)

In alignment with Equinox’s slogan, “It’s not fitness, it’s life,” the room is optimized for sleep and has a wellness minibar of sorts in addition to your stereotypical one. The iPad controls light and climate settings which are preset for sleep and rest. To support these lighting and temp settings, there are AM and PM specific scents and in-app rituals.

The amenities hotel guests and gym membership holders have access to include sauna and steam rooms (a set within each locker room), an indoor saltwater lap pool, wintertime outdoor barrel saunas, and of course, the rooftop pool.

I took a tour of the hotel, worked out in the gym and spent a couple hours at the pool on a weekday in late August. The seating was pretty wide open when we walked through just after 11 am. By the time I got up there post workout closer 1, it seemed to pick up, but it still wasn’t packed. Being that hotel is on the west side of Manhattan and the pool deck opens up south west, there’s great, late sun.

For a pool that has skyscrapers consistently robbing the loungers of periods of sunshine, it doesn’t feel as stark as you’d assume. They’re short-lived and the staff let’s people know when the sun will be back. Perhaps it’s also partially that even if you aren’t getting direct sun, sometimes it’s reflecting so brightly off the buildings surrounding the pool deck it doesn’t feel like it’s behind a building.

Apparently the pool gets busier a bit earlier than the day I went. Members or hotel guests are welcome to put their name down for a seat if all are taken, and everyone has 2 hours before they need to cycle out for other guests, but it is all hotel guests and members (and maybe their guests) only. There isn’t any ResortPass or outsider access available.

I recommend sitting on the west side of the pool facing the pool for good sun and nice city views or directly in the water because there’s bench-like step around the entire pool. Facing the river is nice and all, but Blade’s landing pad is right there and watching helicopters take off and land isn’t really my thing. (You can’t hear it at all though, which is great.)

To get to the pool, guests cut through The Broken Coconut, the gym’s restraurant. The Comic Sans-font menu made me lol, but otherwise my chili pineapple tuna bowl was tasty. I appreciated poolside, healthy-ish menu options, especially after a workout.

The pool was packed around 4:15. From appearance, everyone seems pretty invested in working out. I chatted with two sisters, one owned a fitness studio in Westchester. They were someone’s guests. Being that it’s in Hudson Yards/Chelsea, the demo seemed like a bunch of corporate baddies on the pilates circuit, fit gays and fitness professionals. Right in front of me I watched a fit short king bend the ear of a model who seemed pleased with how much she entertained him while a juiced, Riff Raff lookalike sat at the poolside all afternoon. I say all that to say, without feeling chaotic at all, the people watching is supreme.

Despite having plenty of direct sun time left to the day, I was cooked by about 4:30. I spent a quick 20 min in the steam room, took advantage of the locker room and made my way out.

As for hotel pools in the city, it definitely has a adults-only energy and it is 18+. In terms of members only club pools in New York, Equinox’s is SUBSTANTIALLY better than an afternoon spent at Dumbo House on account of the service, food and access to everything else in the gym.

The season ends this month, and considering the weather, I’d assume sooner than later. But, they have barrel saunas out in the wintertime to take advantage of the view.