Holmes Place in the Hilton

Although going to the gym is a popular way of keeping fit for urban Poles, the large international chains of fitness studios have yet to make their presence felt on the market, and local clubs continue to lead the industry. However, this situation is set to change.

The Holmes Place Club, which is located in the Hilton Hotel in Warsaw, will be opened in May, when the hotel opens its doors for business. "Poland's fitness market is still very young and its market players are gaining experience day by day," says Ilan Shapira, the general director of Holmes Place in Poland. The firm already has a toehold in the Polish market - it operates the Shape fitness club in Warsaw's Galeria Mokotów and is planning a Shape club for the Arkadia shopping mall.

According to the company's strategy, Holmes Place clubs are opened in cities with a population of more than a million' and Shape clubs in towns with 250,000 people. "Therefore, Warsaw will be the only Polish home for a Holmes Place," Shapira says.

The club's two floors will have 4,000 sqm in total and are divided into leisure, training and spa areas, as well as a 25-meter swimming pool. Shapira says that due to the elite atmosphere, the Warsaw club will have just 1,000 members. Despite its May opening, those interested in joining Holmes Place can sign up now.

"In the three clubs in Poland, the company will invest EUR 8 [zł.30] million," said Shapira. "From 2008 onwards, we plan to open three to four clubs in Poland."