24 Hour Fitness to Open Hacienda Super Sport Club This Winter

By Nicole Zaro Stahl, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Mammoth Facility to Include Indoor Pool, Courts for Basketball, Racquetball

A brand-new 24 Hour Fitness Super Sport club will open in Hacienda by the end of the year. With an expanded array of features that include basketball and racquetball courts and an indoor swimming pool, the new facility is bound to attract fitness enthusiasts across a broad spectrum of interest levels, from the casual to the most dedicated.

"We believe that people who work and live in the Hacienda Business Park vicinity will be very excited about our newest club," says Dan Benning, Division President, 24 Hour Fitness, the largest privately owned U.S. fitness chain. "The new club will be our eighth 24 Hour Fitness Super Sport club in our portfolio of 62 Bay Area clubs."

The upcoming club will occupy the building at 4770 Willow Road that was once home to the Tri-Valley Herald, now undergoing a multi million dollar refurbishing. At approximately 50,000 square feet, the new club will be twice as large as the existing Hacienda club on West Las Positas Boulevard. In both size and features, it represents an evolution in corporate strategy toward a focus on full-amenity clubs, such as those already in operation in San Ramon and Moraga. Industry observers have commented on the expansion as being well timed to coincide with renewed consumer interest in health and fitness, sparked by current economic conditions. Further confirming that view are the company's plans to open a new Super Sport club in Walnut Creek in a parallel time frame.

The new Hacienda club will feature a variety of cardiovascular and strength-training equipment, a group exercise room, a dedicated cycling room, and sauna, steam room, and whirlpool. Certified personal trainers and a full schedule of the latest group exercise formats will be available to help members achieve their fitness goals. Kids Club babysitting will also be offered.

Headquartered in San Ramon, 24 Hour Fitness made its debut in 1983 with an initial club in San Leandro. Over the past 27 years, it has grown to become a global fitness leader, opening more clubs in the United States than any other single operator. Its total of 420 clubs now serve more than 3.5 million members across the nation. The company is proud of its role as an industry pioneer. Innovations such as the first clubs to be open 24 hours a day and the first month-to-month and online memberships are part of its core concept of "making fitness accessible, affordable, and a way of life for everyone."

Its leadership is further exemplified by its support of U.S. Olympic contenders. In 2010 Team 24 Hour Fitness-sponsored athletes included snowboarder Gretchen Bleiler and ski racer Julia Mancuso, among others, along with Paralympic ski racer Chris Devlin-Young. The company has also partnered with the reality TV show "The Biggest Loser" for nine seasons.

For more information on club locations, Group X (exercise) class schedules, and other offerings, visit www.24hourfitness.com.

Photo: Currently undergoing renovations, the 4770 Willow Road facility will open by the end of December.

Also in this issue...