The Aspria Group will officially take over a Champneys Club in Brussels in January 2005.

Located in the exclusive Avenue Louise district of the city, the club is part of the Conrad hotel complex owned by Fortis Real Estate.

Aspria has taken a 25-year lease on the premises from Fortis on a rental basis and said Fortis appreciates Aspria’s reputation in the city and across Europe.

The company said it was also impressed with Champneys’ prestigious location, its core membership of around 1,000 members and good quality fit out.

Aspria will invest in new facilities in the future to ensure its continued status as a top city club.

Launched in 2000, the 3,250sq m (35,000 sq ft) facility offers a Technogym-equipped gym overlooking the club’s 16x6m pool, a dance studio offering around 40 fitness, dance and holistic classes a week, a spa bath, sauna and steamroom.

Other facilities include a beauty department with six treatment rooms, a dedicated relaxation room with an aquarium and offering essential oils, a members’ lounge and juice bar, complementary towels and bathrobes and underground car parking.

The CEO of Aspria, Brian Morris, said the acquisition of the Champneys’ health club consolidates the company’s position in the market: “We already operate the number one club in the city in Rue de l‘Industrie and with this acquisition we will become the largest employer in the club industry in Brussels.”

Aspria, which also operates clubs in Hamburg and Berlin, has some 15,000 members in total and said it is looking to expand in line with its philosophy of developing quality not quantity.

It is due to open a third site in Brussels in spring 2005: Royal La Rasante, a 13,000sq m flagship family country club, will open in Woluwé-St-Lambert.