Businesses built on brain and brawn

What could one do with a 1,000 sq. m piece of land? One may build at least ten spacious flats or cultivate a splendid vegetable garden.

An Australian family that came to invest in Romania thought one thousand square metres could be very well used to build a huge fitness studio, an “aerobics” field, along with several saunas, massage parlours, a solarium, a bar and a parking lot. This is how Sydney Health & Fitness came to life in Bucharest, as one of the most exclusive fitness clubs in the Capital.

Whoever dares walk through the door of the club will not be disappointed. Although the prices seem prohibitive at first, the quality of the services clearly justifies the gap between Sydney’s tariffs and those other “local” spas.

Charges are levied differently. There are one-month, three-month, six-month and one-year subscriptions available. Those interested in taking a one-month subscription will have to pay $70. The longer the subscription period, the lower the monthly tariff is.

A three-month subscription costs $150, a six-month one costs $250 and a one-year subscription costs $430. One visit to the spa costs $10, while a ten-visit card costs $60.

The offer is even better for groups. For instance, the monthly subscription for a member of a 20-30 people group reaches $110, while the annual one amounts to $325.

The club was opened in October 1999, by the same family of Australian business people that had opened the controversial Sydney – Bar & Grill in Victoria Square, which was sold to an Irish company after trouble with the City Hall.

The initial investment was a large one, but it was recovered in time, says David Walton, the club manager. “We spent more than $250,000 on equipment alone in 1999.

Every Paramount piece of equipment was shipped in from the US, from Los Angeles to be precise. Several pieces of equipment were assembled later and were brought from Romania,” Walton says.

The trainers are skilled professionals. “We usually have one trainer supervise and help the clients in the mornings, and two trainers in the evening, when we have more people around,” Walton cared to mention.