When Clare Stobart was developing the concept for her boutique health club, she had a strong guiding vision: to provide the best member experience of any boutique club in the UK.
The result is CPASE (Clare’s Space Boutique Health Club – pronounced ‘space’), an adult-only, five-star boutique health club in the Cheshire countryside, which opened on 1 October.
The club, which features pumped oxygen-enriched air, has a 500sq m gym, studios, a spa and casual dining offerings, as well as a crane and tube slide for interval training with a twist.
Stobart is no stranger to business – as well as having a degree in business, she’s part of the family behind logistics giant Eddie Stobart – and she understands what it takes to create a commercial offering with a strong brand. “The Clare’s Space story started when I acquired the Cheshire Health Club, where I’d worked as an instructor and PT,” she explains. “I wanted to create a destination where members could escape from reality. That vision of providing a sanctuary has become more important than I could ever have imagined.”
Stobart set about designing a boutique club that offers a mind, body and lifestyle experience with every detail – from its instructors and interiors, to its equipment and fitness class offerings – designed to be world class.
“Our facility isn’t for everyone,” she says, “In daring to be different we’re attracting people willing to commit to a fresh way of approaching health and fitness.”
CPASE has capped its membership at 800 to ensure every member gets the desired experience at every touchpoint.
“We want members to feel the club is theirs,” says Stobart. “Our choice of design and equipment plays a big part in creating a personable atmosphere within the club.”
Working out
The club has a functional training area, cardio zone, free weight and dedicated strength space, as well as a dedicated female training zone, while a team of PTs offer one-to-one training and meal planning.
The gym floor is equipped with strength and cardio kit from Technogym’s Artis range which integrates with the Mywellness app, so members can access personalised training programmes, move freely between equipment and track and log their workout data using the Mywellness Band.
“For members, this set-up provides everything in one place – from class bookings and challenges in the gym, to programmes to follow, says Stobart. “For our team, the platform pairs with the equipment on the gym floor and in our studios, and enables members to access our facilities through the speed lane, access lockers and use the Tanita body analysis machine.
“It also helps us see how members are using the club and gives us data so we can personalise their experience even further,” she explains.
The studios
CPASE has three studio spaces, including Cyclone, the biggest Technogym Skillbike studio in the world, with tiered flooring and a rotating central podium. The bikes simulate hill climbs by using real gear shifts, so members can boost their cycling efficiency.
This studio also features a full-size screen and bespoke lighting that matches the beat of the music, providing members with an immersive experience.
“We plan to use this studio to host regular races for our members, so they can compete against each other for prizes and to win a yellow jersey!” says Stobart.
The Inferno studio is a specialised bootcamp area that hosts CPASE bespoke classes – designed by Stobart and based around four key pillars of performance, agility, speed, stamina and power. The studio is kitted out with Technogym Skillrun treadmills and Skillbenches.
The Oxygen wellness studio is home to concept classes including trapeze yoga, paddleboard yoga, land, sea and sky yoga, vinyasa and yin yoga, meditation classes and Pilates classes.
“This building is very earthy and relaxing,” explains Stobart. “It feels very spiritual and was the obvious choice of location for our wellness classes. We’ll also use it for talks and seminars to add more value to the member experience.”
A casual dining offering called April’s Kitchen at CPASE, has ‘cosy meets chic’ interiors, providing members with a place to recharge and refuel and a menu that takes inspiration from around the world, while the WS No7 Private Room offers “table service in a richly decorated, multifunctional space, designed to be a haven for members wanting to escape the outside world.”
April’s also serves refreshments on the poolside for members using the heated loungers after a swim.
Spa and wellness
The wellness area – Recharge at CPASE revolves around a series of pools, which offer hydrotherapy and built-in underwater loungers.
Also on offer is a cryosauna in the Stasis Suite, a Light Therapy machine from Dr Muller and a crystal-lined salt steamroom – the overall focus is on regeneration and renewal for mind, body and spirit.
Find out more: www.cpase.co.uk
