new
opening
The gym has been equipped by Keiser, as well as Technogym, Life Fitness and Power Plate
including feature showers, a hydrotherapy pool, Turkish bath, sauna and relaxation areas. “Our offering isn’t centred on sport but on broader wellness, health and even relaxation – looking after yourself in body and mind,” explains Pellón. “The spa is integral to this approach.” There’s also a beauty salon
offering everything from massages to facials, manicures and pedicures to physiotherapy and ayurvedic treatments.
more for your money It’s certainly an extensive offering, so the price tag comes as a pleasant surprise – membership starts at just €60 a month. Indeed, although Metropolitan’s clubs are all finished to the highest specifications, with great attention to detail in terms of both offering and design, €60 is its average monthly fee. “One of our main USPs is the fact that
we offer fi ve-star quality at a three-star price,” explains Pellón. “Our prices are also all-inclusive, encompassing spa use, reciprocal membership across all our clubs and so on. We want to make sure people get a lot for their money.”
We have excellent retention levels and no sales team at all. We don’t even advertise.
So it says a lot for Metropolitan’s
service levels that – in spite of the high-end aesthetics of the clubs and the extensive, high quality offering – Pellón concludes: “The clubs are great, but it’s our staff who really make the difference.” Equating Metropolitan’s service levels to those of a top hotel, he explains the company’s approach to staffi ng: “One of the fi rst things our members will say, if you ask them about us, is that our people are really nice. We aim to do the simple things well and we constantly train our staff in the area of service. Every member must be greeted with a smile and a few words of welcome. That smile is one of our USPs, alongside the quality of our clubs and our price point. “Everyone – from the instructors
to the cleaners – is trained to see the bigger picture. For example, our cleaners’ goal isn’t to keep the changing rooms tidy; it’s to make sure the member is happy and comfortable. “As a result, we have excellent
retention levels and no sales team at all. We don’t even advertise – we get all our new members through word of mouth, with members referring their friends, and we have waiting lists for all of our clubs. “At our new club in Las Arenas, we
Smile as standard: A friendly greeting is one of Metropolitan’s USPs
36
had 4,000 people sign up in advance, again with no advertising or marketing. People simply heard about it, went online and registered their interest.”
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital There certainly seems to be a strong
appetite for Metropolitan’s way of doing things, and the company’s bold expansion plans mean that demand will be met in more and more areas of Spain – and beyond. So where do they see themselves fi ve years from now? “Metropolitan has been in business for
25 years and it’s not controlled by any external funds or fi nancial organisations, so its future rests in its own hands,” says Pellón. “Remaining profi table lies at the heart of our expansion strategy. We don’t have any preconceived ideas about particular new markets to enter, or number of clubs we’d ultimately aim for, but we do have a predisposition to pick up on good opportunities, wherever those may be. “We feel our concept would be popular
in many different markets, as we believe there’s nothing else like it, but we’re not obsessed with the idea of growth. More important to us is doing things properly, and at some point not growing any more might become the best option.” For now though, in a climate where
the budget clubs are dominating the fi tness industry’s growth fi gures, top-end Metropolitan certainly has ambitious expansion plans at home and abroad. It will be interesting to see if it can replicate its success in other markets.
healthclub@leisuremedia.com kate cracknell
july 2011 © cybertrek 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84