Working out has only gotten harder — at least, that’s the case at a New York City gym that describes itself as a “private members’ club,” complete with a rigorous vetting process and high membership fees to boot.
Founded by entrepreneur Aqib Mamoon, Ghost has a nightclub-like feel, with promotional images showing off the all-black interior and mood lighting.
Annual memberships cost $6,000 — or $3,300 if paid upfront — and to join the “club,” prospective members are asked to fill out an application form with their social media handles listed along with their job title. If they pass this stage, there’s a face-to-face meeting and internal assessment to navigate.
One gym-goer — who managed to access Ghost in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, by attending a yoga class with Class Pass — described the locker room as “like a peaceful nightclub.”
Ghost, founded by entrepreneur Aqib Mamoon, has a nightclub-like feel, with promotional images showing off the all-black interior and mood lighting
Annual memberships cost $6,000 – or $3,300 if prepaid – and to join the “club” prospective members are asked to fill out an application form stating their social media handles
A gym enthusiast said the studio space “really takes you to another place”
Ghost memberships include full access to the club and amenities, two personal training sessions per month, and unlimited Pilates and Yoga sessions
They also gave the Himalayan salt wall in the sauna a thumbs up along with the ‘nice towels’.
Another reviewer described the fitness center as a “truly stunning space.”
They added, “The workout room and locker rooms may be the nicest I’ve ever visited in New York.”
And one fitness buff said of the studio space, “[It] really takes you to another place.’
Despite the slick design being approved by many reviewers, one person who frequented the gym said it was almost too cool — especially when it came to the locker rooms, which they noted were marked with chromosomes, rather than the traditional “male” ‘ and ‘feminine’ labels.
They explained: ‘[The] bathrooms and showers were nice, but they marked the locker rooms with chromosomes, a bio quiz I hadn’t studied for. [I] ran into the wrong one.’
A Insider journalist who tried out the workout room made the same comment, writing, “Ghost has a row of gender-neutral restrooms, and then there are the posh locker rooms, which challenged my public school education.
“Instead of ‘Gentlemen’ and ‘Women,’ the locker room signs read ‘XX’ and ‘XY,’ which almost made me collapse because I couldn’t remember which symbols identified the chromosomes.”
Mamoon told DailyMail.com that gym membership is currently limited to about 200 members, so there are never queues for workout stations
“The workout room and locker rooms may be the nicest I’ve ever visited in New York,” said one reviewer
There is an extensive code of conduct on the member page that prohibits ‘excessive noise’
A gym-goer – who managed to gain access to Ghost by attending a yoga class with Class Pass – described the locker room as “like a peaceful nightclub”
If the potential members have passed the initial application phase, there is a face-to-face meeting and an internal assessment to navigate
Another Yelp reviewer complained that the gym seemed so exclusive that they wouldn’t even respond to his membership attempts.
He said he had walked past the “cool” place many times and when he received an advertisement through Instagram, he decided to apply.
However, “despite filling out their online form twice to try and schedule a tour to sign up, and even coming over in person to leave my contact details, I haven’t heard from them in almost two weeks.”
He added: “So, I’d hate to get ahead of myself, but a gym that doesn’t seem all that interested in responding to potential new members despite running a paid marketing campaign to promote itself is a bit confusing.”
Ghost memberships include full access to the club and amenities, two personal training sessions per month, and unlimited Pilates and yoga sessions.
There is an extensive code of conduct on the member page.
On the topic of ‘excessive noise’ it says: ‘Members shall refrain from hitting or dropping weights and shall be respectful of others at all times.
“Members must also refrain from growling, screaming or yelling while exercising in our facility. Be considerate of others in the room.’
There’s also a section on being nice.
Its website states: ‘Ghost is committed to building a community of forward-thinking individuals and encourages you to build relationships with fellow members and staff. Please use kindness in every interaction.
“To facilitate spatial harmony, we ask that you moderate your cell phone use while in the facility, and instead spend time engaging with your peers.”
Mamoon told DailyMail.com that gym membership was currently limited to about 200 members, so there were never queues for workout stations or overcrowded classes.