Hollywood gym returns to Long Beach after 20 years

The second time around is said to be sweeter. Steve Diamond hopes so.

In 1986, he opened the Hollywood Health Spa in Long Beach. In 2000, he sold it to Town Sports International, the parent company of New York Sports Club, which ran it until last September, when the company filed for bankruptcy. Like many in the fitness industry, NYSC was hit hard by the pandemic.

Out of the blue, Diamond said, the gym’s landlord reached out to him and asked if he would like to come back. Diamond was interested.

Over the years he'd heard from former customers about how they missed the old Hollywood club. Diamond, who also has an insurance business, said what made him think about going back was that his son Nevin loved the opportunity. When they found a third partner, restaurateur Paul Martin, a body builder and indisputable gym rat, the trio was ready. In November, the gym was again the Hollywood Health Club.

But 20 years later, with a change-everything pandemic and what’s likely to be a new world order post-pandemic, he said, "We knew if we got back into this, we had to go top-of-the-line, to give 100%."

That meant a complete overhaul of the gym from top to bottom and tricking it out with the latest equipment and technology. Diamond talks about the transformation.

What are some highlights of the renovation?

We wanted a design that could accommodate individual workouts and where health and safety were a priority. We created private Smart Fit rooms that feature The Mirror [you follow an instructor online for classes like aerobics, kickboxing, etc.], spin bikes and Fight Camp [punching] bags, as well as expanded cardio and fitness areas, updated locker rooms and specialty equipment. There will be outdoor fitness classes on the rooftop come summer. There is a large individual sauna bookable by the hour. Machines are socially distanced and plexiglass dividers between equipment. Sanitization stations are plentiful. There are Zoom classes for members.

What challenges and costs did you face?

The biggest issue was time. We got the key in November. We knew we had to be ready to open in January. The first quarter is big for fitness. Everyone is trying to honor their New Year’s resolutions to get in shape. We worked around the clock to open in January. It was a tremendous amount of work, ripping out carpeting, regrouting showers. Everything from floor to ceiling was redone. The club had to be beautiful, clean, spotless. Our investment ... was about $1 million.

People stopped going to the gym because of the pandemic. Are you confident they will return in pre-COVID numbers?

The day we opened we had no members. We did a pre-sale and gave a free month as an incentive. Our pre-sale got us about 250, and then it blew through 1,000 members in the first month by word of mouth. We were shocked. But ... safety is key. There’s a thermal scanner to take your temperature. Staff is dedicated to cleaning. We’re affordable, $39.95 a month, with a one-time enrollment fee of $49.95. We already see vaccinated older people coming in. People want to work out. It was hard for some people to stay motivated to work out at home when all they had was a treadmill.

How does it feel to be back in the gym business?

We feel like we did the right thing.