Comparison · Luxury · Europe · 8 min read
Aspria vs Holmes Place: Europe’s two premium club brands, compared
Both run pool-and-spa clubs in Berlin and Hamburg and both sit well above the budget chains. Aspria is a handful of hotel-clubs with outdoor pools and restaurants at €150 to €260. Holmes Place is a nine-country premium chain at €80 to €140 in most cities. Different price, different promise.
Updated September 2026 · Fees in EUR from club sites and reports · By About Health Clubs
Transparency
We are not members of either and accept no hosted visits. Aspria publishes little; figures are from member reports and press. Holmes Place rates are from club pages where published. No affiliate links.
At a glance
Short on time? Here’s the honest answer.
Choose Aspria if you live in Berlin, Hamburg, Hannover, Brussels or Milan, want outdoor pools, a restaurant and a members’ club atmosphere, and will use the place as a second home. Choose Holmes Place if you want a well-run pool-and-spa club at roughly half the price, in one of nine countries, and the gym is the point.
Resort in the city → Aspria
Premium gym with pool → Holmes Place
Side by side
How they compare
| Aspria | Holmes Place | |
|---|---|---|
| Typical price | €150 to €260/mo; joining fee €300 to €1,000. | €80 to €140/mo (CHF 150 to 220 in Switzerland); joining fee €50 to €150. |
| Sites | Berlin, Hamburg, Hannover, Brussels (2), Milan (Harbour Club). | ~40 clubs: Portugal, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Czechia, Austria, Hungary, Greece. |
| Format | Hotel-club: rooms, restaurants, outdoor pools, gardens. | Health club: gym, pool, spa, studios. |
| Pools | Indoor and outdoor at every site. | Indoor at every club; outdoor at a few. |
| Spa | Full spa, treatments, saunas, relaxation areas. | Sauna, steam, treatments at most clubs. |
| Racquets | Tennis at Brussels La Rasante and Milan. | None. |
| Family | Kids clubs and family pools at most sites. | Limited; adult-led. |
| Contract | 12 months, annual billing common. | 12 months typical; monthly at a premium. Germany monthly after first term by law. |
| Multi-site | All Aspria clubs on top tier. | Country-wide access on Premium; some cross-border. |
| Best for | Members who want a resort in the city. | Serious gym users who want a pool and spa at a fair price. |
Adult individual rates in EUR (CHF for Swiss Holmes Place), September 2026. Aspria quotes on enquiry; Holmes Place varies by club.
Price: Aspria is roughly double, and the joining fee is the shock
Holmes Place sits at €80 to €140 in most European cities, with modest joining fees. Aspria runs €150 to €260 and asks for a joining fee that can reach €1,000 in Brussels and Berlin. Over a first year the gap is €1,500 to €2,500. Aspria is not competing with Holmes Place on price; it is competing with not having a second home.
Format: a resort against a health club
Aspria clubs have hotel rooms, restaurants, outdoor pools, gardens and, in Brussels and Milan, tennis courts. Members eat there, work there and spend Sundays there. Holmes Place is a very good health club: pool, sauna, steam, a strong gym floor and studios, with a café. If the question is where you will spend your evening, Aspria. If it is where you will train, either.
Pools and spa: Aspria wins on water, Holmes Place is more than adequate
Every Aspria site has indoor and outdoor pools and a full spa. Holmes Place has an indoor pool at every club and sauna and steam at most, which matches Nuffield Health or Bannatyne in the UK. For a swim before work both do the job. For a summer afternoon only one does.
Footprint: five cities against nine countries
Aspria is in Berlin, Hamburg, Hannover, Brussels and Milan. Holmes Place is in around 40 clubs across Portugal, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Czechia, Austria, Hungary and Greece, and is the strongest premium brand in Lisbon and Porto. If you move between countries, Holmes Place is the only one of the two that might follow you.
Contracts: read the German rules
Both lean on 12-month terms. In Germany, both must convert to monthly after the first term and offer an online cancellation button. In Belgium and Italy, Aspria contracts follow local rules with notified renewal. Holmes Place in Switzerland is annual and upfront; check the notice window.
Aspria is what happens when a members’ club decides to be a health club. Holmes Place is what happens when a health club does it properly. Both are good; only one is a lifestyle.
Our verdict
Holmes Place for the gym, Aspria for the life around it
Holmes Place is the better value for anyone whose visits are workouts: pool, spa and a strong floor at a price Nuffield members would recognise. Aspria earns its premium only if you will eat, work and relax there most weeks; at that point the fee is buying a club, not a gym, and it is the best of its kind in Europe.
Both offer day passes or trial visits. At Aspria in particular, go on a Saturday afternoon; that is the day you are paying for.
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FAQs
Common questions
How much is Aspria a month?
Aspria quotes on enquiry. Members report €150 to €260 a month depending on city and tier, with joining fees from €300 to around €1,000. Brussels and Berlin are the most expensive.
How much is Holmes Place?
Roughly €80 to €140 a month in most European cities and CHF 150 to 220 in Switzerland. Portugal is the cheapest market; joining fees are €50 to €150 and often waived.
Is Aspria in the UK?
No. Aspria operates in Germany, Belgium and Italy only. The nearest UK equivalent in format is Harbour Club Chelsea; in price, Third Space Group.
Which is better for families?
Aspria, with kids clubs, family pools and outdoor space. Holmes Place is adult-led at most clubs.
Compare with London’s luxury tier: Third Space, Equinox, Harbour Club.
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