How Gold’s Gym Tampa Built One of the Most Ambitious Wellness Spaces in Fitness

Gold’s Gym Tampa Gas Worx and WellnessSpace Brands show what happens when operators build an integrated wellness space rather than simply adding recovery equipment.

Walk into the new Recovery Lounge at Gold’s Gym Tampa Gas Worx and it becomes immediately clear this isn’t an amenity.

It’s a destination.

From hyperbaric therapy and float pods to red light and infrared therapy, dry cold plunges and a carefully curated collection of recovery modalities, the space represents a significant investment in where the fitness industry is heading next.

The vision extends well beyond the equipment. Gold’s Gym Tampa Gas Worx set out to build a comprehensive recovery experience that will help members perform better, recover smarter and make wellness a more intentional part of their everyday routine.

Bringing that vision to life required more than selecting modalities. The club partnered with WellnessSpace Brands, whose team helped guide everything from product selection and room flow to operational planning and design. The result is a wellness space designed to enhance member experience, utilization and long-term value for the business.

Recovery as a Wellness Lever

For Gold’s Gym Tampa Gas Worx owner, Kimberlee Curtis, the project started with a simple belief: recovery deserves the same level of attention as training.

“Most gyms focus almost exclusively on the workout itself, but recovery is where adaptation, performance and long-term wellness really happen,” she says.

Curtis wanted members to have access to the same types of technologies used by professional athletes and high performers, but in an environment that felt approachable and accessible.

Finding the right partner was critical. The team wanted proven technologies, but they also wanted guidance around how to integrate recovery into the broader club experience. According to Curtis, WellnessSpace Brands stood out not only for its product portfolio, but for its understanding of how recovery and wellness spaces function operationally and how members interact with them.

“Whether someone is training hard, managing stress, recovering from an injury or simply looking to improve their overall well-being, we want them to have a space where they can slow down, recharge and take care of themselves,” she says.

That philosophy shaped every aspect of the project, including the physical environment itself.

“We believed from the beginning that the environment is just as important as the technology,” she says. “Anyone can place a few recovery devices in a corner of a gym, but that doesn’t create the experience people are looking for today.”

The team focused on design, lighting, flow and atmosphere, creating a space intentionally separated from the energy of the training floor.

“The goal is for members to walk in and immediately feel like they’ve stepped into a premium wellness environment rather than simply another area of the gym,” Curtis says.

Building More Than a Recovery Room

According to WellnessSpace Brands Southeast Regional Sales Manager, Sarah Pellegrino, the project succeeded because the Gold’s Gym Tampa Gas Worx team was committed from the beginning to creating something bigger than a collection of modalities.

“This project is near and dear to my heart,” Pellegrino says. “From day one, Kimberlee knew she wanted to make a huge splash into recovery. 

Gold’s Gym Tampa Gas Worx ultimately invested in multiple units across the  WellnessSpace Brands portfolio, including HydroMassage, CryoLounge+, RedZone Sauna, PolarWave Dry Plunge, and RelaxSpace Wellness Pod.  

“What impressed us most was how comprehensive and thoughtfully designed the entire WellnessSpace ecosystem is,” Curtis says. “We weren’t looking for individual pieces of equipment. We were looking for a complete recovery solution.”

Curtis says the member journey, traffic flow, service mix, staffing considerations, operational procedures and overall experience also all play a significant role in long-term success.

Operational considerations were equally important. Reliability, ease of use, member adoption and staff training all factored into the decision-making process. According to Curtis, WellnessSpace Brands demonstrated a clear understanding of what it takes to successfully integrate recovery services into a fitness business, giving the team confidence they were building a long-term solution rather than chasing a short-term trend.

“Having a partner who understood not only the products but also how members interact with those products allowed us to make better decisions throughout the planning process,” Curtis says. “That collaborative approach helped us create a space that functions well operationally while delivering the premium experience we envisioned.”

For Pellegrino, that type of collaboration is where many recovery projects either succeed or fall short.

“The member journey, flow, staffing and overall experience matter just as much as the products themselves,” she says.

The result is one of the most comprehensive recovery offerings in the Tampa market, featuring multiple WellnessSpace Brands technologies alongside additional recovery and wellness experiences under one roof.

Recovery as a Business Strategy

While member experience drove the project, the Recovery Lounge also represents an important business opportunity.

“For us, member value comes first,” Curtis says. “We weren’t looking to create another add-on just for the sake of generating revenue.”

At the same time, she recognizes that member expectations are changing.

“The fitness industry continues to evolve, and members are increasingly looking for wellness solutions beyond traditional fitness equipment,” she says. “Recovery services are a natural extension of our mission.”

That combination of member value and business opportunity is what many operators are now trying to solve.

“When you deliver real value and real results, members are willing to invest in those services,” Curtis says. “That creates a sustainable revenue stream for the club while allowing us to continue investing in new amenities, equipment and experiences that benefit the entire membership base.”

The response has validated the strategy. Even before opening, members were asking questions and following the project’s progress.

“What we’ve seen is that people are becoming much more educated about the importance of recovery,” Curtis says. “Members understand that fitness is no longer just about working harder — it’s also about recovering smarter.”

For Pellegrino, seeing the completed wellness space and member reaction reinforced what recovery can become when operators fully commit to the concept.

“Working the grand opening and seeing how excited the members are and how proud the team is was the cherry on top of one of the most meaningful projects I’ve ever worked on.”