One of Canada’s premier high-end gym chains is set to open in Ottawa on Wednesday.

Altea Ottawa, a 129,000-square-foot flagship facility inside the former Canadian Tire location at 1660 Carling Ave., offers a range of boutique fitness classes, wellness amenities and six indoor pickleball courts.

The pickleball courts at Altea Ottawa on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. (Dave Charbonneau/CTV News Ottawa)

The facility will be the largest gym and wellness centre in Ottawa, according to Altea CEO Jeff York.

Other highlights include a theatre-style cycling studio, hot yoga, boxing studios, barre and pilates options as well as a women’s-only fitness suite. There is also a recovery lounge with full body message chairs. Members can also enjoy supervised childcare, a smoothie bar and a full-service Starbucks.

A 25-metre lap pool, hot tub and children’s pool are set to open in the spring of 2025.

The club employs nearly 200 staff and offers over 350 classes weekly. Thousands of members have already joined, the club says.

Several members who already joined were excited by the opening on Wednesday. 

“It’s amazing. It’s a place I think nobody wants to leave,” said member Angelica Moreno.

“The price is good just because you’re adding any class and you’re just enjoying it for free. I think the other gyms, they’re charging for membership and then you have to pay an extra fee for joining special classes like yoga or pilates.”

CEO Jeff York said the gym will be the first Altea location to feature pickleball courts.

“We have six pickleball courts here and we see that is a real entry into make keeping people fit longer as they age,” he said.

Membership fees range from about $75 to $100 biweekly, with the higher priced membership giving people access to more classes and group training.

Altea’s Ottawa location is the latest addition to the high-end fitness chain’s portfolio, with locations in Winnipeg, Toronto and Vancouver.