Avant

Avant occupies 31,000 square feet on the upper level of 1 Bloor Street East – the former Nordstrom Rack at Yonge and Bloor – and it shows. The space was designed by Chapi Chapo Design, the luxury hospitality firm behind the St. Regis Hotel, and the brief was clearly to make it feel like a five-star property that happens to have a gym floor. Crystal globe chandeliers hang above Panatta and Atlantis equipment. The changerooms have marble counters, backlit oval mirrors, and Dyson hair tools. The signature scent – Palo Santo, bergamot, mint, and eucalyptus – greets you at the door. It is, without question, the most designed fitness space in Toronto.

But the more compelling reason to consider Avant isn't the aesthetics – it's the math. The membership includes complimentary all-day parking at Yonge and Bloor. For anyone working in the neighbourhood, that alone changes the calculus considerably. Parking in Yorkville runs $30–$50 a day. If you're commuting near the area anyway, the membership effectively comes with a parking pass built in. The result is a gym that functions as a legitimate home-gym-and-parking solution for the downtown professional, and one that almost never gets crowded because the application-based membership model caps the community deliberately.

The recovery offering is called the Thermal Cove, and it's where Avant separates itself most clearly from a standard premium gym. The cold plunge sits at 8°C – cold enough to matter, not so extreme it's a gimmick – alongside an infrared dry sauna and a steam cabin. All members have full access. Higher tiers also unlock The Haven, the science-backed recovery space featuring red light therapy, lymphatic drainage, Normatec compression, and acupressure. These aren't afterthoughts bolted on to justify the price – they're appointment-only spaces that treat recovery as a first-class part of the experience.

The six boutique studios cover Reformer Pilates, spin, boxing, and more, with 250+ classes scheduled weekly. Every membership comes with a personalized fitness and wellness prescription – a plan covering training, recovery, nutrition, and lifestyle, built around your actual goals. Complimentary espresso and a curated smoothie bar round out the daily routine. This is a gym built to be used every day, not visited twice a week out of obligation.