The spectrum of fitness options has never been more appealing than it is today. From high-end gyms like Equinox that offer the premium, luxurious experience to more economical options like Crunch, the modern fitness experience covers everyone’s preferences.
However, one of the more distinct trends that has recently emerged in the fitness industry is the ascendance of more personalized, niche gyms that offer a blend of luxury and community approaches. Enter Royal Personal Training (RPT), a blossoming personal fitness brand with an ambitious vision out of Beverly Hills.
“Shayan and I both realized the need for a specialized, ultra-private training environment that could incorporate the amenities of a large corporate gym while providing a private, highly specialized experience,” details Shahin Safai, Founder & CEO of RPT, referencing his brother Shayan.
Immigrants from Norway, the Safai brothers ventured out of their odd job routine to build RPT from the ground-up, beginning with a small 1,500 square foot (SF) space in Beverly Hills in 2014.
Relying on their original vision of luxurious but advanced, private gym experience, the duo has since propelled the brand to mainstream awareness, with a slew of high-profile partnership and high-end clientele gravitating towards their innovative fitness branding strategy.
Brand Momentum & An Ambitious Vision
RPT’s humble origins in their original 1,500 SF “bare-bones” facility has transformed into a sprawling 8,000+ SF facility with more than 50 employees in the heart of Beverly Hills, widely recognized as a social media and fitness hotbed.
“Our growth has been incredible since 2015,” says Shahin. “We went from less than 200 training sessions per month to over 3,000 sessions per month between 2015 and 2019.”
That growth has been coupled with a focused push by RPT’s social media brand, including its ballooning Instagram following, recent merchandise line, and a string of lucrative partnerships with hotels like Peninsula Hotels. And the Safai brothers plan on continuing the exponential growth along the same lines.
“Our long-term growth plan is to establish RPT in every major city and country in the world,” says Shahin. “By beginning with hotels and corporate wellness programs, we can establish in-house trainers that extend our network effects much faster than simply via social media campaigns.”
But the hybrid approach of RPT’s digital and traditional partnership presence is more than just a marketing bid, it is also representative of the atmosphere in the gym, which serves as the foundation that the brand was built upon.
The Safai brothers were formerly trainers at Equinox, the standard of gym luxury that many people love, but which breeds a different vibe than the personalized, advanced touch that many individuals are searching for nowadays. For example, the amenities at Equinox are unmatched, but the trend of boutique (e.g., kickboxing) gyms gathering cult-like followings is seeping into more complete gyms that offer everything from specialized training regimens for professional athletes to innovative group yoga classes. Many of these niche practices are subsequently incorporating Equinox-like amenities as well.
And RPT has capitalized on the blossoming opportunity of fusing luxury and personal fitness.
The gym brand offers customized, one-on-one routines with professional trainers, dietary regimens, physical therapy, highly intensive classes like the “Royal Body Attack,” and much more. All of its services and amenities are housed in its state-of-the-art facility that includes cryotherapy and even an off-campus 1,500 SF facility as an extension of their original building.
RPT’s upcoming partnership with Instagram star Sommer Ray is also a testament to the type of high-end clientele the gym has been attracting, which is underscored by their ranking as LA’s #1 Private Training Facility for two years running.
“We are heading in the direction of being the new Soho House in health and fitness,” says Shahin. “By targeting big corporations for our wellness programs next, we plan on expanding beyond LA where we can scale to national gym levels but retain that hybrid feel that attracts our clientele and has served us well over the years.”
Considering RPT’s prominent ranking among private training facilities in the heart of the social media fitness capital of the US, there’s merit to those ambitious visions. Now, RPT’s future success just relies on translating the formula that has helped them get to where they are today onto a national scale.
However, the Safai brothers are adamant that the core vision of RPT will not change with their growth — the modern gym experience will remain intact.
“Whether our client is a beginner or a pro athlete, they are treated the same, with a customized program tailored to embrace their every need.”