E by Equinox members also get access to an exclusive training space that's inside Equinox's Columbus Circle location, accessible by retina scan secured door off the main lobby.
This was the original E, founded in 2004 when Tier X used to be called Tier 4, and when the club stood alone. Before E Madison, it found glowing praise among those covering luxury. GQ fawned over it in 2016, noting the "endless river of refrigerated eucalyptus towels" and private "changing cabanas," as they're referred to by the club.
In the harsh reflection of the shiny new E Madison, though, the training space comes off as spartan.
It also seems to contradict what is now a core tenant of E's brand — privacy. Throughout my experience, E was off limits in terms of photos because of privacy concerns for their members, according to the company. But the training space at Columbus Circle was wholly viewable from the pool open to all Equinox members.
The fitness area is simply a square floor with weights, resistance bands, some cardio equipment, and not much else. Where E Madison's sparseness felt elevated, the Columbus Circle location simply felt empty.
Compared to E Madison's luxurious locker room, the "changing cabanas" came off more as private bathrooms — only one showerhead included. The products found were Fresh brand when I visited, but the manager told me they would be changed to match the line in E Madison.
Despite a private bathroom for each visitor, having only one staff member meant that the cleanliness fell below E Madison's standard. The one I was showed had hair in the sink, and some scraps of paper on the floor.
More glaring was the fact that there were no private saunas or steam rooms for E members. If an E enrollee wanted a steam, they'd have to walk a few yards to the plebian locker room open to all Equinox Columbus Circle members.
The manager who showed me the space wasn't blind to the disparity between E Madison and Columbus Circle. He openly complained about how Equinox's efforts to build out the E brand left his space in a rut. The training space is exclusively for training and is by appointment only. Now, he says, members who joined through E Madison are showing up expecting to be able to access the training space without an appointment. Since there are no locker rooms, only cabanas, this presents a logistical problem.
While I actually believe in the value of training provided for E members, the Columbus Circle training space has fallen behind in Equinox's quest to set the E brand apart in privacy and luxury.
Equinox says the space is set for renovation in the next few months to be more in line with updated to the E brand.
5/10 for a slightly elevated experience at an unrealistic price.