Finding a gym in Paris is not difficult but finding the ideal gym is much more difficult. How many times, motivated by a new gym, we lost the way after an intensive month!
If we had to define it, it would be a gym where we come without forcing ourselves, that makes us want to stay, that adapts to our working hours, where we listen to our body and where we learn to take care of ourselves through quality services. In short, a room where you can breathe, where you practice a sport in a relaxing atmosphere, a place to live where stress is left at the door.
Such a place exists in Paris and is proposed to us by the Ken Club team.
It is the Klay directed by Franck Bonarel: 2000 m² in the heart of the Montorgueil district in which sport becomes a way of life. This high-end sports club, open from 7:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m., offers on five levels multiple variations on boxing (Thai, kick-boxing, English boxing, fist-boxing…), a weight and cardio-training room with the latest equipment, a cycling area, a swimming pool area with sauna, hammam and massage cabins and finally a fitness area where Pilates classes are given.), a weight and cardio-training room with the latest equipment, a cycling area, a swimming pool area with sauna, hammam and massage cabins and finally a fitness area where Pilates, Yoga, dance and above all « Jukari fit to fly » – flying trapeze course and speciality of the club in partnership with Reebok and Cirque du Soleil – are taught.
Arthur and Frank-Elie Benzaquen searched for a long time for a unique place to give back the sport its letters of nobility before discovering this former printing house, now a Gibert Jeune store, which was to house the Klay: an exceptional place in the heart of Paris revisited by the architect Cyril Durand Behar, who gave it a very New York color. From an old 19th century building with a metallic structure, contemporary to Gustave Eiffel and equipped with a formidable glass roof, a real well of natural light, the architect has turned it into a chic and sober sports club, luminous and conducive to relaxation by preserving the industrial building aspect and by mixing wood, metal and glass.
As soon as you enter the premises, you understand that you are dealing with a refined sports club with high-end services worthy of a luxury hotel. In the courtyard, the small terrace of the restaurant DEPUR (Drôle d’Endroit pour Une Rencontre) already puts us in the mood and we can easily imagine having a drink there in the summer. Past the terrace, the entrance to the club is a real lobby with comfortable leather sofas and loft atmosphere with beautiful volume and the Klay offers its members a business center to access the internet just in front of the lobby.
In the basement is the « Pool » area with spa, hammam, sauna and swimming pool under a soft light conducive to rest. Here too, the raw spirit has been preserved with brick vaults and lime plastered tiles. To reach the upper floors, you can either take the wooden stairs or use the period elevator, which has been restored and adapted to current safety standards. On the second floor is the light-filled fitness room with some private areas for private lessons. Each room has a music station that allows for a personalized sound environment. The upper floor is dedicated to weight training and boxing: the machine room with the latest equipment on one side and on the other a real boxing room with a ring and punching bags. And finally the last floor houses the cardio area with games, 19 inch screens, usb port, dvd players, ipod plug and aromatherapy outlet, so we won’t get bored while doing our exercises. A gateway is even provided for a possible DJ….
Overlooking all these floors, a huge glass roof lets in natural light, creating a unique atmosphere.
But this visit would not be complete without mentioning the restaurant-lounge DEPUR of Dan Cébula and Matthieu Manzoni, the team « Drôle d’Endroit pour Une Rencontre », located inside Klay.
DEPUR is the ideal complement to Klay with the same human dimension (impeccable reception and service) and reinforces the impression of a place of life of the place. The decoration follows that of the club and refers to the vintage universe of the sport but always in a New York spirit.
DEPUR is first and foremost a cocktail bar made with fresh fruit. All the juices are directly pressed at the bar and are offered to you plain, with vodka or boosted with proteins, what to relax after the sport sitting on one of the sofas in the lobby or at the bar or relax with friends.
But DEPUR is also a restaurant open all day to all with a varied clientele, not limited to the club clientele. One could expect to have only a « healthy » menu with white omelette, protein cocktails and other dishes for sportsmen but the restaurant also proposes a real good tasty, healthy and balanced cuisine. Talking with Matthieu, one of the owners, is a pure joy as the adventure is so close to his heart. He loves this place and transmits to us all the well-being and pleasure he has in satisfying a growing number of customers.
That’s what Klay and Depur are all about, a real human adventure.
And for those who would like to try the gym and the restaurant, there is a formula « Tuesday between girlfriends », package for non-members with unlimited access to Klay for 2 hours and a champagne dinner for 90 € !
Come and see for yourself, you will be quickly seduced!
Klay
4 bis rue st sauveur
75002 Paris
Tel : 01 40 26 00 00
Depur réservation
Tel: 01 40 26 69 66
Klay membership:
individual membership card: 1490 euros
couple membership card: 2800 euros
company membership card: ask for details
monthly card : 280 euros
Marie-Odile Radom
