Equinox

This elegant fitness club, which opened in Bethesda in October 2010, oozes luxury—from the saltwater pool to the signature chilled, eucalyptus-scented towels. The gym’s muted, quartz-accented décor and impeccably maintained studios make it feel more like a spa or country club than somewhere you’d work out.

But serious exercisers also love Equinox for its world-class trainers, state-of-the-art equipment and hard-core classes, including one called “Whipped” that uses 30-pound ropes, kettlebells and body bars to make you feel, well, whipped.

“The teachers are just really high-quality,” says member Jill Chessen of Bethesda. “The yoga classes feel like they could be at a yoga studio, not a big, multipurpose gym.”

Individual memberships start at $138 a month, with an initiation fee of $525.

4905 Elm St., Bethesda, 301-652-1078, www.equinox.com/clubs/bethesda