Inside SOMA Health & Wellness Club: The Hidden Gym of Sydney’s Elite

Ever wondered what goes on behind closed doors at Sydney’s most elite private gym? Take a step inside SOMA Health & Wellness Club and see how the other half lifts.

Blink and you might miss it. Tucked in between skyscrapers and service doors in Sydney’s financial district, you’ll find a fitness haven you’ve probably never heard of, but alas, that’s the point. There are no bright sandwich boards out front, no in-your-face flags with bright “$0 joining fee” messaging. Just a clean, polished logo on the wall and a discreet entrance. 

This is SOMA Health & Wellness Club, part boutique gym, part private wellness club where high-profile CEOs, celebrities, politicians, and industry heavyweights come to train, unwind, and reset. A space that’s away from the day-to-day attention and hustle, almost like a retreat that’s just for themselves. 

The minute you step inside, the atmosphere changes. The volume drops from the bustle of the inner-city traffic. The lighting shifts. And your body relaxes. Every detail you spot is intentional. There aren’t any crowds, gimmicks, or phone-mounted tripods. Just high-performers quietly putting in the hard work. 

Here, you’ll find folded towels neatly waiting in lockers, a recovery wing with a magnesium plunge pool, and what might be Sydney’s most underrated luxury: a laundry service that washes, presses, and folds your workout gear overnight. Upon first hearing about it, it completely blew my mind, but when you think about it, it makes all the sense.

The SOMA Origin Story

Launched just months before COVID turned the CBD into a ghost town, SOMA wasn’t built by investors or marketing execs like many larger franchises are. It was crafted by two humble but ambitious personal trainers, Franco Atashi and Simon Anderson, who saw a gap in the market that most others ignored.

“People weren’t coming to the gym for the gym anymore,” Simon tells me. “They were coming despite it, just to train with us. That told us everything.”

After a couple of weeks trialing the space and getting to know the team, I sat down with the duo to talk luxury, loyalty, and how they built a sanctuary where some of the country’s most powerful people come to switch off.

A Premium Vision, Ahead of Its Time

MoM: So how did this all start?

Franco: We met back in 2007 at George Street Fitness First. At the time, it was the gym in Sydney—Platinum level, big corporate crowd. But over the years, standards started to slip. Showers weren’t cleaned. The equipment broke and stayed broken. But we were both flat out with clients.

Simon: We were running separate businesses, but we were the two busiest trainers in the building. Eventually, our clients started saying, “You’re the only reason I still come here.” That was the lightbulb moment.

MoM: What made you confident there was space for something more premium?

Franco: No one was doing it at the time. The whole industry was racing to the bottom. Who could be cheaper, who could fit more people in? But the clients we worked with weren’t looking for cheap. They were looking for quality, service, and privacy. We just built what they wanted.

Simon: We’d seen models like Equinox in New York and Third Space in London. We knew the concept worked overseas. So we asked, why not Sydney?

MoM: The SOMA vibe is very different from other gyms. I felt like it was calmer, more intentional.

Simon: That was the goal. There’s signage, but it’s not in your face. We didn’t want to be the kind of place blasting “JOIN NOW” outside. Our members already know what they’re looking for. They don’t need convincing.

Franco: It’s not just about how it looks. It’s about how it feels. No loud music, no egos, no cameras. Just people doing their thing and respecting the space.

The Details That Define Luxury

MoM: Let’s talk about this laundry locker service, because it blew my mind.

Simon: Yeah, it’s a favourite. After you train, you just drop your used gear into your locker. The next morning, it’s washed, pressed, folded, and waiting for you.

Franco: It’s that little detail that turns convenience into care. That’s what people remember.

MoM: I tried one of your lunchtime stretch classes and walked out a new man.

MoM: I went in expecting a simple reset, and left with loose joints, a taller spine, and a clear head. No fluff. No Instagram meditation music. Just smart movement and calm energy.

Franco: That’s the idea. We’re not just training bodies, we’re helping people feel better. A lot of our clients are under constant stress. We want SOMA to be the calm in their day.

From Launch to Loyalty

MoM: You opened in 2019. Then COVID hit. How close did you come to shutting down?

Simon: We opened with zero members and full overheads. Then the city emptied. We were training people in parks. Zoom sessions. Just trying to hold on.

Franco: And then came the kicker: the building we were in was being knocked down. We had four months to find a new space or shut down completely.

Simon: We moved across the road over one weekend. And the wild part? We didn’t lose a single member.

MoM: So who trains here now?

Franco: Our core demo is corporate professionals: lawyers, bankers, barristers. But we’ve also got a few politicians, musicians, and even their teenage kids. It’s diverse, but there’s a common mindset.

Simon: No one’s here for the scene. They’re here to be looked after, to train properly, and to reset in peace.