A 2,000sq ft club in Prague will mark the company’s entrance to the Czech Republic and the start of the expansion programme when it opens in November.

The club will feature a gym, two exercise studios, a group cycling studio, large spa bath, four saunas, treatment rooms and a relaxation area.

Regional manager for Central Europe, Roni Almagor, said the city’s health and fitness offer is currently defined by hotel clubs and male-dominated, body-building gyms.

“Our research shows that the Czechs are willing to pay for a premium club,” he said. “They want high quality facilities and equipment and the best in service.”

The Prague club will be followed by two sites in Hungary in late 2005 and early 2006, and two to three clubs in Poland. “The strategy will be to open one or two clubs in each capital city in the first few years before rolling out to smaller cities,” said Almagor.

The company also plans to launch its mid-market brand, Ozone, in central Europe, following its success in Israel and Greece.

Smaller than the Holmes Place clubs, the Ozone clubs are around 1,500sq m and have no wet-side facilities. Holmes Place operates seven Ozone clubs in Israel and one in Greece, where another site is currently under construction.

Holmes Place Central Europe, a separate company to Holmes Place UK, controls development of the brand in Israel, Greece and also has the rights for Cyprus, Turkey and Italy.