David Lloyd Leisure is significantly boosting its European presence, with the acquisition of health and wellness group, Aspria.

With both companies being premium and aimed at the family market, it’s an ideal fit. Aspria has 51,000 members, with 7,000 being children. The average member age is 50.

The deal is currently going through the German anti-competition process with a focus on Hamburg, where David Lloyd has five Meridien locations and Aspria has two clubs.

Aspria operates two brands and has a total of 10 sites – eight full-service, high-end Aspria sites across Germany, Italy and Belgium, including Europe’s largest health club – a 17,000 square metre club in Berlin.

An additional club in Brussels – its fourth in the city – is on-site and will open later in 2026 with the name Aspria Roosevelt.

It’s not yet known how the branding will work, or if David Lloyd will retain the Aspria brand.

When it took over clubs from Meridien Spa and Fitness in 2020, they were renamed David Lloyd Meridian, making David Lloyd Aspria a possible outcome following this deal.

Aspria also has two higher-volume, lower-price Aspresso sites in Spain and Italy, with a third club under development.

The company has a very loyal membership base, with average retention being 72 per cent and lifespan of memberships averaging 7.5 years.

The Aspria brand was created by industry veteran, Brian Morris, who was on the board of LET Leisure in the late 80s and early 90s when the company was developing brands such as Riverside Racquet Centres and Espree Health Clubs across London, as well as and Harbour Clubs in London and Milan. When the businesses were sold in the 90s, to Cannons and Virgin, Morris moved to Europe because of a non-compete clause and drove development of the Aspria brand.

Valued at £2 billion, David Lloyd Leisure has 109 clubs in the UK and 40 across Europe, including Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, France, Spain, Italy and Switzerland. It has almost doubled its footprint since 2013, under TDR Capital’s ownership.

The deal will take David Lloyd further into the hotel business, as Aspria has four hotel operations, with room rates up to €350 per night. David Lloyd previously operated a small hotel at its Hatfield club, but this is not currently taking bookings.

Morris will take up an advisory role, while Shiv Patel, CEO of Aspria, will join David Lloyd Clubs’ executive committee. He was formerly with David Lloyd.

Morris said: “Over my 26 years building Aspria, I’ve been impressed by the extensive premiumisation the David Lloyd clubs have undergone under TDR Capital’s ownership.

“This agreement is a natural evolution for the two businesses and combines not just our luxury health and wellness offerings, but also extensive talent and product innovation. I’m pleased to remain involved in an advisory capacity and confident David Lloyd shares our commitment to quality, long-term thinking and putting members first.”

Glenn Earlam, executive chair of David Lloyd Clubs, said: “Aspria is a business we’ve admired for many years and its team shares our values and ambitions. Europe is a big opportunity for David Lloyd Clubs and we see this acquisition as an important step forward in growing our business across the Continent.”

The transaction is expected to complete in March 2026 following the regulatory approval.

Last September TDR Capital created a new fund for the business, TDR Capital Titan fund, with five main investors and more than £100 million was allocated to support the company’s ambitious growth plans.

David Lloyd has been interested in acquiring Aspria for some time, with the aspiration having appeared in several David Lloyd sales prospectuses during the years when TDR was trying to divest and before the creation of TDR Capital Titan.