Exercise studio Hotworx to open infrared-heated saunas near Dunn Loring Metro

Residents of the Avalon and Halstead Square apartments near the Dunn Loring Metro station will soon have a new way to meet any fitness-related New Year’s resolutions.

Hotworx, a boutique gym that offers workouts in infrared-heated saunas, will open a studio in Suite C of the apartment buildings at 2750 Gallows Road in Merrifield, franchise owner Raja Khan confirmed to FFXnow.

The studio recently launched membership pre-sales and is on track to open in early April, pending the completion of construction and permitting.

“The most I’m looking for is to help the community there, help give them a good option where they can improve their health,” Khan said.

Khan and his wife own an information technology business together, but this is their first venture into the fitness world.

They tried an introductory session to Hotworx last March after a friend recommended it. Khan found that the heated environment makes it easier to get warmed up and can result in an intense workout in just 15 to 30 minutes, he says.

He also liked its emphasis on customization. Led by virtual instructors, the workouts get refreshed every three months and range from lighter options like isometric stretches and yoga to high-intensity interval training.

When he decided to pursue a franchise, Khan saw the Vienna and Merrifield area as an ideal place for the company to expand, since it already has locations to the west in Herndon and Sterling.

“It’s a very prime location,” Khan said. “There are a lot of other different kind of gyms, so people are exercise-oriented there, and it’s kind of central…We offer a lot, which none of the other gyms offer: isometrics, Pilates, Pure Barre kind of exercise, yoga.”

Started by entrepreneur Stephen Smith, who also founded the spa company Planet Beach, the first Hotworx studio opened in 2017 in New Orleans. It has quickly expanded since then to over 400 locations, including its first franchise in New York City.

The Merrifield studio will be between 1,200 and 1,800 square feet in size with eight saunas, which can accommodate up to three people at a time. The saunas will be open 24 hours a day, though the studio won’t always be staffed.

As part of its pre-opening sales push, the studio is offering unlimited sessions for $59 per month with a $5 enrollment fee — a discount compared to the usual $79-per-month dues and $99 enrollment fee.

That offer is available to the first 50 people who sign up. After that, the price will slowly increase until it reaches $79 per month with a $49 fee once the gym opens.