Clark Hatch to open three new outlets

JAKARTA (JP): Clark Hatch International fitness center and life spa will open three new outlets, two in Jakarta and one in Denpasar, company representative Terje H. Nelson said here on Thursday.

Nelson said the two new outlets in Jakarta would be at Hotel Gran Melia, Jl. Rasuna Said, South Jakarta, and Hotel Ambhara, Jl. Iskandarsyah Raya, also in South Jakarta. The outlet in Bali will be at Hotel Kartika Plaza in Tuban.

"The new outlets in Gran Melia and Hotel Ambhara will be open in May. Randy Bozeman and Clark Hatch himself will visit the outlets. The outlet in Denpasar will follow," Nelson said.

Clark Hatch International has moved its headquarters from Honolulu, Hawaii to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, with Bozeman as its president.

The new headquarters is seeking to achieve over 50 outlets throughout Asia. They are taking on the role of ensuring systems are implemented, standards are kept and greater support is given.

Nelson said he was confident Clark Hatch had a promising future in Indonesia.

"Despite the political and economic situation facing Indonesia, we feel confident that Indonesia has good prospects to develop its fitness and spa industry," Nelson said.

Nelson, a Norwegian who knows much about Indonesia, said Clark Hatch International would invest between Rp 20 to Rp 30 billion in Indonesia.

He said the most important thing was to change the lifestyle of fitness and spa members in Indonesia. "To change their lifestyles, we need to concentrate on providing the right fitness methods."

He added that they had targeted at least 2,000 members throughout Indonesia. "In Asia itself, there are already 30,000 members."

Clark Hatch International will open its doors to companies here who wish to cooperate together with them in the fitness and spa industry.

One of them was a venture with A. Latief Corporation, where one floor of the former Seibu department store in Blok M, South Jakarta, is being developed into a fitness center and spa with fitness equipment, restaurant and an entertainment center, he said.

"The construction is underway and hopefully will be completed by the middle of this year," Nelson said.

Clark Hatch International is considering opening fitness centers and spas in Menteng and Pondok Indah.

"Our target in Indonesia is to have about 60 representatives. We are also eying the possibilities of having fitness centers and spas in Medan and Surabaya, but of course we have to observe the profit gained and the situation in the two regions," Nelson said.

Referring to the membership cost of Clark Hatch fitness centers and spas in Indonesia, Nelson said the fees would vary between Rp 800,000 and Rp 4 million.

Hotel Ambhara has set a fee of Rp 800,000 to register and a monthly charge of Rp 180,000. Hotel Gran Melia's is higher, charging Rp 4 million to register and Rp 500,000 a month.

Mujiono, branch manager of the Hotel Gran Melia fitness center and spa, told The Jakarta Post that Rp 4 million enables members to not only use the fitness equipment but also the hotel's swimming pool, tennis courts and sauna.

"Rp 4 million may be high but the benefits the members receive are more. We want to make members as comfortable as possible," Mujiono said. (lnt)