The controversy erupted this week after AquaVie publicly unveiled a new “premium” rooftop experience featuring reserved cabanas and fire pit lounge seating with required food-and-beverage minimums. Promotional materials reviewed by SanDiegoVille indicate some rooftop reservations may carry minimum spends reportedly reaching $500.
“We’re excited to share that private poolside cabanas will be introduced on May 13 as a new enhancement to the AquaVie experience,” the company wrote in an Instagram announcement promoting the rollout. AquaVie described the additions as “an elevated layer of comfort, relaxation, and luxury” intended to create a “more exclusive and personalized” rooftop environment.
The reaction from members was immediate.
“Disappointed that something that was free for members is being taken away from us,” one commenter wrote beneath AquaVie’s announcement. “Loyalty should be rewarded not punished. Will you be increasing our dues as well and we’ll be paying more for less?”
Another member questioned whether AquaVie was essentially privatizing communal rooftop spaces that had long been open-access to paying members.
“Access to the lounges and firepit seating have always been free for members,” the commenter wrote. “Are you saying we now have to reserve and pay for them? And this is being marketed as a positive thing for members?”
Others were more blunt.
“So basically something that was free and included for members is now not free, got it,” another member responded.
“This was all free for members?” another commenter asked incredulously, prompting another response reading simply: “That’s crazy.”
The backlash reflects growing frustration among some AquaVie members who say the downtown wellness club has increasingly shifted toward an upscale hospitality and nightlife business model while layering additional charges onto a membership base already paying premium rates.
According to members who contacted SanDiegoVille, memberships at AquaVie can exceed $200 monthly before parking charges and annual maintenance fees. Some members also noted frustration that portions of the rooftop remained under renovation for months in recent years while dues reportedly continued unchanged.
The latest uproar arrives amid broader complaints that AquaVie has increasingly introduced separately monetized wellness experiences - including infrared sauna and cold plunge recovery offerings - inside a facility historically marketed as an “all-inclusive club model.”
That language remains prominently featured on AquaVie’s website, which advertises the facility as a luxury “Fitness + Wellness Club” where members can enjoy a “comprehensive fitness + wellness routine all in one place.”
Critics now argue the model increasingly resembles a tiered hospitality ecosystem rather than a traditional athletic club.
“The new management has been super arrogant acting like this is a nightclub not a gym,” one member wrote in a message to SanDiegoVille. “Downtown bottle service is honestly cheaper.”
Located atop the historic The Westgate Hotel, AquaVie has spent years positioning itself as one of downtown San Diego’s premier luxury fitness destinations, heavily marketing its rooftop pool, skyline views, spa services, fitness classes, and social atmosphere.
Its own branding increasingly blurs the line between wellness facility and boutique resort experience. AquaVie promotional materials encourage guests to “linger longer” on the rooftop while enjoying cocktails, fire pits, lounge seating, and elevated social spaces.
Following inquiries from SanDiegoVille, AquaVie Director Chris Holmes provided additional clarification regarding the rollout and emphasized that standard rooftop access will remain available to members.
“General rooftop access, including standard seating areas, will remain complimentary for members as part of their membership,” Holmes said. “The new reservation program applies specifically to a few select premium cabanas and dedicated lounge groupings, which include enhanced service and amenities for those looking for a more private experience.”
Holmes also stated the reservation-based system will only operate Fridays through Sundays during peak seasons and said the rooftop would otherwise remain open-access. He further noted that AquaVie’s recently introduced recovery lounge, featuring infrared sauna and cold plunge amenities, includes “a selection of complimentary sessions for members each month.”
“At this time, there are no announced changes to membership pricing tied to these enhancements,” Holmes added.
But some members claim the policy has seemingly changed following social media pressure. In response to mounting criticism on Instagram, AquaVie similarly attempted to reassure members that standard rooftop lounge chairs would remain complimentary while the paid reservation system would apply only to select premium seating configurations.
Still, many members appeared unconvinced.
“Feels we are losing all the awesome benefits that made this gym enticing,” one commenter wrote. “With the increase in membership it seems that there’s an additional charge for a new concept when we had access before.”
The dispute highlights a larger trend sweeping through the luxury wellness industry nationwide, where upscale gyms increasingly operate less like traditional health clubs and more like hybrid lifestyle destinations combining fitness, hospitality, influencer culture, social drinking, recovery therapies, rooftop experiences, and premium upsells.
Cold plunges, infrared saunas, private recovery suites, cabana service, and curated social spaces are rapidly becoming profit centers across the wellness industry as operators seek to maximize revenue from affluent urban memberships.
But critics argue there is a fine line between offering optional premium upgrades and slowly converting core member amenities into monetized VIP experiences.
For some AquaVie members, the frustration appears rooted less in the existence of cabanas themselves and more in the perception that communal rooftop culture is being replaced by reservation systems and minimum-spend exclusivity inside a facility already charging luxury-level dues.
Others, however, welcomed the changes and praised the upgraded atmosphere, with several commenters describing the cabanas as “awesome” and expressing excitement about the new rooftop additions.
AquaVie Fitness + Wellness Club is located at 234 Broadway in downtown San Diego. For more information, visit AquaVie Fitness + Wellness Club.
Originally published on May 13, 2026.
