California Fitness & Yoga announced the temporary closure of five branches in Vietnam in one week. Some clubs also began charging members an additional VND 20,000 per class.
On the afternoon of October 17, California Fitness & Yoga told members that its Bien Hoa club in Tran Bien Ward, Dong Nai Province, would temporarily close from October 18 through October 31. The company cited “issues related to operations.”
The club was the latest in the chain to announce a temporary shutdown during the week. On October 16, a Da Nang branch announced a closure for the same reason. Another club in the Ben Van Don area of Khanh Hoi Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, also recently stopped operating.
In Hanoi, the Sky City branch at 88 Lang Ha announced a temporary shutdown from October 15 through October 31. On October 14, the chain also messaged members about the temporary closure of the Pico Plaza club in Bay Hien Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, through October 31, citing operational issues.
At least five California Fitness & Yoga branches in Ho Chi Minh City, Hanoi, Da Nang and Dong Nai announced temporary shutdowns within one week, as the chain undergoes restructuring.
As of October 18, after excluding clubs that had closed or temporarily stopped operating, California Fitness & Yoga continued to show a smaller footprint. According to its website, the chain now has 16 clubs: seven in Hanoi, eight in Ho Chi Minh City and one in Nha Trang. The number is down by more than half from its peak in 2025, when the chain had 35 clubs.
The chain has also cut some member services. Clubs have temporarily stopped providing towels, VIP water and Centuryon counter services, citing “some issues related to operations.” Many classes have also started charging an extra VND 20,000 per session, although some members paid tens of millions of dong for long-term packages.
Thanh Tam, a Hanoi resident, said she had paid an extra VND 20,000 for each class at the Times City club for several weeks. The loss of towels and water had also caused inconvenience.
“I am just trying to keep training because getting a refund would also be difficult if I stopped,” Thanh Tam said. She said her five-year membership package cost about VND 26 million. In her understanding, the cuts to services and extra class fees were not limited to Times City and had appeared at other clubs as well.
Thuy Van, a Ho Chi Minh City resident, has temporarily stopped training because the branch near her home closed, even though her long-term membership package is still valid.
Van said some benefits included in her package had already been interrupted before the club temporarily closed.
“I bought a long-term package that included water, towels and a private room. However, I was told that towels and water would be temporarily unavailable until October 19. I have to bring everything myself each time I work out, which is inconvenient,” she said.
According to the California Fitness & Yoga schedule provided by Van, many classes are marked with the letter “P.” This means members must pay an additional VND 20,000 per session. The list includes popular classes such as BodyPump and BodyCombat, as well as other activities.
As several clubs close, speculation about California Fitness & Yoga’s financial situation and the possibility of bankruptcy has spread online.
In response to members’ questions, a California Fitness & Yoga representative said reports that the company had gone bankrupt were false and did not come from the brand’s official channels.
“In all cases, California will inform members directly through its official communication channels,” the company said.
In July, the chain stopped operating four more clubs in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. At the end of September, California also announced the temporary suspension of some Centuryon counter services nationwide.
During this period, a brand representative had already denied social media reports that the chain might go bankrupt or close its entire system.
California said it was restructuring to stabilize and strengthen the network, improve service quality, and protect the interests of members and employees.
Other fitness businesses have also reduced operations recently. Citigym previously announced the closure of its Dien Bien Phu and Van Hanh Mall branches but later decided to keep them open.
In early April, Elite Fitness announced the closure of its Thao Dien club, the chain’s last location in Ho Chi Minh City. Earlier, Fit24 shut down its entire system in October 2024, citing “objective and unavoidable reasons.”
Sources: Dân Trí
