The community of Old Town Scottsdale welcomes Arizona’s newest Life Time athletic country club. This club is now open and sits among the stores and restaurants in the popular destination of Scottsdale Fashion Square.
“Fashion Square is a well-known and high-end retail mall space in Arizona,” explains Mike Esposito, general manager at Life Time Scottsdale Fashion Square. “It is in close in proximity to Life Time Biltmore, but will be able to serve the community in Old Town Scottsdale that we haven’t really been able to reach yet — we’re very excited to be able to do that.”
Life Time Scottsdale Fashion Square spans four levels, with a rooftop concept on the third level. Let’s explore the 49,971-square-foot space.
At Life Time Scottsdale Fashion Square, the member concierge team greets each member when they arrive. “That team provides a premium, red-carpet experience from the time a person walks through the door,” explains Esposito. “They’re available to help members connect to and understand how to engage with their areas of passion at the club, whether that’s with studio programming, through Dynamic Personal Training, or any other of the many offerings and areas of our athletic country club.”
Life Time Scottsdale Fashion Square has an outdoor lap pool for members to use for recreation and water workouts. The pool sits on the 7,506-square-foot pool deck, an area that also houses an outdoor bistro and lounge area. “Our outdoor rooftop is where we’re going to host social gatherings and bring fun events to the Scottsdale community,” says Esposito.
On the expansive workout floor, members can find cardiovascular-exercise and resistance-training machines, free weights, and designated stretching areas. Whether you prefer to work out on your own or partner up with a friend or Dynamic Personal Trainer, there are plenty of options to choose from.
Members can try a wide range of classes in one of the designated fitness studios. There is individual studios for cycle, yoga, Barre, and Pilates (with eight reformers!), and a studio for all other formats, including options such as Warrior Sculpt, Gluteus Maxout, and Barbell Strength.
Unique to this location, there is two outdoor terraces that overlook the pool area. These spaces are used for yoga classes, as well as workshops and events. “The yoga terraces are special spaces that provide the opportunity to enjoy fresh air, spectacular views of Camelback Mountain, and all the feels associated with an outdoor yoga experience,” says Esposito. “We can’t wait for members to use it!”
One of the benefits of adding Life Time Scottsdale Fashion Square to the list of other Life Time athletic country clubs in the area is that it’s another option for existing members, and potentially one with less foot traffic, facilitating a calmer environment with less disruptions to your regimen.
Find relaxation at Life Time Scottsdale Fashion Square when you stop into the LifeSpa for a massage or venture out to the pool deck for time in the whirlpool, sauna, or steam room. If cold is your preferred therapy method, you’ll also find a cold plunge in this area.
“There are many ways to recover and relax here,” explains Esposito. “After a hard workout or class, we have recovery stations set up with foam rollers, Normatech compression boots, and Hypervolt percussive technology. Members can also use our wet area with the whirlpool, cold plunge, steam room, and sauna to complete their workout routine. Our LifeSpa is also available by appointment for massage treatments which apart from being stress-relieving, can also reduce aches and pains and support your fitness endeavors.”
Get to Know Your GM: Mike Esposito
What is your experience with Life Time — and how did you get into this role as a general manager?
I started at Life Time North Scottsdale in December 2008, soon after retiring from playing professional baseball. I have a tremendous passion for fitness. I knew a couple of the trainers at North Scottsdale, so I was able to get my foot in the door and learn a ton from some of the best fitness professionals in the industry.
About a year after starting with Life Time, I was promoted to assistant training leader. In 2011, I moved to Las Vegas (where I went to high school) and was part of the grand opening team at Life Time Summerlin. It was incredible to bring Life Time to a new city — and the Summerlin club is absolutely stunning and in a great location in the northwest part of Vegas.
Soon after opening Summerlin, I moved back to Phoenix and worked at the club that was “in my backyard” — Life Time Gilbert — and was at that location for about a year. I was then promoted to training manager at our Tempe location and worked there for about a year.
In 2013, I received the opportunity to return to my roots and transferred back to North Scottsdale where I spent the next six years serving that club — I love North Scottsdale!
In mid-2019, when the opportunity to grand open our Biltmore location came up, I accepted the position of training leader and started building a killer training team. We opened that club in March 2020, and after 11 glorious days open, COVID-19 shut us down. We proceeded to go through two different reopenings, and that team persevered through a lot and continued to find ways to perform at their top level.
Later in 2021, I was promoted to training area leader for the desert market, supporting all of our training teams in Arizona. In the summer of 2022, the opportunity came up to become the general manager of our newest location in Phoenix. I am absolutely thrilled to help build and lead the team of rockstars at Life Time Scottsdale Fashion Square!
What excited you about the opening of Life Time Scottsdale Fashion Square?
I always get excited about the ability to serve Life Time members, team members, and the community we’re a part of. Grand opening a Life Time athletic country club is full of excitement and amazing energy — and is a special chance for everyone involved to say, “I was there when we opened this place!”
To be able to serve the Old Town Scottsdale and Arcadia communities is something we are all looking forward to. We can’t wait to meet our future members and team members soon!
Why do you believe in a healthy way of life, and how do you incorporate that mission into your days?
I believe in a healthy way of life not only because it impacts one’s physical health, but their mental health, too. These days, there is so much going on around all of us and keeping one’s mental health in a good place is so important for balancing the stresses of life — no matter where the stress is coming from.
We are all looking for a place to belong. Life Time offers a sense of community centered around healthy habits, positive energy, and incredible relationships to look forward to every day.
I start every day with a workout — weightlifting, cardio training, or some sort of class — and then I’m ready to tackle my workday or spend time with my family. My day starts with movements and continues with proper nutrition so I can be at my best for those around me.
Is there anything people might be surprised to learn about you, and what’s your favorite way to use Life Time?
I played professional baseball for five years and actually had the opportunity to make three starts in the major leagues! That was a dream come true and those are memories I will always cherish.
I have a beautiful wife, Jamie, who has also worked as a trainer at Life Time. We have four children: Charlotte, Alexis, Joey, and Audrey. They all love spending time at Life Time.
My favorite thing to do at Life Time is to pop into one our clubs on the weekend, drop my littles off at the child center, and watch my older girls head up to the fitness floor. Then Jamie and I catch a workout together and grab a shake in the LifeCafe before gathering our kids and heading home for the day.
Outside of Life Time, I love to play golf. I don’t get out as often as I would like because of the time demand, but I often have a club in my hand at home and hit balls into a net in my garage.
