Spa reopened under new name in Fort Walton Beach. Tonya Ekstrom is excited to see her extended family again.
“I’ve known some of these women for 20 years,” Ekstrom said. “I am ready to see their faces back here.”
Ekstrom had been a member and then general manager of American Woman Fitness Spa on Racetrack Road since 1989. Now she’s the owner of a new spa in the same location.
A New Day Fitness Spa opened Wednesday after American Woman closed unexpectedly Nov. 19. Members said they showed up at the gym and found a note on the door that read, “Spa closed.”
Ekstrom, her mother Deborah Hansford and friend Rachel Hoffman decided to go into business together and honor the contracts members had with American Woman.
Po Young was a member of American Woman, which had been in businesses for at least 25 years.
“I’m excited,” Young said. “It’s cleaner, fresher, something different.”
Young said she likes the atmosphere because it is a ladies-only facility and she’s come to be friends with Ekstrom and many other members.
“It is a family. It is a social place. There are different crowds and different shifts during the day,” said Young, who added that she works out mid-day when the gym is quiet.
The building has been upgraded, with fresh paint and new ceiling tiles and flooring. Ekstrom said the swimming pool is even getting a saltwater filtration system that is healthier for her clients.
A New Day has a Turkish steam bath, Swedish sauna, hydrotherapy whirlpool and fitness equipment built for women. Classes such as belly dancing are free for spa members.
“We’re not nearly done,” Ekstrom said of the improvements. “We’re just beginning.”
The spa is open from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Ekstrom said one- and two-year contracts are available, as well as month-to-month plans.
“The camaraderie is a huge thing here,” Ekstrom said. “It’s nice to be back here.”
SPA HOURS
A New Day Fitness Spa is open from 6 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday, from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Ekstrom said one- and two-year contracts are available, as well as month-to-month plans.
