If you think Shanghai’s hustle is intense, try chasing it with an ice bath, a killer run club, and a shot of espresso at Donghu Road’s chicest new wellness-lifestyle-community hotspot all rolled into one: HASA House. We recently stepped into HASA House to experience this urban oasis firsthand, and it is safe to say the city's wellness scene just got a major upgrade.

In short, Hasa House is a newly opened luxury wellness "escape" in the heart of the city on Donghu Road. It's a five-part holistic hub that includes Hasa Kitchen, Hasa Active, Hasa Groove, Hasa Collective and Hasa Circle. Hasa Kitchen is all about the healthy eating without compromising on taste – from smoothies, grab-and-go sandwiches and coffee beverages to a full-size restaurant upstairs with a selection of Western-leaning breakfast and lunch plates. Plus there's a bar and lounge. Hasa Active hosts sport events, competitions and "quests," Hasa Groove offers weekend parties with live DJs, Hasa Collective and Hasa Circle provide a space for visitors to connect and meet new people from different industries. This is a community-driven space unlike anywhere else in Shanghai covering food to movement, dance to connection.

At the helm of this luxury lifestyle and fitness sanctuary is Nick Brown – the high-energy fitness entrepreneur and community builder you likely already know as the co-founder of FlowCycle. Together with his visionary co-founder, fitness coach and mentor Queenie Azabeth, Nick has blended elite boutique fitness with high-end social amenities to create Shanghai's premier wellness hub.

We sat down with Nick (post-training session, of course) to get the low down on why HASA House – and the wellness space in Shanghai in general – is on the way up.

In one sentence, what is HASA House? 
HASA House is a city oasis in the heart of Shanghai – a wellness space where people can move, eat, connect, and slow down.

How is HASA House different from other gyms, wellness centers, and lifestyle fitness facilities?
Most gyms focus on one thing: training.

Most cafes focus on food.

Most social clubs focus on networking.

HASA House brings all these elements together under one roof.

We combine performance training, recovery, healthy food, music, retail, and community into one ecosystem. The goal is not just to help people become fitter; it is to create a place where healthier living becomes enjoyable and sustainable.

Traditional fitness can sometimes feel transactional: you enter, complete your workout, and leave. We wanted to create the opposite. HASA House encourages people to stay, meet new people, join community events, or simply enjoy the space.

Health is not only built through training. It is built through relationships, habits, and the environment around you.

How do you describe the "Bali gym club" atmosphere you’ve cultivated to someone who hasn’t stepped through your doors yet?
Imagine the energy of a Bali wellness club, but placed in the middle of Shanghai. It’s a place where you can start your morning with a workout, grab a quality coffee, relax after a sauna and ice bath, meet friends, enjoy music in the evening, or simply spend time away from the pace of the city.

What does "HASA" stand for, and how does that meaning translate into your daily operations?
HASA takes inspiration from Al-Hasa, one of the world’s largest natural oases in Saudi Arabia. An oasis represents a place of life, energy, and connection, a place to slow down and recharge. That idea became the foundation for HASA House: creating an urban oasis in the heart of Shanghai where people can move, eat well, connect, and stay awhile.

What inspired the vision for HASA House, and why was Shanghai’s historic Donghu Road the perfect location for this concept?
The inspiration came from wanting to create something that was missing in Shanghai: a place where wellness was not just about exercise, but about how people live.

Donghu Road felt like the perfect location because it carries so much character and history. The house itself already had a sense of belonging and community. Instead of building something new from scratch, we wanted to preserve that feeling and bring a new lifestyle concept into an existing Shanghai landmark.

You have five core pillars: Active, Kitchen, Groove, Collective, and Circle. How do these elements work together to create a true urban retreat?
The five pillars represent different parts of modern wellbeing:

• HASA Active — movement, strength, endurance, performance, longevity and recovery.
• HASA Kitchen — nourishing food, smoothies and coffee designed for everyday life.
• HASA Groove — music, drinks, and social connection.
• HASA Collective — curated products, apparel, and lifestyle objects.
• HASA Circle — our membership community that connects everything together.

Together they create a complete experience where people can train, recharge, socialize, and feel part of something.

What kind of workouts can members expect in HASA Active, and how do class formats like "Throwdown" differ from traditional gyms?
HASA Active provides a structured hybrid training program designed to build strength, endurance, and overall athletic performance. Our weekly schedule combines strength-focused sessions on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays (Upper, Lower, and Full Body), with cardio and conditioning sessions on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Saturdays feature HYROX-style workouts, while Sundays bring the community together through our signature Throwdown classes – a fun, team-based challenge that blends fitness and competition.

Beyond group classes, members can also access open gym spaces and 1:1 personal training with our coaching team, allowing everyone to train in a way that suits their goals.

How do you balance high-intensity group classes with the wellness and recovery side of the house (such as the ice bath and infrared sauna)?
Recovery is just as important as training. HASA Active was designed around the idea that performance and recovery should exist together.

Members can challenge themselves through training and then recover through our infrared sauna and ice plunge facilities. It creates a complete cycle: stress the body, recover, and come back stronger.

Moving onto the recovery side of things, what is the culinary philosophy behind HASA Kitchen and who helped create the menu?
HASA Kitchen is built around real food — whole ingredients, minimal processing, and dishes that are nourishing while still feeling comforting and enjoyable. We wanted to create food that supports an active lifestyle without compromising on flavor.

We were fortunate to work with Chef Jun Nishiyama, (you may remember Sage Gastro and now Rambu) who consulted on the menu development and helped bring our vision to life. His expertise helped us create a menu that balances nutrition, quality ingredients, and the everyday enjoyment of eating well.

Can you tell us more about the grab-and-go options and the protein froyo on tap?
We wanted to make healthy choices convenient for busy Shanghai lifestyles.

Our grab-and-go options include things like sandwiches, yogurt parfaits, overnight oats, and chia puddings: nutritious options people can enjoy whether they are heading into work, finishing a workout, or simply passing by.

The protein froyo is a fun example of our philosophy: performance nutrition can still be delicious. Visitors can also choose their own toppings from the DIY froyo setup.

How does the rooftop terrace and lounge space act as a transition from daytime health to evening socializing?
It’s the best spot for events and or gatherings!

The space is designed to evolve throughout the day. In the morning, it’s a place for coffee and conversation. During the day, it becomes a place to relax after training, enjoy a meal, or even catch up on work on the laptop. In the evening, it transforms into a social space where people can unwind, connect, and enjoy the atmosphere with a glass of wine in hand.

How does the HASA Groove element, featuring weekend DJs and beach house-themed parties, complement the daytime wellness offerings? 
HASA Groove brings music, drinks, and culture into the experience. With a vinyl bar, cocktails, wine, and social events, it represents the balance between living well and having fun.

You may come across some regulars upstairs at the bar!

What are some of the most surprising ways you’ve seen your community interact and grow since you opened?
The most rewarding thing has been seeing strangers become friends. People come initially for a class or a coffee, but they stay because they feel connected. We have seen members supporting each other’s fitness journeys, building friendships, and creating their own routines around the space.

That sense of belonging is exactly what we hoped to create.

What is the ultimate vision for HASA House over the next few years?
Our vision is for HASA House to become a blueprint for modern urban wellness – a place where people can improve their health while enjoying the process.

Long term, we hope to build a wider HASA community, creating more spaces and experiences that bring together movement, food, culture, and connection.

How can readers sign up for a HASA House class or learn more about HASA House offerings?
All information is on our WeChat Miniprogram: HASA House

Otherwise, find us at Instagram: Hasahouse_ or on Redbook: Hasa House

Whether someone wants to train, recover, eat well, or simply experience the space, everyone is welcome to become part of the HASA Circle.

HASA House, Lane 56 No.22 Donghu Road, Xuhui 徐汇区东湖路56弄22号一层