What REALLY goes on in Equinox Steam Rooms

Date: 3/28/26

Yet despite this, Equinox has faced multiple lawsuits over the years related to steam room sexual activities. They include an ongoing 2018 lawsuit, in which 11 people alleged that they were victims of “indecent exposure, sexual harassment, lewd acts, and/or sexual assault in the steam rooms.”

The lawsuit, filed in New York’s Supreme Court and seen by the Daily Mail, alleges that the fitness chain routinely ignored “reprehensible conduct” and allowed orgies to happen in their gyms’ steam rooms, and even capitalized on their sexually charged notoriety with provocative advertising.

Marc Held, founding partner of Held & Hines LLP and attorney for the alleged victims, told the Daily Mail in a written quote:

“For nearly 20 years, Equinox has turned a blind eye and allowed its gyms and steam rooms to be used for illicit sexual activity, assaults, and other wrongful conduct without consequence. We intend to protect the victims and hold Equinox fully accountable.”

Equinox has denied any wrongdoing. The Daily Mail reached out to them for comment on this case.

Anthony Festa, a Connecticut-based influencer, said Equinox was his first brush with such bathhouse culture.

“I know it’s common at a lot of gyms, but I had never really experienced steam and sauna culture until I joined Equinox,” Festa, 31, told the Daily Mail.

He didn’t see steam room escapades at his local Equinox, but that quickly changed once he started using other locations in both Connecticut and New York City.

“When I went to other locations, it was very much immediate,” he said. “And not only right away, but like any time of day that I would go, there was always somebody down to try and do something.”

Note: Held & Hines currently represents a number of Equinox victims in the matters of G.B. et al Equinox (class-action lawsuit) and Crandall vs Equinox.