The new Life Time at 5000 Lakewood Ranch Blvd. N. puts several businesses on one lot: a gym and studio complex, a 14-court pickleball club, a pool club with two waterslides and a poolside bar, a spa and salon, a cafe, a childcare room and a chiropractic clinic. The Bradenton Herald puts the main building at 86,000 square feet. Your Observer describes the whole complex as more than 180,000 square feet, which squares with the Herald once you add the outdoor beach club and courts.
The club opened at 4 a.m. on Oct. 12, a little over three weeks ago. Its two headline features carry the most conditions. The beach club was built for months that are still ahead. Reserving a pickleball court takes a membership tier above the advertised $339. Past a free tour, the cheapest way for a resident who hasn't joined to spend a day using the club goes through the spa.
A pool club that opened in October and staffs up in summer
Life Time's beach club covers roughly 50,000 square feet. It has a leisure pool with two slides and a mushroom fountain, a five-lane lap pool, cabanas, lounge chairs, outdoor dining and poolside service. Steve Datte, the club's general manager, told Your Observer that the club employs more than 200 people now. He expects that to reach nearly 300 next summer "when the pool is in full swing."
So the club plans to add close to half again its current staff for the season when the outdoor half of the property does its real work. For anyone joining this fall, the indoor club is what they're paying for, and the slides are a reason to stay through summer. Inside are a yoga studio that holds 48 people, a Pilates studio, a group fitness studio, the main fitness floor, HydroMassage chairs, a CryoLounge, a cold plunge, a whirlpool, a sauna, a steam room and the three indoor pickleball courts.
The club pays attention to small details on the fitness floor. Datte told Your Observer that Life Time stocks extra sets of the most-used dumbbell weights, 25 and 30 pounds, so a pair is always free. He also said he wants the floor to look the same five years from now as it did on opening day. Demand was there before the doors opened. Your Observer reported that nearly 3,000 members had signed up before Oct. 12.
The project took a while. The Bradenton Herald, citing building records, reported in February that Life Time first proposed the site in 2023. Moss had finished the structural framework at the end of the previous December, and the opening was projected for late 2026, which is what happened. A March report in Your Observer placed the site next to Gold Coast Eagle Distributing, across Lakewood Ranch Boulevard from the entertainment businesses filling in along Professional Parkway.
Ways inside without a membership, cheapest first
The club has several doors that don't require monthly dues. Here they are in rough order of cost.
- A guided tour. Life Time's Lakewood Ranch page offers free tours, with evening and weekend times, booked online or through the front desk.
- The cafe. Life Time marks the Lakewood Ranch cafe "Open to Everyone." The listing covers the cafe, a coffee and tea bar, the lounge and bar, poolside service and a beach club bistro.
- LifeSpa and the salon. The spa page is marked "Open to Everyone" as well. Your Observer reported that a guest who spends $150 or more at the spa and salon can use the rest of the club that day at no extra charge. A massage or a cut and color can double as a day at the club.
- A day pass, possibly. The sources disagree here. Your Observer reported that the club doesn't offer day passes. The FAQ on Life Time's own Lakewood Ranch page says day passes give full member access for a day. If you're counting on one, call the club first. Life Time's site lists the number as 941-870-1280.
The chiropractic clinic is a smaller door that's easy to miss. Your Observer reported that the first consultation is free and that the clinic accepts insurance.
What $339 covers, and where the extra charges start
Life Time lists adult memberships at the Lakewood Ranch club starting at $339 a month, billed month to month with 30 days' notice to cancel and no annual contract. Adding family members changes the monthly total. In late October, the club's online membership builder showed a single member at $339 a month with $0 joining fees and $0 dues for October. Life Time doesn't publish a standard joining fee or say when that offer ends, so a waived fee shouldn't be taken as the regular price.
Life Time's FAQ says the base membership includes the workout floor, group studio classes, locker rooms and "the amenities available" at the club. The table below lays out what that covers and where the extra charges start, based on Life Time's own pages.
| What you want | Included at $339? | What it takes |
|---|---|---|
| Fitness floor, studio classes, locker rooms | Yes | Base membership |
| Intro to Pickleball class | Yes | Complimentary for members |
| Pickleball open play | Yes | Members, by reservation in the app |
| Pickleball lessons, leagues, mixers | Access yes, cost no | Separate fees apply |
| Reserving a pickleball court | No | Signature membership |
| Signature group training, early reservation windows | No | Signature membership |
| Kids Academy and junior pickleball | No | Junior membership, from $100 a month |
Signature membership is the gap in the price list. Life Time says Signature members get specialized group training, early reservation windows and access to more clubs across its network. The Lakewood Ranch pages don't publish a separate Signature price. A resident pricing the club around court time should ask for that figure before signing.
The Kids Academy takes children from 3 months through 11 years with a junior membership. The Bradenton Herald reported junior memberships starting at $100 a month. According to Life Time's Kids Academy page, care runs up to 2.5 hours, reservations are recommended for ages 3 to 11, and parents stay on site. It's a place for kids while a parent takes a class, not drop-off childcare while the parent runs errands.
This post is general information rather than legal or financial advice. Confirm current pricing and terms with Life Time directly before you enroll.
Fourteen courts and one booking rule
Pickleball is where that tier line shows up most. The club has three indoor courts on the fitness floor and 11 outdoor courts, five covered and six uncovered, next to the beach club. Your Observer describes the outdoor pickleball area as about the same size as the 50,000-square-foot beach club, with seating between games. The Bradenton Herald reported that the ball Life Time engineered a few years ago is now the tournament ball for Major League Pickleball and the Carvana Professional Pickleball Association.
A base membership gets you scheduled play. Life Time's pickleball page lists open play sessions by level, from beginner 2.0 through 3.0 to 3.5 and advanced 4.0 and up. Some times are set aside for ARORA, Life Time's membership program for seniors. Members reserve open play spots in the app and rotate partners through the session. Mixers pair players of similar skill, with a pro running the games. Mixers, leagues and lessons all carry fees.
What the base membership doesn't include is booking a court for your own group of four. Life Time's page says court time is "complimentary with a Signature Membership" and marks court reservations "Signature Membership Required." For someone who plays in a fixed weekly group, the price that matters is the unpublished Signature rate, not $339. For someone who likes showing up and being paired, base membership plus open play covers it. Junior pickleball starts at age 4 and requires a junior membership.
If you're weighing a Life Time membership against what your village's amenity center or HOA already covers, that comparison is part of the real cost of owning in Lakewood Ranch, and it's one Kevin Bryceland is glad to go through with you, line by line. Let's Connect.
