Fitness World, Vientiane Laos Gym Review 

If you’ve ever wondered what a gym would look like with a Muay Thai boxing ring right in the middle of the weightlifting floor, welcome to Fitness World in Vientiane, Laos.

Spread across three levels, this gym has plenty of equipment, group fitness areas and a boxing ring that’s impossible to miss.

We visited around 5pm on a weekday, which is very different from my usual morning gym routine.

And we landed right in the middle of peak hour.

The gym was buzzing, there were people everywhere and some questionable lifting techniques provided a little unintentional entertainment.

First Impressions

Fitness World is located inside the ITECC building complex.

You’ll find the entrance on the third floor, with signage visible from the main road.

Once inside, the first thing you’ll notice is the Muay Thai boxing ring sitting right in the middle of the main gym floor.

And while the gym is spread across three levels, the boxing ring takes up a fair bit of prime real estate.

We arrived at 5pm, and the place was busy.

The staff were welcoming, check-in was easy and there was a real mix of people training.

There was also plenty of curiosity about my height. I’m used to getting a few looks when travelling around Southeast Asia, but this gym took it to another level.

The Space & Equipment

Fitness World has plenty of space, but I wasn’t a huge fan of how it was organised.

The main floor has the boxing ring surrounded by plate-loaded machines and free weights.

There’s more strength equipment on the upper mezzanine, while the lower mezzanine has cardio machines, a cycling studio and group fitness areas.

My issue was that the equipment was scattered across all three levels.

If you’re training legs, for example, you might find yourself going up and down the stairs to get between machines.

Not ideal when you’re trying to get through a workout or put together a superset. Or in my case, trying to locate machines in a new gym to complete your workout. 

And although there’s a good range of equipment, I found some of the machines awkward to use.

There were squat racks, a Smith machine, deadlift platform, leg press, hack squat, cables, benches and dumbbells up to 40 kg.

There was also plenty of equipment for chest, back, shoulders and arms.

Most machines were in good condition and everything appeared well maintained and there was enough equipment to train every muscle group.

But some of the movements just didn’t feel right to me. The biomechanics were a little unusual, and I struggled to get the muscle connection I wanted on certain machines.

It just wasn’t my favourite equipment to train on.

What It Felt Like to Train Here

Training at 5pm was probably our first mistake.

The gym was packed, although surprisingly, we didn’t have to wait too long to use the equipment.

There was a real mix of locals and a few tourists, with people training at all different levels.

The atmosphere felt more like a busy community fitness centre than a serious bodybuilding gym.

And the boxing ring was definitely the centrepiece.

I found myself spending more time than I’d like moving between floors to find the equipment I needed.

Combined with some of the awkward machines, it made the workout feel a little disjointed.

The air-conditioning was working hard and, while it wasn’t particularly cold, the temperature was manageable.

Overall, I got my workout done.

Bathrooms & Facilities

Fitness World has separate men’s and women’s changing rooms, lockers, showers and a sauna.

There’s also a dedicated cycling studio and group fitness classes, including HIIT, yoga and Muay Thai.

So if you’re looking for more than just a weights session, there’s plenty on offer.

The facilities were clean and functional.

Bring your own towel and water, although towel rental was available at the counter when we visited.

There was no Wi-Fi.

Cleaning wipes were available for members to use after training.

Pricing

A day pass was 80,000 kip when we visited.

Cash and major credit cards were accepted.

For a gym with three levels, group classes, showers and a sauna, I thought the price was reasonable.

It’s certainly good value if you’re planning to make use of the additional facilities.

But personally, I’d rather have a smaller gym with equipment I enjoy training on.

Pros

• Affordable 80,000 kip day pass
• Large gym across three levels
• Good variety of equipment
• Dumbbells up to 40 kg
• Squat rack and deadlift platform
• Muay Thai boxing ring
• Group fitness and cycling studios
• Showers, lockers and sauna
• Friendly staff
• Cleaning wipes available

Cons

• Equipment scattered across three levels
• Some machines felt awkward to train on
• Busy during evening peak hour
• Difficult to put together supersets
• Air-conditioning struggled during our visit
• Limited heavier free weights

Fitness World Scorecard Rating

Just for the record… 5 stars don’t come lightly!

My Final Thoughts

Fitness World certainly offers something different.

Three levels, plenty of equipment, group fitness classes and a Muay Thai boxing ring right in the middle of the gym.

But for me, the layout and equipment made the actual workout a little frustrating.

I didn’t enjoy moving between floors to find the machines I needed, and some of the equipment just didn’t feel right to train on.

We visited two commercial gyms during our stay in Vientiane, Fitness World and FitStation – FitStation was definitely my favourite.

It wasn’t as flashy, but I preferred the equipment, layout and overall workout experience.

On a more recent visit to Vientiane, we also stayed at Crowne Plaza, which had one of the best hotel gyms I’ve trained in.

If you’re staying there, you might not need to venture out to find somewhere to work out!

You can check out my reviews of FitStation Vientiane and the Crowne Plaza Vientiane hotel gym to see how they compare.

If you’re looking for a gym with classes, Muay Thai and plenty of facilities, Fitness World might suit you.

But if you’re mainly interested in strength training, I’d choose FitStation.

Stay strong, stay travelling, and keep the adventure alive 🏋️‍♀️✈️🌏

Message me if you have any questions or want to know more!

Travel, move, repeat.

Mi-Ree 🧡