Playa Pilates is a warm, community-minded Pilates studio with two Montréal locations — in Hochelaga and Griffintown — built on a simple promise: find your strength, and build community. Pilates here is treated as a discipline rather than a trend, with intimate class sizes, expert instruction, and purposeful progression, whether you're stepping onto a Reformer for the very first time or deepening a years-long practice. The studio's story gives it real heart: Playa was born from personal transformation, founded after its creator used Pilates to heal from a spinal fracture, and stands as a testament to the practice's power to restore, strengthen, and protect the body.
That care shows in the details. The studios are outfitted exclusively with internationally recognized, top-tier Reformers and Chairs for a superior, secure practice, and the instructors — with over 20 years of combined experience — each bring their own energy while holding to a cohesive, high-standard methodology. It's an approach rooted in feeling strong and empowered rather than chasing aesthetic ideals, mindful and motivational, meeting you exactly where your body is today.
The class menu is thoughtfully tiered so you always know where to begin. Newcomers start with Reformer Rookie L1, which teaches the fundamentals — adjusting springs, using the straps, mastering footwork and core basics — before progressing to the flowing, moderate-paced Reformer Flow L1.5, the higher-energy Reformer Spicy Sculpt, and the advanced Reformer Flow L2 and Burn L2 for strength and endurance. Specialty sessions round it out, from the athlete-focused Stride & Stability and Core & Lower Body to the ballet-meets-Reformer Barreformer on the studio's unique Infinity Bar, a Fusion Reformer-and-Chair class, and mat-based Au Sol classes for abs, arms, and athletic conditioning. Most run 50 to 60 minutes, with grip socks required for Reformer work, and many are taught bilingually in English and French.
Getting started is easy and well supported. If you're unsure where to begin, you can book a 30-minute private alignment assessment (around $50) or a fully customized one-on-one class (around $110), while first-time clients can ease in with a Reformer Intro Pass (about $50), a Mat Intro Pass (about $35), or dive into the immersive 5-week Pilates Challenge (around $349), which includes a one-on-one assessment to set you up safely. Whatever your level, Playa Pilates offers a genuinely welcoming path into the practice — expert, encouraging, and community-driven — across its Hochelaga and Griffintown studios.