Have A Nice Stay
Closing the gap between fitness and hospitality
The demand for fitness and healthy living has never been greater, both when you are at and away from home. A 2017 Cornell study showed that 46% of guests intend to use hotel fitness amenities, but only 22% actually do. Hospitality and fitness brands are finding creative ways to motivate people to do what they say they aspire to do, while expanding their amenity offering.
One effort is to provide healthful experiences beyond the traditional hotel stay. Hyatt invested in the so-called “adjacent spaces” by buying Exhale and Miraval, two fitness and spa companies. Hilton unveiled a new in-room gym design, and Westin debuted its new partnership with boutique cycling company Peloton. Conversely, Equinox has been building its line of hotels incorporating hospitality, culinary, and spa experiences, spinning itself into a 360-degree wellness-minded lifestyle brand. The Chicago club Midtown Athletic Clubs—a brand with 8 upscale fitness facilities in North America—recently added spaces for
yoga, spinning, boxing—and most interestingly, a hotel. “We had the laundry, the restaurant, the front desk, the full-service spa, the back office…all I was adding was rooms,” said Steven Schwartz, CEO of the company.
To some, boutique fitness clubs and membership programs are demonstrative of where hospitality could be heading. For now, the combination of a fitness club/hotel could become an urban sports resort for travelers while also acting as a “third space” for the local community.