Sara LaFountain tries hard to stay in shape at home, so she was excited to find a hotel chain that makes it easier to tone while she travels, too.
She found “Even” hotels where, “they have yoga mats and exercise balls and resistance bands and all the things that you would love to work out with.”
The gear is not in the hotel gym. It’s stocked right in her room.
Mark Van Stekelenburg, a managing director of CBRE Hotels’ Americas Research, says, “We're seeing this global trend of wellness. So, there has to be flexibility. It's all about the guest being able to access those amenities when they wanted.” Amenities bikes by your bed or classes on demand.
“You would have 15 to 30 minute, even hour-long classes that can start when the guest wants, 24/7. So, you could turn to a specific channel and then choose your class. And then there might be equipment in the guest room that allows you to complete those classes,” Van Stekelenburg says, adding that the perks are now available at hotels of all sizes and price points.
Along with IHG’s ‘Even’ hotels, the Kimpton brand also offers these kinds of options.
And chains like Westin and Fairmont have partnerships with apparel brands for discounts on clothing rentals.
Some Hiltons have rooms with “GymRax” that store a variety of fitness accessories.
Van Stekelenburg says Marriott’s getting in the game, too, with its AC Hotels.
“All of their equipment is incorporated with smart technology so that you're able to track your workouts," he said.
These pumped-up rooms may cost a little more, either in the hotel rate or resort fee, but Sara, says, “This type of hotel thinks about your wellness and it makes it a much more enjoyable experience for me.”
