Hotels aim for health-conscious
From roof yoga to running concierges, firms expand perks
FORT LAUDERDALE — Running concierges, a hotel minibar stocked with produce from the local farmers market and a training wall that comesstandardinevery room. The hotel industry is moving beyond basement gymsand basic spamenusto accommodate guests’ growing requests to stay healthy while on the road.
The trend has been a mainstay at spas and wellness resorts for years, but now hotels frequented by business travelers and families are showing that life on the go doesn’t have to mean sacrificing spin class or a quinoa superfood bowl. Boutique and luxury hotels along with big name brands including Westin and Wyndham have vastly expanded fitness programs and dining options in recent years. The luxury gym Equinox is even opening its own hotel inNewYork.
The number of hotels with fitness facilities jumped from 63 percent in 2004 to 84 percent in 2014, according to a study by the American Hotel & Lodging Association. And hotels offering in-room exercise equipment has nearly doubled in the past 10 years, from7 percent to 13 percent, according to the study.
“It’s what the marketplace is demanding,” said Dena Roche, wellness travel expert and editor of The Travel Diet website. “People are trying to lead a healthier lifestyle in their daily life, so, when they go on the road, they want to keep doing those things.”
At Even Hotels, every room has a training zone with a yoga mat, exercise ball, foam roller and a mounted fitness wall with resistance bands plus 19 videos and training guides to help guests get their sweat on.
Wyndham guests can request a room stocked with an exercise machine (like a stationary bike, elliptical or treadmill) and free workout wear, and theWhotel chain partnered with popular yogi Tara Stiles for free in-room yoga videos and a set of tip cards placed around the room to suggest poses to help guests relax, wakeupor get in the mood.
“It’s pushing from a trend to a tipping point where there’s mass adoption around wellness into every aspect of people’s lives,” said Jason Moskal, a vice president at InterContinental Hotels Group, owner of the Even brand, which has three locations and is planning open eight more.
Rooftop yoga classes are all the rage at hotels across thecountry, including atThe James hotel in New York and the Mondrian South Beach in Miami Beach. Guests at The Standard in Miami Beach can also enjoy waterfront yoga or stand-up paddle board classes and grab a green drink from the hotel’s juice bar.
Forgot to pack yourworkout clothes? No problem.
Trump and Fairmont hotels have partnered with Under Armour and Reebok respectively to style guests’ workouts. Westin’s lending program with New Balance had a 16 percent increase in
to requests in 2015. At its Grand Central location in New York, more than 2,000 guests paid $5 to get a new pair of sneakers and clothes delivered to their room.
Kimpton’s running kit includes a map of the Hudson River running path in New York and pre-loaded iPod shuffle. Fairmont and several other hotels have running programs including “run concierges.”
The beefed-up offerings come as guests, particularly younger ones, say wellness perks are one of the deciding factors on where they will stay.
Forty-five percent of millennials and 38 percent of GenXers saidspaandfitness centers were influential in where they booked a room, according to a 2015 survey from travel and hospitality marketing firm MMGY Global.
Several hotel chains are also targeting the techminded fitness buffs.
Trump SoHo has a new program that gives guests a free Fitbit Charge to help track whether they meet their daily step goals. Westin is also partnering with Fitbit to deliver personalized videoexercises that guests can download on their phones or on the Internet along with real-time feedback.
And there’s no need to wonder whether there are gluten-free options at hotel restaurants. Most have even revamped the notoriously calorie-laden room service menus.
The Epiphany Hotel in Palo Alto, Calif., offers guests a fridge stocked with produce from a local farmers market, green juices and homemade power bars for $95. Kimpton hotels overhauled room-service menus, substituting quinoa and oats for white flour.
Westin developed a SuperFoodsRx menu and Trump hotels also have express menus for healthminded guests where dishes like stir-fried veggies and tofu can be delivered to rooms in 15 minutes or less.