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FEATURETuesday 2 February 2016

Hotels expand options to keep guests healthy on the road

KELLI KENNEDY some of the world’s top

Associated Press yogis. Spinning junkies only

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) have to walk downstairs at

— Running concierges, the 1 Hotel South Beach for

a hotel mini bar stocked a Soul Cycle class.

with produce from the lo- Forgot to pack your work-

cal farmers market and a out clothes? No problem.

training wall that comes Trump Hotels and Fairmont

standard in every room. have partnered with Un-

The hotel industry is moving der Armour and Reebok

beyond basement gyms respectively to style your

and basic spa menus to workout. Westin’s lending

accommodate guests’ program with New Balance

growing requests to stay had a 16 percent increase

healthy while on the road. in requests in 2015. At the

The trend has been a main- hotel’s Grand Central lo-

stay at spas and wellness cation in New York, more

resorts for years, but now than 2,000 guests paid $5

hotels frequented by busi- to get a new pair of sneak-

ness travelers and families ers and clothes delivered

are showing that life on the to their room.

go doesn’t have to mean In this Jan. 24, 2016, photo, Paula Walker, center foreground, an instructor with Green Monkey Kimpton’s running kit in-
sacrificing spin class or a Yoga, leads a yoga class at the Mondrian South Beach Hotel in Miami Beach, Fla. cludes a map of the Hud-
quinoa superfood bowl. son River running path and
Associated Press pre-loaded iPod shuffle.

ball, foam roller and a the Even brand. Even Ho- Fairmont and several other
mounted fitness wall with tels have three locations, hotels have running pro-
resistance bands plus 19 including one in New York grams including “run con-
videos and training guides City, and are planning to cierges” at roughly 200
to help you get your sweat open eight more including Westin locations and other
on. Wyndham guests can one in Miami. options for runners.
request a room stocked “Everyone has a different The beefed-up offerings
with an exercise machine aspect of what they’re come as guests, particu-
(like a stationary bike, ellip- looking for ... the hotel was larly younger ones, say it’s
tical machine or treadmill)

and free workout wear,

and the W hotel chain part-

nered with popular yogi

Tara Stiles for free in-room

yoga videos and a set of

In this Jan. 24, 2016, photo, Paula Walker, left, an instructor with tip cards placed around
Green Monkey Yoga, leads a yoga class at the Mondrian South the room to suggest poses
Beach Hotel in Miami Beach, Fla. to help you relax, wake up
or get in the mood.
Associated Press “It’s pushing from a trend

Boutique and luxury ho- ier lifestyle in their daily life to a tipping point where
tels along with big name so when they go on the there’s mass adoption
brands including Westin road they want to keep around wellness into every

and Wyndham have vastly

expanded fitness programs The hotel world is moving beyond basement gyms and ho-hum

and dining options in re- spa menus to accommodate guests’ growing requests to stay
cent years. The luxury gym healthy while on the road.
Equinox is even opening its
Associated Press

own hotel in New York. designed with this idea of one of the deciding fac-

The number of hotels with wanting wellness on my tors on where they will stay.

fitness facilities jumped own terms,” he said. Forty-five percent of mil-

from 63 percent in 2004 Rooftop yoga classes are lennials and 38 percent of

to 84 percent in 2014, ac- all the rage at hotels across Gen-Xers said spa and fit-

cording to a study by the the country including The ness centers were influen-

American Hotel & Lodg- James Hotel in New York tial in where they booked a

ing Association. And hotels and the Mondrian South room, according to a 2015

offering in-room exercise Beach. Guests at The Stan- survey from travel and

equipment has nearly dou- dard in Miami Beach can hospitality marketing firm

bled in the past 10 years, The number of hotels with fitness facilities jumped from 63 per- also enjoy waterfront yoga MMGY Global.
from seven to 13 percent, cent in 2004 to 84 percent in 2014, according to the American or stand-up paddle board Several hotel chains are
according to the study. Hotel & Lodging Association. classes and grab a green also targeting the tech-
“It’s what the marketplace drink from the hotel’s juice minded fitness buffs. Trump
is demanding,” said Dena Associated Press bar. Their spa, which offers SoHo has a new program

Roche, wellness travel ex- doing those things.” aspect of people’s lives,” a variety of fitness classes that gives guests a free Fit-

pert and editor of The Trav- At the Even Hotels, every Jason Moskal, a vice presi- for guests (some are for bit Charge to help track

el Diet website. “People room has a training zone dent at Intercontinental members only) is also a whether they meet their

are trying to lead a health- with a yoga mat, exercise Hotels Group, which owns hub for sessions taught by daily step goal.q