This summer, travelers will discover amenities that surpass individually packaged hand soaps and high-speed internet. More hotels are offering in-room fitness studios, rooftop yoga classes and complimentary bikes to fitness-focused guests. (Photos)
Hotels change the way you work out on the road (ݮý's Rachel Nania)
WASHINGTON — This summer, travelers will discover hotel amenities that surpass individually packaged hand soaps and high-speed internet.
A growing number of U.S. hotels are broadening their wellness programs beyond the traditional four-walled fitness center, offering guests everything from rooftop yoga classes to running coaches, loaner bikes and crossfit equipment.
“People are not working out the same way that they did even five years ago — certainly not 10 years ago,” said Ryan Crabbe, senior director of Global Wellness for Hilton Worldwide.
Nowadays, travelers prize outdoor adventures over indoor treadmills and convenience over confined workout centers.
Here are nine trends that are redefining what it means to work out while on the road.
A room with a view — and a gym
At , there’s no need to rush down to the gym to squeeze in your morning workout. A handful of rooms in the Northern Virginia hotel come equipped with their own personal gyms— complete with a stationary bike, a meditation chair, a yoga mat and a dynamic GymRax training station for core, strength and high-intensity interval training workouts.
“A lot of our customers have very busy, very predictable travel schedules, and they all end up in the fitness center at roughly the same time,” saidRyan Crabbe, senior director of Global Wellness for Hilton Worldwide.
With the in-room gyms, there’s no competition over the hotel’s equipment. Guests can expect to pay about $45 more per night for a “Five Feet to Fitness Room,” and the concept will soon expand to other Hilton hotels in cities such as San Diego, Austin, Chicago and New York.
“Wellness is continuing to gain, not as a trend, but as a lifestyle,”Crabbe added.
(Photo Courtesy Hilton Hotels & Resorts)
Photo Courtesy Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Running routes, clubs and coaches
Runners are no longer confined to the treadmill when they travel. A number of hotels now offer customized running maps of nearby roads and trails for their guests.
Westin Hotels and Resorts even has a , who organizes group hotel runs and has been known to keep a stock of spare shoes, should you forget your own. offers guests the opportunity to book a 4.28-mile guided running tour of New York’s Soho neighborhood and its nearby cultural attractions.
(AP/David Goldman)
AP/David Goldman
Yoga in the sun, not the studio
At D.C.’s , guests don’t have to travel too far to get in a yoga workout— they just need to get to the roof. On Saturdays and Sundays, the hotel hosts rooftop yoga from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. The classes are free for hotel guests and $19 for locals.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
Bike the city
Guests at have access to the hotel’s complimentary fleet of custom bikes between the hours of 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and offers guests complimentary loaner bikes at all of its boutique hotels.
(Photo courtesy The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown)
Photo courtesy The Ritz-Carlton Georgetown
Learning in luxury
Those who want to learn about healthy living from the experts can do so in style at the Mandarin Oriental in D.C. Every few months, for daylong seminars that feature physician-led sessions, small group activities, healthy cuisine and a personalized wellness plan— plus overnight accommodations.
(Thinkstock)
Thinkstock
SoulCycle where you sleep
Whether you’re talking about SoulCycle, Orange Theory or Solidcore, one thing is for sure: Boutique fitness studios are all the rage, and even hotels want in on the action. Inside in Miami, guests will find a new 2,600-square-foot, 54-bike SoulCycle studio. The hotel is also home to a , a crossfit-type of training gym that is free to hotel guests and members-only for the public.
(Getty Images)
Getty Images
Classes in the community
Atthe , guests have access to a 24-hour fitness center, local running and bike routes, and more than 600 on-demand workouts and virtual classes. The hotel also offers discounts to barre, yoga and boot camp classes at partnering studios in the community.
(Courtesy Marriott)
Courtesy Marriott
Building a brand on wellness
At , wellness is incorporated into every aspect of the experience. Rooms have built-in training zones, fitness centers host group classes, and dining options include healthy, organic dishes that can be tailored to specific diets. The hotel has locations in Times Square; Brooklyn; Norwalk, Connecticut; and Rockville, Maryland.
(AP/Matthew Mead)
AP/Matthew Mead
Stay fit when you fly
Now, you can grab a quick workout before you even get to your destination, thanks to the addition of yoga rooms and workout facilities in airports across the world. In the U.S., Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport has a and a walking path for travelers, and the San Francisco International Airport has a 24-hour free .
(AP/Paul Sakuma)