On-Demand Fitness Reinvents Working Out While On the Road
2020 has seen a surge in conversations on health and wellness. People have been more focused on improving personal health
CELEB Magazine
2020 has seen a surge in conversations on health and wellness. People have been more focused on improving personal health than ever, but with gyms closed for much of last year, many people found themselves in a conundrum. How can they work out in a gym atmosphere on good equipment but stay safe? As always, the tech world had the answer—on-demand exercise equipment that connects users with real-time or recorded instruction, allowing for immersive and social workouts at a safe distance.
Now, as people are venturing back into the world with the lifting of many COVID restrictions, hotels are starting to tap into this together-apart exercise trend. Four Seasons Hotels, CLIMBR, Kimpton Marlowe, Peloton and Hydrow are all forging a future in this new era of socially distanced togetherness, and CELEB has the scoop.
Travelers Embrace On-Demand Fitness in Post-COVID World
2020 and 2021 have been the years of problem solving. As people are beginning to travel again and want to keep up the health routines they adopted over the past year, they’re faced with a dilemma—how does one keep up a routine while avoiding the risk of a hotel or unfamiliar gym while on the road?
All across the country, hotels are finding creative ways to meet this demand. At the Langham New York, they’ve decided to go big to help guests exercise comfortably. Travel Weekly shares, ” … the Langham New York recently launched its Work In or Work Out promotion. The offer includes accommodations in a Deluxe King Room as well as another adjoining Deluxe room at half price, with the second room able to be set up for either remote working and/or schooling or as a private fitness area.
If used as the latter, the adjoining room comes stocked with Technogym equipment, free weights, an exercise mat and ball, resistance bands and complimentary, on-demand fitness content, which can be accessed via the TV.”
Hospitality brand SBE has also partnered recently with Dogpound, offering virtual personal training programs across their properties to guests looking for the service. SLS South Beach and SLS Brickell properties in Miami already have these services available for guests, and they’re soon rolling them out across the country.
Also in the United States, Mandarin Oriental is partnering with Grokker to offer complimentary in-room yoga and other services. Beyond that, they’ve partnered with Mirror—an interactive exercise technology that looks exactly what it sounds like, a mirror. But you’ll see more than your own reflection in this mirror, you’ll also see a fitness instructor, class, stats, and other helpful information to maximize your workout as you go.
Four Seasons Brings On-Demand Fitness to Guests
Four Seasons has been hard at problem solving and they’ve partnered with CLIMBR for the answer. While Four Seasons Hotels often offer top-of-the-line gyms that guests can feel confident visiting even in the age of COVID, for those looking for a little more security and privacy, you can now access the perks of a gym right from your own hotel room.
CLIMBR is the world’s first connected vertical climbing machine. With hotel room space often at a premium, the CLIMBR system is the perfect in-room companion for Four Seasons guests. Four Seasons recently announced that guests will soon be able to request CLIMBR machines in their room, perfect for privacy and efficiency.
But CLIMBR isn’t the only option at Four Seasons properties; at Four Seasons Maui, oceanfront suites offer complimentary Peloton bikes, and guests can also request that they’re delivered to their room. Peloton bikes offer real-time or recorded class instruction on a screen mounted between the handlebars, and users can compete with one another’s records and keep track of their improvements over time.
At Four Seasons in Beverly Hills, you can get all that and a bag of chips—a healthy one, to be sure. Not only can you access Peloton and soon to be CLIMBR, but the Beverly Hills property offers a Private Fitness Suite that includes Peloton, Hydrow, Alo Yoga and Soul Cycle bikes. A Four Seasons statement shares, “The Private Fitness Suite includes a two-hour reserved time slot for up to three guests per party. Guests have access to all room features including treadmill, hydrow rowing machine, Peloton bike, in-room yoga equipment by Alo Yoga, medicine ball and weights, and Soul Cycle bike. The suite also includes luxurious amenities, private bathroom and shower. In partnership with Delos Living, Wellness room features include air purification system, hypoallergenic wood floors, water purification system and eco-friendly, sulfate-free bath amenities by LATHER. Pricing for Hotel guests is complimentary when booking a Wellness Suite or Room and $75 for other hotel guests.”
Kimpton Marlowe, Influencers and Hydrow
Speaking of Hydrow, it’s one of the hottest new pieces of exercise equipment for the home. An interactive rowing machine with access to live and recorded instruction, Hydrow offers a low-impact but high-intensity workout for those looking to build core strength. And a timeless hotel in Massachusetts is teaming up with the high-tech company to offer guests their own private full-body workout.
Wicked Local shares, “‘While travel can be an excuse for some guests to skip their workouts, Kimpton Marlowe and Hydrow are making it easy for our guests to remain fully committed to their fitness routine by offering them these state-of-the-art rowers,’ said Joe Capalbo, regional director of operations for Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants of New England and general manager of Kimpton Marlowe Hotel. ‘Kimpton Marlowe has long been committed to offering innovative fitness programs and amenities for our guests. In addition to the bikes, kayaks, paddle boards, in-room yoga and HIIT workouts we already offer, Hydrow will further help our guests achieve a whole new level of wellness while traveling. We know this exciting new partnership will be embraced by our fitness conscious guests.’”
While Hydrow provides a workout perhaps less mainstream than a stationary bike like Peloton or like Mirror or CLIMBR, it’s almost advertising itself as influencers embrace the tech. On Instagram, influencers like @Keltie, @francislola, and @gorka_marquez are all proudly showing off their Hydrow love.
Peloton and Kempinksi
Peloton has had a stellar year, despite a recent recall over safety concerns. Now being offered to guests in the Nobu Hotel Ceasars Palace on the Vegas Strip, the top-of-the-line bike is also being offered in Kempinski Hotels. With hotels all around the world, Kempinski is a huge partnership for Peloton. An announcement for the partnership shares, “‘Today more than ever, our guests want to maintain and improve their fitness even when traveling or staying in a hotel and take advantage of the opportunity to continue their regular ‘home’ training in their hotel room,’ says Benedikt Jaschke, Chief Quality Officer and member of the management board of Kempinski Hotels. ‘With Peloton we found the right partner to push our ‘Keep your Fitness Promise’ initiative around the well-being of our guests to a higher level.’
Martin Richter, managing director, Peloton Germany, adds: ‘We are happy to partner with Kempinski Hotels and to have the opportunity to bring our unique training experience to these exclusive luxury hotels. We already know from our international markets how much hotel guests appreciate the possibility to do first-class training in private surroundings, and we experience the Kempinski Hotel Group as a partner with great openness for innovation.’”
Health Away From Home
It seems like no matter where you go, there’s going to be a private equipment option to meet your needs. Whether you like the vertical climbers, stationary bikes, or face-to-face of the Mirror equipment, you can access all of your favorite routines now when you’re on the road.
With the safety of staying in your own room, and the ease and efficiency of the worlds best instructors and equipment, these new on-demand programs are offering health options from the future. While some may phase out over time as we move away from the pandemic, and most hotels intend to keep their on-site gyms open, it may be the start of something even more personal for travelers everywhere: your very own mini gym in your home away from home.