Hospitality is a competitive industry. Hotels are facing more challenges than ever, not least from the introduction of private, short-term letting via platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo.
This means that your hotel business needs to find ways to stand out from the crowd and lure more customers in. And one effective way to secure more bookings and business is with the addition of a hotel gym.
What is a hotel gym?
A hotel gym is a dedicated fitness facility located within a hotel.
A hotel gym is an amenity that is appreciated by a wide variety of hotel guests, from fitness fanatics on holiday, to business travellers who spend a lot of time on the road and are looking for ways to maintain their health and fitness.
Hotel gyms are a common sight in larger hotels, but can be less common in small to medium-sized hotels. As such they can form a key differentiator for a large number of hotel businesses – a reason for a guest to book your room over that of a competitor.
A hotel gym can be a small room with a handful of machines, or take up an entire floor of a high-rise hotel. In order to offer the best workout experience, it’s wise to position a hotel gym somewhere that offers a view for people to enjoy while they jog on a treadmill or work up a sweat on a stationary bike.
6 benefits of having a gym in your hotel
Why invest in the construction of a gym in your hotel? Here are just six of the most compelling reasons.
1. Secure more bookings
First and foremost, the addition of a hotel gym can see you secure more bookings, as it forms a very desirable amenity for a wide variety of potential guests. By setting you apart from your non-gym competition, it can be the thing that helps you to secure a booking that you may otherwise have missed out on.
2. Charge more per booking
When you offer your guests an on-site gym free of charge, it means that they don’t have to pay to use a commercial gym down the road. With this in mind, you may be able to add a few dollars to your nightly rate for the added value and convenience that you’re offering.
3. Attract a different type of guest
Most hotels attract a certain type of guest, particularly smaller, more niche and boutique accommodation providers. With the addition of a hotel gym you can expand your target demographic to include new types of guests, such as business travellers who are looking for ways to maintain their fitness while on the road.
4. Enjoy better reviews
Modern hotel businesses live and die by their reviews. More than 80% of hotel guests will read reviews before they book a room, and if you offer your guests the enticing amenity of a hotel gym, you can expect a few of them to mention it in glowing terms in a review, leading to even more guests booking a stay.
5. Give guests a place to meet one another
One of the more subtle aspects of a good guest experience is the sense of community that your hotel is able to foster. While communal spaces like bars, terraces and lounges are a great way for guests to meet, a gym is in some ways even better, because everyone who enters has something in common: a passion for fitness.
6. Encourage health and happiness
The mind and the body are inextricably linked, so healthier guests tend to be happier guests. A hotel gym can actually make managing your hotel a little bit easier, with guests taking out the day’s stresses and frustrations on your gym equipment rather than your staff.
10 types of equipment to consider for your hotel gym
A hotel gym should be fitted out in much the same way as a commercial gym, with equipment designed for regular, heavy use. You should fit your hotel out with equipment from brands like Circle Fitness, Body-Solid, Concept2 and Force USA. Key pieces of equipment you should install in your hotel gym include:
1. Treadmills: Hotels are often found in high density urban areas where walking and running can be difficult, so a treadmill is a must-have.
2. Exercise bikes: Bikes come in a range of styles, including spin, upright, recumbent, air bikes. Your chosen selection will depend on the type of guest you tend to attract.
- 3. Rowing machines: These compact machines are capable of working every major muscle group.
- 4. Cross trainers: Cross trainers deliver a high-intensity cardio workout for the legs and arms.
- 5. Step machines: Sure, a guest could just trade the elevator for the stairs, but a step machine with a beautiful view is a far nicer exercise option.
- 6. Weightlifting benches and weight sets: Strength training equipment is an absolute must-have in a hotel gym.
- 7. Weightlifting racks: Squat, power and half racks help guests to work on strength and power in specific areas of the body.
- 8. Multi-stations: A multi-station is a great solution when space in your hotel gym is limited.
- 9. Functional training machines: These adaptable pieces of equipment use
- cables and pulleys to work muscles that can be hard to hit with other machines.
- 10. Ice baths: The ultimate piece of recovery equipment, an in-gym ice bath can form a truly appreciated, truly memorable hotel gym amenity.
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GymQuip: hotel gym fit-out specialists
If you’re searching for the very best equipment for your hotel gym, and if you’re looking for expert advice on exactly how to fit your hotel gym out, from equipment, to layout, to ongoing maintenance, our expert team is here to help.
Home to Australia’s largest fitness showroom, at GymQuip we boast over three decades of experience in fitting out hotel and commercial gyms.
Our complete commercial gym fit out service begins with a consulting session, after which we design your floor plan, identify equipment, deliver that equipment (five days a week, and for a flat fee of $99 if you’re within 20km of our store), professionally install it, and provide ongoing service and support to ensure it stays safe and ready for your guests to use (additional charges may apply).
We also deliver Australia-wide, and ship all orders within 24 hours. Our online range is even more extensive than our in-store range, and with our price match guarantee you can feel safe in the knowledge that we offer Australia’s best value hotel gym equipment.
And no matter where your hotel might be found, we can come to you to conduct an on-site consultation! Get in touch with our friendly team today.