Health and wellness is a fully fledged part of modern life for frequent travellers. Gone are the days of suspending fitness regimes while on the road. Everyone from business travellers to honeymooners opt for healthy exploration and the hospitality industry has listened. Hotels now offer special menus and fitness centres boasting facilities to rival any conventional gym.
Health and wellness is a fully fledged part of modern life for frequent travellers. Gone are the days of suspending fitness regimes while on the road. Everyone from business travellers to honeymooners opt for healthy exploration and the hospitality industry has listened. Hotels now offer special menus and fitness centres boasting facilities to rival any conventional gym.
1 FIT at W San Francisco
Located in the trendy W San Francisco, FIT is part fitness centre and part nightclub. Open 24 hours a day, the futuristic space was designed to encourage guests to get the most out of their workouts. At the centre of the gym is a self-serve bar area offering towels or a place to relax. The space is lit with colour-changing fixtures that keep you awake and feeling energised and the bar is surrounded by high-tech cardio and strength training equipment with vibrant murals on the walls and pulsating music to gear people up for their workout. www.whotels.com.
2 Banyan Tree Fitness Club at Marina Bay Sands
Located in Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands, Banyan Tree Fitness Club boasts contemporary workout facilities and sweeping views of the city skyline thanks to its position on the 55th floor. The gym is fitted out with Kinesis Technogym equipment, catering to fans of weight training, along with high-tech cardio machines like the popular FitVibe. Changing rooms feature a hot pool, steam, sauna and lockers. Programmes including sunrise yoga are held at the Sands SkyPark Observation Deck. www.marinabaysands.com.
3 Fitness Center at The Ritz Carlton, Hong Kong
The state-of-the-art Fitness Center at The Ritz Carlton, Hong Kong is filled with Technogym equipment, including Kinesis One, and the latest cardiovascular equipment. The Internet-connected machines mean you can watch a movie and workout at the same time, a bonus for time-poor business travellers. The 24-hour facility has an outdoor terrace and indoor infinity pool on the top floor of the hotel. The 144 LED screens on the ceiling of the infinity pool display soothing images making a swim utterly relaxing. There is also an outdoor Jacuzzi where fitness buffs can soothe their aching muscles. www.ritzcarlton.com.
4 Singita Sabora
Some hotel gyms are impressive due to innovative classes, and others because they offer the best facilities, but there are some that offer something truly priceless. Singita Sabora is a tented camp in Tanzania, and the gym, fully equipped with the latest equipment, looks out over the Tanzanian bush, offering the very real possibility that you could see an elephant or an impala while you work your glutes. www.singita.com.
5 Hualalai Sports Club at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai
The Hualalai Sports Club is the dedicated fitness club for guests at Four Seasons Resort Hualalai, Hawaii. Going beyond what standard hotel gyms offer, Hualalai Sports Club is a 15,000sqft fitness club with all the bells and whistles. In addition to the latest fitness machines in both the indoor and outdoor gyms, the club also offers an 82ft lap pool, basketball court, dedicated yoga and Pilates studios, a sand volleyball court and even a rock climbing wall, perfect for everyone from honeymooners to families. There are also fitness classes, guided walks and the Hualalai Tennis Club comprising eight courts, two of which are lit for evening play. www.fourseasons.com.
6Jumeirah Vittaveli
A 20-minute catamaran ride from Malé International Airport is Jumeirah Vittaveli, a luxurious haven on Bolifushi Island. When it comes to staying fit in paradise, the resort has guests covered with a variety of choices that focus on fun and the island ambiance. The fitness centre is located in an overwater, thatched-roof bungalow that offers expansive views of the Indian Ocean as you sweat it out. Guests can get valuable tips and pointers with a complimentary personal training session, take their workout beachside with a circuit training class or try windsurfing, waterskiing, kayaking and stand-up paddleboarding www.jumeirah.com.
7 Matakauri Lodge
Like Singita Sabora, the gym at Matakauri Lodge is as much about location as it is about offerings. While there is state-of-theart equipment, a sauna to soothe aches and pains from a long day hiking and an outdoor infinity pool and Jacuzzi, it is the uninterrupted views of the spectacular Lake Wakatipu of this alpine retreat that makes it worthy of this list. www.matakaurilodge.com.
8 Club on the Park at Park Hyatt Tokyo
Park Hyatt Tokyo’s Club on the Park offers a gym and an aerobics studio that flank either side of the pool on the skylit 47th floor in the heart of the Japanese capital. Floor-to-ceiling windows offer a stunning view of the city below, particularly at night. The gym is equipped with a complete range of Life Fitness equipment, while personal trainers provide advice on anything from correct form to an entire fitness programme. Weekly fitness classes from body sculpting and aerobics to circuit training and tai chi are also available. The club also features motivational exercise programmes, seasonal events and visitor excursions. www.park.hyatt.com.
9 Amanpuri
Aman is well known for impeccable service and attention to detail, but when it comes to gyms, Amanpuri on the west coast of Phuket Island is pushing the competition. A 350sqm glass-walled gym sits at the highest point of the property and offers stunning sea views. There is the essential cardiovascular equipment as well as free weights, a Pilates studio and personal trainers offering individual attention. There are also six floodlit tennis courts, but even if you are a solo traveller the hotel can arrange a playing partner. www.aman.com.
10 Canyon Ranch at The Venetian Las Vegas
Spread out over 134,000sqft, Canyon Ranch SpaClub at The Venetian Las Vegas features a slew of wellness and fitness offerings. Canyon Ranch SpaClub has two state-of-the-art fitness facilities featuring the latest equipment, but there is also a 40ft indoor rock climbing wall, a Pilates studio, dedicated cycling gym and Kinesis studio. There are plenty of fitness classes and North America’s only Aquavana – a collection of European-style thermal cabins and aqua thermal bathing experiences. www.canyonranch.com.
