Get off Your Butt when You’re on the Go!
Fast Company sizes up the exercise facilities of five hotels.
Business travelers are on the go. But they spend much of their time sitting down — on a plane, in a meeting, at a desk. Here’s information on five hotels with great facilities for helping you to get off your butt and to get your blood flowing — plus some working advice on working out from a representative of each facility. So don’t just sit there. Do some sit-ups!
| Where | Equipment | Cost | Training Tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hyatt Regency Austin Austin, Texas www.hyatt.com |
The Hyatt features an outdoor pool, a whirlpool, and a sundeck. Its on-site health club includes life cycles, stair climbers, and Nautilus equipment. A nine-mile hiking-and-biking trail starts beside the Hyatt. | Access to workout facilities is free for hotel guests. The Hyatt offers bike rentals from sunrise to sunset for $3 per hour. | The best times to hit the trail are early in the morning and around 2 p.m., says Bobby Garcia, a concierge at the Hyatt. Steer clear of the lunchtime and after-work crowds, he advises. |
| The Fairmont Hotel Chicago, Illinois www.fairmont.com |
The Lakeshore Athletic Club at Illinois Center, a multi-level “superclub,” sits next door to the Fairmont. Along with standard equipment, the club has a 100-foot rock-climbing wall that guests can scale. | Fairmont guest passes cost $10 for one day, $17 for two days, and $23 for three days. The climbing-wall orientation session costs $30 including shoe rental. Otherwise, the rental fee for climbing shoes is $4. | Todd Hengsteler, the club’s climbing coordinator, advises first-time climbers to wear long, loose-fitting shorts, in case they fall or slide down the wall. Avoid climbing after work, when the wall is in highest demand, he adds. |
| The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites Los Angeles, California www.westin.com |
The Westin has a small fitness center. But next door, the Stuart M. Ketchum YMCA provides strength-training equipment, a junior Olympic pool, and courts for racquetball, tennis, squash, and basketball. | Guests can use the facilities located in the hotel for free. A day pass to the YMCA costs $7.50. | Rosanne Malogolowkin, the YMCA’s director of fitness and health enhancement, urges racquetball players to enter the challenge-court tournament, which takes place from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. every Wednesday. |
| Doubletree Grand Hotel on Biscayne Bay Miami, Florida, www.doubletree.com |
The Grand Health Club is a state-of-the-art waterfront fitness facility. It includes massage facilities, a sauna, and a 700-square-foot free-weight area. There is also an Olympic-size pool, along with four jacuzzis. | Admission to the club is free with a hotel ID card. At the nearby marina, jet skis can be rented for $40 per half hour. | Chimenne Honore, a sales assistant at the Doubletree, says that the hotel has no control over water-sports fees, which can vary. Guests should check with the hotel concierge before making reservations. |
| The Drake, Swissotel New York New York, New York www.swissotel.com |
Park Avenue Spa & Fitness, located on the lower level of the Drake, features a fully equipped workout area. The spa offers a wide range of massage, hydrotherapy, facial, and body treatments. | Hotel guests pay $10 per day to use the fitness facility. Massages, seaweed wraps, and hydrotherapy sessions cost extra. | Amanda Whitney, one of the spa’s licensed massage therapists, recommends a hydrotherapy session, followed by a personally tailored massage, for the ultimate in stress relief. |
