Urban Athletic Resorts on the Rise

Travel is no longer just about seeing the sights and eating the local cuisine. A growing amount of travelers seek ways to stay active as part of their getaways. In preparation for this increasing trend, hotels make changes to their amenities to offer guests opportunities to burn off some pent-up energy that amassed from sitting behind a desk for months.

An example of such a change can be seen in Chicago’s Hotel at Midtown, an accommodation opened last November at the top of the pre-existing Midtown Athletic Club. Both spaces serve guests, while the athletic club also is open to the general public. The Chicago neighborhood lacked a luxury lodging option for travelers, and that sparked the curiosity of developers. Building a hotel on top of the enormous gym serves as a sort-of “urban sports resort” in which guests can use the gym facilities while treating themselves to a luxury hotel or during downtime on a business trip.

Elsewhere in the hospitality realm, 1 Hotel South Beach in Miami added a Spartan Gym to its property, a complex that allows guests and the public to train for Spartan races using obstacles that mimic those in the actual race. A bonus that comes with hotels joining forces with fitness facilities is expanding the client base. Not only can hotel guests visit the gyms, but gym-goers can access the hotel’s amenities including pools, spas and restaurants, included in their gym membership.