Raising the barbell: Inside the evolution of luxury hotel gyms

Ever researched CrossFit boxes in a ski resort, weighed up running routes on snow-covered roads, or booked a hotel for its gym rather than its bar? Welcome to the growing movement embracing exercise as a lifestyle choice, not a chore. Strength is a status symbol and optimisation is in, and the new luxury is lifting — after all, muscle can only be built, not bought. 

It’s little surprise then that fitness devotees are no longer willing to suspend training when travelling. Whether you’re a CrossFit queen, hyrox hero or committed heavy hitter in the weights room, why put progress on pause simply because you’re away from home? For many, exercise is a welcome pause in their day, rather than an obligation to escape from.

For years, hotel gyms have been underwhelming at best, non-existent at worst. A glorified basement, even one liberally furnished with premium kit, is not a destination in its own right. Thankfully, hoteliers are catching up. Token running routes and a lonely treadmill have given way to state-of-the-art fitness facilities, performance-led training spaces, and expansive wellness suites which rival the world’s best spas.Epitomising this shift is Siro. The fitness and recovery hospitality brand has quietly set up shop and rewritten what hotel fitness can be. At its Montenegro hotel, the gym boasts 1600 square metres of prime, performance-focused real estate. Alongside classic fitness offerings — group classes, yoga, mindfulness studios, and one-to-one training sessions — it also boasts distinct areas devoted to weight training, cardio, functional training and accessory work. Recovery isn’t neglected either, with an array of treatment rooms, sauna and a Himalayan salt-clad recovery lounge. Cutting-edge treatments extend from EMS therapy and compression boots to dry needling, cupping and the requisite personalised massage menu. For travellers seeking to relax and recover, it promises to “empower you to live better, no matter where you are”. With its initial openings already proving popular within the wellness set, a flurry of forecast openings will eventually see it appear in Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Japan. First, Siro Miami will bring the concept to the US in 2030, accompanied by 350 SIRO Residences for everyday living.Closer to home, the newly opened Triplebond at The BoTree is staking its claim as London’s hottest fitness destination. With its own identity and members’ club offering, lucky guests of the hotel get the gamut of facilities included in their room rate — and what an offering it is. With an emphasis on science-backed wellness technologies, it’s a far cry from the classic, clinical hotel gym with temperamental machines and dusty dumbbells languishing unloved. Instead, its sleek and slightly futuristic interiors glow with infrared technologies. The Bassment, a studio built for beat-led hot classes, combines music, movement and heat, while in the skyline gym, rows of technogym machines beckon. Recovery reigns supreme, from the hyperbaric chamber, cryochamber and red light offering in the recovery lounge, to the futuristic AI massage chair with NASA-inspired zero-gravity presets. Back in-room, kick back and relax as you trial the latest professional-grade recovery essentials, from compression boots to red light face masks.At adults-only Equinox Amaala, optimisation is woven into every aspect of the guest experience extending well beyond the gym floor. Circadian-driven sleep environments, advanced acoustic isolation and precision climate control place as much emphasis on recovery as performance. Across more than 20,000 square feet of indoor and open-air fitness spaces, personal training sessions are bookended by breathwork, movement and bespoke recovery programmes. The spa is equally considered, centred around a seven-stage regeneration circuit. Treatments and technologies span cryotherapy, infrared sauna, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, hydrotherapy and contrast temperature therapies. Taken together, it goes well beyond the traditions of a hotel gym to offer a sophisticated contemporary destination for personal optimisation.

Related: Five of the world’s most exceptional golf resorts and destinationsElsewhere, Hard Rock Hotel Malta exemplifies this shift further, allocating nearly 4,000 square metres to fitness, wellness and recovery combined. In the 2,000 square metre gym, Technogym equipment once again abounds, and real-time performance analytics and health assessments steal the spotlight. Compression boots, a sauna, steam room, Hammam, squash courts, health bar and lounge demonstrate its breadth and dedication, with accompanying yoga spaces, recovery centre and spa. This is destination fitness in one footprint, designed to surpass guest’s growing expectations. Encapsulating the shift away from standalone gyms, it serves savvy travellers seeking a space that accommodates training, recovery and relaxation in equal measure.Ultimately, as hotel gyms become increasingly sophisticated, the demand for equally elevated home-gym options is also on the rise. A familiar fixture in many of the world’s leading hotels, technogym is the name to know for movement on the move. Adding to its range of sustainable, high-performance home offerings, its new design-forward reformer comes in three colours, is made from innovative, eco-friendly materials, and offers on-demand videos via the accompanying app.

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