How to ensure your guests have an enjoyable in-room wellbeing experience

In a post-pandemic world, the average hotel and gym guest profile has changed. People want a more bespoke experience, more control and minimal disruption.

How can you incorporate this into your offer?

Fitness products and brands travel with their customers. As fitness routines have become a daily lifestyle component for so many of us during the pandemic, it's important to ensure your guests have access to the facilities they're used to on their travels. For those guests who want to continue their wellbeing journey throughout their stay the following things are important:

• Workout tracking
• On-demand training
• Daily workout suggestions

More and more hotels are starting to offer in-room equipment, such as treadmills, exercise bikes, dumbbells and exercise balls. Some hotels are offering “work-in, work-out” promotions, featuring second adjoining rooms to be set up as working or gym facilities, with virtual training services. The Hilton’s Five Feet to Fitness concept blends the traditional hotel room with a fitness centre, with 11 different equipment and accessory options into the hotel room, along with a touch-screen display with bespoke exercise tutorials to guide guests through workout routines. Kempinski hotels has introduced "fit rooms", upgraded suites in select hotels that come complete with in-room workout solutions and on-demand fitness services as well as personal guided sessions with a virtual trainer, accessed via a QR code.

Knowing your demographic well will determine what you offer to guests and what difference it will make to their stay and their likelihood of returning.

• If your guest profile represents business travellers who want to maintain their daily workout routine then in-room equipment could be worth the investment.
• If your core demographic is leisure travellers who prefer a trip to the on-site facilities and keep their room for sleeping and relaxing then the emphasis must go elsewhere.

Of course, not everyone has the budget to offer additional in-room facilities or high-tech-enabled equipment but there are other ways to ensure the in-room experience is geared towards optimum wellbeing.

The in-room offer doesn’t have to include physical fitness equipment but the simple addition of mindfulness, meditation and basic stretching exercises on the room TV is a cost-effective way to improve the wellbeing experience. You could also include recommendations for fitness apps or nearby walking routes and include different types of cushions or weighted blankets.

The wellbeing offer doesn't just extend to corporeal fitness. On the room service menu, offer a good mix of organic and local produce where possible as well as flagging up available healthier options or offering niche extras such as protein drinks for the more dedicated fitness fans.

However, an in-room wellbeing experience is an ongoing one and cannot be delivered in a silo. Only by aligning all aspects of your organisation in the wellbeing philosophy will you be able to ensure your guests get the experience they have come to expect and will keep them singing your praises and coming back for more.