Any hotelier knows the benefit of having an on-site gym for guests to use and whilst the design can be handle by a skilled architect or interior designer, when it comes to kitting it out, how do you know you’re choosing the right equipment? UK Fitness accessories specialist, The-Mad-Group, has worked with a number of hotels to find the right equipment, regardless of the size of their gym.
“Not every hotel can have a state-of-the-art gym with rows of treadmills, rowing machines, cross trainers etc., but that doesn’t mean they can’t offer guests something useful,” says David Elliot, MD of The-Mad-Group. “Investing in simple, space-saving equipment allows your guests to get a decent workout in during their stay with you without breaking the bank.”
Equipment such as skipping ropes, weighted hula hoops, weights, resistance bands and foam rollers all work together to produce a pretty robust workout. In fact, according to the British Rope Skipping Association, 10 minutes of skipping can have the same health benefits as a 45-minute run, whilst an hour of skipping burns 1,300 calories.
Suspension training is also a popular fitness accessory, and a portable set means hotel gyms have more flexibility over their space as it can be attached to any wall anchor or even a door frame. It might look like a simple piece of kit but using your own weight as resistance ensures a full body workout for guests.
Whilst space-saving can be a key motivating factor when choosing equipment there’s also the added worry of security. “As much as you may not want to believe it, equipment can go missing from hotel gyms. This is obviously a major concern, particularly in boutique hotels where budgets can be tighter, and the last thing hoteliers want to be doing is spending a lot of money replacing missing equipment or hiring ‘gym security’ to stop the problem.”
So when choosing equipment it’s important to consider how it can be safely stored and accessed to prevent this happening. The PowerBlock, the world’s only stacking dumbbell system, is perfect for hotel gyms. “The PowerBlock system is the solution to many of the problems hotel gyms face,” says David. “If you’ve got limited space then it easily replaces racks of individual dumbbells. If you’re a hotel with a pool or spa the material the system is made from isn’t damaged by the extra moisture in the air and if you’re worried about theft the whole system can be locked down.”
All products are available from The-Mad-Group and its retailers across the UK. PowerBlock and The Burn Machine Speed Bag are available exclusively through The-Mad-Group in the EU. RRP can be found at fitness-mad.com, for trade prices please call 01386 425920.
