How hotels are flexing as seriously stylish health and fitness destinations
Technogym X Roadbook
Hotels are prioritising health as guests increasingly choose holistic wellbeing over hedonism. From community events and membership initiatives to the sleekest hotel gyms around, we explore the new fitness frontier.
The idea of a beautiful gym may sound like a paradox, but you haven’t seen Surrenne in Belgravia, London. The luxury spa, gym and health club is adjoined to The Emory, a suite-only luxury hotel from Maybourne (also behind The Connaught and Claridge’s) that opened in 2024.
Designed by Rémi Tessier and billed as a ‘sensorial otherworldly experience’, Technogym equipment sits beneath Damien Hirst artwork, while mood lighting changes to reset your circadian rhythm and Surrenne’s bespoke sandalwood scent, Magma, wafts through the building. The yoga studio features a floor-to-ceiling immersive screen where virtual classes transport you to Japanese gardens and African desert sands. Smooth oak wood and marble are all around, while the 22m swimming pool shimmers below a 24-carat gold ceiling.
Membership to Surrenne is by invitation and costs 1o,000 GBP per year to access the club’s facilities, including a hyper-personalised fitness programme informed by diagnostic testing to monitor cardiovascular and metabolic health, strength endurance and hormone balance.
“It is a distinctive brand that stands at the forefront of ultra-luxury experiential wellbeing, echoing a wider cultural shift,” summarises Hattie David-Wilkinson, the club’s global head of wellness and longevity. “It is results-driven and rooted in science.”
Afterwards, guests linger in the lounge for a collagen-laced mocktail or matcha latte infused with mushroom extract powder, or return to The Emory hotel via a discreet connecting tunnel.
Hotel fitness is big business
The ‘wider shift’ referenced by Surrenne refers to an evolving guest focus on health. Hotel cocktail menus now sit alongside a cortisol-spiking smorgasbord of workout options and medical-grade wellness facilities. You might find a rose quartz Himalayan salt wall or a doctor’s screening room where a basement bar once stood.
Hotel fitness has never been hotter – or colder, as guests embrace cryotherapy chambers and ice-cold plunges. Biohacking over breakfast is de rigueur, while saunas, soundbaths and tailored workout programmes are all par for the course.
“Guests aren’t just looking for a decent workout. They want spaces that support their full lifestyle: movement, mindfulness, recovery and even sleep,” says Anand Amornrattanavej, vice president of Euro Creations in Bangkok. The company is credited with bringing Technogym to Thailand, where hotels are on a wellness surge. Recent wellness-focused openings include Aman Nai Lert Bangkok and Grande Centre Point Lumphini.
“The best hotels aren’t just adding a yoga class or smoothie bar – they’re rethinking the whole guest experience to create wellness journeys that feel personal, seamless and inspiring.”
Fitness-forward hotels
“What’s fallen out of favour are one-size-fits-all gym routines,” says Jamie Moore, director of fitness and recovery at Siro hotels. “Guests are seeking personalised, goal-oriented programmes.”
Owned by Kerzner International (also behind One&Only and Atlantis The Royal), Siro broke the mould when it launched in Dubai in 2024, presenting a comprehensive health and fitness programme alongside all the tropes of an upscale design hotel. It attracts professional athletes who come specifically to train, alongside affluent business travellers looking to mix work with wellbeing, with the majority aged between 25 and 40.
“We opened in direct response to the increase in demand for wellness travel and wellbeing experiences at our One&Only resorts,” says Moore. “Guests were requesting more holistic wellbeing experiences, well beyond the traditional hotel gym or spa massage.”
Like Surrenne, diagnostic testing is key to Siro’s personalised model and equal billing is given to recovery. Soundwave and light therapy is available in the Recovery Lab, where strictly sports massages are on the treatment menu. “Modalities like ice baths, cold plunges, infrared saunas and other regenerative therapies are all requested by our guests.”
A second location opens in Mentenego in May 2025 in Boka Bay, considered one of Europe’s most beautiful inlets. Alongside the hotel’s swathe of fitness and wellbeing therapies, guests can go trail hiking, canyoning and rafting, enveloped by the rugged peaks of the Dinaric Alps and the shimmering Adriatic Sea.
"Guests want to exercise in a way that feels social, local and inspiring.”
Community fitness
It’s not all hyperbaric oxygen chambers and high-tech diagnostics. Hotels are also prioritising community fitness, which brings guests together and exercising as a form of socialising. The luxurious 1 Hotels group – noted for its responsibly minded ethos – operates run clubs in London and West Hollywood, as well a unique community wellness programme at each location.
“Wellness for travellers has become much less about escape and more about integration,” says Stefan Merriweather, head of creative at The Line & Saguaro Hotels. “Guests aren’t looking to pause their routines when they travel anymore; they are also keen to expand these in a way that feels social, local and inspiring.”
Throughout The Line hotels in Los Angeles, Austin and Washington, D.C., guests can partake in complimentary Tai Chi classes, yoga sessions, run clubs and tarot card readings.
“Fitness used to be a very solitary and transactional offering in hotels. What’s changing now is the desire for experiences that connect movement with culture, creativity and community. Today’s travelers aren’t just looking for fitness, they’re looking for belonging as well.”
Westin Hotels & Resorts – Marriott’s luxury city hotel brand with a wellness focus – partners with Abbott World Marathon Majors to support and encourage race travellers. Tailored experiences bring runners together for both camaraderie and recovery-minded experiences. “We’ve noticed a significant rise in fitness tourism, with more travellers planning their annual leave around marquee wellness moments,” comments Sandra Schulze-Potgieter, vice president of premium and select brands across Europe, Middle East and Africa at Marriott International.
Guests can also request complimentary equipment and clothing throughout their stay, including workout gear, ankle and wrist weights for in-room Pilates and air compression wearables by Normatec to aid recovery.
Where next for hotel fitness?
Urban hotels are now leading destinations for fitness and wellbeing, with membership initiatives that drive local footfall. New technology means that travellers can train smarter and also expect holistic therapies as standard. Sleep, recovery and nutrition are equally important.
Travellers want to pack light, train well and recover comfortably, in an environment every bit as exclusive, social and chic as their favourite members’ bar. The future of hotel fitness looks set to be shaped by branded fitness merch, local collaborations and community-focussed events.
“Wellness should be embedded into every aspect of a hotel,” advises Hattie David-Wilkinson of Surrenne. “AI technology and intelligent design can create responsive spaces, thus creating a personalised guest experience.”
“Travel that helps you stay well is the ultimate luxury,” concludes Anand Amornrattanavej of Euro Creations. “Smart hoteliers should focus on building wellness not just as a feature, but as a philosophy.”
