biofit - hotel gym design consultant

A nature-inspired hotel gym concept (2021)

We are currently working on a hotel gym assignment in Monza, Italy that involves one eco gym design aimed at hotel guests and local residents, as well as a small private training studio, again with a nature theme.

This prestigious site is a historic palazzo right on the main square opposite the city’s elegant Duomo (cathedral), a location that presents both challenges and opportunities.

A ground floor cafe is already well-established as a recognised meeting point for those in search of a green juice or vegan snack, ensuring high levels of brand awareness amongst local residents with a health conscience. There is every chance of converting a percentage of this existing audience into loyal clients of the new gym and personal training studio once open.

Working within a listed building in Italy does come with its own restrictions however, meaning the utmost respect must be paid to the existing architecture, working with rather against the site’s history.

hotel gym equipment selection

As we have written previously, getting the equipment mix right for a hotel that has a preference for the eco-friendly or indeed for biophilic design is a delicate balance between meeting the needs and expectations of a luxury hotel guest whilst staying true to the hotel brand’s DNA.

Many guests will expect a treadmill, bike and elliptical as well as a set of dumbbells, exercise bench and yoga mats as an absolute minimum. Thanks to recent gym equipment launches we are now able to offer suitable solutions for all of these gym basics.

From manually powered treadmills with a wood finish, to eco spin bikes that pump a modicum of electricity back into the grid, as sustainable hotel gym designers we rely on a small number of specialist equipment suppliers, each of which offer local maintenance services in Italy for the hotel manager’s peace of mind.

For dumbbells, we look to either wood-plated stainless steel or a stainless steel inox option with bespoke branding for our client on the end-plate of each weight. NB: Stainless steel is 100% recyclable, although it does not degrade, meaning it can be reused and repurposed at its end of life.

Our exercise bench choice then matches the dumbbells in aesthetics, either with a wood or steel structure combined with a natural leather cushion cover. Finally, for exercise mats we opt for eco-friendly options made of a minimum of 25% bio-based materials such as natural cork, or bamboo.