Hotel gym design - a consultant's view
Biofit is the hotel gym design consultant for luxury resort brand IKOS
IKOS Andalucia looking impressive!
What does a hotel gym design consultant do?
It may seem obvious but in reality it’s not that simple! First, some context. Most hotel or resort gym designs are wrapped up in a wider architectural project, with a space allocated for the gym, then flooring, lighting, electrics, ventilation and mirrors installed, before a recognized equipment brand is called in to equip the entire space with their products.
As such, there is no specialist ‘gym design’ going on, nor is there a gym concept developed that fits in with the context of the hotel, aligned with current fitness trends and the hotel’s target market / guest demographics.
Hotel gym design as a ‘USP’
This situation occurs because the gym is more of a box ticking exercise than a priority. It is unlikely to generate any revenue for the hotel so is more of an obligation than a Unique Selling Point in itself - for us, as hotel gym design consultants, this is a huge missed opportunity.
In the IKOS Resorts group based in Greece we found a brand that understands this completely and has decided to turn their gyms into genuine features of the guest experience.
Creating a hotel gym concept
Wooden flooring, white walls, TV screens and tightly packed rows of Technogym equipment is not our idea of a gym concept', although for many hotels this is deemed sufficient.
Hotel brands that want to stay ahead of the competition and wish to tap into the huge wellness market, should look to develop a concept for their gym first before deciding on the interior design or equipment.
What type of fitness training are the hotel guests doing at home? Do we want to give them everything they have in an urban gym or gently encourage them to try something new while on holiday?
Are we looking for a more natural, eco-friendly style or a high-end, sophisticated aesthetic with the equipment choices? Do we want to offer just strength and conditioning or promote more focus on stretching / mobility and outdoor fitness training in the fresh air?
All of these questions and answers go into making an innovative hotel gym concept that avoids the same, standard cookie-cutter approach favored by 99% of hotels but that is already being replaced with more inspiring hotel gym concepts. The revolution is coming!
Gym equipment selection
Selecting hotel gym equipment should, in our view, be seen as a central part of the gym design process. Going to one brand and asking them to fit out the entire gym is always going to result in a standard response.
Every gym equipment brand has their high-value products that they want to sell as many of as possible. They also have a clear style that defines their products, almost becoming part of their brand in many ways.
The design aesthetic and commercial interests of the equipment supplier, in other words, are rarely aligned with delivering the best guest experience possible that connects with the aesthetics of the hotel or resort.
For that, you will need an external gym designer who works with multiple brands and can curate a bespoke equipment selection to match each hotel or resort’s personality, budget, floor space and target audience.
We’re typically using the latest 3D gym design software to make all this happen.
Designing an outdoor gym for a hotel or resort
One of the most obvious trends in hotel gym design right now as we emerge from the COVID crisis is the surge in demand for outdoor training facilities where guests can exercise in the fresh air, without worrying about wearing a mask, spreading germs and so on.
Ideally an outdoor gym location should provide shade from the summer sun as well as a view onto nature, a space that is entirely closed in may offer privacy but we are hard-wired to appreciate perspectives that give us a view into the distance.
Outdoor hotel gyms can either be functional fitness facilities with kettlebells, dumbbells, exercise mats, and sandbags, or a combination of functional fitness training gear with a calisthenics rig permanently installed in the allocated area.
Gym flooring design considerations
For indoor hotel gyms we like to work with sustainable cork flooring or a cork-rubber mix tile that provides additional comfort underfoot. Beyond just aesthetics, we also consider sustainability, indoor air quality, acoustics, durability, maintenance and the type of training that will take place in each zone of the gym, meaning flooring and equipment layout must go hand in hand.
Outdoor hotel gyms can consider flooring options that include grass in dry climates, sand or specific outdoor gym flooring tiles in locations that have higher annual rainfall.
Wood or wood composite decking is also an option, albeit a more expensive one and perhaps better suited to mind-body practices such as yoga classes a hard floor is going to need reinforcing as well as additional protection on top wherever there are heavy weights being used.
For more on sustainable gym flooring solutions see our dedicated blog article here.
Hotel gym interior design for wellbeing benefits
We are specialists in biophilic design in gyms but we consider wellbeing interiors to be a more all-encompassing strategy that does not necessarily include plants, nature and greenery, instead it focuses on creating a space that has functional health benefits for the gym users.
We do this via improved air quality, wellness lighting, acoustics planning, access to healthy nutrition and drinking water, space for mental wellness such as a meditation room, as well as optional biophilia solutions such as natural fabrics, patterns, materials and, yes, plants.