Kempinski ‘Fit Rooms’ come complete with state-of-the-art Technogym bikes, free virtual training sessions and bags of fitness equipment. Olivia Palamountain reports
Wellness tourism is big business. The global industry is predicted to be worth around US$1.2 trillion in 2027 – up from US$735.8 billion in 2020 – and hospitality venues and resorts are trying harder than ever to capitalise on it.
Tapping into the unstoppable rise for all things wellness related and helping exercise-mad guests stay on top of their regimes, luxury hotel brand Kempinski has launched a specialist fitness room category in partnership with Technogym.
Branded as Kempinski “Fit Rooms”, these upgraded suites in select hotels come complete with “innovative in-room workout solutions and on-demand fitness services”. 
The main feature is a Technogym Bike, a smart piece of kit that has a console embedded with digital on-demand access to “round the clock” cycling classes run by trainers from around the world.
Users can search classes based on their preferred trainer, type of workout, language and music or travel solo, and set the screen to a range of natural and urban landscapes for a virtual travel experience.
More than just a sweaty ride, Technogym bikes also enable a full body workout thanks to integrated handlebars and the option to add strength training exercises to the cardio routines.
Further amenities include a Technogym Case, a fitness goodie bag containing a foam roller and massage ball, a sustainably made exercise mat, stretchy bands for lower-body exercises, and power bands in three levels of resistance for upper body exercises.
A personal guided session with a virtual trainer is an additional free bonus, activated via a supplied QR code.
Marc Feller, Kempinski senior director of customer experience, says: “The trend towards wellness and health, which has been growing steadily in recent years, will certainly intensify in the future. With the new room category, we are meeting the need of our guests to stay fit on the go and to implement a perfect workout without having to leave the hotel.
“The Kempinski Fit Room is an important part of our corporate strategy around wellness and sustainability, and complements the just recently completed acquisition of all shares in spa provider Resense.”
Kempinski Fit Rooms are now available to book via the hotel website in the Berlin, Munich, Dubai and Shanghai properties. As the world continues to open up for travel, the brand expect to roll out the collaboration in further destinations.
Not the first hotel brand to clock the potential of in-room fitness offerings, Hilton launched a similar initiative called Five Feet to Fitness back in 2017 (still going strong), joined by the likes of Mandarin Oriental, which installed a library of Grokker virtual workout videos for guests at around the same time.
Classes included a five-minute meditation to ease stress, a 20-minute workout, and Pilates and yoga sessions including a “soothing bedtime yoga practice to encourage sleep”.
Meanwhile, upscale gym company Equinox, which has 95 clubs in cities including London, LA and New York, has taken fitness travel to the next level with its fitness-focused hotels and overseas tours.
The first Equinox Hotel opened in 2019 in New York’s new Hudson Yards development (read Globetrender’s review here), focused on “living a well-balanced life with guests enjoying access to state-of-the-art facilities, active-minded programming and nourishing dining, all within luxurious surroundings”. The group hope to open a further 75 gym hotels around the world.