Hotel & Motel Management - September 15, 2008 - (Page 58)

58 Hotel Operations FITNESS EQUIPMENT H&MM September 15, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition BY CHRIS CROWELL, ASSOCIATE EDITOR ‘ work-in What a KIMPTON No two guests are alike. This is why an in-room ﬁtness option, instead of a trip to a workout center, may be the perfect option for some guests. “Quite honestly, in this hotel, it was a wise investment,” said Thomas Foti, GM of the Renaissance New York Hotel Times Square. “We get a tremendous amount of usage and repeat requests.” At the Renaissance New York, guests receive an e-mail prior to arrival and choose the items they want in their room—free of charge. “[The equipment] is ideal for guestroom size. Nothing takes up too much room; you can still function in the space,” Foti said. Omni Hotels offers two in-room options: Either a complimentary Get Fit Kit can be checked out from the concierge desk, or a speciﬁc Get Fit Guestroom can be reserved for $15 extra that includes the kit, a treadmill and a minibar with healthier options. “It’s a surprisingly modest cost [to implement the service],” said Caryn Kboudi, VP of corporate communications for Omni Hotels. “We traditionally partner with a company and split some of the cost [of the guestroom treadmill].” Niki Leondakis, COO of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, said its Mind.Body.Spa. program offers guests complimentary workout equipment in tote bags that supplement the yoga and corestrengthening workouts guests can access on the TV. “The ﬁtness instruction is featured on either the Mind.Body.Spa. channel or the hotel channel that has yoga instruction,” Leondakis said. Kimpton also has added an in-room spa package that includes massages, pedicures, organic scrubs and body wraps. check IN In celebration of its 10th anniversary, The Hotel Monaco Denver’s Decadent Decade Package comprises 10 exclusive experiences featuring the best of Denver, including on-demand limo service for the weekend, a behind-the-scenes private tour at the Denver Art Museum and a private shopping experience at John Atencio jewelers, with wine and cheese and a private showing of the jewelry collection, where guests can spend a $1,500 gift certiﬁcate. The package costs $10,000. The Free Fuel Weekend package at the Loews Vanderbilt Hotel in Nashville lets weekend guests submit a gas receipt at checkout to get a $25 credit applied to the bill. The package includes deluxe accommodations with complimentary self parking. Regal Sun Resort in Orlando, a Downtown Disney Resort Area Hotel, offers a Stars and Stripes Package for members of the military. The package includes accommodations and two complimentary breakfast buffets per night. Guests who choose the breakfast buffet on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays will be able to spend time with select Disney characters as part of the onsite character breakfast. Personality Hotels, a collection of seven boutique hotels in San Francisco, features the “Pride & Personality Package” for gay couples seeking a honeymoon getaway. Included is a choice of two his/his or her/her pillowcases, a package of fresh rose petals, a bottle of champagne and a picture frame. Compiled by Stephanie Riccca, sricca@questex.com ’ In-room ﬁtness proﬁle: Who uses this stuff? Take stock of the typical guest, and maybe an in-room exercise service would beneﬁt your hotel. Caryn Kboudi, VP of corporate communications for Omni Hotels, said the typical in-room ﬁtness guests are business travelers with nontraditional work days. “We see those with really long work hours, like lawyers working on a trial or consultants, who still want to jog but don’t get out until very late,” Kboudi said. “It’s more convenient to take a 10-foot walk as opposed to going to a ﬁtness center.” In general, Kboudi ﬁnds that women enjoy the opportunity to work out in private more than men. Niki Leondakis, COO for Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, has heard from guests that in-room ﬁtness services allow them to feel “healthy and centered, despite hectic travel schedules.” “We’ve heard from guests traveling between time zones that exercising helps them reset their body clock to the new time,” Leondakis said. And, of course, there are those guests who just like to keep to themselves. “Because you have the privacy of an in-room practice, you can go at your own pace and spend as long or as little time as you like,” Leondakis said. Thomas Foti, GM of the Renaissance New York Hotel Times Square, noted in-room services could help travelers at urban properties, especially those with no nearby running trails. In his experience, many travelers ﬁnd a use for in-room services; they just have to know about it. “Make sure the desk knows it exists,” Foti said. “You’ll ﬁnd a number of people delighted to use it.” Top options for in-room ﬁtness service So you’ve decided to add an in-room exercise service … now what? There are several different in-room plans that vary in intensity and ﬁnancial commitment that might best suit your hotel. These could be available at the concierge desk, in a tote bag or stored neatly in a room. Fitness channels or videos Yoga mats, straps or blocks Small map of city jogging routes Workout bands Light free weights In-room spa treatments Storable, versatile exercise equipment Nintendo Wii Treadmills Source: Thomas Foti, GM, Renaissance New York Hotel Times Square; Caryn Kboudi, VP of corporate communication, Omni Hotels; Niki Leondakis, COO, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants For more info Company Circle No. American Leisure Corp. . . . . 275 Aquatic Trends . . . . . . . . . . . 276 Colarossi Spa & Health Club Consulting & Management . . 277 First Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . 278 Hotel Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . 279 Life Fitness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 National Accounts. . . . . . . . . 281 Paramount Fitness . . . . . . . . 282 Sportsmith . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283 Tuff Stuff Fitness Equipment.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284 WTS International . . . . . . . . . 285 Quotable “ Investing in in-room ﬁtness and wellness services is one key way that we demonstrate the value we place on healthy, balanced living.” NIKI LEONDAKIS, COO, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition

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Hotel & Motel Management - September 15, 2008 Contents Microtel, Hawthorn Settle in at Wyndham Is it Black or Red for Green Hotels? New City on the Strip When in Doubt, Purchase some Seashells Legal FAQ Consultant's Corner Sales Clinic On Finance Travel Trends Franchise Law Guest Column Events Cornell Insights HotelWorld Update Trends & Stats Top Hotel Companies Survey Awards Lending Requires Knowledge, Preparation Casegoods Minibars Historian to Keynote Leadership Forum at IH/M&RS Fitness Equipment The Lodging Conference Preview Accent Lighting Awards Vacuums Supplier News Transactions People Ad/Editorial Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - September 15, 2008

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