A new presence in the lodging industry is the fitness concierge. These fitness professionals partner with a hotel to connect guests with local fitness studios and instructors, register them for classes, and even plan personalized fitness calendars for their stays. VFit, a company based in Washington, D.C., offers fitness concierge services to nearby hospitality properties and Chay Jones, fitness specialist and VFit founder, explains why his business—and ones like it—can be a good solution for hoteliers looking to capture health-minded guests.
What is guest response to fitness concierge services?
We’ve heard from our hotels that once guests know about it, they instantly want to take part. Working out can be mentally, physically, and psychology challenging, even when you’re in a familiar environment. By creating fun, accessible workout events within the hotel and around the city, we appeal to the guests who want to keep up their fitness routines but don’t know where to start when they’re away from home.
How do fitness concierges enhance a hotel’s fitness offerings?
Fitness concierges bring extra value to a property’s existing amenities and services, which could in turn generate additional revenue opportunities. Almost everyone has a gym or a pool, but what are they doing to utilize and upgrade the benefits of these facilities? Fitness concierges raise the bar to ensure customer loyalty to the hotel, and to their own businesses, through customer service and personalized workouts.
What is most rewarding about this line of work?
Everyone wants to feel at home no matter where they are. When guests feel like they can stick to their routine while on the road and when we hear about their results, it makes every class and training session worth it.
Why call them “fitness concierge”, they sound like mobile personal trainers to me. True Concierges are in the lobby of hotels, assisting all guests AND potential guests. Meaning we help everyone, if you ask any true concierge for help and you aren’t staying at their property, you will still be helped. They may need to call you back or ask you to wait while they assist a registered hotel guest, but you will be assisted. If you would like to learn more about true concierges, the history of our profession and who we are, please visit http://www.LCDUSA.org. Les Clefs d’Or concierges are the real deal.
Way to keep up with the times. True Concierge….wonder how I worked planning international vacations as a Concierge without ever being situated in any lobby.