Travelers who exercise and meditate often want to do so at their leisure in the comfort of their guestrooms. In-room workouts, which can be accessed on the TV with the press of a button, offer a solution for these road warriors when they’re looking to squeeze in some routine wellness. Dream Downtown in Manhattan, N.Y., is one property that has made a point of providing guests with on-demand fitness content. In fact, the hotel partnered with Melissa Wood Health, a fitness program run by health and wellness coach Melissa Wood-Tepperberg, to create content for their guests.
Rachel Kaplan, director of marketing for Dream Hotels, says, “The app that we created is exclusively for this partnership. All of the videos can be accessed on demand, which is an important feature because we wanted to make sure our guests could easily watch the videos and be able to pause, resume, and fast-forward as needed. This way, our guests are able to curate a workout based on their own individual needs.”
The five workout and meditation videos range anywhere from 10 to 30 minutes in length and offer a variety of exercises, from arms to abs to pilates. For guests who prefer to meditate without the television on, a guidebook written by Melissa recommends topics for meditation and guides guests to find relaxed mindsets. The health-focused program also includes a room service menu with healthier modifications, including dairy-free items.
Guests enjoy that the workouts are quick and efficient so they can stay active while balancing either packed sightseeing schedules or business meetings. Kaplan says guests have embraced Melissa’s soothing voice guiding them through the exercises. “Melissa’s voice is a big part of why they enjoy the workouts. She has such a calming nature about her,” she says. “Rather than having someone bark workouts to you in the morning, you can wake up and feel relaxed while working out, which is great.”
Kaplan suggests that any hoteliers wanting to add on-demand health and wellness content to their properties pursue that goal. “We’ve found that our guests really want to stay on property and use these amenities. The bottom line is, you can always incorporate health and wellness into the guest experience, and your guests will thank you for it.”
