How to Spot a Good Hotel Gym (and Avoid Crappy Ones)
During a recent vacation, I stayed in two different hotels. One had a gym that was a workout paradise, or as close as you can get without a barbell. There was a double cable machine, dumbbells up to 75 pounds, competition-sized kettlebells (!), not one but two pull-ups, various hanging machines, medicine balls and the like, and among the cardio machines there was a real Peloton bike. . Another gym? Nothing but a small dumbbell rack, a couple of treadmills, and tropical swamp climate control.
If I ever have the luxury of choosing between different hotels, I’ll be sure to learn everything I can about hotel gyms and use that in my calculations. But sometimes I don’t have much choice – maybe there is only one hotel in the area with vacancies in my price range. I’ll still check the gym before I arrive. Knowing what you’ll find can help you plan your workouts and see if you’d like to bring some extra gear with you, like some resistance bands. And if you know ahead of time that a hotel gym won’t suit your needs, you can start looking for gyms with a one-day pass as part of your trip planning.
How to bypass the hotel gym
First, when you book a hotel, look at all the photos. After you scroll through photos of bedrooms and conference rooms, there is usually at least one shot of a “fitness center”. Save this photo, but then keep looking. Check out Google Maps, where you’ll usually find the same professional photos, as well as photos taken by visitors. It is important to note that these photographs usually have dates. That way, if one photo shows a cable machine and another doesn’t, you’ll be able to figure out if a machine has been added or removed.
After that, if I still haven’t found enough recent photos, I’ll look at hotel review sites and use the Instagram map. I can usually get some idea of what I’m going to encounter when I get there.
You can also call the hotel and ask what is available. This is the most direct route, but people at the front desk may not be able to describe the fitness center in detail, especially if they are unsure of the names of all the machines and equipment. It is, however, a good way to get the big picture, such as whether the room has recently been refurbished or how many treadmills it has. Another important question: is the fitness center open 24/7 or is there set hours?
What to look for in a hotel gym
Looking at photographs, I like to try to imagine myself in a room. I try to imagine four walls and ask myself what is on each of them; and I’m trying to mentally subtract the fisheye lens effect that makes photos of small rooms appear larger. Whatever you see is likely to be tighter here than it appears in the photo. Don’t think you can find a place to stretch or exercise on the floor if you don’t see signs of it, like a rolled up yoga mat.
Here are the questions I ask myself when zooming in on photos:
- What weight range is available? Dumbbell racks usually start at 5 pounds and can go up to 25, 50, or 75 pounds.
- What is the weight of kettlebells, stuffed balls, etc.? I’ve never seen a hotel kettlebell weighing over 30 pounds, but you might have better luck than me.
- Is there a cable machine? If so, are the pulleys movable? What gadgets does he have?
- Are there places for pull-ups? (Often a rope machine has pull-up handles at the top.)
- What cardio equipment is available? Can you tell what the brand is, and what are their features?
- What are the amenities in the room? There will often be towels, a water cooler, and maybe even free wired headphones. Consider that headphones may be missing and the water cooler may only have those paper cones to drink from, which can’t be placed in a convenient place, so you’ll need to bring your own.
Ultimately, you are looking for a rough match between the workouts you want to do and the equipment available. I like to make sure I can do some push, pull and leg exercises in addition to my cardio. For example, a barbell or TRX set is great for pulling exercises, and pushing dumbbells is easy (do a chest press or shoulder press), but leg exercises are a bit more difficult. If you have a leg press machine, great! Otherwise, you’ll probably use dumbbells from the heavier end of the rack for lunges or lifts.
How to make the most of the hotel gym without clothes
When it comes to strength training, unilateral exercises are often the best way to work your legs. Think stair climbs, lunges, Bulgarian split squats with the back leg on the bench, or a variation of the Romanian deadlift on one leg. I like to do this “string” or “B-stand” style where one leg does most of the weight and the other leg is just there for a little bit of balance and support. Because you’re only working with one leg, you don’t need as much weight as you would if you were doing regular squats or deadlifts.
There are also a few things you can bring along to complete your workout if you suspect the gym isn’t stocked with enough gear:
- Resistance bands, for pushing bands apart . In a pitted gym, your deadlifts may be limited to dumbbell rows, so this gives you some variety. You can also use bands for assisted pull-ups.
- A suspension trainer that you can use in your hotel room or at the gym if you can find a safe place to anchor it.
- Straps to help you hold the dumbbells in all those unilateral leg exercises you’re probably doing. Thus, your grip should not limit the number of reps you can perform.
- Headphones (wired and/or wireless) for connecting to cardio machines if they have screens.
- A water bottle, in case you buy those little paper cones.
- A towel in case the gym runs out of stock, but you can take one from your hotel room if needed.
If cardio machines seem boring to you (or if the machines are broken or the room is unpleasant), always consider going for a run or a walk in the fresh air. Some hotels will be able to recommend a convenient and safe running route in the area, or use an app like Strava to find popular routes. Hotel pools are not usually suitable for lap swimming, but you might get lucky.