Wellness used to sit on the sidelines of travel — now it’s shaping the booking choice.
Today’s guests arrive with a different set of expectations. They are marathon trainers, ClassPass regulars, recovery-focused professionals and longevity-driven consumers. And increasingly, they judge a hotel not just by the comfort of the room, but by the caliber of the gym, the ease of booking a treatment or the ability to access wellness services as naturally as they book an Uber or place an order through an app.
As Barak Hirschowitz, President of the International Luxury Hotel Association, put it:
“Hotels must think like wellness operators, not amenity providers.”
This shift is reshaping more than just the hospitality industry. Fitness equipment companies, software platforms and wellness operators are no longer selling isolated tools — they’re shaping operational flow, brand identity and the overall guest experience.
And outfitting a fitness space for hospitality is fundamentally different from serving a gym or studio audience for multiple reasons.
Says John Sweeney, VP of Commercial Sales at Echelon, “First, these facilities cater to a wide variety of fitness participants, so diversity is key. Also, these platforms are not staffed so self-guided equipment must be considered. And third, from a noise mitigation standpoint, digital strength training modalities offer a big advantage over dumbbells, kettlebells and pin-select equipment. These are the types of things that need to be considered.”
From a broader perspective, Hirschowitz adds, “We are no longer catering to guests who just want to stay healthy; we are catering to guests who are high-performance. They belong to premium fitness clubs, they take multiple classes a week and they are deep into longevity practices like saunas and red-light therapy.”
That kind of guest leaves little room for generic experiences — and they’re quick to recognize when a hotel has done the minimum.
Building for a New Kind of Guest
For most vendors, hospitality work now begins with a discovery process that reads more like architectural consulting than product placement. Matt Zoba, Marketing Specialist for Precor says, “We begin with an evaluation of the property’s space, infrastructure, budget and brand standards. Every Precor solution is customized to the property and its guests, ensuring the right balance between function, experience and design. Guest experience is always a top priority in our recommendations.”
That experience isn’t just operational — it’s psychological. Travelers are often entering an unfamiliar space and need to feel guided without being explicitly directed. That means clear sightlines, intuitive flow and a mix of equipment that makes sense for diverse demographics.
As Zoba added, “Space and infrastructure are the starting points—square footage, ceiling height and vibration or sound considerations all inform the layout. Guest demographics and usage patterns help us recommend the right mix of equipment.”
As if that wasn’t enough, innovation continues to bring change.
Todd Kramer, EVP of Sports and Fitness at The Bay Club, said that constant iteration has been the key to staying ahead of expectations. “We are often looking for the intersection between existing amenity interest and new, innovative concepts that our members will embrace in the future,” he said. “By being curious within our clubs and across the industry, we can identify what’s new and what matters, constantly bringing new ideas to the table for discussion.”
As hospitality keeps moving in this direction, vendor relationships have evolved from transactional to strategic. Instead of simply supplying products, partners are helping define the hospitality experience itself.
Nowhere is that shift clearer than in software, where platforms serve as the connector between a guest’s stay and the wellness routine they’re trying to keep
“Every hotel or resort spa operates differently, and their software needs to reflect that, says Andrew Pugliese, Senior Director of Engineering at Booker. “We don’t start with our technology; we spend time understanding each property’s challenges before designing or configuring solutions that fit their unique workflows.”
That approach is helping shape Booker’s solutions.
“A great example is our multi-guest, multi-service booking API, which lets hotels and spas easily accommodate group experiences—think bridal parties or birthdays.”
ClassPass echoed this shift toward co-creation as well.
Said Claire Goodill, Director of Strategic Partnerships at ClassPass, “We start by listening and understanding how we can help each property represent its brand authentically on ClassPass and drive demand to where they have the most un-booked appointments.”
Hotels aren’t just looking to fill space. Increasingly, they’re looking to maximize utilization, reach new guest segments and tell a wellness story guests connect with.
The New Operating Model
For vendors working in the hospitality space, the buying process often begins long before a purchase order. Hotels typically require brand approval, standardized pricing, and a demonstrated understanding of guest expectations.
As Pugliese put it, the relationship isn’t built on features or product lists. “Luxury hotels don’t buy a system; they buy trust. We earn that by understanding their standards, their pain points and by making things actually work on day one.”
That trust is often developed long before a contract is signed. According to Zoba, trade shows and industry events are increasingly shaping those relationships — not as sales channels, but as strategic conversation hubs. “Industry events like The Hospitality Show, Hospitality Design, ISPA, and regional shows help us connect with decision-makers.”
Goodill noted a telling trend emerging at these events. “We’re seeing an exciting shift in how hotels are showing up at fitness and wellness conferences. Increasingly, hospitality leaders are attending or even speaking, which is a clear signal that the hospitality industry recognizes wellness as not just an amenity, but a strategic driver of brand differentiation and loyalty.”
In many cases, vendors must navigate layered approvals — especially among larger hotel groups or branded properties. As Echelon noted, procurement is becoming more structured. “In hospitality, most brands require that their vendors are ‘brand approved’ and have gone through a vetting process and have provided standardized pricing.”
That process signals a growing shift: hotels aren’t simply buying equipment — they are aligning with expertise. They are looking for partners who can help them articulate and execute their wellness identity.
“Having great partners within each amenity of our clubs allows us to use their best-in-class expertise to move quickly. We are always learning and experiencing different aspects of our industry,” Kramer says.
The modern traveler isn’t asking hotels to accommodate wellness — they’re expecting them to enhance it. And they’re quick to recognize when a space is built with intention versus when it’s been added as an afterthought.
As Hirschowitz put it, “I have told many hotel general managers, if I walk into your hotel gym and see a bowl of apples and a water cooler with paper cone cups, it’s obvious you have only done the bare minimum. That standard is no longer acceptable.”
That expectation is reshaping how hotels choose partners, plan spaces, invest in technology and differentiate their brands.
In the end, one thing is clear: wellness has become the operating model that drives loyalty, retention and revenue. And the hotels that understand this won’t just attract guests — they’ll earn repeat ones.
