Middle East gym giant GymNation isn’t sleeping on fitness—but it is outfitting its downtown Dubai facilities with an in-house hotel featuring king-size four-poster beds, dumbbell-shaped towels, Netflix and a fun “Press for Protein” button that delivers a protein shake on demand.
The idea is designed to appeal to consumers who stay active while traveling and want to maintain their regular gym routines. The region, in particular, is experiencing a tourism boom—Dubai recorded a 9% year-on-year increase in visitors in 2024, while European travel to Saudi Arabia rose by 24%, GymNation notes. Notably, out of the ten gyms GymNation opened in 2024, six were in Saudi Arabia.
Bookings are set to open on April 14 for the downtown Dubai GymNation location, with additional sites to follow as the fitness operator gauges interest.
“Every hotel has a gym, but there aren’t any gyms with hotels… Until now! At GymNation, we’ve always been about disrupting the fitness world and making health and wellness accessible to everyone,” GymNation founder and CEO Loren Holland. “Our brand new in-gym hotel takes it to the next level, no more cutting workouts short or heading home to recover. Power up, recharge and hit the next set—all from the comfort of the gym floor.”
In addition to its push into accommodations, GymNation is ramping up its Pilates offerings with Pilates equipment leader Basi systems, aiming to offer a welcoming space for fitness consumers in the region who are priced out of Reformer Pilates class offerings.
“At GymNation, we’re rewriting the rules once again—offering the very best Pilates equipment, led by highly trained instructors, with full access to all our state-of-the-art facilities included… all for a monthly price that typically covers just 2-3 classes at boutique studios,” Holland said last month.
