Travelers today seek more than a space between spaces when they check into a hotel. What were once perks are now basic necessities, if that at all. Fitness areas with wellness amenities, enhanced sleep experiences and elevated nutrition options are today’s stocked mini-fridges, English breakfasts and puffy pillows.
“Some years ago, travel was more like ‘I’m letting loose, and all bets are off,’” Washington Post travel writer Natalie Compton said at the 2025 ATN Innovation Summit. “Now, people say, ‘I want to feel good when I travel. I want to feel good when I get home. I want this to be restorative.’”
While consumer demands naturally elevate over time, this resembles more of a pivot for the hotel sector.
Hotel executives are recognizing that as well. In speaking with a handful, Athletech News gained insights on what hospitality brands should look to leverage today and tomorrow to make that shift correctly, keep up with guest expectations and get ahead of the crowd.
New Priorities, New Initiatives
Hyatt Hotels considers itself well-aware of the hotel reformation taking place, and has been for some time. Rather than scrambling to catch up, the brand says it’s been out in front of them for years.
“Today’s traveler is looking for more than just a place to sleep. They’re looking for a seamless experience that supports their holistic wellbeing while on the road,” said TJ Abrams, VP of global partnerships and wellbeing at Hyatt. “It’s no longer just about access to a gym, but about feeling balanced, rejuvenated and connected…That’s why we’ve evolved from thinking of a ‘fitness center’ as a checkbox to designing wellness-forward spaces, offerings and collaborations.”
In 2024, Hyatt partnered with Peloton, allowing World of Hyatt members to earn points by logging workouts during their stays through in-room content and equipment-free classes at select properties. Hyatt has referenced Peloton as “one of the most impactful additions” for keeping fitness seamless.
Hyatt’s partnership with Headspace dates back even further, and it continues to evolve with the addition of sleep-specific audio offerings.
“We recently launched new Sleepcasts with Headspace to the sounds of some of our Wellbeing Collective hotels from around the world – including Park Hyatt Niseko to Grand Hyatt Kauai and more,” Abram said. “By approaching wellbeing holistically, we’re ensuring our World of Hyatt members and guests can maintain the routines and rituals that help them thrive, physically, mentally and emotionally, wherever their travels take them.”
Hyatt isn’t alone in its pursuit of options that provide its guests with seamless fitness experiences. Peninsula Hotels offers members with a wellness portal and 24-hour wellness concierge. And IHG Hotels & Resorts has fully integrated health and fitness into its Even Hotel chain.
Top Partnerships
Hilton Hotels is also addressing these evolving consumer demands. The company has partnerships with Peloton, Calm and Hyperice to deliver services or products offering the best ROI in relation to their footprints.
Hilton’s Peloton partnership helps guests maintain their wellness routines on the go with in-room equipment and fitness content. The Calm partnership makes first-of-their-kind “sleep story” listening experiences available to guests, along with guided meditations and mindfulness exercises.
Amanda Al-Masri, Hilton’s global head of wellness, said services like these are flexible — and profitable — ways to enhance guest experiences.
“Content-enabled equipment, such as Peloton and Calm, performs well by offering premium experiences without expanding physical footprints, making them scalable across different property types,” she said.
Beyond in-room options, Hilton makes Wellness Rooms available to guests at select properties in the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates and the United States with recovery tools from Hyperice. Popular Hyperice products include the Hypervolt massage gun, Normatek leg compression boots and the Hyperboot, which it launched in collaboration with Nike.
“Compact, multifunctional products such as Hyperice require minimal space but see high usage because they address how guests feel after long flights or full days,” Al-Masri said. “It’s an approachable way to bring science-backed recovery to every type of traveler.”
The Right Building Blocks
Mike Anderson, Health Club Manager at Seaport Hotel in Boston, said satisfying travelers’ desire for health and wellness can be simple. He pointed to products like medicine balls, free weights, foam rollers and other small gym equipment as ideal additions to any fitness space, not just because of their application to functional fitness, but also because they take up little room.
“The past year or so has really been about adding smaller pieces,” Anderson said. “It’s the free weights and the empty spaces or functional training spaces that people are looking for.”
With the prevalence of connected fitness, sometimes space is the highest priority for guests who otherwise have everything they need to work out.
“One thing that I’ve noticed, whether they have an app that they’re using for workouts, whether it’s Peloton or something else, a lot of people are just looking for empty spaces and some equipment that they can do those workouts in,” Anderson added.
Future Frontiers
Today’s leading hotel brands know that predicting and evolving with consumer demand isn’t a one-time win — it’s an ongoing commitment to chart and adapt to what’s next.
“Looking ahead, we’re excited to keep pushing this space forward through thoughtful design, smart technology and immersive programming that supports our guests and members’ physical, mental and emotional wellbeing,” Abrams of Hyatt said.
For Hilton, recovery tops the list of areas to continue to foster.
“Recovery also remains a major focus that we’ll continue to tap into, and not just physical recovery, but emotional and sensory recovery from everyday life,” Al-Masri said. “Across the portfolio, new initiatives will continue to ladder up to our four pillars of wellness: sleep, movement, nutrition and mindfulness.”
