As we enter an era of wellness tourism, demand for hotel gyms is surging, with global searches for ‘hotel with good gym’ increasing by 255% in the past month alone, and ‘hotel with gym near me’ increasing by 1491% in the last year.
As perceptions of a ‘good’ gym evolve, the gym design experts at BLK BOX are urging hotels to reconsider whether their on-site gyms can accommodate their customers’ changing
Gregory Bradley, Founder of gym design brand BLK BOX, said: “Fitness is no longer something people leave behind when they travel. Whether guests are away for work, leisure, sport, or competition, more people want access to proper training facilities that allow them to stay consistent with their routine.
“That has changed the role of the hotel gym. It is no longer just a tick-box amenity with a treadmill and a small rack of dumbbells. For a growing number of guests, the quality of the training space now influences where they choose to stay.
“We’re seeing more hotels invest in strength and functional training equipment because expectations have moved on.
Guests increasingly want access to equipment they would use in a serious gym environment, from squat racks and free weights to SkiErgs, BikeErgs, and dedicated functional training areas.”
Carlton Hotel Dublin invested in a comprehensive gym renovation last year in response to growing demand for health and wellness across multiple guest segments—something the previous facility was no longer equipped to meet.
Darren Kearney of Carlton Hotels Dublin spoke with BLK BOX: “For today’s traveller, a high-quality gym isn’t a ‘nice to have’—it’s a deciding factor. Our renovation was about meeting that expectation at a commercial standard, not a hotel standard.
“From corporate travellers and international transit guests to families and increasingly wellness-focused Gen Z audiences, health and wellbeing have become a central consideration in how our guests choose where to stay. It’s particularly evident across the broad middle-market segment, where wellness now sits high within the guest decision-making hierarchy.
“For higher-end corporate travellers, the quality of a hotel gym can be a decisive factor—often carrying as much weight as the room itself.
“This made the decision to renovate our gym a non-negotiable. Our ambition was to create a facility that genuinely rivals those found in commercial fitness environments—and we’re confident we’ve achieved that. The level of interest from the local community, including requests for membership access, is a strong endorsement of the standard we’ve delivered.”
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