Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been a global shift to virtual fitness, but it wasn’t a new concept; virtual fitness classes have been gaining popularity over the last decade. The question is how can hotels benefit by offering virtual fitness?
Leveraging virtual fitness at your hotel is a fantastic and surprisingly economical way to offer your guests a modern fitness package. Read on to find out why you should be investing in virtual fitness at your hotel sooner rather than later.
Jump to:
- What is virtual fitness?
- Why is virtual fitness becoming so popular?
- Why should hotels invest in virtual fitness?
- How to offer virtual classes at your hotel
- Virtual studio technical set up
What is virtual fitness?
Virtual fitness is the fusion of exercise with technology. Essentially, it’s any form of fitness that is instructed digitally as opposed to in a live class setting. Pre-recorded fitness and wellness classes shown on a big screen in a gym or studio is the typical virtual set-up for bricks and mortar venues. But classes can also be viewed by members on their own devices via an app, or as part of a hotel offering using an in-room TV.
Some venues opt for a scheduled timetable of classes that members can sign up to, while others offer on-demand services that let members work out when is convenient for them.
A range of technology solutions go into making virtual fitness work. Visual, audio and computing hardware are all required. Read on for more on these solutions below.
Why is virtual fitness becoming so popular?
Virtual fitness has been on the rise for the last decade but was supercharged from March 2020 onwards. Global lockdowns and social distancing rules during the pandemic have changed the way we work out. In just a matter of weeks, digital fitness seemed to accelerate decades into the future as workout-starved members were open to new ideas on how to get their daily fitness.
There was a recorded 67% increase in fitness app installs in March 2020*. And though the return to gyms has been more or less fully reinstated, fitness app sessions have increased 31% YoY, showing that users are sticking with apps in addition to heading back to the gym.
In terms of physical gyms, according to Phillip Mills** (Executive Director of Les Mills), 72% of global operators offer on-demand and live-stream workouts for members (up from just 25 per cent in 2019).
All this goes to show that the world has made a shift to digital fitness, making it even more pertinent that hotels get on the virtual wave.
*Source: Adjust Blog, Health & fitness apps continue to trend upwards in 2021 **Source: HCM Handbook 2021, pg 68
Why should hotels invest in virtual fitness?
With this shift to digital in the fitness & wellness industry, travellers now expect great fitness experiences even when away from home. If you want to offer a high-end guest experience, a small gym with a few machines just cut it. Hotels these days need to be creative on how to service the demands of today’s travellers.
The good news for hotels is that investing in a virtual fitness offering costs a fraction of a traditional gym upgrade. In fact, a virtual studio can come in around the cost of a single treadmill.
Virtual fitness and wellness classes are an innovative and easy way to upgrade the guest experience in any hotel. Offering your guests a fitness option in a time and place that suits them, adds to the overall stay and makes it more likely for them to turn into repeat guests.
Hotels looking for additional revenue streams can also consider opening their virtual offering and physical gym to the public. Running pre-scheduled virtual classes can provide great additional income for a hotel without having to invest more in instructors.
How to offer virtual classes at your hotel
There are many ways to offer virtual fitness, so you can fine-tune your offering to be on-brand and best suited to your clientele. The three main methods are in a virtual studio, in their hotel room, or via a bespoke app.
In-studio
Virtual studios are a great way to bring a hotel workout space into the modern age, and to maximise an underused space in your hotel. Virtual studios can be made accessible 24/7, meaning you can cater for guests who have flown in from different time zones or those who struggle with sleep.
Studios can be set up to run classes on a schedule or in an on-demand format, or a combination of the two. The latter will require a method for guests to select and start classes from your catalogue. These are typically in the form of an intuitive touchscreen tablet that guests can operate by themselves.
A studio set-up will normally combine a dedicated room, large screen, audio equipment and the software and hardware to run the classes (more on this below). The audio-visual elements can be scaled up or down to match your hotel’s brand and budget perfectly.
In-room
In-room delivery allows guests to take classes in the privacy of their room at a time that suits them.
The room’s TV is hooked up to a central class selection software that lets guests view the class library directly to find and start classes. Alternatively, if the TV is smart it can use a bespoke app to display classes.
Fitness app
Using a fitness app such as Wexer, LesMills+ or Earth+Sky gives you lots of flexibility. You can make this something which is available to guests while on location via their room’s TV as above.
Or you can give them access ahead and after their stay, enhancing their wellness journey beyond their visit. Alternatively, you can make access to the classes a premium feature, only available to VIP guests via a loyalty programme.
You could use any one of these options, or a combination of all three, depending on your space and budget available.
Now, this might all seem like a lot to manage. While setting up a virtual fitness offering at your hotel is not as complicated as it might seem at first, getting it spot on requires some experience. This type of set up is our bread and butter, so talk to our team today if you're looking for a truly engaging guest experience.
You might be wondering what actually goes into making a virtual studio work...
Virtual studios technical set up
Considering how immersive an experience they provide, the basic setup for a virtual studio is actually straightforward. You will need to consider the visuals, audio and class scheduling hardware and software.
Visuals
When it comes to visuals, the bigger you go the more immersive the customer experience will be. With many screen options, from large screens to video walls and high-performance projection, you will be able to find something that can make an impact whatever your budget.
Audio
Here you want a balance between impact and consideration of the space you’re working with. For the participant, you want a powerful audio experience but depending on the location of your studio you may need to take steps to avoid noise pollution. It’s always best to take expert advice from audio specialists to get this just right. We specialise in creating incredible fitness spaces and our team are always happy to provide great advice.
On-demand touchscreen
If you want guests to be able to select classes themselves, a wall-mounted tablet is a great option. The interface is usually user-friendly and even your tech-wary guests should be able to easily follow the simple steps to start a class. It’s always worth making sure a member of staff is on-hand in case someone experiences difficulties managing the software.
Learn more about how to use digital signage in our Digital Signage Buying Guide.
Scheduling hardware
You will require something to tell your studio what class to play when, or to integrate with the guest-facing tablet for starting classes. Our go-to for this is the FitboxVirtual player. It was built specifically for this purpose and is one of the best on the market today.
You will also need a PC or laptop to run the scheduling software that manages the player. Our team can advise on the best overall solution for the job.
Monitoring attendance
If you want a way to track how many of your scheduled classes are attended this can be done without the need for a member of staff. Products like FitboxVirtual’s Class Count accurately and effortlessly count your class attendance numbers helping you understand your studio usage.
If you’re looking at ways to introduce virtual fitness in your hotel or hospitality space, get in touch with our expert team today. We have decades of experience in delivering technology to big hospitality names like Malmaison, the Fairmont and The Old Course Hotel and would love to talk to you about your project.
