You don’t have to check in to work out
When it comes to gyms, John Veytia had pretty much seen them all. The 62-year-old real estate agent had done the big warehouse gym, the small, private gym, even had a personal trainer. But something wasn’t clicking -- until he walked into the St. Regis Monarch Beach Resort & Spa and realized what he’d been missing.
“I show up, get my car parked, work out, take a steam and a Jacuzzi, and go to the meditation room and get myself balanced,” he says of the posh Dana Point hotel. “By the time I get to work, I’m a new person.”
Veytia’s fitness nirvana is something of a well-kept secret in the fitness world. Some upscale hotels in Southern California offer limited memberships to area residents who want more than a place to sweat and are willing to pay for it -- anywhere from $1,200 to $4,250 a year.
For that, they get all sorts of cushy amenities and services. The Westin Century Plaza Hotel’s Spa Mystique offers free spa treatments twice a year to fitness club members in its Zen-like facilities, where the faint scent of eucalyptus wafts through the halls. Le Merigot Beach Hotel and Spa in Santa Monica offers outdoor adventure classes such as beachside biking and hiking in the local mountains. Use of the tennis courts and a discount on treatments such as massages and facials are available to members of the fitness club at the Ritz-Carlton in Marina del Rey. At the Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel, affiliates of that fitness center can pick from Pilates, group cycling, core stability, yoga and water aerobics classes.
Most of these hotels offer discounts on spa services, meals at hotel restaurants and rooms, plus free valet parking. Members say it’s easy making a transition to such locations, which feel more like luxurious resorts than standard clubs. The relative privacy is also a big draw for crowd-shy celebrities.
Of course, many of the perks offered are matched by large high-end health clubs such as the Sports Club or Equinox Fitness Clubs. But for some, bigger isn’t necessarily better.
Veytia, for instance, likes the private club atmosphere of the St. Regis. As one of only 35 members (they plan to cap it at 80), he rarely has to wait for equipment, and there’s always a fresh robe and slippers in the locker room. Despite the small numbers, Veytia and others say there’s a camaraderie among members and hotel guests. He and his wife are known by the staff, and Veytia chats with hotel guests, doling out restaurant and sightseeing recommendations. The couple regularly entertain business clients at the hotel, and he’s made a few real estate deals through contacts at the club.
Still, even the nicest hotel gyms lack the sizable collection of cardio and weight equipment found at places such as Gold’s Gym or Bally Total Fitness, as well as a large staff of trainers. (Hotel gyms may have one to a few trainers on staff.) Some hotel fitness centers have more restricted hours, opening later and closing earlier.
That hasn’t deterred Brian Clancy, who joined Le Merigot’s fitness center about two years ago and calls it a “great sanctuary” that he visits almost daily. “You can get some sun, the gym’s never crowded, and it’s always peaceful,” says the 50-year-old Santa Monica actor. “With all the amenities, you feel like you’re on vacation.”
For most hotels, the prime motivation for offering limited memberships is financial. Hotel gyms generally aren’t as busy as a commercial gym and may sit empty or nearly empty for several hours a day. Because even a small facility can cost tens of thousands of dollars to operate, nonhotel-guest members, who tend to be older and affluent, help defray costs.
“It’s really a question of economics,” says Sig Ortloff, Le Merigot’s general manager. “It’s like a restaurant, where any time a seat isn’t occupied, it isn’t making money.” Although he makes it clear to new sign-ups that hotel guests are his first priority, members “have some feeling of stewardship. They let us know when the equipment needs to be fixed. They keep us on our toes.”
The privacy and anonymity of these clubs also appeal to the out of shape and overweight who may feel uncomfortable in a larger club or to those who want to work out in a place devoid of a pickup scene.
“There is no pressure to look a certain way here,” says Mark Burlaza, fitness center and spa manager at Loews. “You can come just the way you are.”
There are no statistics that show that hotel gyms command more faithful attendance than other gyms. But James Mander, fitness director at Le Merigot, says amenities are a powerful lure: “I’ve had clients at other gyms who say they don’t want to stop at the gym because there’s nowhere to park their car,” he says. “When you have something like complimentary valet parking, the excuses start to fall away.”
Since joining the St. Regis gym three years ago, Veytia has lost 25 pounds and lowered his blood pressure -- goals he was unable to accomplish before, even with trainers. “Every place else worked out my muscles,” he says, “and did nothing for my mind.”