Precor Gyms Help Hotels To Succeed

More and more travelers prefer hotels with a good gym, and in many hotels they will find a gym equipped by Precor. Today, Precor is a major fitness equipment supplier for hotel chains with a global market share of 20 per cent.

What is the best thing to do in a hotel after a day packed full with meetings, phone calls and a tight schedule? For more and more of today´s business travellers it is an aerobic or muscle exercise at the hotel gym.

According to a Marriott survey, more than 50 per cent of business travelers pack their gym clothes to their business trip.  And according to a TripAdvisor survey, more than half of all travellers exercise when traveling. And the trend is growing.

Partly because of customer demand, partly because of competition, hotels have invested and keep investing in fitness centers. Today, more than 85 per cent of hotels in North America have fitness amenities.

Growing and profitable market

Hotel fitness is here to stay. And it is a growing market for Precor.

“We estimate that our hospitality market share is around 20%”, says David Diehl, Global Hospitality Sales Manager in Precor.

The growth rate of hospitality fitness varies a lot from one region to another.

“Our growth is tied to new hotel development. We see significant growth in hotel supply in Asia. In China alone we anticipate a 35% increase in new hotel supply”, Davin Diehl says.

 

“In more mature markets, such as Europe and the US, we rely on resupply of existing properties, which occurs every 5-7 years. We have also gained a number of new hotel brand relationships.”

Precor fitness centers boost guest satisfaction

The first big brand Precor started to work with was Hilton in 2006.

“The Fitness by Precor concept has been a huge success for Hilton and Precor. At average Hilton hotels we have seen a 30 per cent increase in guest satisfaction after they have installed their Precor fitness center. Hilton guests have come to expect Precor as a part of their stay and it has provided valuable brand impressions that help drive some of our consumer sales.”

In addition to Hilton, Precor has started cooperation with other big hotel brands such as IHG, Carlson, Hyatt and Wyndham.

“This has allowed us to sell into more hotels and grow our business”, Davin Diehl says.

Stephen Bruner, Marketing Manager in Precor, emphasises that guests want the same branded, commercial quality equipment and experiences that they have at their own gyms.

“There are many challenges when it comes to meeting those expectations, but space and staffing are the biggest. We pay attention to general exercise trends and help guests understand how a hospitality gym can accommodate. For example, we have created signage that helps exercisers perform popular high intensity interval training (HIIT) routines with a few Precor cardio and strength products.”

 

“Cardio is always popular and our EFX is still the most widely recognised product in that industry.  Compact functional strength products are a great way for most hotels to add that category to their amenity.”

Reviews and ratings count

Today, many people choose their hotel after reading reviews from the social media.

“The interesting thing is that a hotel gym can influence non-exercisers as well.  If an exerciser has a sub-standard workout experience, he might give a bad hotel review which can deter others from staying there”, Stephen Bruner says.

The most powerful social media site for travelers is TripAdvisor: over 50 per cent of travelers say they visit Trip Advisor before booking their hotel.

“We have an excellent relationship with Trip Advisor. We are working with them on several content initiatives that include traveller research and content for our P80 touch screen console.”

“We recently launched a Trip Advisor branded campaign that encourages guests to post reviews and to mention their fitness experience. In fact, Precor is the only fitness supplier with a Trip Advisor relationship.”

The cooperation has proven to be worthwhile. Guests often mention Precor in their comments.

“More guests have reported positive comments with Precor than any of our competitors. There is a high correlation between Precor mentions and high guest ratings”, David Diehl says.

One point in rating can mean a lot of money. According to Trip Advisor, a one-point swing in ratings equals an 11 per cent increase in revenue per available room.

For more information on Precor products and services for hospitality operators, enquire below.

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