Hilton is trying to tap into the $639 billion wellness tourism market with a fitness-focused hotel room. I spent the night and felt invigorated by the space.

• I stayed in Hilton’s wellness-focused rooms, called Five Feet to Fitness.

• The rooms included more than 200 guided exercise tutorials and extensive exercise equipment.

• The Hilton room is ideal for fitness fanatics and business travelers.

Hilton has an answer for fitness freaks who can’t take a day off, even on vacation.

Over the past five years, select Hilton locations have included Five feet to be fit, an “in-room wellness concept” that offers 11 different fitness machines and exercise tools steps from a guest’s bed.

Available at Hilton locations in Atlanta, San Francisco, Shanghai and more, rooms are equipped with an exercise bike, medicine balls, light dumbbells, bands, TRX ropes, yoga blocks and other supplies.

The setup includes a giant TV filled with tutorials on how to use all the gear and guided workouts for yoga, high-intensity interval training, cycling, boxing, and meditation.

It’s Hilton’s response to the travel industry, introducing new features to capitalize on the $639 billion “wellness tourism” trend, or the interest of wealthy travelers in retreats focused on self-care, health and spirituality.

In 2019, the Four Seasons launched Sensei Lanai, a relaxation center offering wellness consultations and sensory walking meditation. Marriott will offer wellness-focused suites, complete with deep soaking tubs, bath salts and wood décor, at its renovated Newport Beach location

I stayed in Hilton’s Five Feet to Fitness room at the DoubleTree in Newark, New Jersey, to see how “good” they made me feel. That’s how it was.

Constant motivation to move.

Walking in, I was immediately impressed by the selection of different tools. The hotel gyms I’ve stayed in typically don’t have TRX bands or guided training like the Five Feet to Fitness rooms.

With weights ranging from 5 to 18 pounds, the setup felt more geared toward light strength training and might not appeal to guests used to heavier weights and more intense reps.

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Although the setting can be stressful for people who don’t want to exercise on vacation, I see physical exercise as a mental health treatment. After battling depression and anxiety for years, exercising consistently has given me relief that I struggle to get out of during long drives.

Business travelers could benefit even more from having exercise equipment so close to them. Frequent business travelers were more likely to report self-rated poor health, lack of physical activity and trouble sleeping, according to Harvard Business Review. Five Feet to Fitness rooms can provide a place to work out late at night when hotel gyms may close.

Hilton said the Five Feet to Fitness rooms are ideal for “road warriors, fitness enthusiasts and wellness hopefuls who want to maintain their fitness regimen, even while traveling.”

I decided to train in two different ways: a guided cycling class on the stationary bike and a high-intensity interval circuit using the other equipment in the room.

The exercise bike was easily adjustable, but I struggled to move the heavy equipment in front of the TV.

The bike itself was of high quality, but I was a bit distracted by the tutorial due to the playlist on the right side of the screen. The tutorial scheduled 15-second breaks between videos within a playlist, rather than just having a 30-minute long video cycling non-stop. I ended up ditching the video and riding alone for half an hour.

I was distracted by the giant comfortable bed.

Although my plan was to immediately switch to another workout, I found myself longing for the giant bed five feet away while I worked out on the stationary bike.

I decided to go to bed right after the bike ride and stayed in bed for an hour, maybe a little longer than I should have.

Even though I wanted to get through the day, the exercise equipment next to me made it difficult for me to make excuses for not working out.

I pulled out a medicine ball, some dumbbells, weighted sandbags, a bosu ball, and the TRX band and got into my HIIT circuit.

Although yoga mats are supposed to be at Five Feet to Fitness locations, the Newark room did not have a yoga mat. I found that my socks kept slipping on the hardwood floor and I didn’t have much room for the rug.

My favorite part of the Hilton setup was the privacy I had. I usually work out in gyms, where I can’t sigh out loud “I don’t want to do this anymore” or “I hate this” in the middle of my presentations. But in the privacy of a hotel room, I was able to count out loud and complain however I wanted.

I wish the room had more wellness offerings besides just fitness

In the morning, I did a guided meditation tutorial. This was actually a full video, not just a playlist, so it was easy for me to follow.

I don’t normally meditate, but the tutorial was a great way to clear my mind before starting my day.

But aside from the meditation class and foam rolling, the Five Feet to Fitness rooms mostly included fitness equipment. The rooms were supposed to come with biofreeze sore muscle wipes, but the Newark location didn’t have any.

I would love for the rooms to offer a massage chair, adjustable beds, natural light lamps or any other wellness product.

That said, I really enjoyed the Five Feet to Fitness room. I think the rooms are a perfect option for people like me, who struggle not to exercise while on vacation, and business travelers who can’t easily exercise in hotels.

Read the original article at Business Insider