Why a new fitness amenity is hospitality gold
The right fitness amenities will prove “gold” at every level of the hospitality industry, from high-end resorts to budget hotels.
Demand for fitness and the rise of online reviews are two factors with huge impacts to the industry in 2014.
Aligning with guest expectations
A significant number of guests arrive at your property ready to exercise. They also dedicate scarce suitcase space to maintain fitness routines on the road. In a 2012 Trip Advisor survey, 53 per cent of travellers said they always or often exercise when on the road.
Additionally, 51 per cent of business travellers pack gym clothes according to a 2012 Marriott survey. Most properties are prepared to meet this demand as 84 per cent offer fitness as an amenity. The latest dedicated efforts targeting fitness-minded travellers include premium fitness offerings by economy brand Days Inn and the wellness-focused brand Even.
So what about travellers who don’t exercise? Evidence suggests they may be partly influenced by the age of the equipment in your fitness centre. Exercising and non-exercising guests share their opinions online at an impressive pace.
Trip Advisor reports its growing user base of 260 million visitors provide 70 contributions per minute.
The site provides the following statistics on the volume of properties covered:
The reach of Trip Advisor and sites like Yelp or Foursquare guarantee that every aspect of your property is subject to scrutiny. Companies investing in top quality fitness equipment already know its potential to 2,700,000+ businesses, 125,000+ destinations, 1,100,000+ accommodations, 725,000+ hotels and 400,000+ vacation rentals plus 14,000,000+ candid traveller photos.
They also know that keeping gym equipment current is critical to fulfilling guest expectations.
Precor conducted an audit of 200 reviews posted on TripAdvisor in 2012. The audit compared ratings associated with the terms “old gym equipment” and “new gym equipment”. On average, property reviews with new gym terms rated one star higher on a five star scale.
While many factors influenced the 20 per cent difference in ratings, it appeared the age of the gym equipment significantly swayed the customer experience. The content guests share in social media impacts both revenue and profit. In research conducted by the Cornell School of Hotel Administration in 2012, online guest satisfaction directly correlated to a hotel’s financial performance:
The study shows that a 1-point increase in a hotel’s 100-point ReviewPro Global Review Index leads up to a 0.89 per cent increase in price (ADR), a 0.54 per cent increase in occupancy, and a 1.42 per cent increase in RevPAR. The study verifies that the impact is across all distribution channels: online and off.
Keeping your property fitness room up to date can positively impact your top and bottom line. Installing a new fitness centre or updating an existing one benefits properties in at least three customer-centric ways:
• Drive the attractiveness of the property to prospective guests, many of whom value fitness routines while on the road.
• Improve satisfaction that typically raises RevPAR, pricing power, and occupancy rates.
• Retain customer loyalty, ensuring repeat business.
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