Read the innovative ways they’re making diet, exercise and overall wellness an integral part of a hotel stay

By Diane Peters 

Travellers often have plans to exercise and eat right during their stay, but with fettuccini on the menu and the pool full of splashing kids, many hit the mini-bar instead. But that’s changing. Top international hotel brands have developed innovative ways to make diet, exercise and overall wellness an integral part of a hotel stay.

Tasty ideas
Move over sizzling sirloins, these hotels put health on the menu:

• More than 400 Sheratons worldwide offer the Color Your Plate menu items, featuring fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats and overall calorie counts of under 500.

• The Hyatt has been adding healthier food items to its menus under the guidance of Brazilian nutritionist Patricia Teixeira (her smoothies are a big hit). The company also buys local foods and serves only cage-free eggs and antibiotic- and hormone-free beef.

• At Trump Hotels, the health-driven Quick Bites menu promises room service delivery of a continental breakfast or Cobb salad in under 15 minutes. As well, Trump chefs are sourcing local, organic ingredients (such as locally grown hydroponic lettuce for the Trump International Waikiki Beach Walk) for their produce-rich menus.

Gear up
Who has room to pack a yoga mat? These lending programs keep your luggage light:

• The Westin has partnered with New Balance to lend running shoes (with disposable insoles) as well as apparel such as socks, sports bras and shorts.

• Trump Hotel guests can borrow clothes and shoes by Under Armour and iPod Shuffles preloaded with workout tunes.

• At the Sheraton, guests can just call the front desk for the Gym-In-A-Bag, which comes with a mat, foam roller and more for a room-friendly workout.

Improving access
Check out how these properties have dealt with grim, tucked-away exercise rooms with inconvenient hours:

• The Hyatt now keeps its gyms open 24 hours a day and offers yoga videos on-demand on hotel TVs.

• The Sheraton has partnered with wellness company Core Performance to offer 20-30 minute fitness classes in its gyms and via hotel TV videos. Even guests who have left the hotel but need a quick workout can find PDFs of easy-to-do mat workouts at Sheratonfitness.com.

• The Fairmont Pacific Rim in Vancouver runs the unique Bike Butler program, which offers a BMW bicycle plus a helmet, water bottle, lock and cycling maps.

Coming Soon!
The InterContinental Hotel Group is launching EVEN Hotels, a new concept that puts health and wellness first. Set to open its first locations in 2014 in Rockville, Maryland and Norwalk, Connecticut, these properties will have a state-of-the-art fitness room right off the main lobby. There’s workout equipment in every room and the menu leans towards organic fare. The concept also regards time wasting as an anathema to health, so there will be Wi-Fi everywhere and speedy check-ins. evenhotels.com