Conventional Strength: The flipside of flipping tires. 1Precor Whitepaper Last Modified: Jan 2, 2013 | 2013 Precor Incorporated

Why a New Fitness Amenity is Hospitality GoldDemand for fitness and the rise of online reviews are two factors with huge impacts to the industry in 2014.

10.24.2013 | 2013 Precor Incorporated

Precor White PaPer

Why a New Fitness Amenity is Hospitality Gold 2

10.24.2013 | 2013 Precor Incorporated

Precor White PaPer

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% of travelers said they always or often exercise when on the road. Additionally, 51% of business travelers pack gym clothes according to a 2012 Marriott survey.

Most properties are prepared to meet this demand as 84% offer fitness as an amenity. The latest dedicated efforts targeting fitness-minded travelers include premium fitness offerings by economy brand Days Inn and the wellness-focused brand Even.

Property Reviews

So what about travelers who dont exercise? Evidence suggests they may be partly influenced by the age of the equipment in your fitness center. 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+ businesses125,000+ destinations1,100,000+ accommodations725,000+ hotels

400,000+ vacation rentals 300,000+ attractions1,300,000+ restaurants14,000,000+ candid traveler photos

Why a New Fitness Amenity is Hospitality Gold 3

10.24.2013 | 2013 Precor Incorporated

Precor White PaPer

influence the guest experience. They also know that keeping it current is critical to fulfilling guest expectations.

Precor conducted an audit of 200 reviews posted on Trip Advisor 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% 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 hotels financial performance:

The study shows that a 1-point increase in a hotels 100-point ReviewPro Global Review Index (GRI) leads up to a 0.89% increase in price (ADR), a 0.54% increase in occupancy, and a 1.42% increase in Revenue per Available Room (RevPAR). The study verifies that the impact is across all distribution channels: online and off.

Conclusion

Keeping your property fitness room up to date can positively impact your top and bottom line. Installing a new fitness center 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, which typically raises RevPAR, pricing power, and occupancy rates.

Retain customer loyalty, ensuring repeat business

References and Trademarks

TripAdvisor is a registered trademark of TripAdvisor, LLC.Marriott is a registered trademark of Marriott International, Inc.Yelp is a registered trademark of YelpFoursquare is a registered trademark of Foursquare

To learn more and get started on your fitness facility, contact Precor sales or call 866.717.4697