Hotels co-branding with gyms

Co-branding in the hospitality industry has existed in one form or other for a while, not only as a competitive differentiator, but to also benefit from the other brands overall image or “luxury halo” as we like to call it.

Most notably we’re all well aware of the pairing brand-name restaurants and chefs with hotels, with Las Vegas leading the way for Michelin stars in hotels (think Joel Robuchon @ the MGM Grand, Daniel Boulud @ Wynn Brasserie, etc.).

To reinforce one another’s stylish, chic image, hotels have also forged alliances with fashion designers. For example, One & Only pairs with the hottest designers to create limited edition, exclusive items for their resorts (fashion designer and Creative Director of Halston, Marios Schwab, Anya Hindmarch, Matthew Williamson and Christian Louboutin).

A world-class spa brand and experience are the cornerstones of other brands, thought to be the embodiment of the “luxury hospitality”, i.e. Guerlain Spa @ Waldorf=Astoria, Elemis Spa @ Loews Miami Beach), etc. 

More recently, co-branding with gyms is yet another way for hotels to differentiate. Hotels are seeing more and more travelers, especially business travelers, where the gym is often the deciding factor. Bjorn Hanson, divisional dean at the Preston Robert Tisch Center for Hospitality, Tourism and Sports Management at New York University, told the New York Times that its “estimated that about 8 percent of travelers picked a hotel based on its fitness offerings.”

Hotels have been pairing up with fitness brands like Core Performance, Exhale, DavidBartonGym and SoulCycle in the last few years to offer classes, workouts and nutritional consultations for guests. Other hotels have arrangements with sporting good companies like New Balance (Westin) and Adidas (Fairmont), which provide guests with gear to use during their stay.

Both hotels and fitness companies say the relationship is a win-win. Gyms get the chance to increase their visibility and introduce themselves to potential consumers while hotels can potentially increase market share.