I may be expanding my operations this fall into another building near my current one. Some of the rooms in this new building have a lot more open space in them. I was thinking about putting some work out equipment in one larger rooms. I realize that for most people on vacation exercise is not one of the things backpackers seek out but there are some travelers who are away from home for 6 months to a year. My question is, "Would a decent sized gym in a hostel increase your chances of wanting to stay there?" Use of the gym would be free of charge.
11 years
It'd be always nice to have more facilities, but I think not many serious users there.
Doesn't help much on socializing because people seldom talk when they're doing gym.
Gym facilities are basically not interactive.
Maintenance cost is another concern.
The biggest concern is the potential injury caused by the machine. I'm pretty sure that most hostels don't have a spare staff to monitor the use of these machines. Will it bring a lawsuit for negligence?
11 years
You would certainly have people who would appreciate using the equipment. You would probably have even more people who would be impressed that it’s there, but never actually touch it. I’m not sure that it would entice people to choose your hostel over a competitor though.
Maybe it should be something that you don’t advertise and just let the guests rave about the unexpected facilities in their reviews? If one person says that they’re impressed, others may feel like they should also be impressed. That can work in your favor more than announcing it.
Maintenance cost is another concern.
The biggest concern is the potential injury caused by the machine. I'm pretty sure that most hostels don't have a spare staff to monitor the use of these machines. Will it bring a lawsuit for negligence?
Definitely valid points to consider. Insurance on something like that is a must, so there are associated costs beyond the initial investment.
11 years
I bought a stationary bicycle for my hostel recently but I rarely see anyone seriously using it.
Not sure whether it helps to boost our rating at all.
Our rating for facilities is 94% based on 120 ratings, not much change can be seen before and after having this bike...
maybe a proper gym house will bring more positive feedback?
11 years
What if you threw in some kind of reward for using the gym? Put up a sign inside the gym that says something like, “Your health is important to us too! Stop by reception for a free fruit smoothie (or bottle of water, orange juice, protein bar, or anything healthy you can afford to give away) after your workout.” People love anything free, so the first guest to work out will tell the others about it, and the gym may get more popular. THEN people might be more inclined to write about it in their reviews because it made an impression and affected their personal experience.
10 years
Hi there,
We are in the conceptual and design phase of our hostel and we are definitely planning to include a gym. We are of course in a city and area that is FULL of outdoor adventures (rock climbing, mountain and road biking, skiing/snowboarding, mountaineering, paddling, backpacking/hiking, etc). Our gym will have the basics: free weights, a squat rack, pull up/chin up bar, kettle bells, medicine balls, some yoga/Pilates mats, climbing finger boards, and *hopefully* a bouldering wall/area. We will not provide machines - too expensive and they take up too much room. All in all, the start up costs are not that bad (we're looking at about $5k (however, not including the bouldering wall).
We know that many of our future guests will be athletic, maybe even professional athletes and people in the industry, so it makes sense to have a workout space in case people are on a routine and need to keep themselves in tune. We are also going to encourage our staff use it (healthy mind-body-spirit). Overall, our target market suggests it will be well used and appreciated.
If I were you, I'd do a survey to see if your guests would like the access. Maybe an electronic survey or a physical one at check-in or check-out? Then you can get an idea of how it will be received and plan for it in full. And not that this makes much of a difference, but if I were staying at your hostel, I know that I would love to have access to a gym as I believe in staying in shape no matter if you're on vacation, traveling long-term, or just at home living life.
Cheers,
Alissa
10 years
Alissa
That sounds great that you offer that, and I think a lot of your guests would expect something like that! After reading your post, I think a gym can be beneficial to the hostel if your city is known for forms of sporting/exercising.
But if your hostel is just catering for casual travellers, then a gym wouldn't be of much use. I really would say if you feel like adding a 'gym' get a treadmill, and some free-weights - that would be better.
A pool, sauna or hot tub would create better reviews then a treadmill and weights 'gym'.
Robert
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