Generation Z and millennials are keeping fit like never before. A report by Fitt Insider found that 72 per cent are doing both in-gym and out-of-gym workouts, whilst Hotels.com found a staggering 80 per cent of millennials say that exercise is an important part of their holiday experience.
It’s clear that fitness is more important than ever, and that whilst on holiday, a standard hotel gym just isn’t going to cut it. Classes and activities need to be fun and engaging whilst instructors need more than just an encouraging personality, but also a lively social media presence to incite both the Gen Z and millennial travellers.
From Mermaiding along the Sardinian coastline to running across high-altitude mountain pathways in the Dolomites, hotels are reshaping the fitness industry and making sure there is something for everyone. Take a look at some of the fantastic activities sure to set pulses racing.
1The Sky’s the Limit at Hotel Sassongher, Corvara, Italian Dolomites
During the summer months, the Dolomites offer the perfect terrain for hiking and more recently, skyrunning. Hotel Sassongher, a traditional South Tyrolean family-owned hotel can help organise for the hotel’s expert mountain guide to take guests skyrunning.
Those keen on fitness but tired of the usual 10k races and marathons will find a new challenge in the mountains in the summer. The hotel’s expert mountain guide will take guests along mountain running trails at more than 6,600ft, where high altitude combined with slopes at a gradient of more than 30% provides the ultimate fitness test, pioneered in the 1990s by Italian mountaineer Marino Giacometti and a handful of fellow climbers. After an active day, you can unwind at the Sky SPA set against the Sassongher mountain, it offers a rooftop heated outdoor whirlpool, a spacious sauna and luxurious relaxation area with large façades offering moments of pure relaxation with a magnificent view. The wellness spa inside features a large swimming pool, a Finnish sauna, two jacuzzis and six treatment rooms.
Book it: Hotel Sassongher offers Comfort Rooms from €270 per night, based on two adults sharing on a half-board basis.
2Mermaiding at Abi d’Oru, Costa Smeralda, North Sardinia
Mermaiding is surfacing as the trend of summer 2023 as the magic of The Little Mermaid movie takes the world by storm. A water activity using a single flipper, Mermaiding allows you to feel like a mermaid or a merman and encourages you to improve your water skills. Where better to try your hand at this trend than at one of The Little Mermaid’s filming locations in Sardinia, the breath-taking Cala Moresca. Hotel Abi d’Oru, located on the famous Costa Smeralda, is set on Marinella Beach, one bay over from Cala Moresca. This season they are offering a Mermaiding package taking guests to explore the film’s locations. Once there, guests are invited to don gleaming swimmable mermaid tails and feel the metamorphosis as they step into character. The trend of Mermaiding brings fantasy to life and offers an exciting escape from the ordinary. Abi d’Oru features stunning views of the turquoise waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the beautiful golden sandy beaches of Marinella.
Book it: Abi d’Oru’s 3-night Mermaiding Package is available starting from €1,000 per night, based on two adults and one child sharing a room on a half board basis, including a boat excursion to Cala Moresca and a mermaid tale for little guests.
3The High-Performance Method at Forte Village, South Sardinia
Forte Village, a luxury family resort located on Southern Sardinia’s pristine white coastline, is offering a High-Performance Method to deliver results in athletic performance and overall well-being.
Forte Village’s High-Performance Method developed from their experience of collaborating with elite athletes and sports clubs such as AC Milan and Ferrari. The Method uses a set of tools, data software and professional guidance to ensure targeted results unlike generic gym training.
The resort offers a Biomechanical Assessment (80 minutes) that evaluates the mobility and efficiency of your musculoskeletal system, as well as a Functional Evaluation (50 minutes) providing an in-depth analysis of body functions, such as flexibility and core strength.
Finally, for young adults the Talent Garden (25 minutes) includes a battery of tests where athletic qualities are assessed, including coordination, perception, and movement skills, allowing for professionals to advise on the best sporting path to take.
Book it: Forte Village, Sardinia offers rooms from €540 per night based on two adults sharing a Deluxe Bungalow on a half board basis, excluding drinks.
4The Revital Method: Detox Revital and Sport at Palace Merano, Italy
The glamorous five-star Palace Merano is a spa hotel set in a large private park in Merano, Italy. Their Revital Method is the result of 20 years of experience and successful operation at Palace Merano.
Improving the quality of life, longevity along with physical and psychological wellness, are the objectives of the Revital Method. You can enjoy their bespoke Detox Revital and Sports Programme, – their traditional Revital Method alongside a daily exercise programme with a personal trainer that promotes the improvement of both physical and mental health, leading to weight loss and improved sleep. The six-day programme includes:
Book it: The Detox Revital and Sport Programme for six days at Palace Merano is available from €4,850 per person, plus €302 which covers three medical examinations with the doctor. Accommodation for seven nights in a single occupancy Comfort room starts from €2,520.
5Serious about Sports at Borgo Pignano, Tuscany
Borgo Pignano is set in the heart of a picturesque 750-acre organic estate in Tuscany, just an hour’s drive from Florence and Pisa. This year the property is prioritising the health and wellness of its guests even more with the help of major renovations to its sports facilities.
A new five-a-side football pitch, tennis court and half-basketball pitch will help encourage guests to take time away from technology and reconnect with the world around them.
Getting back to basics is part of Borgo Pignano’s philosophy, from soap making to truffle hunting, guests of Borgo Pignano have endless opportunities to help disconnect from the buzz of daily life and experience the simple pleasures of country Tuscan living.
Book it: Borgo Pignano offers rooms from €350 per night based on two adults staying in the Villa, on a B&B basis.