Pools and fitness centers are both key amenities at hotels; they’re often viewed as must-have aspects of the guest experience. They can make or break the quality of a guest’s stay—when properly run, they can set a property apart from the competition, lead to repeat business, and generate more revenue through positive reviews that capture additional guests. The inverse is true as well—poorly run pools and fitness centers can prompt guests to leave, take their business elsewhere, and write negative reviews that damage the property’s reputation and cost the property money in the future. Moreover, unclear oversight and operational misses at these facilities can lead to safety risks for guests.
The Amenity Collective, a group of companies that run aquatics and fitness centers for hospitality and residential portfolios, works with properties on staffing, operations, construction, equipment, and design. From this perspective, Kevin Mac, executive vice president of new business development for The Amenity Collective, recently discussed with LODGING why fitness centers and pools are high-risk spaces that can become liabilities and the sources of extra costs. He also detailed how hotel operators can reduce risk and improve safety at these venues, as well as control costs.
Oversight With Secondary Amenities
Drawing from more than two decades of experience, Mac described how fitness centers are social spaces that are frequently used by numerous guests, typically in the mornings and evenings. Likewise, “everybody wants to be on a pool deck” when the weather is right. Over time, this demand can lead to wear and tear, and the spaces are often overlooked by operators. Mac explained that they are treated as “secondary amenities,” as guestrooms and food & beverage take precedence.
This hierarchy can lead to heightened risk, as fitness centers and pools are often unmanned. “When you have an unmanned facility…they’re not walking around like a trainer in a fitness space. You can walk in, and the untrained eyes go, ‘OK, everything looks good because it’s clean. Everything is running. But a lot of times, people were cutting corners on preventative maintenance when it comes to equipment.”
With a lack of proper oversight and preventive maintenance, Mac said, the equipment may look correct, but internal damage can lead to accidents, such as a guest falling off a faulty treadmill or a cable snapping when someone is using a piece of equipment. Mac highlighted how, in many cases, the owner/operator may not know what to check for when examining these spaces.
Early Warning Signs
There are often early warning signs that suggest pools or fitness centers are heading toward liability and/or operational issues. One key factor, Mac noted, is staff uncertainty and whether properties have the correct protocols and safety procedures in place. With pools, ensuring that the maintenance staff is properly trained, especially regarding water testing and pool surfaces, is crucial. Mac also pointed to maintenance logs as a mandatory part of the process in order to prevent bacteria. Though the specifics differ, the approach is consistent with fitness centers. Beyond doing the minimum and wiping down equipment, Mac stated that hotel staff needed to properly evaluate it. “You need to walk in a belt. You need to test the cables. If you get out there and you do preventative maintenance, those are the best things that a hotel operator can do to keep liability issues down.”
In both cases, small misses and seemingly minor oversights can be costly. Mac reiterated that failing to properly maintain and care for equipment can lead to major problems. He provided an example of a row of numbered treadmills at a fitness center and stated that those on the ends were used the most heavily. With that in mind, Mac said that these treadmills would need to be moved around in order to distribute the usage. Otherwise, this hotel would risk having to replace part of the treadmill, which can be costly. This was a microcosm of the issue many operators regularly face. “Those little [steps], like moving the treadmill, can save you $5,000 on a treadmill.”
Advice for Owners/Operators
Mac shared advice for owners and operators, encouraging them to “shift from reactive fixes to proactive [solutions].” He encouraged owners to get in front of issues and treat pools and fitness centers as “operational priorities.” Rather than doing a cursory check on a fitness center, he urged staff to ensure that equipment was properly cared for and maintained. “If owners treat them as operational priorities,” Mac said, “I think that is the best way to reduce risk.”
Overall, Mac named several ways that owners and operators can minimize risk and liability at their pools and fitness centers while still delivering a high-quality experience. He emphasized the importance of partnering with companies that can properly help property teams care for these spaces, and he suggested that hotels should employ someone from the health/fitness industry to ensure that the equipment is up to date. He reiterated the importance of proper maintenance, cleanliness, and training across pools and fitness centers. “Having up-to-date equipment is number one,” Mac said. “Two, keep a clean pool deck. I would say training is probably the biggest thing, making sure that your staff can answer the questions in a fitness center. I hate to be redundant, but it’s that simple.”