The Fitness Amenity Every Five-Star Hotel Now Offers (And Why Yours Should Too)

The St. Regis Chicago opened a reformer Pilates studio in November 2025 and doubled its instructor team within months to meet demand. [1] The Aster Hollywood converted its yoga studio into a dedicated reformer Pilates space with eight machines, offering classes free to overnight guests. [1] The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne partnered with boutique Pilates studio Tremble to bring reformer classes to its fitness centre, and the local community adopted it so quickly that it became a revenue generator for both the hotel and the studio. [1]

Reformer Pilates has become the luxury wellness amenity that high-net-worth guests expect. Accor, whose portfolio includes Fairmont, Raffles, Sofitel, and more than 40 other brands, has identified Pilates as a top wellness trend shaping hospitality, citing a 176% rise in low-impact workout bookings on ClassPass since 2022. [2] Hotels without a Pilates offering are noticing the gap, not just in amenity comparisons, but in the guest conversations that inform booking decisions.

This article is for hotel GMs, wellness directors, and amenity leads who want to understand why this is happening, what the leading properties are doing, and how to implement it without building a dedicated Pilates instructor department.

Why Luxury Hotels Are Moving Now

High-net-worth Gen Z and millennial travellers are increasingly planning travel around wellness. They want to maintain their routines while away from home. For guests who practise reformer Pilates two or three times per week, a hotel with a reformer studio solves a real problem. A hotel without one creates friction.

One guest told Business Insider that having Pilates access at the hotel was "super helpful," since Pilates classes come at a real cost outside the hotel. [1] For travellers who practise regularly, a hotel with reformers removes a real friction point. Hotels that offer this, particularly at no extra charge, are turning a fitness amenity into a booking differentiator.

For properties charging for classes, the calculus is different but equally compelling. The St. Regis Chicago positioned its studio as a revenue generator, not just an amenity. Its director of wellness described it as reinforcing the hotel's commitment to providing a best-in-class wellness experience. [1]

Pilates was the most-booked workout on ClassPass for the third consecutive year in 2025, with bookings growing 66% year-over-year. Reformer Pilates was the fastest-growing format within that category, up 71% year-over-year. [3] That is the guest base a luxury hotel is already serving. The question is whether the fitness centre gives them a reason to stay on-property or sends them to the nearest boutique studio.

What the Leading Hotels Are Actually Doing

The Aster, Hollywood

The Aster started small, with three reformers available only to members of its corresponding members club. When that proved the concept, it converted its yoga studio into a full reformer Pilates studio with eight machines, available free to overnight guests. The team spent $30,000 for the eight machines. [1]

"That was not cost-prohibitive," managing director Bill Doak told Business Insider. [1] The harder problem came next: finding a qualified instructor. The Aster eventually found a trainer within its network. The studio has since become, in Doak's words, "a marketable amenity."

The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne

The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne partnered with Tremble, a boutique Pilates studio chain with locations across the U.S., to bring reformer Pilates to its property. The previous occupant of the space was an infrequently used studio dedicated to virtual fitness classes. [1]

Tremble covered equipment and staffing costs. Classes are not complimentary. They operate as a revenue generator for both Tremble and the hotel. [1] The partnership model offered an alternative to the Aster's in-house approach: lower capital requirement for the hotel, with the operational complexity handled by an experienced Pilates operator.

The St. Regis Chicago

The St. Regis Chicago opened its Pilates studio in November 2025, charging for classes as a standalone revenue stream. Demand exceeded expectations enough that the hotel doubled its instructor team within months of opening. [1]

A Broader Trend Across the Industry

The three properties above are not isolated cases. Luxury hotels across major urban and resort markets are adding reformer Pilates as leading operators recognise the same demand signal. [1]

The Staffing Question Most Hotels Get Wrong

The Aster's experience points to the most common obstacle: the instructor shortage. Certified Pilates instructors are in demand and difficult to hire. For properties without an existing wellness programming infrastructure, building a fully staffed reformer studio can feel prohibitive.

There is a different model. The connected reformer delivers certified instructor-led sessions directly through the machine's built-in screen and each guest's Bluetooth headphones. A trained wellness staff member manages the room. Guests follow iFIT Pro sessions at their own level and pace, with real-time Smart Spine™ feedback on their resistance and power output throughout.

This model requires no dedicated Pilates instructor to run self-guided guest sessions. It is how the format scales across a property's full operating hours, including early morning and late evening windows when a dedicated instructor would not be economical to staff.

For properties that want to offer instructor-led classes at peak times alongside self-guided access outside those hours, the two models operate in parallel. The Ritz-Carlton's partnership model is another option: bring in a third-party operator who owns the staffing, equipment, and programming in exchange for the space.

The Equipment Decision

Reformer machines suitable for hotel use vary significantly in quality, durability, and guest experience. The Aster spent $30,000 for eight machines, approximately $3,750 per unit. [1] Higher-end commercial reformers run between $5,000 and $10,000 per unit for machines purpose-built for high-traffic environments.

The Ultra 1 Reform RX-S is designed for commercial hospitality contexts: high-traffic, unattended use with minimal staffing overhead. The Enclosed-Spring Solid Spine design is purpose-built for environments where guests use equipment without direct instructor supervision. The integrated 24" HD touchscreen delivers iFIT Pro sessions on demand, turning each reformer into a self-contained guided training experience for guests who arrive without prior reformer experience.

Through the Reformer Digital Activation subscription, the iFIT Pro library delivers sessions across beginner through advanced levels. The Resilient Body with Ashley Paulson is a beginner-accessible series that works well for hotel guests who are new to reformer work, guided foundational movement without requiring prior experience. Read more about the Resilient Body series on iFIT.

The Reformer Digital Activation is priced per machine: $396 for one year, $999 for three years, or $1,599 for five years.

The Business Case

The revenue model for hotel Pilates studios varies by property. The Aster offers it free to guests as a differentiating amenity and charges for no-shows only. The St. Regis Chicago charges for classes as a revenue generator. The Ritz-Carlton Key Biscayne operates it through a third-party partnership that generates revenue for both parties.

All three models share the same underlying logic: the studio either generates direct revenue, increases the perceived value of the property and justifies premium room rates, or both.

Group reformer classes at boutique studios typically cost $40 or more per session, with private sessions running higher. [1] Guests who would otherwise spend that money off-property are spending it at the hotel instead, or choosing the hotel over a competitor because the amenity already exists.

What to Consider Before Investing

Space. A minimum of three to four reformers creates a meaningful offering. Below that, you are running a feature, not an amenity. Four reformers require roughly 400 to 600 square feet with proper clearance. Converting an underused studio, yoga room, or virtual fitness space, as both the Aster and the Ritz-Carlton did, is often the most capital-efficient path.

Staffing. Decide your model before purchasing equipment: in-house with a dedicated instructor, in-house with connected reformers and trained wellness staff, or a partnership with a boutique operator. Each has different capital requirements and operational implications.

Guest prerequisites. Self-guided reformer sessions work best for guests who have used a reformer before. First-time users should receive a brief orientation from staff before their first session. Build this into your check-in process for the reformer area.

Liability. Update your guest waiver to cover reformer use and confirm coverage with your insurance provider before the first guest session.

Explore More

• Why Commercial Gyms Are Adding Pilates Reformers (And What It Means for Your Facility)

• What to Look for When Buying a Commercial Pilates Reformer for Your Studio

• How to Make Your Pilates Studio More Profitable Without Adding More Staff

• Introducing the NordicTrack Ultra 1 Reformer Series

• Nine Instructors. Nine Ways Into the Practice.

References

1. Bossi A. The Newest Luxury Hotel Amenity Isn't a Spa. It's Pilates.

2. Brown E. Top 2025 Wellness Trends According to Accor

3. ClassPass. 2025 ClassPass Look Back Report

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