Why a universal size rule is misleading
Two hotels with the same number of rooms can require different fitness spaces. Their guest profiles, location, length of stay, leisure positioning and alternatives nearby may be completely different. Floor area alone also says little about ceiling height, shape, columns, windows, access or acoustic constraints.
Begin with the role of fitness within the property. Is it a dependable guest amenity, a visible wellness feature, part of an active-travel proposition or a more developed destination offer? That role determines the necessary variety, capacity and supporting experience.
Plan activities before equipment
Create a list of the workouts the gym should support, then map the space each activity requires. Include the user’s movement around the equipment, not only the equipment footprint. Strength exercises, free movement and stretching often need more usable clearance than a plan suggests.
Group activities into zones that can coexist. Cardio, strength, open training and recovery may each have different flooring, sound, visibility and circulation needs. The room does not need rigid barriers, but guests should understand where each activity belongs.
Account for peak use, not theoretical maximum capacity
A gym should feel usable when several guests arrive at the same time. That does not mean planning for every hotel guest, but it does mean testing realistic overlaps. Can one person use the open zone while another adjusts a bench? Can guests enter and leave without crossing an exercise path? Does waiting for one popular item block the room?
Consider time patterns. Business travellers may create concentrated early-morning demand. A resort may see more distributed use and longer sessions. Staff observations and access data, where available and handled appropriately, can help reveal the practical pressure points.
Do not forget non-training space
The total requirement includes circulation, entrance clarity, water, towel points, storage, cleaning access and any changing connection. These functions are easy to remove from a plan and difficult to live without. Poor storage in particular can turn flexible equipment into clutter and reduce usable floor area.
- Clear arrival and orientation zone
- Unobstructed routes to each training area
- Accessible, organised storage
- Service access for cleaning and maintenance
- Enough separation for comfortable movement
Evaluate the room itself
A long narrow room behaves differently from a square room. Low ceilings may limit certain movements; extensive glazing may affect heat and screen visibility; a location above guestrooms may constrain impact activity. These conditions influence the concept and should be understood before equipment is specified.
Sometimes the best improvement is not a larger room but a better allocation. Removing low-value items, changing orientation or creating one credible flexible zone can release capacity. In other cases, the existing space genuinely prevents the property from delivering its intended offer.
Use a scenario plan
Test at least three scenarios: the essential offer, the preferred offer and a future option. Show how each supports the guest, what it requires operationally and what trade-offs it creates. This keeps the conversation connected to value rather than treating square metres as an isolated target.
The right question is not simply “How large should the gym be?” It is “How much well-planned space is needed to deliver the fitness experience this property intends to offer?”
Build the brief in layers
Start with non-negotiable activities, then add options that strengthen the property’s proposition. For each layer, record the space, infrastructure and operational implications. This makes trade-offs visible when the preferred room cannot accommodate everything.
Do not reduce circulation first. Removing a low-priority item may be wiser than compressing every zone until the gym becomes uncomfortable. Clear space supports multiple uses, accessibility, cleaning and perceived quality.
Review location and future options
Consider access hours, guestroom proximity, changing facilities, wellness connections, natural light, noise transfer and the maintenance route. A large room in the wrong location may deliver less value than a smaller, better-connected space.
Allow the plan to evolve. Accessible power, adaptable storage and zones that can accept different equipment make later decisions easier. Document the assumptions behind the layout so future teams understand why space was allocated as it was.
Take the next step
Use these questions to review your current fitness space before choosing a solution. If you want a connected assessment of the guest experience, training quality, equipment, space, positioning and business potential, start with the Gym Opportunity Scan. If you already have a defined project, contact TopsGyms directly.