Flow riding at Westin Kierland (Photo: Kim Rosenlof)
Flowriding at Westin Kierland (PHOTO: KIM ROSENLOF)

Serious about fitness? These resorts are, too

Many hotels now offer professional coaching for guests who are dedicated to running, swimming and other endurance events

As interest in endurance events continues to grow among high-end travelers, many resorts are expanding their wellness programs to provide professional coaching in running, swimming, triathlon, and other forms of fitness. A few examples:

Gothia Towers, a hotel and conference facility in Gothenburg, Sweden, offers free 45-minute runs on Wednesday mornings with guides from Aktivitus Testklinik and Coaching. Info: gothiatowers.com

Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort and Spa in Paradise Valley, Arizona, provides swim coaching for fitness, competitive, and triathlon swimmers. Rates for one-on-one sessions with Olympic gold medalist Misty Hyman start at $150 per hour. Info: sanctuaryoncamelback.com

Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara offers beach volleyball instruction from Olympic gold medalist Todd Rogers. The five-hour session on East Beach costs $1,500 for a two-person party and includes a picnic lunch, personalized instruction or advanced training, and match play. Info: fourseasons.com/santabarbara

Sands Beach Resort in Lanzarote, Spain, caters to triathlon-training guests with an eight-lane lap pool, bike rental center, and triathlon-specific gym. You can sign up for private swim lessons with underwater stroke analysis with triathlon coach Victor Gonzalez or receive guidance from 16-time Ironman champion Bella Bayliss. The resort also offers complimentary Biolab DeportClinic medical analysis, bike fitting and technical support, and other triathlon-related services. Info: sandsbeach.eu

The Claremont Hotel Club and Spa in Berkeley, California, offers a coached swim program for adults and one-on-one swim instruction with rates starting at $45 per 30-minute session. Hotel guests can also drop in for free on the resort’s Adult Streamliners U.S. Masters Swimming organized workouts, which are held twice each weekday and on Saturday afternoons. Info: claremontresort.com

Westin Kierland Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona, is one of approximately a dozen resorts worldwide to offer instruction in flowriding. Combining bodyboarding, snowboarding, surfing, and wakeboarding, flow riding allows both novices and skilled surfers to ride “stationary” waves generated from three-inch-thick sheets of water pumped over a wave-shaped surface at approximately 30 miles per hour. With instruction from two wave masters, most novices can go from no surfing experience to standing on their own in less than an hour. Prices start at $30 per person for one hour of shared instruction; private lessons and FlowRider lane rental are also available. Info: westin.starwoodhotels.com/kierland 

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