BOSTON—With a full view of Boston Harbor and the bustling cityscape, guests have the best of both worlds at the Seaport Hotel, whose tagline beckons travelers to “sea the difference.” One of the ways the hotel team here makes an impact on the stay is through its health and wellness offerings.
“Our philosophy is quite simple in that all of us at Seaport are committed to the wellness of our guests during their visit,” said Michael Anderson, director of operations, Wave Health & Fitness, Seaport Hotel. “We want to support our guests as they strive to be their best selves and live a lifestyle that focuses on wellness. We provide a variety of initiatives and amenities to promote their health and well-being.”
Among the amenities include complimentary access to the on-site health club, Wave Health & Fitness, which features cardio and strength equipment, studio classes, personal training, nutrition, physical therapy and massage; complimentary bicycles, available in-season; in-room workout equipment and custom tailored in-room workouts; a Pillow Library with a variety of different pillow types to help guests rest better; allergy-friendly Pure rooms for guests; healthy dining options, including gluten-free and vegetarian options, via in-room dining as well as on restaurant and banquet menus.
“The intention with offering more fitness and wellness options is to help guests maintain a healthy lifestyle while traveling. We want to remove all the roadblocks that a person typically runs into when traveling, and ensure each guest has a relaxing yet productive visit,” said Anderson.
The Seaport Hotel’s dedication to health and wellness dates back to its opening in 1998. Wave Health & Fitness opened at that time as well, as a complimentary amenity for our guests.
“It’s been completely renovated and expanded, to accommodate our guests and the club’s membership. The Seaport Hotel was also smoke-free upon opening, long before local regulations were implemented,” said Anderson. “We partnered in 2009 with Pure Wellness to offer Pure allergy-friendly rooms. We are pleased to continue to work with them as they, too, focus on health and wellness. Seaport also offers its team members an employee gym for their personal use. We know that healthy and happy team members correlate to a positive work environment and exceptional guest service.”
Anderson believes that creating a personalized wellness experience starts with hiring and training the right people. “Seaport has a distinctive culture of overall wellness and well-being; it is second nature to provide a personalized experience to our guests and health club members,” he said. “Our team members, many of whom have been with the hotel and Wave for years, do an excellent job of getting to know our regular guests and members, and learning about what is important to each of them.”
Staying on the pulse of emerging trends, the Seaport Hotel has installed a wellness-focused guestroom in its trial phase.
“We set up room 934 as a trial Travel Well room about six months ago. We installed a TRX anchor on the wall and have a chest with hand weights and rubber exercise bands. There is also a sunrise alarm clock by the bed, and there are natural soaps in the bathroom,” he said. “This room is also a Pure room. On the television, we offer two workouts filmed with one of our instructors that people can use as guidance. The feedback so far has been favorable; we are still fine-tuning the offerings and increasing awareness. All of our guests are welcome to request a Fitness 2U kit from guest services if they would like to work out in the privacy of their guestroom. The kit provides a five-pound dumbbell set, three Versa exercise tubes and a yoga mat, and it has been very well received.”
United in one goal, Anderson sees the team as a fitness family. They’re made up of hospitality professionals but also fitness industry professionals—all of whom are dedicated to providing exceptional guest service as well as quality fitness services.
“We would like guests, the industry and our neighbors to know that Seaport is fully committed to supporting the wellness goals and overall well-being of our guests and Wave members,” he concluded.
