June 16, 2004

By: Bronwyn Millard
Website: http://www.1st-in-fitness.com

Workout Equipment: Free Weights, Exercise Mat, Step, and Body Bar

The Rihga Royal - New York, an all-suite luxury hotel in the heart of midtown Manhattan, has created a series of 15 suites designed for the fitness-minded traveler. The Bowflex Health & Fitness Suites debut on July 24. They provide guests with a full complement of workout equipment, whose centerpiece is the Bowflex Ultimate, the state-of-the-art strength training product from The Nautilus Group.

The Rihga Royal designed these specialty suites based on input from its clientele of celebrities and entertainment industry executives to determine which features would be important to the traveler who wants to keep fit while on the road.

They then went to the experts and teamed up with The Nautilus Group, a complete health and fitness company, which owns some of the best recognized brands in the industry, including Nautilus, Schwinn, StairMaster and Bowflex. The Nautilus Group worked with the hotel to develop a complete workout environment in the privacy of the guest suite.

The Rihga Royal also took dining habits into consideration, and has extended the fitness suite program to include health-conscious items in its mini-bars and on its in-room dining menu.

The experience begins upon arrival, as guests are welcomed with a flight sampling of five Naked Juice smoothies. Naked Juice is a leading provider of juice smoothies made from pure 'naked' fruit. Flavors include Green Machine + 11 Green Super-Foods, Zenergy +3 Ginseng Formula, Very Berry 2 Grams of Protein, Power-C + 840% RDA Vitamin, and Blue-nanas.

When guests enter their Bowflex Health & Fitness Suites, they will see the following:

Bowflex Ultimate: This is currently the most popular and sophisticated model in the Bowflex line, designed for people who want the quickest workouts with the most effective results. The machine comes fully loaded with 310 lbs of Power Rod resistance, a lat tower, a low pulley/squat station, a leg extension/leg curl station and a built-in adjustable pulley system.

Guests are given a demonstration through the hotel's trained in-house staff, as well as through the instructional video in the suite. The Ultimate features over 90 exercises, including a built-in rowing machine for calorie-burning, cardiovascular workouts.

Workout Equipment: Free Weights, Exercise Mat, Step®, and Body BarWorkout Equipment: Free Weights, Exercise Mat, Step, and Body Bar

Video Workouts: Bowflex video, Pilates video, Yoga video, high-energy workout CDs.

In-room Literature: Each suite has a variety of health and fitness magazines and a Bowflex Fitness Guide. In addition, personalized exercise logs are kept in the hotel's Pinnacle service office, for guests' future use and tracking of individual exercise programs.

Healthy Mini-Bar

While mini-bars have long been a source of putting on the pounds while on the road, the Rihga Royal's fitness suite options include a variety of health-conscious snacks and beverages.

Champion Nutrition SnacBars: SnacBars contain 12 grams of protein and the high energy of complex carbohydrates, with only 3 grams of fat.

Champion Nutrition ULTRAPROTEIN Bar: These high protein/low carbohydrate bars are perfect for those looking to increase protein intake while minimizing carbohydrates. They are also a great after-workout snack that provides the right mix of protein and carbs for speedy recovery.

Island Dry Fruit Mix, Hicker's Dry Mixed Nuts, Nutra-Grain Bars and Nature Valley Granola Bars are also offered in the mini-bars.

Beverages include Naked Juice, Vitamin Water, Crystal Light Lemonade, Smart Water Sport, Gatorade, Evian and Pellegrino waters, V8 Splash, apple, cranberry and orange juice.

In-Room Dining

The hotel's room service menu has expanded to include a variety of health-conscious dining choices. Beverages include Pure Whey Protein Shakes, Total Nutrition Energy Shakes, Metabol Met Max Chocolate Protein Shakes, Rehydration Fuel and Healthy Smoothies.

Amongst the featured menu items are Pyramid Frittata, made with egg whites; Grilled Tuna Capellini, and Combination Low-Fat Pizza. Calorie, protein, carbohydrate and fat content are provided for all health-conscious offerings.

Author Notes:

Bronwyn Millard contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.1st-in-fitness.com.  A source of information and helpful tips on various types of fitness equipment.