4 of the Best Hotel Gyms in Australia

Thinking of skipping fitness training while travelling? These state-of-the-art hotel gyms will keep you honest.

The Langham, Melbourne

Wellness is not an afterthought at The Langham, Melbourne. Spread over two floors and awash with natural light, the health and fitness centre comprises a pool and spa (with steam rooms and saunas) on the ninth floor and a gym and exercise studio on the 10th. There are panoramic views of the CBD and Yarra River but you’ll be preoccupied with the gym’s cutting-edge cross trainers, bikes and treadmills featuring internet-enabled touch screens – perfect for watching TV shows, keeping an eye on your Twitter feed and email or doing a virtual guided walk in an urban or mountainous area. The exercise studio offers group classes ($20 per session) in meditation, yoga, Pilates and boxing. For something different, make an appointment with a personal trainer and head outdoors – the riverside hotel is just a five-minute run from the Royal Botanic Gardens, which is ideal for an alfresco workout.

Sheraton on the Park, Sydney

Located high above Sydney’s CBD, on the 22nd floor of the Sheraton on the Park hotel, the 155-square-metre health club offers views of Hyde Park, St Mary’s Cathedral and the harbour in the distance. There’s cardio equipment for heart health (treadmills, bikes, cross trainers and rowers), a range of free weights for muscle builders and a 13.5-metre lap pool for those who want to perfect their strokes. A personal trainer can customise a program for you or a small group. Visiting the gym also gives you access to the hotel’s rooftop terrace – the ideal spot to relax and refuel (order from the in-room dining menu) after your workout.

Hyatt Hotel Canberra

In an age of hotels with glass façades, flashy interiors and, often, too-cool-for-school service, it’s a delight to walk into a Canberra institution that’s full of character and old-world charm. Nothing here is frivolous – not the setting (it’s surrounded by perfectly manicured lawns), not the architecture (it’s housed in a low-rise 1920s building with Art Deco flourishes) and not even the fitness centre (at 1090 square metres, it’s one of the largest hotel gyms in Australia). Join a complimentary group class; up to four are held daily and may include yoga, boxing or Pilates in the weights and training room or water aerobics in the five-lane, 16-metre swimming pool. Alternatively, make appointments with the on-site trainers and nutritionist, who can set you up with a short- or long-term personal program. There’s an outdoor tennis court next to the gym that’s available day and night. Futsal, played outdoors, is also an option.

Palazzo Versace, Gold Coast

Exclusivity is an integral part of the Versace brand and the fitness centre in the group’s luxury hotel on the Gold Coast is no exception. There’s a strict cap on the number of memberships, which means you’ll hardly ever wait for a treadmill or find yourself crammed in a small room with a big group of limb-twisting yogis. Do a cardio or iron-pumping session in the spacious gym, which has state-of-the-art Technogym equipment, timber floorboards and large glass doors that open onto a tranquil private garden. Or pay $20 for a yoga, Pilates, boxing, circuit-training or metabolic-conditioning class. And if you want to turn up the exclusivity factor a notch, head to the hotel’s Aurora Spa for a dip in the plunge pool, followed by a soothing deep-tissue massage.