Skip the Creme Brulee and Head for the Gym

A new list of the top 11 hotel gyms in the U.S. is the kind of reference that sports-minded travelers will want to keep. However, a close look at the list, compiled by the San Diego-based Athletic-Minded Traveler, suggests that many of the gyms recommended are in the least fitness-minded cities in the country. What's up with that?

Athletic-Minded Traveler's rankings:

1. Houstonian (Houston)
2. Park Hyatt (Philadelphia)
3. Four Seasons (San Francisco)
4. Embassy Suites Lakefront (Chicago)
5. Venetian (Las Vegas)
6. Bellevue Club (Bellevue, Wash.)
7. Inn at Ponte Vedra (Florida)
8. Grand Hotel (Minneapolis)
9. JW Marriott Grande Lakes (Orlando)
10. Ritz Carlton Boston Common
11. Le Parker Meridien (New York)

I have worked out in several of these health clubs and can vouch for them. The Sporting Club, where guests at the Park Hyatt in Philly work out, has an NBA-size basketball court and a 25-meter lap pool, for instance. But after two hours in the 93,000 space you definitely are tempted to wolf down a cheesesteak to tide you over before dinner in Tangerine or one of the other great boutique restaurants there.

Similarly, I loved the cutting-edge equipment at Holmes Place Health Club, available to guests at the Embassy Suites Lakefront in Chicago. Sweat in there long enough though and it's hard to resist heading straight for True or one of the other fabulous restaurants in the city.

By Gary Lee |  January 18, 2007; 2:30 PM ET  | Category:  Gary Lee , Hotels
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Posted by: Jade | January 19, 2007 11:10 AM

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