MIAMI—In an effort to help its guests get fit or stay fit, AIC Hotel Group has partnered with Les Mills, a global fitness company that provides in-person and video fitness classes for beginners and experts. Beginning last month, guests at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casinos in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and Riviera Maya, Mexico, have had access to a number of music-inspired Les Mills fitness classes on property, as well as on-demand on their guestroom TVs or personal devices. Both types of classes are complimentary.
“Not only is Les Mills a global fitness leader, but the brand is also known for its high-energy experience, which is something our guests have come to love and expect,” said Frank Maduro, VP of marketing for AIC Hotel Group, based here. “The company’s passion for incorporating music into fitness fits perfectly with the Hard Rock brand as music is in our DNA.”
For the on-site program, a Les Mills instructor will visit weekly and offer three classes daily from among a collection of 14 training programs. Among them are 10 fitness classes, including the Bodypump total body strength-training program; four 30-minute high-intensity interval training (HIIT) programs; and the Born to Move youth fitness program designed for toddlers to teens.
The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Riviera Maya is one of two all-inclusive Hard Rocks currently offering Les Mills classes.
“Vacationers at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Punta Cana can also benefit from a variety of Les Mills virtual programs, which combine world-leading fitness programs with chart-topping hits and motivation from a Les Mills certified trainer,” noted Maduro. ”It runs off a large touchscreen in the front of the room and also has the amazing sound that you would get from a live class. It allows guests to take their favorite class on their schedule and creates an immersive experience combining live and virtual class. In addition, for newbies to fitness, it creates a safe place for them to start—with less intimidation from a live class.” AIC Hotel Group hopes to offer these virtual classes at the Riviera Maya resort in the future.
Access to on-demand Les Mills classes are also offered at both properties. “Upon check-in, guests will receive a unique code for a free 10-day trial to the on-demand offering,” he said. “They can access this through their phones, tablets or laptops, and either take advantage of it in their hotel room or when they go back home.”
Since music is a major part of the Hard Rock DNA, the soundtracks are carefully curated to fit each workout, said Maduro. “High-intensity workouts will feature upbeat and high-energy music mixing a variety of genres like dance, rock, Latin, pop, top 40 and more, whereas workouts like Bodyflow—a yoga-, Tai chi- and Pilates-inspired workout—will incorporate music that’s a little more relaxed yet still energizing,” he noted.
Brian Gagne, CEO of Les Mills United States, agreed that both companies’ love for music made them ideal partners. “Much like Les Mills, the Hard Rock hotels bring a passion for music to all that they do,” he said. “We look forward to helping people start or keep their fitness schedule on track while they are on vacation.”
Les Mills was a track and field athlete who represented New Zealand in Olympic games over two decades and opened his first gym in 1968. His son Phillip founded the Les Mills International brand, which is the creator of 20 group fitness and team training programs, including the aforementioned Bodypump, Bodycombat (martial arts), RPM (indoor cycling), the Les Mills Grit HIIT program and Les Mills Sprint (high-intensity cycling). According to the brand, there are 17,500-plus clubs across 100 countries that feature Les Mills instructors.
Next year, the Les Mills classes will be offered at the Hard Rock Cancun in Mexico as well. There is no word on whether the program will be offered at the other AIC Hotel Group All-Inclusive Hard Rock Hotel & Casinos in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic (set to open late next year), and Mexico locations Vallarta, Los Cabos and Riviera Cancun, all of which are expected to open in 2018. HB
Hard Rock offers healing suites
ORLANDO, FL—In collaboration with the Hard Rock Heals Foundation, all 32 Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos worldwide are offering a Hard Rock Heals Suite featuring therapeutic videos, music and equipment. The suite is available to guests through November, and 15% of all room rates will directly benefit the foundation, according to the brand.
At check-in, guests will be notified of the option to upgrade to the Hard Rock Heals Suite, pending availability. They will also be told of the philanthropic nature of the suite. The features of the Heals Suite are added to a traditional suite. Suites offered with the upgrade vary by property; the brand cited as an example the Hard Rock Orlando, which upgrades its King suites.
Each suite is outfitted with an iPad featuring guided breathing and meditation videos created by DJ Drez and Marti Nikko, artists and yogis who, for more than two decades, have co-created music blending mantras, reggae and healing beats, according to the brand.
The Hard Rock Heals Suite offers an iPad featuring therapeutic videos and a yoga mat.
It also includes a Manduka Pro yoga mat and the JBL Authentic L& speaker. The former is a 100% latex-free yoga mat featuring a closed-cell surface to keep moisture and sweat from seeping into the mat and breeding bacteria, a high-density cushion for joint protection and versatility on any surface, a fabric-like surface finish for optimal movement between poses and a dot-pattern bottom to resist sliding, according to Manduka. The latter sports a gloss-black wooden enclosure and provides a wireless connection that pairs a Bluetooth device by tapping on the speaker, according to JBL.
Another highlight of the suite is the curated playlist using binaural beats, which is recognized by sound therapists as a restorative audio experience, according to Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos, which noted that it creates a unique audio experience that is both restorative and transformative that transports guests into a therapeutic state of relaxation. The theory behind binaural beats is that playing two unique frequencies in either ear allows the brain to “mix” a third which can influence states of consciousness. Binaural beats have been integrated into a wide range of ambient music produced by artists such as Brian Eno, Robin Guthrie, Laraaji, Imogen Heap and Pink Floyd.
The Hard Rock Heals Foundation, which made its debut in September, is a global charity that aims to improve lives through the power of music, according to the brand. Besides the Hard Rock Heals Suite, there is a dedicated merchandise line. The foundation provide grants and assistance to music-centric, health and wellness programs worldwide.
