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Hotel Gym Review: Holiday Inn Orange County

Hotel: Holiday Inn Orange County

Location: 23131 Lake Center Dr, Lake Forest, CA 92630, USA

After my Orlando trip I had a quick jump cross country to Orange County (Aug 28, 2018). Due to weather delays out of Orlando I didn’t arrive at the hotel until after midnight. I do have to commend the team member at the front desk for making me feel welcome and his warm smile helped alleviate my fatigue and grumpiness. Even though I had a late arrival I was up at 4 am for my workout (can’t keep an old gal down!). Sadly, the facility itself did nothing to improve my mood.

Summary

As I have always written, I can work out anywhere and I was able to be physically active during my one night (ok, I was only there about 4 hours total) stay at the hotel. My reviews are always highly critical. I am sure others might rate this facility higher, but I stand by my feedback to the property owners – there is room for improvement. I look forward to my next stay.

Overall Assessment: Total Score: 12 out of 30

Accessibility: 3
Facility Size: 1
Cleanliness: 2
Equipment: 2
Environment: 2
Nutrition: 2

Grading System (my own): 1 = Unacceptable, 2 = Marginal, 3 = Acceptable, 4 = Good, 5 = Excellent

Accessibility: 3

The Fitness Center was easily accessible by all and is open 24 x 7. Access is via your hotel room key.

Facility Size: 1

Well. The morning started out great when I was the only person in the fitness center. I completed my cardio and was doing some bodyweight training when two hotel guests came into the room. For the next 15 min we tried to maneuver around each other. It was interesting. The fitness room space was so packed that it was uncomfortable. N=3!!! After my three rounds of body weight resistance training I escaped.

Cleanliness: 2

I will give credit for having cleaning supplies in the room. The equipment wasn’t dirty, but it wasn’t clean. I am not a fan of rugs in hotel fitness centers. The rug may hide dirt, but it absorbs and retains any other fluids. Ick! Lino, rubber, cement. Any of these options are probably easier to clean. I did not see a changing room, so I cannot comment on changing room cleanliness. I also appreciated having towels in the fitness center, thank you.

Equipment: 2

A picture says 1000 words. There were treadmills, a multi-purpose training device, mats, Bosu balls, etc. I am glad there was some equipment but there is opportunity for this small space to be better used and the equipment should be updated soon to better meet the needs of guests.

Environment: 2

Location: it wasn’t in the basement and there were windows so that is good.

Temperature: it was a little chilly when I first entered the room. I can imagine that with 5 – 6 people in the space the temp could get warm and there is not great ventilation.

Ambiance: it is a little dingy (sorry!). The space does not make me feel energized or motivated. The overall ambiance of a fitness facility can be very important to motivate travelers to stick to their health and wellness routine.

Nutrition: 2

The presence of the water cooler and cups is what allowed me to give a score of 2. That was about the only way I could score this topic for the fitness center.