Hilton Teams Up With Bally Total Fitness to Help Travelers Get a Jump on New Year's Resolutions
Host of Convenient Health and Fitness Options
Complement New Hilton Commitment to
Help Today's Traveler Stay Healthy on the Road
Complement New Hilton Commitment to
Help Today's Traveler Stay Healthy on the Road
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif., Jan. 4, 2005-Hilton Hotels & ResortsT (NYSE: HLT) today announced it has signed an exclusive agreement with Bally Total Fitness(R) (NYSE: BFT), North America's leader in health and fitness, to provide hotel guests with access to more than 5,000 certified personal trainers at Hilton or Bally locations in major cities throughout North America. In addition, Hilton's Personal Performance Program includes enhancements to its in-room exercise options by offering an in-room "mini gym" designed by Bally Total Fitness at properties across the country. The hotelier plans to debut these services to hotel guests starting Feb. 1, 2005.
The decision by Hilton to join with Bally Total Fitness in this first-of-its-kind hospitality-fitness alliance stemmed from a scientific study conducted on behalf of Hilton Hotels & Resorts by the former director of NASA's Fatigue Countermeasures Program. The Personal Performance Study measured the impact of travel on performance and productivity and found that those who exercise while traveling performed 61percent better than non-exercisers on alertness and reaction tests.
"Hilton Hotels & Resorts has conducted extensive research throughout its rich history to identify unique opportunities to help our guests enjoy a rewarding travel experience when they stay with us," said Jeffrey Diskin, senior vice president - brand management and marketing for Hilton. "This new relationship with Bally Total Fitness provides our guests the additional motivation to maintain an existing exercise program, start a new one or simply get the advice and guidance of a certified personal trainer." Personal training is one of the fastest growing segments of the fitness industry. According to the American Council on Exercise, the number of personal trainers is expected to double in the next three to five years.
"We are excited to form a relationship with Hilton, which coincides with our efforts to help consumers experience the Bally brand inside and outside our clubs," said Paul Toback, Chairman, CEO and President, Bally Total Fitness. "By combining the 'total fitness' leader with the preeminent hospitality company, anyone who travels will have the tools, guidance, knowledge and support needed to get fit or stay in shape while on the road."
Scheduling a session with a personal trainer is easy. For appointments at participating hotels, guests simply call the desired Hilton hotel and speak to the hotel's Personal Performance Leader to request a session with a personal trainer. The individualized training sessions can take place at one of Bally Total Fitness' 400 locations nationwide, the hotel fitness center or at an appropriate outside area at an hourly rate.
Guests also can opt, at no charge, to checkout a Hilton Travel Fit Kit, a mini gym that includes Bally Total Fitness-branded products such as: a yoga mat, elastic exercise bands, resistance tubing, two sets of hand weights and basic conditioning instructions developed by the Bally Total Fitness head trainer that are easily done in the privacy of a guest room. The Hilton Travel Fit Kits can be used privately by guests or with a certified Bally Total Fitness personal trainer. In addition, professional-quality treadmills are available for in-room use by Hilton guests in more than 100 participating locations for a nominal fee.
(Editor's Note: Don't forget to check out Healthy Travel Network's Travel Fit Kit.)
"For many people, travel is a lifestyle," said Diskin. "We want to ensure that lifestyle is as healthy, comfortable and enjoyable as possible."
About Bally Total Fitness
Bally Total Fitness is the largest and only nationwide, commercial operator of fitness centers, with approximately four million members and 440 facilities located in 29 states, Mexico, Canada, China, Korea and the Caribbean under the Bally Total Fitness , Crunch Fitness(SM), Gorilla Sports(SM), Pinnacle Fitness , Bally Sports Clubs and Sports Clubs of Canada brands. With an estimated 150 million annual visits to its clubs, Bally offers a unique platform for distribution of a wide range of products and services targeted to active, fitness-conscious adult consumers.
About Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is the flagship brand of the Hilton Family of Hotels. During the brand's legacy, this upscale, full-service collection of hotels and resorts has grown to include some of the world's most renowned places to stay. Team members at Hilton Hotels & Resorts pride themselves on a passion for delivering a satisfying experience to the most discriminating of travelers and reflect commitment and support to the local culture and community in which they reside. For more information, please visit our website at www.hilton.com.
Contacts:
Jeanne Datz Rice
Hilton Brand Communications
(310) 205-4545
jeanne_datz_rice@hilton.com
Megan Johnson / Jeremy Baka
Cohn & Wolfe
(310) 967-2900
megan_johnson@cohnwolfe.com
jeremy_baka@cohnwolfe.com
Jon Harris
Bally Total Fitness
(773) 864-6850
jharris@ballyfitness.com
Copyright (c) 2005, Hilton Hotels and Resorts. Reprinted with permission.
The decision by Hilton to join with Bally Total Fitness in this first-of-its-kind hospitality-fitness alliance stemmed from a scientific study conducted on behalf of Hilton Hotels & Resorts by the former director of NASA's Fatigue Countermeasures Program. The Personal Performance Study measured the impact of travel on performance and productivity and found that those who exercise while traveling performed 61percent better than non-exercisers on alertness and reaction tests.
"Hilton Hotels & Resorts has conducted extensive research throughout its rich history to identify unique opportunities to help our guests enjoy a rewarding travel experience when they stay with us," said Jeffrey Diskin, senior vice president - brand management and marketing for Hilton. "This new relationship with Bally Total Fitness provides our guests the additional motivation to maintain an existing exercise program, start a new one or simply get the advice and guidance of a certified personal trainer." Personal training is one of the fastest growing segments of the fitness industry. According to the American Council on Exercise, the number of personal trainers is expected to double in the next three to five years.
"We are excited to form a relationship with Hilton, which coincides with our efforts to help consumers experience the Bally brand inside and outside our clubs," said Paul Toback, Chairman, CEO and President, Bally Total Fitness. "By combining the 'total fitness' leader with the preeminent hospitality company, anyone who travels will have the tools, guidance, knowledge and support needed to get fit or stay in shape while on the road."
Scheduling a session with a personal trainer is easy. For appointments at participating hotels, guests simply call the desired Hilton hotel and speak to the hotel's Personal Performance Leader to request a session with a personal trainer. The individualized training sessions can take place at one of Bally Total Fitness' 400 locations nationwide, the hotel fitness center or at an appropriate outside area at an hourly rate.
Guests also can opt, at no charge, to checkout a Hilton Travel Fit Kit, a mini gym that includes Bally Total Fitness-branded products such as: a yoga mat, elastic exercise bands, resistance tubing, two sets of hand weights and basic conditioning instructions developed by the Bally Total Fitness head trainer that are easily done in the privacy of a guest room. The Hilton Travel Fit Kits can be used privately by guests or with a certified Bally Total Fitness personal trainer. In addition, professional-quality treadmills are available for in-room use by Hilton guests in more than 100 participating locations for a nominal fee.
(Editor's Note: Don't forget to check out Healthy Travel Network's Travel Fit Kit.)
"For many people, travel is a lifestyle," said Diskin. "We want to ensure that lifestyle is as healthy, comfortable and enjoyable as possible."
About Bally Total Fitness
Bally Total Fitness is the largest and only nationwide, commercial operator of fitness centers, with approximately four million members and 440 facilities located in 29 states, Mexico, Canada, China, Korea and the Caribbean under the Bally Total Fitness , Crunch Fitness(SM), Gorilla Sports(SM), Pinnacle Fitness , Bally Sports Clubs and Sports Clubs of Canada brands. With an estimated 150 million annual visits to its clubs, Bally offers a unique platform for distribution of a wide range of products and services targeted to active, fitness-conscious adult consumers.
About Hilton Hotels & Resorts
Hilton Hotels & Resorts is the flagship brand of the Hilton Family of Hotels. During the brand's legacy, this upscale, full-service collection of hotels and resorts has grown to include some of the world's most renowned places to stay. Team members at Hilton Hotels & Resorts pride themselves on a passion for delivering a satisfying experience to the most discriminating of travelers and reflect commitment and support to the local culture and community in which they reside. For more information, please visit our website at www.hilton.com.
Contacts:
Jeanne Datz Rice
Hilton Brand Communications
(310) 205-4545
jeanne_datz_rice@hilton.com
Megan Johnson / Jeremy Baka
Cohn & Wolfe
(310) 967-2900
megan_johnson@cohnwolfe.com
jeremy_baka@cohnwolfe.com
Jon Harris
Bally Total Fitness
(773) 864-6850
jharris@ballyfitness.com
Copyright (c) 2005, Hilton Hotels and Resorts. Reprinted with permission.
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