Fitness Roadtest: The Clubhouse Spa & Fitness Centre

Posted on 3 June, 2015

Sophisticated. Luxurious. High class.

They’re not words that you’d usually associate with a gym or health club – but that’s exactly what makes The Clubhouse Spa and Fitness Centre at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra so unique.

You may well be familiar with the Hyatt Hotel Canberra, known for its signature high teas and glamorous soirees – you may not know the Clubhouse – which is just as dazzling.

Located at the back of the hotel, across the road from Nara Peace Park, the Clubhouse really is like a one-stop shop for wellness. It offers everything from the gym and pool to a spa, sauna, tennis courts, beauty therapy and massage room, complimentary bike use, boot camps, yoga, pilates, personal training and nutrition. Right off the bat, their menu of services makes them a serious contender against mainstream and boutique health clubs alike.

Before I get any further, I want to share with you my favourite thing about the Clubhouse: it’s all in the luxe little details. From the moment you walk in you’re greeted with a friendly face and given a full size towel. The foyer of the gym has statement armchairs where you can sit and read the paper, and there’s a bowl stocked with fresh fruit (the club goes through about 800 pieces a week!). The bathrooms are beautiful, with frosted glass showers, individual lockers and little hotel amenities like toothbrushes and moisturiser.

The gym underwent a renovation two years ago and the results are stunning. Canberra’s award-winning MMM Interiors are responsible for the monochrome design which features a stunning black and white photo in the cardio room and an overall sense of luxurious glamour.

Also, the hotel’s food, beverage and liquor license extends down to the Clubhouse, giving you access to the room service menu. So after a workout, swim, match of tennis or bike ride you can lounge in the courtyard with a club sandwich, coffee or even a refreshing G&T…

But I digress. Let’s get back to the fitness: this is definitely not your standard hotel gym. Although it’s not massive, there’s plenty of equipment to go around. The cardio equipment is Technogym and it’s all brand new: think touch screens, internet access, USB and iPhone ports, heaps of TV channels and even some games. There’s a key system as well so you can log your workouts and keep track of your progress – genius! The weights equipment isn’t quite as new but is getting upgraded next year.

There’s everything you need though, and a surprising amount of floor space given the size of the room, so whether you’re using the pin-loaded machines or free weights you won’t be jostling for room.

Speaking of space, for a Club without a group fitness room, the Clubhouse offers 20-25 classes a week, which Club Manager Jason Ritchie says is ideal.

“It’s great having a hotel with all those function rooms; we often have the yoga and pilates classes there [as] it’s a bit more peaceful,” he says.

“We do boot camps outside on the tennis court, and if it’s wet we’ll just go under the verandah.”

The proximity to the lake and the Parliamentary Triangle is a huge advantage as well, with Head Trainer James Schofield occasionally holding boot camps across the road in the park, or getting clients to hop on the complimentary bikes and ride up to Parliament House for hill sprints.

There are also 14 aqua aerobics classes a week.

“Sometimes we do the original choreographed dances to music, and then there’s trainers like James and Rory who do more of a boot camp class with strength and cardio in the water. There’s a mix, and the clients love it,” explains Jason.

Given that the Clubhouse has a physiotherapist, a spa, sauna and pool, Jason says that they often see clients undergoing rehabilitation for injury, or coming in pre or post surgery.

“From the car park into the pool there’s no ramps, stairs, gutters or slopes so there’s really easy access,” he says.

If you’re looking for a personal trainer, the Clubhouse has plenty to offer. Jason himself has been in the industry for a decade and even teaches at the Australian Institute of Personal Trainers and helps out at the Canberra Institute of Technology.

“It’s great!” he says, “Because I get to see the up and coming trainers and for the Clubhouse I like to have a variety of trainers to cater for everyone.”

While all the PTs are fully qualified, they all offer a little something different so you can be sure to find someone that works with you.

Jason goes the extra effort to make sure that his staff are happy too.

“The staff turnover is barely anything. In the last three years we’ve doubled the staff but the turnover is barely anything – we’ve lost about two staff members: one moved out of town and one is on maternity leave.”

This means that you’ll be seeing the same faces in the gym and that you can be sure that they’re happy to be there and love what they do.

Memberships are reasonably priced, and there are no cancellation fees and no fixed contracts. While memberships are generally annual or monthly, there’s a level of flexibility.

“You’re a member for as long as you want to be,” says Jason. “If you want to pay in full, but don’t want to pay for the full 12 months, we can work it out.”

Memberships range from the pool, spa, sauna and fitness classes, the whole kit and kaboodle, so no matter what you’re after there’s sure to be something for you.

Not to mention, Jason has trained US President Barack Obama, the Sultan of Brunei and (drumroll please…) former Home & Away actor Chris Hemsworth during their stays at the Hyatt. A chance to watch Thor work out? If that’s not incentive enough to get your butt into the gym, I’m not sure what is…

A special offer for HerCanberra readers

The Clubhouse Spa and Fitness Centre is offering HerCanberra readers a one week free trial at The Clubhouse including a complimentary 45-minute personal training session upon mention of this editorial. If you choose to join after the week trial, they’ll waive joining fees and provide another two complimentary45-minute personal training sessions. Membership includes access to all classes (Pilates, Yoga, Aqua, Bootcamp and Boxing). This offer is available until the end of July 2015.

The essentials

What: The Clubhouse at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra
Where: Hyatt Hotel Canberra, Commonwealth Avenue
Contact: Phone (02) 6269 8540 or email canbe.clubhouse@hyatt.com
Website: www.canberra.park.hyatt.com

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