At Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu's North Shore, fitness and exercise programming has always played a big role. And where many resorts hide away their fitness centers in a basement or vista-less corner of the property, Turtle Bay's fitness center boasts expansive ocean views.
With more than 800 acres and five miles of oceanfront, Turtle Bay features hiking trails, mountain bike trails, golf and Frisbee golf courses and tennis courts to go along with equipment and training for a variety of water sports.
Guests come to the resort expecting to have options for exercise and adventure, director of sales and marketing Brad Doell said, and the staff is always listening to feedback and trying to augment the offerings.
"It's one of our biggest pluses, and we make sure we always have fitness options available for guests," Doell said. "We have early morning and late evening classes, ballet dance classes for young toddlers, and programs are open to the community."
Recently, Turtle Bay has added a host of new programs including sport-specific training and a dance-focused fitness class.
In June, the resort launched a new surf training package built to maximize the ability of guests who have come to enjoy the world class waves of the North Shore to stay out in the water day after day. The package, which includes accommodations, starts at $499 per night with a minimum two-night stay. Participants get a plan that covers everything from nutrition to pre- and post-surf training sessions. Surfers get both a 50-minute power stretching session and 50-minute deep tissue massage, a protein-packed meal plan, and healthy snacks during the day.
In 2016 Turtle Bay introduced two new fitness classes with musical elements. The resort is the only place offering Hiva, a Polynesian dance-inspired fitness class developed by local instructor Penny Toilolo, according to Turtle Bay wellness director Avigale LaGrass. The classes offer something a little different than hula dance classes, highlighting other Polynesian dance moves to get the heart going.
"The focus of the whole workout is the core, controlling your body," LaGrass said. "Your arms might be in a static open position but you're hips are moving and you're doing a figure eight or squat with your legs. It really works the midsection, and you end the classes drenched from sweat."
Turtle Bay also debuted a class that involves drumming motions and music called Pound. The cardio workout is set to music and the Pilates, yoga and strength training movements incorporate drum rhythms that sweating, spandex-clad participants pound out using special plastic, bright green drum sticks.
"You're so busy trying to hit the beats you don't realize you're doing all these squats and ab crunches," LaGrass said.
The resort is also experimenting with blended classes. For example, one class breaks people up into two groups, where they alternate with two instructors between high-intensity interval training and boxing routines. Another mixes TRX suspension training with a spin workout.
Turtle Bay, with its ample grounds, also hosts numerous events. This year the property was home to a Ragnar relay trail race, they've hosted a biathlon before, and it is an annual venue for one of the Wanderlust yoga festivals.[https://wanderlust.com/festivals/]
"Wanderlust is a top fitness event," Doell said. "We have thousands of people and participants come from all over the world for Wanderlust. It's highly popular, and we plan to host it here for at least the next three years."
LaGass says she sees more and more travelers spending time in fitness classes during their vacations, and fewer guests are willing to let their exercise routines slip.
"Our fitness center is very busy, and many people like to see what they have at home, like spin class," LaGass said. "More and more the trend among our guests is that they want to get their workout in. There are only a couple of resorts that have as much fitness as we do, and we want to keep the options updated and exciting."