While I was looking forward to my girls’ weekend in Texas, I was even more excited to learn that our hotel, the Austin Proper Hotel has Peloton bikes in their gym. I’ve been working out while traveling for years, mainly using the Peloton app, but until now I’ve never had the opportunity to ride an actual Peloton bike anywhere other than my house.
Whether you’ve never used a Peloton bike before or are an active Peloton member like I am, you can get a great workout at a growing number of hotel gyms across the world. And if you’ve never ridden a Peloton bike, this is a great way to try it out for yourself.
In this article, I provide user-friendly tips, from locating a hotel with a Peloton bike to taking a class.
Key Takeaways
- Peloton has commercial use bikes in select hotels.
- Bring any necessary equipment and accessories with you to optimize your workout.
- You can find hotel Pelotons in fitness centers or even book them in certain rooms.
Identifying Hotels with Peloton Bikes
When planning travel accommodations, having access to a Peloton bike can be a deciding factor for fitness enthusiasts like me.
Using Peloton Hotel Finder
Whether for vacation or a business trip, the easiest way to find a Peloton is to use the Peloton Hotel Finder, a dedicated resource listing hotels that provide Peloton bikes. This tool is straightforward and enables you to find bikes by:
- Location: Specify the destination, whether it’s New York City, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, or Australia.
- Search Results: You can search by the hotel’s location, hotel’s name, or with the hotel finder map to review the list of hotels featuring Peloton bikes in their fitness center.
Note that this method is not foolproof. For example, when I searched for the Proper Hotel in Austin, it did not come up in the search, even when searching their parent company, the Marriott Bonvoy for that city. However, their Santa Monica and San Francisco locations did auto-populate.
Hilton Hotels
In 2022, Peloton partnered with Hilton and you can now find bikes in all of the US locations. Hilton members get additional perks.
Checking Hotel Amenities
Even if a hotel is not listed on the Peloton Hotel Finder, I make sure to:
- Visit the Hotel’s Official Website: Look for a fitness center or hotel gym section to see if they note any Peloton equipment.
- Contact the Hotel Directly: A quick phone call or email inquiring about their gym amenities and specifically the availability of Peloton bikes can provide the most accurate information.
What To Know Before You Go
I emailed the Proper Hotel Austin before I left to inquire about their Peloton bikes. You want to ask your hotel the following:
- Do they have working bikes?
- How many Peloton bikes do they have?
- Do you need a reservation?
- Where are the bikes located and what are the hours of operation?
- What type of shoes are needed?
In my case, the Proper immediately wrote back to let me know that they have four bikes located in the Saracen Gym, which is open 24 hours. No reservation is needed for any equipment including the Pelotons, and for three of the bikes, you do not need special cleats.
They told me that they don’t provide shoes but I could bring my own Peloton shoes. On my home bike, I don’t use the Peloton pedals or cleats, but instead use Shimano SPD shoes. However, if I packed Peloton shoes with Look Delta cleats, I would have been unable to use them as that particular bike had SPD pedals, and not even dual-sided pedals.
Setting Up Your Peloton Account at the Hotel
Give yourself some extra time for your workout when including a hotel Peloton ride. You never know how many of the bikes work, if you’ll have to wait to use one, and how long it will take to set the bike up. You will read more about my experience later on in this post.
Login Information
Knowing your login information is essential. The first and only time I went to the Peloton Studio in New York, I took two classes back to back. For the first ride, I struggled to remember my Peloton password. Clearly, I annoyed Ally Love while trying to sync my Apple Watch as she said, “Hey watch girl, let’s go.”
Since using my Peloton Guide several times per week and for some reason having to log in often, I now have my username and password memorized.
When using a Peloton bike in hotel fitness centers, you’ll be presented with two options: either log in with your existing Peloton credentials or access the bike as a guest.
To log in with your Peloton account,
- Tap the “Log In” button on the touchscreen.
- Enter you username and password.
- Confirm your credentials to begin using the bike.
It’s important to be aware that hotels with Peloton bikes usually provide access for guests without any added cost, as confirmed on Peloton’s FAQs for Travelers.
Guest Profiles
In instances where you may not have a Peloton account or prefer not to use your account credentials, you can opt to access the bike using a guest profile. This feature allows you to use the bike without personal data being saved or needing to create an account.
Remember, while using a guest profile, your preferences and workout history will not be saved after your session concludes, so if tracking your progress and maintaining your streak is important, logging in with your account credentials is the better option.
Pre-ride Preparations
Before getting on the hotel bike, you’ll want to prepare for your ride. This includes making sure you’re wearing appropriate clothes and have the right accessories.
Water Bottle
While most fitness centers have water fountains and refill stations, they don’t often have water bottles, so it’s a good idea to bring your own.
Selecting the Right Cycling Shoes
If you’ve contacted the hotel beforehand or researched the details of your chosen hotel’s fitness center, you should know what type of shoes to bring.
If you’re planning on using regular athletic shoes and toe cages, you are best with a flatter stiffer sole. Also, you don’t want too cushiony a heel. Ideally, you have a shoe that easily slips into the toe cages but also doesn’t fall out.
Using Headphones
To stay focused on your workout and the instructors’ guidance, I recommend using headphones. This lets you immerse yourself in the class and blocks out any distractions from the hotel gym environment.
Towel
Despite people cleaning their bike after use, you’re going to want to lay a towel on the handlebars as an extra sanitary precaution.
Hotel Peloton Bike Adjustments
To maximize your workout and mimic your ride at home, you’ll need to adjust the bike. If you’ve never ridden a spin bike before, read this blog post to avoid any mistakes and prevent injuries on the bike.
It’s you’re a home Peloton user, it’s best if you can recall your seat height and handlebar measurements. Since I don’t share my bike with anyone in my household, I’m spoiled in that I never have to change my settings, and that makes it a bit hard to remember.
Adjusting the Saddle
To adjust the saddle on a Peloton bike, I ensure that it’s at hip level when standing next to it. Unlock the lever, slide the saddle to the desired position, and then secure it back in place.
Setting the Handlebars
The handlebars should allow your arms to rest comfortably, providing stability without overreaching or straining your back. Adjust them similar to the saddle – release the lever, set the right height, and then lock them securely.
If you’re a petite rider, you’ll be interested in this blog post on how to make the handlebars more comfortable for you at home.
Display and Metrics
Only the Bike Plus has a rotating touchscreen and automatic resistance. Some hotels have the Original Bike. You can read more about the differences between the Bike Plus and Original Bike here.
On either bike, you’ll see real-time metrics like heart rate, resistance, cadence, and output on the screen.
Dumbbells
Do you like to take the light arms and weights classes? If so, double check that there are dumbbells (1 to 5 pounds) already on the back of the bike or grab some from the weight racks.
Heart Rate Monitor
If you use a heart rate monitor during your Peloton bike rides, make sure to connect it via Bluetooth.
My Experience Using a Peloton Bike at a Hotel: The Proper (Austin)
Although I only stayed at the Proper for one night, visiting the fitness room was one of the highlights of my trip. I’ve never seen a more modern hotel gym filled with all sorts of innovative and expensive equipment, not just Pelotons.
Upon walking into the fitness center, I noticed four Pelotons front and center. Two were being used by hotel guests, extremely fit women clearly not new to Peloton either. Sweat poured out of them. One was taking one of Matt Wilpers‘ 60-minute Power Zone Peloton rides.
Bike Adjustments
I’m in no way new to Peloton but as the only rider in my house, I never need to change any settings so I’m not super experienced with it.
I walked over to the first Peloton bike in the row and logged in successfully, only to realize that this was the one bike with SPD clips (which wouldn’t work with my regular gym shoes) and no toe cages.
I moved over to the next bike, logged in, and struggled to adjust the seat which was way too low for me. That’s when the women on the bikes informed me that the seat wouldn’t lock into place and that I could use their bikes when they finished up.
I went over to an exercise mat and did Jess King’s 5-minute Dance Cardio Stretch.
Finally, after one of the women wiped down her bike, I jumped on.
I had trouble adjusting this saddle too but as the woman who rode before me was of a similar height, I just left it. I didn’t bother to change the handlebars either.
Headphones
No matter what I did, I couldn’t get my AirPods to connect to either bike. I have an older pair so maybe that’s the reason as the rider before me had hers working.
I saw that the hotel provided individually wrapped wired headphones. I must admit that I’ve never plugged headphones into my bike and wasn’t even sure where to do that. (It’s by the handlebars).
At this point I decided that I needed to get on the bike and select my class quickly. I was meeting friends soon for brunch. I chose one of Bradley Rose’s on-demand classes and put the volume on very low so only I could hear it.
Apple Watch
I synced my Apple Watch to the Peloton app on my phone, although I can’t recall if my heart rate displayed on the touchscreen.
My Workout on the Hotel Peloton Bike
Not being clipped into the pedals felt strange at first but I was able to pedal and even stand up without a problem.
Honestly, the experience hardly felt different than my Peloton rides at home. Sure, the seat wasn’t as comfortable and I wasn’t clipped in but I still got a fantastic workout in just 20 minutes, followed by a cool down ride.
After my ride, I checked to see if I had completed a milestone. I hadn’t. For some reason, I had a crazy amount of high fives during the ride, so I can say with confidence the leaderboard works.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Here, I’ll answer some common questions about using a Peloton bike at a hotel.
Is there an extra fee to use a hotel Peloton bike?
As part of Peloton equipment’s commercial subscription agreement, hotels cannot charge an extra fee to use the bike. But some hotels may charge extra for a hotel room that includes its own bike.
Is it possible to access and use a hotel’s Peloton bike without an All-Access membership?
Yes, you can use a hotel’s Peloton bike even if you don’t have an All-Access membership. Most hotel bikes allow for a guest login. You don’t even need a Peloton membership at all to get started.
What should I do to ensure I have correctly logged out after using a Peloton bike at a hotel?
After your workout, make sure to manually log out of the Peloton bike. This secures your personal information and also clears the way for the next guest to use the bike.
Can I utilize the Peloton app for workouts while staying at a hotel?
Even if a hotel doesn’t have a Peloton bike, you can use their gym’s equipment to take classes like strength training, yoga workouts, cycling, treadmill, and rowing classes. You can take on-demand or live classes.
Peloton users simply need to stream the Peloton app on one of their devices and ensure they have a good Wi-Fi connection. Non-members can sign up for a free trial of the Peloton app.
Read how I used the Peloton app on a recent cruise.
As a guest, how do I access the community features on a Peloton bike?
If you log in with your own Peloton credentials, you have access to all community features, including the Leaderboard, high-fives, the ability to follow friends, and even your stacked and recommended classes.
What has been your experience using a Peloton bike at a hotel gym? Let us know below.
Michelle Platt is a content creator and certified personal trainer. Proving it’s never too late to reinvent yourself, she’s a former attorney and teacher who loves to do the research so you don’t have to. She takes a deep dive into each topic and writes about her wellness journey here. She loves trying out new workouts, fitness tips, healthy foods, and products to share with you. This native New Yorker recently made the move to the suburbs of Minneapolis, where she lives with her husband, two kids, and two dogs.