Fitness at Hilton goes in-room

Chalk it up to the cocooning trend, but Hilton Hotels thinks some of its guests prefer to exercise in the privacy of their rooms instead of the hotel fitness center. At more than 90 Hilton Hotels, Suites and Resorts in North America, guests can order a treadmill delivered to their rooms, or they can

The chain developed its Get Fit With Hilton In-Room Fitness Program as part of ongoing consumer research it's been conducting since the mid-1990s in the area of healthy travel. It recently completed a pilot test of the program at a few airport, suburban and resort properties.

The hotels charge guests $15 a day for a machine that's delivered to the rooms. Special package rates are available for rooms already equipped with the treadmills. Hilton chose SOLE F80 treadmills from Utah-based Fitness Equipment Services for the program. The machines feature a 54-inch running surface, power incline levels up to 15 percent and speeds up to 10 mph. The chain established a website, www.inroomfitness.hilton.com, consumers can use to book the rooms.