Expanded #HotelFitnessReview: Four Seasons Anguilla

Barnes Bay from an overlook at the Four Seasons Anguilla - Christian Pizarro | CP Personal Training

Location: Anguilla

Dates Visited: January 24-30, 2023

Disclaimer: The chain did not compensate me for reviewing my stay and experience.

You read that right. I am writing about a five-star resort’s fitness center because that’s the main attraction. It is not the white, sandy beaches that decorate the island’s coastline, nor is it the luxury that exemplifies the Four Seasons brand (as he speaks sarcastically). This might be my most expensive one yet! A weekend here in March will cost you at least $1600 a night for two people, and that’s before taxes and fees. If you’ve ever wondered how the wealthy stay fit on the road, keep reading to find out!

The Hotel

The View from the Lobby - Christian Pizarro | CP Personal Training

Let me provide some background information about this place, and I’ll keep it short and sweet: some of the clients we film cater to those with deep pockets. In other words, some of our travel plans fit their vision of being majestic and epic. In this case, it’s staying at the Four Seasons in Anguilla, a 39-square-mile island in the British West Indies. 

Staff members welcome and acknowledge you by name and offer their welcome drink, a tropical punch with or without rum. You are escorted to your room by a bellhop as you pass through all of the resort’s offerings, including the fitness center, which I will review here. I don’t even want to mention the rate per night because we are talking about prices in the four-figure range. Luckily, the client took care of the stay, food included, except for tips that we happily provided.

The Fitness Experience

I will divide this section into two topics: the resort offerings and the fitness center.

Resort Offerings

Yes, This is an Actual Photo of the Property! - Christian Pizarro | CP Personal Training

Unable to take full advantage of its offerings, the Four Seasons had plenty of activities to do on-property. The simple thing is to take a jog or run off-property and explore the island. The Sports Pavilion includes tennis and basketball courts with optional instruction from a local professional and a rock-climbing wall. If activities on the water are more of your speed, you can borrow a paddleboard or a kayak at no charge. Those are first-come, first-serve. On the schedule we were handed at check-in, you can take a yoga class every day or boot camp class on select days for a $40 charge per class (plus extra fees). Personal training is available for a fee.

The Fitness Center

The Entrance to the Fitness Center at the Four Seasons Anguilla - Christian Pizarro | CP Personal Training

It’s the first thing you see as you walk from the lobby to the resort-view rooms and villas. If you go before 9 am, coffee, tea, a selection of fruits, and a daily pastry is available. Some days it was banana bread (complimentary at the resort) and other times it was a homemade mini muffin, usually blueberry. The building fits the aesthetic of this luxury resort, with neutral colors from floor to ceiling and gold-plated letters adorning the walls of the entrances of the building. If this writer had the money to build a home gym, this would be the template (but without too many cardio machines).

The layout is a rectangular U-shaped path, where you start with cardio on the left side, then you make your way to the lifting area in the back middle area, and finally the stretching room on the right. The spinning room fits in the middle of the building with the entrance right between the cardio and stretching rooms.

Without further ado, let’s grade this facility.

Here’s my grading scale for first-time readers.

Cardio - 1/1

In addition to traditional treadmills, ellipticals, and rowers, an assault bike, a Jacob’s Ladder, and a SkiErgo were also present. Peloton bikes were absent here, but the variety and quality of the equipment (most of them were either Spinning or Precor branded) kept the score at a perfect 1 out of 1. Most machines had a towel and boxed water ready for use and consumption, which I thought was a nice touch.

Weights - 1/1

While other hotels I have reviewed had more than one set of dumbbells, that does not deter the fact that this would be a facility I would have at home. The hex dumbbells feel like back in my hometown gym: durable, rubber, and ergonomically well-made. A barbell rack with weighted plates and two adjustable benches did the trick for Olympic lifts. Kettlebells in the stretching room can complement your workout. For those who like doing more machine-based work, Hoist machines, also in my hometown gym, are present for most parts of your body.

Space - 1/1

A luxurious beach house would be the best comparison to this facility. It fits the rest of the resort’s aesthetic and is high-quality in appearance and equipment. There’s lots of space to walk through in the cardio and weight areas. A group of four can comfortably stretch in the stretching area with comfort, but the cycling room seemed cramped.

Amenities - 1/1

As mentioned, coffee, tea, and snacks are free before 9 am at the entrance. Upon entry, a fridge full of boxed water, clean towels, and even some fruit are ready for you to use and eat. Plenty of wired earbuds were in a container in case you forgot yours. Three TVs faced the treadmills on the left side, with the Caribbean ESPN feed on each. You will still get American shows like First Take or NFL Live with some soccer mixed in.

Besides the other active offerings mentioned previously, the service was at another level. I want to acknowledge staff member Justin, who maintains the fitness center. Justin is exceptional when it comes down to service. We discussed how even focusing on the tiny details, like cleaning the mirrors, caters to the guests. He asked guests if he could do anything to enhance their stay or workout and encouraged them not to be shy about their requests. I can tell he enjoys what he does at the resort and truly exemplifies the Four Seasons brand, as does everyone else working there. It was a pleasure conversing with the staff, specifically on the beach and at the front of the building.

Other Equipment - 1/1

Along with Hoist machines, a multifunctional tower equipped with a dip station, a heavy bag (with a one-size-fits-all pair of gloves), a TRX band, medicine balls, a rope-pulling module, and resistance bands sits right in the middle of the room. If you’re a fan of infomercials, you may recognize the two Total Gym ELEVATE Circuit machines used for functional training. Next door in the stretching room, mats, BOSU balls, Swiss balls, step platforms, and yoga blocks adorn the walls for core exercise and post-workout stretch use.

Final Score: 5⭐️

Criticisms

I did not have many criticisms here. Disinfecting wipes were unavailable, but towels were used as a barrier between the machines and your sweat. This facility may have been smaller than previously reviewed spaces, but it was part of a bigger space where relaxing and excusing is the priority. So, working out may not be a part of most guests’ plans, but that is not stopping staff members from keeping it top-notch. Most people occupied the space from 7 am until 11 am, so most of the time, you would have the place to yourself or with a couple of other people.

Conclusion

The View From My Room - Christian Pizarro | CP Personal Training

Knowing what went into maintaining it and experiencing the chain’s signature service offerings made this review easy to write. The staff made me feel like a million bucks, even for someone who felt like a fish out of water and was used to ordering DoorDash and bringing up my luggage! I understand not everyone will experience a stay like this, but I wanted to share my take so you could also feel what it’s like to live big! This is a five-star facility, and I hope to return here in the future or when I have enough money saved!

Have you stayed at a luxury resort, like the Four Seasons, and did their fitness center compare to this one? Let me know in the comments below!

For more information or to book a stay, go to https://www.fourseasons.com/anguilla. To experience other Hotel Fitness Center Reviews, follow my Instagram @cp.personaltraining216 and read my previous blogs about staying fit on the road by clicking here.