Crowne Plaza Edinburgh ‒ Royal Terrace opens 24/7 exercise station
Designed to allow guests to combine sightseeing with exercise, the designated space within the four-AA-star, 97-bedroom, hotel â' dubbed the "energy station" â' provides maps offering a selection of three-to-five mile running, cycling and walking routes around the city. It is intended to appeal especially to busy business guests hoping to maximise their time.
Created by Leonard, each route takes visitors through some of the city's most famous areas and landmarks â' such as up Arthur's Seat, down Princess Street or around Calton Hill â' and are all designed to be done within an hour. There are different options depending on the visitor's fitness level, age, and experience.
Open all day and night, the energy station offers advice, warm-up and warm-down tips, towels, water and complimentary fresh fruit, and is intended to allow guests to exercise at a time that suits them best.
Leonard herself is also on hand to help act as a running partner or to help lead group sessions. She has six years' competition experience in long-distance running events and recently won eighth place in the 2014 Kalahari Endurance Marathon.
She said: "Not only does it provide an opportunity to see the world famous sites of Edinburgh, it provides a healthy environment to socialise. Many of our guests are pressed for time, so having the dedicated energy station allows them to choose a time or route that suits them and their working schedule… A business trip is seen as a positive opportunity to connect with others and our energy station and running routes are an extension of that."