Gym, Swimming Pool and Laundry of Double Tree Hilton Hotel Christchurch: All the Things a Guest Needs
The Double Tree Hilton Hotel in Christchurch (there’s another hotel where I also stayed in Christchurch, The George Hotel and you can read my review about it here) was a very interesting building. It’s called Chateau on the Park (I also had dinner at the Garden Court Brasserie here.) and has French architecture. I went in through the double doors at the front of the hotel and headed towards the fitness center.
Related: Breakfast Buffet and Gym at The George Hotel Christchurch
The fitness center was open every day between 6am and 9pm. When I went inside, the room was empty. No one was using any of the equipment yet.
The gym at the Double Tree Hilton wasn’t very big and it didn’t have a lot of machines. But it was neat and well-kept. Clean towels were kept on shelves at the entrance.
There was even a small first aid kit that was full of bandages and basic medicines. It would be very useful if anyone got injured in the gym.
As you can see in the image above, the hotel had put up a list of instructions. Only people above the age of 16 and people who didn’t suffer from medical conditions were allowed to use the gym. This was a little limiting but the hotel was thinking of the safety of their guests.
The walls of the gym had inspiring quotes printed on them. I first tried out the elliptical machine. All the equipment was from Technogym.
The machine had a screen which I could use to control the power and speed. And I could also keep an eye on my time.
Once I was done with the elliptical machine, I went to check out the treadmills. They were kept in one corner of the gym, with glass doors and windows on three sides.
Guests could look out at the garden as they ran on the treadmill. It was winter when I visited, so the garden was dry. Two people could use the treadmills side by side and chat if they wanted to.
The first treadmill, like the elliptical machine, had a screen that recorded speed, gradient and calories burned.
However, the second treadmill had a touchscreen which the runner could use to watch videos or even movies.
There were rows of dumbbells laid out on two shelves. They ranged from weights of 4kg to 25kg.
I started out with a pair of 4kg dumbbells and then went on to use some bigger ones.
On one side of the gym, there was an upright exercise bike with an upper body ergometer beside it.
The rowing machine was in front of a wall with another inspirational quote. The quotes helped people using the gym to try harder.
On the other side of the room was a cable station. It was tall enough to reach the ceiling!
The machine had a number of pulleys and handles. And I saw that it could be used to do all kinds of exercises.
An instruction manual had been attached to the cable station. People could use the photos as instructions to exercise their upper and lower bodies.
I tested the pulleys and tried out some of the exercises and squats that the pictures showed. It was a good way of working all the muscles in my body.
Once I had done some stretches and squats, I decided to try the upper body ergometer to exercise my arms and upper body.
Since it was a seated ergometer, I was careful of my posture. I kept my back and shoulders straight.
Again, I could use the screen to track my progress and the amount of time I had spent at the machine.
Then I decided to try the exercise bike for a few minutes.
The bike also had a screen. Apps like Netflix were available so people could watch a movie or show while exercising.
The gym had put an adjustable bench in front of the dumbbells. Guests could do some strength training without moving too far.
The bench could easily be reclined at any angle and it wasn’t hard to move and adjust.
Once a guest had completed their workout, they could use wet wipes from the wet wipe station to wipe down all the equipment. It was important to leave the gym clean for future users.
There was a water fountain in case someone had forgotten to bring their own bottle.
Swimming Pool
After my tour of the gym, I decided to visit the outdoor pool. It was in a courtyard behind the hotel.
A giant chessboard had been used to decorate the poolside. The chess pieces were huge and had been painted black and white.
Large trees stood beside the chess board. The whole area was screened from view and there was privacy.
Since it was winter, the pool was shut. A list of instructions about pool safety was pinned to the gate.
Pool loungers and small wooden tables had been placed in a row beside the pool. Guest could get out of the water and sunbathe during the warmer months.
Some of the hotel rooms looked down on the pool. And there were steps on the shallow side so people could get into the pool without any trouble.
A small cupboard had pool towels and a first aid box stored inside.
The hotel gardeners had put potted plants around the chess board and the area looked very pretty.
As you can see in the images above, the roof of the hotel could be seen above the pool. It looked like a small French castle.
Laundry
The guests could also use the laundry room for most of the day, from 9am to 10pm.
The hotel had provided clear instructions about how to use the machines and where to put the coins (unlike at the Hermitage Hotel where you can use your debit or credit card to use the laundry machines). The washing machines had their own detergent and didn’t need extra washing powder.
The washers, as you can see in the images above, weren’t brand new. But they worked quite well and were easy to use.
A notice warned all guests that they had to be responsible for their own clothes.
Another notice told guests how to use the dryer. The dryer took 55 minutes to completely dry everything.
The dryer was placed in one corner, slightly distant from the washing machines.
