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Outdoor Fitness for Hotels, Resorts and Campsites Compared

By OutdoorGym.com Editorial Team · Published October 4, 2026

Hotels, resorts and campsites need different outdoor fitness areas, and some star classification schemes score or even require a fitness area. A city hotel fits a compact area on a terrace or in a courtyard; a beach or spa resort has the grounds for a zoned facility; a campsite needs equipment that works unsupervised through a short, intense season. In France an equipped fitness space is a mandatory criterion for 4- and 5-star campsites, and the criteria say the equipment may stand outdoors; in Andalusia the 2018 campsite decree requires outdoor sports circuits at 4- and 5-star campsites; the Hotelstars Union catalogue used in 21 countries scores a hotel gym as an optional 5 points. This page compares the formats by property type and sets out which classification rules, standards and steel grades apply, with sources.

For the business case behind a hotel installation - amenity or revenue centre, budget and a planning checklist - see our guide to outdoor gyms for hotels and resorts. This page covers what that guide does not: campsites and holiday parks, and the rules.

The demand around it

We found no public statistic that counts how many hotels or campsites have an outdoor fitness area, so we do not quote one. What can be measured is the market around it.

  • Camping is large and seasonal. Eurostat counted 413 million nights at camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks in the EU in 2025, 13.4% of all tourist accommodation nights, and 28.5% more than in 2015. Two thirds of those nights, 67%, fall in June, July and August. France alone accounts for 154 million, followed by Spain (49.8 million), Italy (49.1 million) and Germany (45.0 million).
  • Wellness activity comes mostly from ordinary travellers. The Global Wellness Institute puts wellness tourism expenditure at US$893.9 billion in 2024, and reports that 83% of wellness trips, and 84% of the spending, are “secondary”: taken for another reason, with wellness sought along the way. By that measure, most wellness activity on a trip comes from ordinary leisure and business travellers rather than from dedicated wellness tourists.

Formats compared by property type

The table is editorial guidance, not a standard: it summarises which format tends to fit which property, and what to check first.

Property type Format that fits Equipment Access Check first
City hotel Compact area on a roof terrace, courtyard or garden A handful of stations: bodyweight plus a few adjustable-load strength stations Complimentary for guests Structural load and wind on roofs, noise to rooms below, lighting for early and late use
Beach or coastal resort Zoned area near the pool or beach: strength, cardio, functional rig Adjustable-load strength, self-powered cardio, rig, shade Complimentary guest area, or paid entry as an Outdoor Fitness Club Steel grade for salt air, shade, a fresh-water rinse point
Spa, thermal or wellness resort Zoned area tied to the spa programme and classes Adjustable-load strength, mobility and recovery elements Complimentary guest area, or paid entry as an Outdoor Fitness Club Pool atmosphere, fast-draining surfacing, programming
Campsite or holiday park Open area in the communal part of the site, away from camping pitches Strength stations built for unsupervised use (fixed or adjustable load), bodyweight stations, calisthenics bars Free for guests, unsupervised Certificates to EN 16630, the information sign, distance from the playground, low maintenance
Glamping or small site Small set that sits in the landscape A few bodyweight stations Free for guests Quiet siting, materials that need no seasonal care

A resort that wants direct revenue can build an Outdoor Fitness Club instead: a zoned, operated facility with controlled, paid entry. That is a different category from a complimentary guest gym, and it is covered in the hotel guide linked above. Resort examples that we classify as Outdoor Fitness Clubs appear in our list of the best outdoor gyms in the world.

Where a fitness area counts towards stars

Official classification schemes treat fitness very differently. Rules change and regions differ, so read the current text for your market. This summary reflects the versions listed under Sources, read in October 2026. For Andalusia (2018), Veneto (2014) and Croatia (2016) we read the text as originally published and did not check later amendments; for Spain and Italy we read one region each; the AA document is the 2017 edition.

Scheme What it says about fitness Status Outdoor
Hotelstars Union 2025-2030 (hotels, 21 countries) Gym with at least four different machines, minimum 20 m²: 5 points. Recreational facilities: 3 points each, up to 9 Optional at every star level Recreational facilities may be indoor or outdoor; outdoor fitness equipment is not named
France, campsites (order of 10 April 2019) Equipped fitness space: 3 points; at least 4 items at 4 and 5 stars Mandatory at 4 and 5 stars (can be offset with optional points), optional below The criteria state the equipment may be outdoors
France, hotels (2022 guide) Equipped fitness space: 3 points Optional in all categories Not stated
Spain, Andalusia, campsites (Decree 26/2018, as published) Outdoor sports circuits at 5 and 4 stars; sauna and gym at 5 stars; 15% of the site reserved for open spaces and sports areas Mandatory Outdoor circuits are named
Italy, Veneto, campsites and holiday villages (2014, as published) Equipped gym or fitness area: 2 points towards the 12 (4 stars) or 20 (5 stars) required One option among interchangeable requirements “Fitness area” is not restricted to indoor
Poland (regulation amended August 2026, in force 15 September 2026) Hotels and motels of 4 and 5 stars: a wellness set of at least two services, a gym being one option. Campsites of 2 to 4 stars: recreational equipment and areas for games Mandatory Hotels: not specified; campsites: outdoor by nature
Germany, campsites (BVCD/DTV, 2026) Fitness room: 1 extra point Non-mandatory “Superior” feature Not stated
United Kingdom, VisitEngland (holiday parks and villages) No gym or fitness wording Leisure facilities and equipment are graded on quality and condition if present Indoor or outdoor
United Kingdom, AA (campsites, 2017 edition) No gym or fitness wording; a playground, games room or recreation area at 3 pennants; a wide range of sports and leisure facilities for holiday centres Required at those levels, type not prescribed Not stated

Three points follow from the table. First, the French campsite grid is the clearest case in which an outdoor fitness area can satisfy a mandatory criterion; the same item is only optional for French hotels. Mandatory has the grid’s own meaning here: a missed mandatory criterion of this kind can be offset by three times as many optional points, up to 5% of the mandatory total. Second, the grid is specific about content: the inspection guide says a floor mat alone does not meet the criterion, and gives strength and cardio machines as examples. If the area is meant to satisfy the criterion, check with the inspection body which items count. Third, several schemes do not say whether the fitness item must be indoors. Where the text is silent, ask the classification body before relying on an outdoor area.

Two further schemes weight leisure, but we did not review their item-level rules: the ADAC campsite classification gives leisure offers 12.5% of the score (item criteria are not published on the page we checked), and Croatia’s 2016 rulebook requires campsites to reach a point threshold for sport and recreation (we did not review the annex with the point list or the 2019 amendments).

Which standards apply

Three standards are relevant at a hotel or campsite, and their scopes are drawn to exclude one another.

  • EN 16630 covers permanently installed, freely accessible outdoor fitness equipment. It is written for youths and adults, or users taller than 1,400 mm, and it assumes unsupervised use. It does not cover electrically driven equipment or functional training facilities with unrestrained weights, and its scope sets it apart from playground equipment and from indoor stationary training equipment. It requires an information sign at the facility, stating among other things the intended users, an emergency number and a maintenance contact, and exercise instructions on or next to each station. The published scope does not say whether a fenced, guests-only area counts as freely accessible, so treat EN 16630 as the product standard to ask the supplier for, and confirm how it applies to your site with the certifier or insurer.
  • EN 1176 covers playground equipment for children. On a family campsite both are usually present: the French grid, for example, counts the play area and the fitness space as separate criteria.
  • ISO 20957-1 covers indoor stationary training equipment. Its commercial class S names hotels among the settings, and the standard states that it does not apply to equipment intended for outdoor use.

The practical consequence concerns the habit of carrying indoor machines outside. On our reading of the two published scopes, EN 16630 excludes indoor equipment and ISO 20957-1 excludes outdoor use, so a machine certified only as indoor equipment has no outdoor conformity claim under either standard. A motorised treadmill on a terrace and a rack of free weights on a lawn appear to fall outside the published scope of EN 16630 as well. This is not a statement about legality; it means suitability rests on the operator’s own risk assessment rather than on a certificate. Our guide to outdoor gym safety standards explains the regimes by market, including those outside Europe.

Materials: pool, coast and season

Next to a pool. Euro Inox guidance on stainless steel in swimming pool environments separates the two cases sharply. An indoor pool hall is among the most corrosive atmospheres in a building. An outdoor chlorinated pool is much less so, because rain washes chloride-bearing deposits away, and 304-type stainless steels can be used there, although surfaces above the water line may need regular cleaning, and the guidance notes that 316L is commonly used outdoors. The same guidance says that painting stainless steel adds no protection and cannot justify a lower grade. More on this setting is in our article on outdoor gyms in pool and spa complexes.

Near the sea. Guidance from the International Molybdenum Association treats locations within about 8 to 16 km of salt water as coastal and scores a site on its exposure, including distance from the shore: low scores point to 304, the next step to 316, and higher scores to more resistant grades. The British Stainless Steel Association names 316 as the preferred choice at most marine sites. Surfaces sheltered from rain are a risk factor, because salt is never rinsed off; a fresh-water rinse point helps. The grades are compared in our stainless vs galvanised guide.

Through the closed season. Where two thirds of the nights fall in three months, as the EU figures show, the equipment is little used for much of the year. That argues for equipment that does not have to be stored, covered or switched on in spring.

What is different about campsites

A campsite is closer to a public park than to a hotel, and four things follow.

  1. Nobody supervises. EN 16630 is written for unsupervised use, and it requires an information sign at the facility and exercise instructions at each station. On a campsite those do the work that staff would do in an operated facility.
  2. Children are present. The fitness area will be found by children whether or not it is meant for them. Place it within sight of, but not inside, the play area, put the user notice where it is seen, and choose stations certified to EN 16630 rather than indoor machines moved outside.
  3. Neighbours sleep a few metres away. Put the area in the communal part of the site, near the sports field or the pool, not between camping pitches, and avoid equipment that is noisy in use.
  4. The classification may reward it. In France an equipped fitness space is required at the higher categories; in Veneto it scores; Andalusia requires outdoor sports circuits and Poland recreational equipment, as the table above shows. Where the text allows outdoor equipment, as the French campsite grid does, an outdoor area can meet the criterion without a room; confirm with the classification body.

A short checklist by property type

  • City hotel. Confirm roof or terrace loading with a structural engineer; choose quiet, compact stations; light the area for early-morning and late-evening use.
  • Coastal resort. Specify the steel grade in the order, for every part including fixings; add shade over the strength zone and a rinse point.
  • Spa or wellness resort. Decide first whether access is complimentary or paid; plan classes and coaching, not only hardware.
  • Campsite or holiday park. Ask for EN 16630 certificates for each station; check how the area scores in your classification scheme before choosing the number of items; keep it away from camping pitches and apart from the playground.
  • All of them. Budget for surfacing and drainage as well as equipment; indicative figures from public tenders are in our outdoor gym cost guide.

Sources

Classification schemes:

Standards and materials:

Market data:

Frequently asked questions

Does an outdoor fitness area count towards a hotel's star rating?

It depends on the scheme. The Hotelstars Union catalogue for 2025-2030, used in 21 countries, awards 5 points for a gym with at least four different exercise machines and 3 points for each on-site recreational facility, indoor or outdoor; both are optional at every star level, and outdoor fitness equipment is not named. France treats an equipped fitness space as optional for hotels in every category. Ask the national classification body how an outdoor area is scored.

Is a fitness area mandatory for campsites?

Only in some schemes. France names it: an equipped fitness space is a mandatory criterion for 4- and 5-star campsites, with at least four items of equipment, which may be outdoors. Andalusia's 2018 decree requires a sauna and gym at 5 stars and outdoor sports circuits at 4 and 5 stars. Poland requires recreational equipment and areas for games at 2 to 4 stars, without naming fitness. In Germany a fitness room earns one optional extra point, and the VisitEngland schemes grade only what exists.

Which campsites have a gym or fitness area?

The star rating is a useful guide in some countries. In France an equipped fitness space with at least four items of equipment, which may be outdoors, is a mandatory criterion at 4 and 5 stars, although the grid allows a missed mandatory criterion to be offset with extra optional points. Under Andalusia's 2018 decree, 5-star campsites must have a sauna and gym, and 4- and 5-star sites outdoor sports circuits. Under Veneto's 2014 rules, a gym or fitness area is one of the options that 4- and 5-star campsites and holiday villages can choose. In Germany a fitness room is an optional extra. In every case, check the site's own facility list.

How many items of fitness equipment does a French 4-star campsite need?

At least four. The French classification table requires an equipped fitness space at 4 and 5 stars with a minimum of four items of equipment. Where a lower category claims the criterion, the minimum is three items at 3 stars and two at 1 and 2 stars. The table states that the equipment may be located outdoors, and the inspection guide notes that a floor mat alone does not satisfy the criterion; its examples are strength and cardio machines.

Can indoor gym machines be placed outdoors at a hotel?

They can be moved outside, but neither of the two equipment standards discussed here covers them there. ISO 20957-1, the standard for indoor stationary training equipment, names hotels in its commercial class and states that it does not apply to equipment intended for outdoor use; EN 16630 in turn excludes indoor stationary training equipment. On our reading of the two scopes, a machine certified only to ISO 20957 carries no outdoor conformity claim under either standard. Ask the maker in writing whether the machine is specified for rain or salt.

Can children use outdoor fitness equipment on a campsite?

It is not intended for small children. Equipment built to EN 16630 is intended for youths and adults, or users taller than 1,400 mm, and the standard requires a sign at the facility saying so. Children's play equipment is covered by a different standard, EN 1176. On a family campsite both are usually present, so place the fitness area within sight of the play area but separate from it, and keep the user notice visible. The French campsite grid, for example, counts the play area and the fitness space as separate criteria.

How big is the camping market in Europe?

Eurostat counted 413 million nights at camping grounds, recreational vehicle parks and trailer parks in the EU in 2025, which is 13.4% of all tourist accommodation nights and 28.5% more than in 2015. About two thirds of those nights, 67%, fall in June, July and August. France accounts for 154 million nights, followed by Spain with 49.8 million, Italy with 49.1 million and Germany with 45.0 million.

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