This week I had the chance to experience a new initiative by Westin hotels: New Balance Gear Lending. The promotion lets hotel guests rent workout clothing during their stay. You can rent running clothes and shoes saving you the luggage space when you pack. I thought it was a great idea, and it allowed me to go for a run in Munich without having to pack running shoes. That’s valuable packing space I saved!

The gear lending is part of a wider initiative for healthier hotel stays for Starwood Hotels guests—everything from making exercise easier to nutritious foods. The SuperFoodsRx menu recently launched by Starwood puts much healthier ingredients in their restaurants and on their menu. I tried their breakfast menu which included fresh fruit and smoothies.

The apple and carrot juice smoothie was far and away the tastiest.

Lunch from the Westin hotel restaurant included several large sushi platters, a spicy shrimp curry and other snack foods. Everything tasted so fresh!

My lunch with the Starwood hotel staff was a great way to learn about their healthier style of hotels. Part of my winter resolution this year was to exercise more and eat healthier. That’s so far been a challenge while traveling, but with more and more hotels embracing the health trend, it’ll certainly get easier!

Do you find it hard to stay healthy when staying in hotels?