A hotel or club gym refurbishment usually has a fixed end date. The gym is closed, guests and members are waiting, and the reopening may be tied to a season, an event or a wider renovation. The equipment has to arrive at the right moment: not so early that it sits in a corridor for weeks, not so late that it delays the opening.
Getting that right is a matter of planning backwards from the opening date. This article sets out the stages, the lead times and the practical details that keep a refurbishment on track.
Plan backwards from opening
Start with the date the gym must reopen, then work back:
- Opening. Staff trained, equipment checked, room cleaned.
- Installation and checks. Equipment fixed, assembled and inspected.
- Delivery. Equipment on site after floors, walls and services are finished.
- Production. The equipment is made.
- Approvals. Drawings, timber, colour and upholstery signed off.
- Briefing and design. Layout, equipment list and specification agreed.
Each stage needs its own allowance. The most common cause of delay is not production, but approvals that take longer than expected.
Lead times and what starts the clock
Bespoke equipment is made to order. At Round Fit, Pilates equipment typically takes four to six weeks, and other collections typically six to eight weeks, depending on the project.
Those lead times start from approval: of drawings, timber species, finish, colour and upholstery. Allow time for that stage too. Samples need to be made, sent and reviewed. Designers and owners need to see them in the room, under its lighting. A week or two for approvals is realistic on most projects, and more if several people need to sign off.
Payment is typically 50 per cent at the start of production and 50 per cent at shipment, so budget approvals should be in place before the drawings are signed.
Fit the gym into the wider programme
If the gym is part of a larger renovation, it sits inside a construction programme. Architects and designers in the UK commonly work to the RIBA Plan of Work, which runs from briefing and design stages through Technical Design and Manufacturing and Construction to Handover. Bespoke gym equipment is easiest to plan when it is brought in during design, so walls can be reinforced and services routed before finishes go on.
Construction work also has legal duties. Under the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015, the Health and Safety Executive explains that commercial clients must make suitable arrangements for managing the project and allow sufficient time and resources for each stage. Where more than one contractor is involved, a principal designer and principal contractor must be appointed. Projects lasting more than 30 working days with more than 20 workers at any one time, or exceeding 500 person-days, must be notified to HSE. Your project manager will handle this, but it is a reminder that rushing the programme is not only a commercial risk.
Share access details early
Equipment has to reach the room. Share these details as early as possible:
- Lift sizes, internal dimensions and weight limits.
- Door widths and heights along the route from the loading area to the gym.
- Loading bay location and any height restrictions.
- Delivery hours and any restrictions, such as no deliveries during breakfast or check-out.
- Who receives the delivery and where it can be stored briefly if needed.
Large pieces such as Cadillacs, tower reformers and locker banks may need to be delivered in sections and assembled on site. Knowing the route allows the maker to plan that.
Walls, floors and services first
Book installation after the room is ready.
- Floors finished and cured.
- Walls finished, with any reinforcement for wall-mounted pieces in place.
- Power and data for screens, lockers and reception in place.
- Wet trades complete. New screeds and plaster release moisture as they dry. The Wood Handbook from the US Forest Products Laboratory explains that wood takes up moisture from the surrounding air and swells as it does. Timber equipment is best installed once the room has dried and is at its normal temperature and humidity.
Agree fixings for wall-mounted equipment with the contractor in advance. Wall bars, barres, spring walls and racks need fixings chosen for the actual wall. Installation of Round Fit equipment is arranged through local distribution partners, who assess the wall before wall-mounted pieces are fixed.
Check before opening
Allow time between installation and opening to check everything. The Health and Safety Executive’s guidance on inspecting work equipment says that where safety depends on installation, equipment should be inspected after installation and before first use, and the result recorded. Use the time to:
- Check every fixing and adjustment.
- Run through each piece with the staff who will look after it.
- Clean the room and the equipment.
- Set up storage, signage and any guest guidance.
Every Round Fit piece is tested before it leaves the workshop, but a check on site after installation is still essential.
A sample timeline
For a typical hotel gym with Pilates and functional equipment:
- Weeks 1–2: brief, layout and specification.
- Weeks 2–4: drawings, samples and approvals.
- Weeks 4–12: production, depending on the collections.
- Final week: delivery, installation, checks and staff handover.
Every project is different, but planning in this order avoids most surprises.
Read more about how we work. Send us your opening date and discuss your project with us, and we will plan backwards from it.
