The world’s most luxurious hotel gyms

Hotel gyms, like real estate, often come down to three things: Location, location, location.

And that’s why wise hotel builders have gotten the gym out of the basement and given it the prime position (and natural light!) it deserves. These are the hotels and resorts that go the extra mile, and have tricked out equipment, hired A-list trainers, and turned their gyms into the most swish destinations for your sweat sessions.

Here are nine gorgeous workout rooms to fantasize about while logging miles on the treadmill at home. —Ann Abel

Photo: Just Luxe

La Mamounia, Marrakechwww.mamounia.com

Morocco’s most lavish hotel extends its opulence to its gym, which is surrounded by the hotel’s 20 acres of gardens. Why it’s drool-worthy:

+Fabulous aesthetics, with electric blue walls that evoke Yves St. Laurent’s famous Majorelle Gardens+Oversize glass doors that can be opened onto the park on nice days+Private rooms for yoga, Pilates, and other fitness classes

The Siam, Bangkokwww.thesiamhotel.com

Bangkok’s newest urban luxury resort went all out when it came to the fitness offerings. Why it’s drool-worthy:

+Floor-to-ceiling mirrors and windows overlooking a monastery

+The hotel world’s most luxe (and perhaps only) Muay Thai gym, offers workouts and programs for beginners and advanced fighters—and visits to local boxing training centers and Muay Thai fights

+An adjacent rooftop terrace for yoga and tai chi

Turtle Bay, Oahuwww.turtlebayresort.com

This Hawaiian resort is more than the party scene shown in Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Last summer it emerged from a multimillion-dollar redo, in which prime real estate was given to the gym. And it’s also the stunning location for the mega yoga-music festival, Wanderlust. Why it’s drool-worthy:

+Panoramic views from your treadmill of North Shore’s legendary surf breaks, where you can watch serious surfers tear it up, or newbies take lessons+A full fitness arsenal of kettlebells, Bosu balls, medicine balls, and other next-gen functional fitness gear+Hot hula classes (which aren’t actually heated but may be offered outside), a workout that really fires up the core

Castiglion del Bosco, Tuscany www.castigliondelbosco.com

Rare in Italy, the gym here is up-to-date and makes working off daily doses of homemade pasta and Brunello di Montalcino a pleasure. Why it’s drool-worthy:

+Full-window views over the vineyards and hillsides of the Val d’Orcia, one of the loveliest, most wild corners of Tuscany+A sleek-looking, results-getting Technogym Kinesis system built into one wall (trainers can help you break it in)+Lots of outdoor fitness options, from trail running to “boot camp in the forest” with a triathlete trainer and which might include throwing rocks and “splitting” wood (with a rubber mallet not an axe)

Amanpuri, Phuket, Thailandwww.amanresorts.com/amanpuri

At Amanresorts’ stunning flagship in Phuket, the 3,800-square-foot glass-walled duplex gym occupies the highest point of the spa property. Why it’s drool-worthy:

+Spectacular views of the Andaman Sea+A state-of-the-art Pilates studio with Reformers and Gyrotonic equipment for private and group sessions+Complimentary daybreak yoga and meditation in an open-air sala (porch) on a hillside

Cal-a-Vie, Californiawww.cal-a-vie.com

The owners of this celeb-fave So-Cal destination spa adore the South of France, so they decorated it with Provencal antiques—and top-of-line fitness equipment. Did we mention that guests are loaned workout clothes? Why it’s drool-worthy:

+Chandeliers and sconces illuminate the workout spaces instead of hideous fluorescent lighting+Seriously butt-kicking small-group (and sometimes private) classes with fantastic instructors+A French chapel, brought over from Europe and reconstructed here, for yoga classes

Matakauri Lodge, New Zealandwww.matakauri.co.nz

Those mountains aren’t called the Remarkables for nothing. While the gym at this “super-lodge” outside Queenstown isn’t huge, it’s plenty big for a hotel with just 11 rooms. Why it’s drool-worthy:

+That view+That view+That view

Park Hyatt Seoul www.seoul.park.hyatt.com

The Korean capital’s most luxurious hotel has a top-floor gym that’s every inch as sleek as the rest of it. Why it’s drool-worthy:

+A birds-eye view over the bustling Gangnam District from the gym’s 23rd-floor perch+Personal trainers working the floor to critique form and offer tweaks (or for pre-arranged private training sessions)+The Element-driven treatments (like Dol, to detoxify) at the boutique spa

Terranea, Los Angeleswww.terranea.com

This resort, with one foot in the city and another on the beach, puts a big and welcome emphasis on wellness throughout, especially in sprawling spa and high-tech gym. Why it’s drool-worthy:

+Outdoor group cycling classes on a shaded terrace overlooking the Pacific Ocean+Kick-butt trainers on hand, including one of the original American Gladiators+A fitness schedule with at least two classes a day, ranging from TRX to Zumba

More Reading

7 inspiring mega yoga events around the world8 exotic yoga spots that will blow your mindNew York City’s swankiest gyms

Photo: The Lole White Yoga Tour at the Grand Palais in Paris