Staying Fit at EVEN Hotels

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Last weekend, my sister and I traveled to Norwalk, Connecticut to stay overnight at EVEN Hotels. I was recently invited to review the hotel, and I immediately jumped at the chance because of the brand’s commitment to wellness-minded travelers. I love travel and, of course, I love all things related to health, fitness, and food, so I accepted and knew exactly who to invite: my sister! She’s on a health-kick lately and it was a great excuse to have a girls’ trip away!

Never heard of EVEN Hotels? Well, you are in for a treat. They have six locations, all of which help guests maintain their healthy routine while traveling, including in-room fitness options, a killer gym, tons of healthy food choices, wellness-savvy staff, and so much more. (FYI: All six properties are currently accepting reservations, but Brooklyn [7/20/16], Omaha [9/2/16], and Midtown East [10/15/16] haven’t opened quite yet.).

As soon as my sister and I arrived at the hotel, we immediately noticed the brand’s emphasis on wellness. Truly, everything at the hotel is designed to give you healthy choices so you can stay well while on the road. It was actually really motivating, too!

Fruit- and herb-infused water after a 3-hour road trip? Yes, please!

After we checked in, we headed up to our room to get settled for the evening. And as soon as we opened the door, we saw fitness equipment waiting for us. Cool!

Each room features an in-room fitness zone with resistance bands, exercise ball, and yoga equipment as well as an EVEN Hotels exercise guide (more on this below) and in-room fitness training videos. Yesssssss! Obviously, I was pumped. I had never stayed at a hotel like this before!

You guys know how much I enjoy sticking with my fitness routine when I travel, so these amenities definitely made me happy. I mean, I’d have no excuse to skip my workout with so many exercise options right at my finger tips!

Other health-minded amenities in our room: Stand-up desk, all-natural eucalyptus linens, eco-friendly bath products, black out shades, and a mini fridge.

There was even an EVEN Hotels water bottle to take home!

Once we got settled in our room, we headed downstairs to the main level to explore the hotel. One of the first things that caught our attention was a water station near the elevator (there’s one on every floor of the hotel) where you can grab a quick drink or refill your water bottle to help you stay hydrated. How’s that for convenience? Eco- and budget-friendly too!

Also on the main level was the Cork & Kale Market and Bar, which serves a variety of delicious, good-for-you foods that are freshly prepared and fully customizable based on your taste and dietary preferences (i.e. gluten-free, raw, etc.).

There were seriously so many different snacks, sandwiches, smoothies, and the like to choose from– it was easily the best selection I’ve ever seen at a hotel or while traveling. It was almost like shopping at a health foods store!

The Cork & Kale Market provided all sorts of grab-and-go snacks with the option of ordering a more substantial meal, snack, or smoothie from the restaurant.

You could also pull up a stool and enjoy a meal or cocktail there, which is exactly what my sister and I did for dinner that evening.

First order of business: Wine!

And then: Food! The menu at Cork & Kale had all sorts of tasty and healthy options– flatbreads, boards, sandwiches, and salads.

Each meal included one or more labels to help classify them as vegan, under 426 calories, high in protein, packed with superfoods, etc.

To start, my sister and I shared the Mediterranean Board, which came with hummus, olives, gluten-free falafel chips, pita chips, and carrots. We really loved it and ate every last bite!

I also ordered the Kale Krunch Salad, which was made with lacinato kale, medjool dates, radish, toasted hazelnuts, pecorino cheese, and lemon vinaigrette. Mmm!

My sister ordered one of the flatbreads and really liked it too!

After dinner, we grabbed a sweet treat from the Market and headed up to our room to hang out. We were both pretty exhausted, so we watched TV, chatted, and went to bed fairly early. #momlife

Getting a good night’s sleep meant we hit the ground running the next morning with a workout. We had seen the EVEN Hotels in-room training guide the day before, so we wanted to give it a try.

It included all sorts of time-efficient and effective workouts, each with easy-to-understand exercise demonstrations.

We also wanted to take advantage of the fancy-schmany hotel gym, so we used the training guide as a quick warm-up before heading downstairs to get our sweat on.

The hotel gym had brand new, top-of-the-line equipment, including a water erg, spin bike, and Woodway treadmills with Slat Belt running surfaces.

The treadmills = so fun to run on!!

The gym also had a full set of dumbbells, Xerballs, TRX, and even a punching bag with gloves that you can borrow.

Our workout:

It was a fun one and only took us about 20 minutes to finish.

After our sweat session, we headed back to our room to shower and get ready for the day. After that, we popped into the Cork & Kale Market to get coffee (obviously).

The Market had a nice selection of coffees and teas as well as milk, cream, and non-dairy options (almond and soy milk).

There wasn’t an iced coffee option, so I made my own using one of the super strong varieties + soy milk + ice, and it turned out perfectly!

Once we had our coffees, my sister and I ordered breakfast. We shared the “Power Juice,” which was orange juice blended with banana and fresh ginger. It was phenomenal, and I definitely want to recreate it at home! To eat, I went with the Fritatta made with baby spinach, quinoa, roasted red pepper, Havarti and Pecorio cheeses, red onion, Italian sausage, and sun-dried tomatoes. It was so tasty, and I practically devoured it!

I really enjoyed my time at EVEN Hotels (and even raved about it non-stop to Mal when I got home). Having access to so many healthy options made me want to stick to my usual routine while on the road. Even just being in the presence of health-focused amenities motivated me to eat well and exercise during my stay. If you’re someone who prioritizes health and wellness when you travel, EVEN Hotels is definitely for you. They make it SO EASY to stay well!

FYI: Right now, EVEN Hotels is offering an awesome deal (valid through 7/31//16): Stay Two Nights with EVEN Hotels, Get a $50 Gift Card. It Pays to Stay.

Question of the Day

How do you stick to your healthy habits when you travel? 

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