Bike touring enthusiasts, we want to tell you a secret to make your bike trip a real pleasure: luxury bike hotels.
Travelling by bike makes you fatigue and work hard, therefore sleep well and rest are essential aspects for an ideal bike trip.
Making sure you have the perfect overnight stay in a bike hotel, after a long bike ride, will make you ready for the next day, to reach energically the following destination.
In fact, along the way, you will be able to choose to stop in marvelous bike friendly facilities, which will offer you everything you will need.
Luxury bike hotels: what are they and what differentiates them from normal bike hotels?
What are the characteristics that make a bike hotel luxurious?
Now we will find out together, but first let’s take a step back and start by understanding what a bike hotel is.
A bike hotel is an accommodation that specialises in accommodating cyclists and meeting their needs. This means that these hotels dispose services which are able to concretely support who travels on two wheels.
The minimum requirements for a Bike Hotel are:
- The proximity to a bike itinerary or a cycle path
- Availability of a bike room, which will guarantee a parking spot for your bike and the kit to repair it in case of need.
- Hotel staff qualifiedto give advice and information on itinerary and what to visit
Luxury hotels offer much more than this. But, let’s see together which are the characteristics that differentiate a normal bike hotel from a luxury hotel:
6 features that should never be missing from luxury bike hotels
First things first, to be defined as “luxury“, the hotel must have 4 or 5 stars, or it must be an historic and characteristic structure. Although this is a minimum requirement, it is certainly not enough to make a hotel a Luxury Bike Hotel.
What is a must in a bike-friendly luxury hotel?
1. A spa and the possibility of booking decontracting massages
The dream of anyone returning to the hotel after a day of long cycling is surely to enjoy a well-deserved rest with a spa and perhaps a good, relaxing massage. A real pampering that you can quickly get used to if you decide to stay in a luxury bike hotel.
Relax and a wellness break will help you stretch the muscles tired from the bike ride and will give you the right charge and energy to get back on the bike seat the next day towards the next stage.
2. A bike room with equipment suitable for bike maintenance
You cannot call it a real bike hotel if there is no bike room. The perfect bike room must be accessible to cyclists only and preferably also have video surveillance.
Furthermore, a small workshop should not be missing and it should offer the possibility of carrying out maintenance and repairs on your vehicle, from washing, to inflating, up to repairing for larger technical problems, such as breakdowns and punctures.
Speaking of punctures… read also: “Bicycle inner tube repair “.
It’s also essential that the workshop has the charging guarantee for who has an e-bike.
3. A fast laundry service for technical clothing
After a long day of cycling, under the sun or in the rain (hopefully not), you will surely need to quickly wash your technical clothing.
A luxury bike hotel ensures that you will always have fresh, clean clothing so that you can tackle the next stage in the best possible condition!
4. A rental service for all types of bicycles (also external)
A self-respecting bike hotel will always ensure that you can rent any type of bicycle you need.
A luxury bike hotel makes sure that you are never left ‘stranded’ and that even minor mishaps with your bike can be promptly resolved with a new one, ready for use.
And that’s not all… you can also rent GPS devices, helmets, any protections and guarantee yourself everything you need for your bike trip.
5. The availability of guides or gpx tracks
A very important service, which should not be underestimated, is certainly the possibility of having guides and gpx tracks available so that you can explore your cycling route to the fullest.
The guides must be specialized in cycling and cycle tourism and will be able to clarify all your doubts in the best possible way, suggesting you the best itinerary, including deviations and excursions.
In addition, thanks to the maps and gpx tracks provided by the hotel, you can explore the area on your own or make a last-minute change of plan.
But you also have to consider the importance of the sustainable bike touring:
Read also: “Sustainable tourism: bike touring as a virtuous example“.
6. Flexibility to create cyclist-friendly breakfast, snack or dinner menus
Last but certainly not least: cyclist-friendly meals.
The needs of a traveller on two wheels are very specific!
- Often it is a question of having breakfast very early, in order to be able to leave towards the next stage during the coolest hours of the morning.
- On long stretches without refreshments, it will also be important to take a bag lunch provided by the hotel.
- And when you arrive at the hotel after a long day of intense sport, you need an energetic and protein-packed dinner, preferably a large one.
These are the characteristics that, according to us from Bikeit, are essential for a luxury bike hotel in order to assure you the best bike trip.
But, how to choose the perfect bike hotels for you, along your bike itinerary?
That’s our solution!
Book your travel
Thanks to Bikeit you can organise your dream holiday on two wheels, choosing the best luxury bike hotels available. Choose your itinerary and leave for the bike trip of your dreams.
