Reformer Pilates at The Stratford Park

“I couldn’t find the experience I wanted, so I started my own” ~ Beverley Haynes, The Stratford Park

Stratford Park Hotel & Golf Club has added another string to its wellness bow with the launch of a brand-new Reformer Pilates studio, and the story behind it is one we rather love.

The new four-bed studio opens this August, bringing small, personal Reformer classes to the beautiful family-owned hotel just outside Stratford-upon-Avon. But rather than simply creating another place to squeeze in a workout, co-owner and General Manager Beverley Haynes wanted to create the kind of experience she had been looking for herself.

∙ FROM FRUSTRATION TO REFORMER ∙

The idea came about after Beverley started looking for somewhere locally to do Reformer Pilates and found that, while there were plenty of classes available, none offered quite the experience she wanted.

Many were tied to monthly gym memberships or based on the high street, which often meant limited parking, no changing facilities, nowhere to shower afterwards and, perhaps most importantly, nowhere to linger.

“I loved the workout but just didn’t love the whole experience,” Beverley explains.

She wanted somewhere you could arrive without worrying about parking, enjoy a small class with plenty of individual attention, freshen up afterwards and then, rather than immediately heading home, stay for a coffee, breakfast or lunch, sit in the garden or open the laptop and get a little work done.

So, she created exactly that.

∙ MORE THAN JUST A WORKOUT ∙

The new studio has deliberately been kept small, with just four Reformer beds in each class.

That means instructors have time to offer individual coaching, keep an eye on technique and make sure nobody feels like just another face in a packed studio.

And once the class is over, there’s absolutely no rush to leave.

Grab a coffee, enjoy something to eat, find a spot in the garden, catch up on a few emails or simply give yourself twenty minutes to do absolutely nothing. Frankly, that last option sounds rather lovely.

“The Reformer Edit is designed for people who don’t just want to exercise,” says Beverley. “It’s somewhere they will actually look forward to spending time.”

∙ SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY ∙

Whether you’ve never set foot on a Reformer before or already know your footbar from your carriage, classes have been designed for a range of abilities and goals.

Sessions include Beginners, Strength & Flexibility, Athletic, Pre/Post-Natal, Mobility & Balance, with classes led by a team of four instructors: Jessica Daromas from Alcester, Amy Edwards from Warwick, Tyra Moore from Solihull and Chloe Mason from Stratford.

Reformer Pilates itself combines controlled movement with resistance to help build core and functional strength, improve flexibility and posture, develop lean muscle tone and support mobility. Its slower, more considered approach can also make it a lovely way to switch off from everything else going on in the day.

∙ A GROWING WELLNESS DESTINATION ∙

The studio is the latest part of a wider focus on wellbeing at Stratford Park.

Last year saw the introduction of dedicated wellbeing rooms, which can be hired for counselling, coaching, therapies, workshops and classes. The new Reformer studio takes that idea another step further, giving both hotel guests and local visitors another reason to spend time here.

For Beverley, who has spent more than three decades working in hospitality, it’s also about looking differently at what a modern hotel can offer.

“Every square metre of our business has to earn its place, but it also has to improve the guests’ experience,” she says.

“This was an opportunity to create a space that encourages people to slow down, move well, stay longer and enjoy the experience, rather than just ticking another workout off the list.”

And we rather like the sound of that.

∙ GIVE IT A GO ∙

The new Reformer Pilates Studio at Stratford Park Hotel & Golf Club opens on 11 August, with classes available for different abilities and fitness goals.

And the combination of a small Reformer class followed by coffee and a sit in the garden? We can certainly think of worse ways to spend a morning.