Top 10 Healthiest Hotels in America

May 22, 2009— -- For many of us, a vacation may prompt good behavior to fly out the window; you raid the minibar, blow off workouts, or return home more exhausted than ever. To help you return from your next vacation healthier and happier, Health magazine and a panel of experts came up with a list of the top 10 healthiest hotels in America.

The standout chains all place your wellness at the center of their missions, offering everything from super comfortable beds and top-notch fitness amenities to great-tasting, nutritious food and relaxing interiors. Whether hip, boutique-style lodgings or old-faithful chains, these picks serve up what you deserve: a truly rejuvenating stay that's worth your hard-earned money.

1. Fairmont

From $139 per night and up (rate vary based on location and season)

Modern life stressing you out? Fairmont Hotels and Resorts has innovative programs to help you recover. You can take the hotel's dog out for a walk to clear your head in some of its city properties, like the Fairmont Copley Plaza Boston. And for the crazed business traveler, Fairmont offers a massage to relieve BlackBerry Hands."Fairmont understands the needs of modern professionals," fitness expert Desi Bartlett says. She praised its approach to fitness, with on-site facilities as well as affiliations with top gyms such as the Lakeshore Athletic Club in Chicago. For a $10 fee, the chain's Fairmont Fit program will deliver Adidas training gear -- including athletic shoes, preloaded MP3 players, and running-route maps -- to your room. For sweet dreams, Fairmont offers top-quality mattresses, and (at several sites) pillow "menus" with everything from anti-allergy to buckwheat options. And the chain also earned kudos from environmental expert Mary Cordaro for its less-toxic cleaning products and natural linens.

2. Four Seasons

From $295 per night and up (rates vary based on location and season)

Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts nabbed top fitness scores for state-of-the-art cardio and weight-training equipment -- plus welcome extras, such as studio classes and personal trainers. Our experts also noted that at the Miami and San Francisco Four Seasons locations, the on-site fitness facility is the stellar Sports Club/LA. Nutrition expert Maureen Callahan praised the progressive approaches to healthy eating at Four Seasons restaurants and in-room dining. "From Japanese-style breakfast and multigrain pancakes in Chicago to Texas grapefruit in Dallas, Four Seasons menus put a big emphasis on fresh, local produce," she says. Meanwhile, judge Bartlett bestowed a perfect 10 on Four Seasons for its rejuvenating spas.

3. Kimpton

From $169 per night and up (rates vary based on location and season)<>An innovative urban boutique chain, Kimpton Hotels "thinks outside the box" when it comes to healthy lifestyles, judge Jim Kaese says. Or, rather, inside the room: Kimpton's in-room Mind.Body.Spa. makes relaxation private and convenient; it includes massages with organic products, complimentary 24-hour On-Demand Pilates and meditation TV channels, and loaners of yoga supplies. All locations shine with on-site workout facilities (a rarity in urban hotels). Another plus: minibars stocked with organic food and drinks. You can breathe easy at a Kimpton, too. Every hotel is 100 percent smoke-free, and the chain uses nontoxic cleaning products in guest rooms.

4. Hilton

Summer rates from $84 per night and up (rates vary based on location and season)

"Like a distance runner with a late-breaking kick," Hilton Hotels and Resorts is on a mission to surpass its competitors as fitness innovators, says panelist Kaese, who praised a recent upgrade to high-quality Precor USA strength and cardio equipment.

On the food front, Hilton's executive chefs recently worked with renowned culinary institution Johnson and Wales University to create a chainwide Eat Right menu that features delicious, good-for-you choices, including sesame ahi tuna with sweet potato and asparagus tempura. Judge Callahan loved the Hilton Breakfast, a color-coded buffet and a la carte option that lets diners see if their choices are low-fat, low-calorie, low-cholesterol, high-energy, high-fiber, high-indulgence, or a combination.

Judge Cordaro applauded an innovative program at the Hilton Chicago O'Hare: 13 enviro-rooms with hardwood floors, wooden shutters (instead of fabric curtains), air purifiers, and fragrance- and chemical-free personal products. She also noted small changes that can make for healthier stays, like outlets and communica-tion ports on easy-to-reach tabletops in meeting rooms.

5. Hyatt Regency

From $129 per night and up (rates vary based on location and season)

Hyatt Regency aced our fitness challenge: Its StayFit@Hyatt program -- with on-demand yoga videos, running-and-walking-route cards, and top-notch Life Fitness equipment -- earned top scores from judge Kaese. There's even a 24-hour fitness concierge service to provide workout clothes and GPS armbands to help runners monitor heart rate and distance (not to mention help them find their way back). Hyatt also serves up innovative healthy dining options with its StayFit Cuisine. "Making healthy food enticing? Now we're talking," Callahan raves. She was especially taken with the chain's super-healthy breakfasts like steel-cut oatmeal with roasted fruit.

6. Ritz Carlton

From $339 per night and up (rates vary based on location and season)

While Ritz-Carlton Hotels and Resorts commits to across-the-board healthy offerings (such as hypoallergenic bedding and 100 percent smoke-free properties in North America), it also prides itself on signature features that vary from location to location. Judge Bartlett was especially impressed with the snowshoe hike at the Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch (Colorado); it's guided by the hotel's yellow Lab. And panelist Kaese offered high praise for Ritz-Carlton's spas. "You know exactly what you're in store for at a Ritz spa: tranquil surroundings, well-trained massage therapists, and a wealth of options."

7. Westin

From $250 per night and up (rates vary based on location and season)

"Westin Hotels and Resorts receives an A in healthy-lifestyle creativity," judge Kaese says. From in-room fitness libraries (magazines and DVDs) to guided running tours and state-of-the-art gyms, Westin makes it easy to enjoy an active vacation. Where else can you stay in a guest room with a treadmill or stationary bike in it? Special fun: Westin Wii, where guests can play with WestinWorkout trainers or face off against each other on a specially designed Wii console in the fitness centers. Nutritionally, Westin's new superfoods-focused menu offers great choices, including green tea-infused salmon and molten dark chocolate cake (hey, antioxidants!).

8. Cambria Suites

From $100 per night and up (rates vary based on location and season)

Starting with being 100 percent smoke-free, Cambria Suites puts your well-being first. It provides separate work spaces that make it easy to shut out stressful stuff like stock quotes and work e-mails. Trying to eat right? This chain's menu is completely free of deep-fried foods. And rooms are stocked with organic tea. Fitness is a big part of the Cambria equation: Each property boasts a 2,500-square-foot fitness-and-pool center that emphasizes natural light and views to complement top-tier equipment. Plus, we love that this healthy up-and-comer is so nicely priced.

9. Loews

From $149 per night and up (rates vary based on location and season)

There's lots to love about the Loews Hotels fitness menu. For instance, a "Monumental" Sunrise-ercise route at the Loews Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C., takes guests around the city's monuments. At the Loews Coronado Bay in San Diego, a state-of-the-art fitness center features belly dancing and kid's yoga. Nutritionist Callahan gave the chain high marks for banning trans fats and for its creative take on light cooking (sushi-making for kids!).

10. The Peninsula

From $550 per night and up (rates vary based on location and season)

"The Peninsula Hotels inspire you to breathe deeper within five minutes of arriving," Bartlett says. In fact, Peninsula's spas earned a perfect 10, thanks to such offerings as Thai-inspired massage (think: warm herbal compress, ahh!). Back in the rooms, relax to a custom-designed mediation CD.

This small luxury chain is also a great place to get active, with recently renovated fitness centers and classes that complement its high-end style. But Peninsula has always been known for its fantastic pools. "A lot of swimmers stay at The Peninsula Chicago just for the 25-meter pool," judge Bill Tulin says.

Meet our experts:

Desi Bartlett, MS, CPT, is a Los Angeles-based personal trainer, and the creator of the DVD workouts Yoga for Beginners, 3-in-1 Total Body Fitness, and Prenatal Yoga.

Maureen Callahan, MS, RD, is a nutritionist, cookbook author, and two-time winner of the James Beard Foundation Award for food writing.

Mary Cordaro is an environmental consultant on healthy-building projects, the author of the upcoming book A Healthy Green Home, and creator of The Mary Cordaro Collection of green home products (at Design Within Reach).

Jim Kaese is an author and a co-founder of Athletic-Minded Traveler, which operates the largest online healthy-travel site, www.athleticmindedtraveler.com.

Bill Tulin is a co-author of "Travel Fitness: Feel Better, Perform Better on the Road."

For the full story visit Health.com.