'Beach Spin' by Hotel Del at Core Collective, Kensington

Core Collective Kensington

You may remember my rave review of Resistance, the strengthening TRX class at luxury boutique gym Core Collective in Kensington. With fond memories of my previous experience, when I was invited to go back to trial the Accelerate Spinning Class, I, of course, I jumped at the chance!

But this time, my experience would be a bit different - an extremely good type of different! You see, this is an event that was being organised by the lovely Emma from J PR , on behalf of one of their clients, legendary California Hotel 'The Del' in San Diego.

Hotel Del

With celeb guests including Brad Pitt, Robert Downey Jr, Eva Mendes, Will Farrell and Steven Spielberg (to name a few!), Hotel Del have recently revitalised their famous oceanfront Beach Village cottages and villas, hence this event was held to celebrate the new and truly all-emcomposing offering.

Holistic spa experiences, private chefs, 'wow-factor' concierge services, and a range of fitness activities including the infamous Beach Spin, which is what inspired our session today.

What we did:

Entering into the luxury Core Collective gym early one Tuesday morning, I was greeted by Emma from J PR who introduced me to the rest of the event participants -  fellow bloggers, journalists from publications spanning from The Telegraph to Now! Magazine, health and fitness brand owners (the girls from Bella Kinesis - absolutely lovely!). There was certainly a great mix, all eager and ready to trial out the infamous beach spin!

The special menu

We selected our post-workout breakfast choice from the special 'Hotel Del' menu, before heading on down to the studio at Core Collective, where we set up on our bikes to begin our Beach Spin inspired workout....

The studio

Intensity: 9/10

Spin class is never easy, and it seems this 'Beach Spin' inspired class was no different!

Beach Spin at Hotel Del

The true beach spin at Hotel Del is held outdoors on the resorts Paseo Lawn, overlooking the golden beach and Pacific ocean. Here, as so not to disrupt the ambience of the other guests, motivating music and instructions are given to particiapnts through Dre headphones, keep them focused, motivated, and working hard!

Our studio .... not quite the same!! 

Of course,  in (usually) rainy London it is difficult to recreate such an enjoyable outdoor environment - but that doesn't mean Core Collective doesn't work you as hard!

What I love about Core Collective is the monitors attached to each bike, which tell you just how hard you're working. With a colour coded system that tracks your RPM (reps per minute) and watts (power), it combines the two measures to provide you with your FTW (Functional Threshold WattRate - basically, how hard you're working overall, taking into consideration your speed and load). When the screen lights up red, you're working hard, when it drops, you know to pick up the pace or add a little more resistance - a great motivator after you feel yourself beginning to struggle following a fast sprint. As soon as I saw my colour switch to blue, my legs would kick in to bring up my FTW back into the red zone!

288 calories burned overall.... all before breakfast!

Instructor 10/10

Our instructor, Heloise Nangle , was fantastic. A dedicated cyclist, football and overall fitness enthusiast, she sure got our hearts racing and blood pumping! As with all the instructors at Core Collective, they are specialists in their field so, whilst each have their own natural style, you know you're guaranteed a good session no matter who you book with/

Back at Hotel Del Beach Spin, the instructors are some of the best in San Diego, all  hand-picked to teach the classes at The Del. And from what I've heard, the Californians are hardcore when it comes their spin.... a beach holiday at Hotel Del is like no other, after all. Relaxing by the sea? Pfft!

Ammenties 10/10

Fully equipped at Core Collective

As per my previous post, the ammenities at Core Collective are top notch - organic shampoo and conditioners, GHD straighteners and curling tongs. Admittedly I was a bit disappointed to see they no longer offer the GHD styling products... but I guess I can understand why....must have been a nightmare to stop people pinching. However, they do still have the Core Collective branded laundry bags to take home your sweaty kit - I don't know why I love this so much, it's just such a nice added touch!

Love it!

Meanwhile, back at Hotel Del, the amenities are everything you'd expect from a 5-star celeb resort....and more! With their 24 hour fitness centre, alongside a wellness spa offering everything from massages and facials, to slimming detox wraps and body scrubs - they have all the amenities on hand to ensure you can enjoy a healthy, relaxing and revitalising break. They even offer a 'luggage unpacking upon arrival' service, beach and pool valet, and behind the scenes VIP tours at local attractions such as  SeaWorld and San Diego Zoo. Talk about above and beyond!

The Spa at Hotel Del

Price 6/10

A 45 minute class at Core Collective costs £28 - admittedly, this is to the higher end of London's £20-£30 average. It's therefore a great option for the cash rich/time poor professionals (which, let's face it, make up most of the London population!), who want to get a high intensity low hassle workout. Prices do come down, however, with their class packages, such as 16 classes for £320, working out at a slightly more reasonable £20 per session.

As for The Del Hotel, rates begin at around £300 a night, rising for peak seasons. Yes, slightly more expensive than the standard hotel rate, but why would you want standard vs an out of this world experience?! Fitness fiend guests of The Del receive access to the fitness room and complimentary beach yoga and other classes daily, and can add a Beach Spin session for an additional £14. A must!

Post Workout Fuel 10/10

When I first visited Core Collective, they hadn't yet fully launched their in studio cafe, so I was very excited to give their tasty menu a shot now the cafe was live and kicking! As we finished the class, we went back upstairs to find a delicious Hotel Del Green Spin Power Smoothie waiting for us. A blend of green vegetables, fresh basil and  raw cacao pieces, it was a deliciously refreshing, and much needed way to begin our post workout feast.

Green Spin Power Smoothie

As the waitresses brought out our breakfast orders, we met with Sara Baumann, representative from The Del Hotel who had flown in from San Diego, literally just that morning. Listening to even more jaw dropping details of the luxurious hotel, we were all in awe as we tucked into to delicious 'Green Bowls', 'Homemade Granola' and - my choice - 'Coconut Porridge'.

Green Bowl - Kale, Chard and Spinach with Poached Egg and Avocado

Homemade Granola with whipped Coconut Yoghurt and Fruit Salsa

Coconut Porridge with Berry Compote, Granola and Coconut flakes

For foodies at The Del Hotel, with seven different restaurant options serving everything from Coastal Cuisine, Juicy Angus Burgers, relaxed Pizzas and Sandwiches, in addition to delicious breakfast buffets and Sunday brunch - you certainly won't leave hungry! But with all the healthy activities available, you can be sure to keep it all in balance!

The Sunset Bar at The Del

For example, as if 'Beach Spin' wasn't special enough, Sara also told us about Hotel Del's most launch - Mermaid Fitness. In keeping with the hotels SoCal persona, in this high-energy water aerobics class, participants ditch their Lululemon leggings for, wait for it ....  colourful mermaid trials!

Mermaid Fitness - photo courtesy of wellandgood.com

Just a gimmick you say? Well, laugh as much as you want, but with California leading the way in the wellness scene, it wouldn't surprise me if this was to hit the UK soon enough. And, of course, I'll be first in line to try it when it does. I thought swimming laps round a pool was hard enough - imagine doing it with a tail?!

Would I go back?
100% - Core Collective still remains one of my favourite studios in London, and this event has only confirmed this. And, as for the San Diego Hotel Del experience, you never know - with my blog diverging into the travel sector through wellbeing retreat reviews.  perhaps I may get a chance to try out the real 'Beach Spin' soon. Watch this space!

Some more images shown from the iPad - looks bliss!!!

Many thanks to Emma, J PR, Hotel Del and Core Collective for a fantastic event! To find out more about the hotel and bookings visit their website www.hoteldel.com.

Core Collective Activewear now on sale to make room for their new Lululemon Collaboration.
Two of my favourites combined? I am SO excited to see this!