The CEO & founder of Barcelona Bootcamp talks to HCM about the growth of his luxury fitness holidays in Spain and his plans to expand the five-star experience across Europe

Tell us about the Barcelona Bootcamp, how did you get the idea?
The demand for fitness retreats has been growing quite substantially over the past few years due to the decline in general health among individuals, and the interest in corporate groups looking to take their teams abroad for a “reset”. Barcelona has been one of the most trending locations to visit in Europe. Given the climate and outdoor training possibilities in our area, we saw an excellent opportunity to create the first luxury fitness bootcamp in Barcelona.

As a fitness and outdoor enthusiast, I’ve attended many “luxury” bootcamps and fitness holidays in several countries around Europe. I noticed that none of them really lived up to many of the more important elements that luxury retreat clients are looking for nowadays.

In addition to the very best training, it’s also about offering amazing accommodation, delicious and high-quality cuisine, and paying attention to the health and wellness of every participant. This is really what ensures our participants not only achieve their goals, but have a memorable experience at our bootcamp. We deliver all of these aspects in a beautiful setting, just 25 minutes from Barcelona airport, and 30 minutes from Barcelona city. The location of our bootcamp also provides us with endless opportunities for outdoor training. From mountain hikes to boxing on the beach, our training is never boring or repetitive.

What makes the Barcelona Bootcamp different from any other bootcamp?
Most bootcamps claim to whip their participants into shape with military-style training and intensity. What they ignore are the incredibly important aspects that set our participants on the path to achieving long term results in their health and wellness.

We offer nutritional seminars and discuss diet regularly throughout the week. By knowing our clients’ individual goals and constantly monitoring their diet, we can best help them to achieve the results they are after, both in the short and long term.

The training itself is also unique at Barcelona Bootcamp. Wellness is a vital piece to our camps, which is why we host voluntary yoga classes in the evenings throughout the week, along with our cooking and nutrition seminars. Our training is functional fitness training, which is ideal for all participants – ensuring that our clients are in the best health possible for everyday life, not just running obstacle courses in the mud.

Who is booking the Barcelona bootcamp?
We generally have seen a 50/50 split between corporate groups and individuals.

Our corporate groups are usually after a week of team building. The luxury appeal of our bootcamp (high quality cuisine and beautiful accommodation) along with the beautiful climate and close proximity to Barcelona airport makes it an obvious choice for many professionals.

The individuals are those interested in an intense fitness week, or those who have decided to make a positive change in their health and wellness. One of the most surprising aspects since we started has been the popularity among all different age groups and fitness levels. We’ve hosted entire families, fathers and sons, couples, and friends who come in groups to support each other.

No matter if it’s a corporate group, or a group of individuals, our ethos, and what we always encourage, is the concept of team work. We always work together, which we find motivates our clients and creates a positive environment for change. The enthusiasm has been present with every group.

How does the future look for Barcelona Bootcamp?
The future looks very bright for Barcelona Bootcamp! Over the past four months we’ve seen a big jump in demand for our camps, with many of our clients booking multiple weeks at a time. Since we sold out many of our bootcamps in advance, this allowed us to run the camps weekly throughout the winter and spring. We also have repeat clientele from the winter sessions re-booking for our upcoming spring camps, this is a huge positive indicator for us.

We know when we receive positive reviews and repeat clients that we’ve made a positive impact on the health and wellbeing of our participants, and if we can help our clients change their lifestyle, we know we’ve done our job.

Although we’re a start-up, with our incredibly experienced team in training, hospitality, and marketing, we like to think big. Our goal has always been to franchise our bootcamp concept by expanding throughout Europe, and eventually becoming one of the most recognised brands in luxury fitness holidays worldwide.