Hopefully this is something everyone can get a laugh out of. For those of you that haven’t yet seen the video, President Obama stayed at the Marriott Warsaw recently, and ended up going to the gym.
Since the Secret Service had “cleared” everyone staying at the hotel, they didn’t shut down the gym when he used it. So someone somehow videotaped the workout, and this emerged:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ExQcrf80OSI
It’s damn impressive that someone managed to do that without the President or Secret Service noticing.
Over the years I’ve certainly seen some celebrities at hotel gyms, though no one presidential.
Speaking of “hotels” and “awkward,” the Park Hyatt Tokyo has a spectacular spa, which Gold Passport Diamond members can access for free. The thing is that spa isn’t “clothing optional,” but rather nudity is required. I realize I leave the German side of me at home when it comes to this, but when I stayed there I (politely) said “oh, that’s okay, thanks,” as I was perfectly content in my swimming trunks. I figured it was merely a suggestion and not a requirement. “No, please, you take it off.” Oh…
It’s always awkward to run into someone you know as soon as you enter the spa…
Anyway, politics aside, hopefully everyone can get a chuckle out of the above video.
@ Lucky - ah, okay. Guess it's not all that different than, say, German saunas?
@ Ivan Y -- Correct. Though in Germany you'd just be looked at crazy for wearing underwear in a sauna, though doubt they'd tell you to take it off, necessarily.
@ David M - thanks! To clarify, my question about PHT spa is for what activities/at what point they expect you to get undressed. Their site indicates they provide a robe and slippers (like a typical spa) and that t-shirt & shorts are required for certain types of massage. So is it saunas/pools/whirlpools that require nudity?
@ Ivan Y -- I don't think nudity is even allowed at the pool, though it's the spa facilities where it's required (several hot tubs, sauna, steam room, etc.).
@Ivan Ivan
"Why do they require nudity?" Because that is the tradition in Japan! Simple as that.
I'm American and my wife is Japanese, every time we go to Japan we enjoy going to an onsen for an overnight.
What do you do at an onsen? Well you shower an the soak in the hot Water nude.
Then you eat dinner and go back to the baths.
Then you sleep and go back to the baths.
it is a GREAT time!
@ Lucky - with regards to PHT spa, where/why do they require nudity? From what I vaguely recall about Russian bath houses rules, there you wrap yourself in a towel outside of a steam/sauna room.
Man goes to gym. Whoopee. Why did someone even bother taping this?
This detail is "far" more important than what is being served at the breakfast bar........
I ran into Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Park Hyatt Tokyo pool/spa. He was heading to the gym as I was at the pool ... it would have been a lot more awkward if it was inside the spa. :)
Thanks for the tip on the Park Hyatt Tokyo! That sounds fun! :)