Do Cyclists Really Want Dedicated Bike Rooms at Hotels?

The thought came to me in one of those quiet, slightly fuzzy moments over morning coffee. You know the kind when your head drifts to something small but oddly important. For me, it was this: do cyclists actually want dedicated bike rooms at hotels?

On paper, it sounds like a dream feature. A space where you can build up your bike after a flight, maybe with some racks, a track pump, even a few tools left out for guests. Hotels use it as a badge of honour, proof they’re “bike-friendly.” And sure, I’ll admit, that part is useful. It’s nice not to have to wrestle with a bike bag in the corner of your bedroom while your travel partner gives you the side-eye.

But here’s the problem almost nobody wants to leave their bike there once it’s built.

Cyclists have a relationship with their bikes that outsiders don’t always understand. Yes, it’s carbon and cables and bearings. But it’s also something we’ve poured money into, looked after, crashed with, celebrated on. A bike becomes wrapped up in identity. Which is why parking it in a communal storage room feels wrong. Like leaving your newborn in a dedicated “baby room.” Theoretically safe, but against every instinct.

And changing rooms? Don’t even get me started. I’ve seen hotels proudly offer these cyclist-specific cubicles, but they miss the point entirely. We already have a room. That’s what we paid for. Who in their right mind wants to peel off damp bib shorts in a shared space when there’s a private shower ten steps away? It’s not just redundant, it feels slightly comical.

So here’s the bigger question: what would make hotels truly bike-friendly?

For me, it comes down to integration rather than separation. I don’t want my bike tucked away in some anonymous basement. I want it in the space I’m living in, the same way I’d want my shoes, my camera, or my phone. But I also get it: bikes are awkward. They take up space, they drip water, they’re not the most hotel-room-friendly object.

That’s why I’d love to see hotels rethink the design side of things. Imagine walking into your room and finding a wall mount, not some industrial hook, but a piece of furniture in its own right. Something sleek, minimal, and in keeping with the room’s aesthetic. Brands like Tons or Stasdock are already doing this beautifully. Suddenly, your bike has a place. It’s not leaning half-sideways against the curtains, not lying on the carpet by the desk. It’s part of the room.

Picture it: you roll in from a long day’s ride, clip out, hang the bike up on the wall, and all your gear is right there beneath it. Your pride and joy is safe, visible, part of the atmosphere. When you’re laying out your kit for tomorrow or scrolling through ride data, the bike is exactly where you want it, next to you.

That, to me, is genuine hospitality for cyclists. It acknowledges that a bike isn’t just transport, it’s part of who we are.

So maybe the real challenge for hotels isn’t to create separate “bike facilities.” It’s to rethink the rooms themselves. To create spaces that cyclists feel at home in, where their bike belongs as much as they do. Because let’s be honest nobody ever recommended a hotel because of its communal changing room. But a place that treats your bike like the companion it is? That would be memorable.

What Hotels Could Do Better for Cyclists

• In-room bike storage: Provide stylish wall mounts or stands so bikes can be kept safely and neatly inside the guest’s room.
• Setup areas, not storage rooms: A small, well-lit space with tools, a pump, and a workstand is useful for bike building on arrival but let the bike go with the guest afterwards.
• Flexible cleaning options: A simple hose, drain, or cleaning station outdoors saves carpets and makes everyone happier.
• Cyclist-aware design touches: Hooks for kit, a bit more drying space, maybe a mat for under the bike small details that make the room practical without spoiling aesthetics.
• Trust the guest: Don’t over-complicate it with endless rules. Cyclists want their bike nearby, not locked away in bureaucracy.

What about you? If you’ve ever travelled with your bike, what setup made you feel most at home a locked-up storage area, or the chance to keep it right beside you?