Homewood Suites in Times Square--we heart your gym. Photo courtesy of Homewood Suites' website.

Hotel gyms can rank with dark basements in movies--you just don't want to go there. But. crazy business travel schedules don't sometimes leave anyone much choice when the weather isn't nice enough to run or bike outside (or, in New York, if you keep tripping over people in the attempt). So, how do you make the best of it?

First off, there's some upside to the dreaded hotel workout space. Most are 24-hour, so no excuses. And, you'll likely have some alone time, since most guests, at least where we stay, aren't working out post-work.

Another fave: The Residence Inn L.A. Live's fitness center with a view. Photo courtesy of the hotel's site.

That's the fun part of being away from your home gym. It's a good excuse to try some of the "odd" workouts you're not comfortable doing at home. For us, that was an AKtread workout that was, uh, challenging. Next time you travel, what will you try?