What is The Fit Guide?
The Fit Guide is the only global, independent rating system for premium fitness clubs and studios.
Our expert evaluators visit top clubs anonymously, assessing them against 250+ objective standards created with leaders from fitness and hospitality.
We look at every detail of the member experience, from reception and the class to facilities, tech, and online presence.
Clubs that meet the highest standards earn our The Fit Guide Five-Star Award or our Award of Excellence, with special mentions for those we recommend.
Each club gets private access to results across our five categories, with the option to receive a full report to celebrate strengths and uncover growth opportunities.
Mission
We verify and celebrate excellence, helping fitness enthusiasts find and experience the world’s best fitness clubs.
We help fitness clubs and studios create incredible, five-star client experiences every time.
Our Story
The Fit Guide started with a conversation between Jack Thomas and Matt Lavender, two leaders in fitness and hospitality with over 25 years of combined experience. They saw a gap: while restaurants and hotels have globally respected rating systems, the fitness industry had no trusted standard to assess quality and celebrate excellence.
Fitness has come a long way over the last few decades. Today’s top clubs deliver world-class experiences, with coaches and front-of-house teams that understand the importance of hospitality, to spectacularly designed facilities and the smart use of technology. But there was no global standard of excellence to recognize the world's best experiences.
The Fit Guide exists to change that. We celebrate the world's leading clubs and experiences and help raise the bar for premium fitness around the world.
Matt Lavender
Matt Lavender is the founder and CEO of Enlites, a consultancy providing quality assurance and learning & development to the hospitality industry. Former roles include Director, Field Evaluations for Forbes Travel Guide and Operations Director for Hotel IQ International. Matt has trained over 80 hotel inspectors, traveled to more than 100 countries and provided consulting services to over 700 luxury hotels, resorts, restaurants, spas, including notable brands such as Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, Ritz-Carlton, Six Senses, and Rosewood.
Jack Thomas
Jack Thomas
Jack Thomas is the founder and CEO of award-winning club BASE and host of the Fitness Business Asia podcast, a weekly show with a mission to raise the standards of the fitness industry. Jack was recognized for his contributions to fitness with the Industry Appreciation Award at the 2022 Fit Summit, which is given for ‘contributing immensely to the growth and success of the fitness and wellness industry in Asia Pacific’.