The Fit Guide Launches Second Year In New York: More 5-Star Clubs The Fit Guide Launches Second Year In New York: More 5-Star Clubs The Fit Guide Launches Second Year In New York: More 5-Star Clubs

The Fit Guide Launches Second Year In New York: More 5-Star Clubs

New York’s Fitness Scene Levels Up: The Fit Guide 2025 Results Are In

BASE founder Jack Thomas’s global standard for fitness excellence has just launched its second year of gym awards in New York. The good news is that the bar has been raised!

The Fit Guide—the world’s only independent rating system for fitness clubs and studios—has just dropped its 2025 results, and there’s plenty to celebrate for New York’s fitness industry. With more clubs hitting that elite 5-Star status and an overall boost in class experiences, the city’s fitness game is stronger than ever. But, as always, there’s still room for improvement.

Dubbed the Michelin Guide of fitness, The Fit Guide goes deep, evaluating boutique studios across five key categories: HIIT & Strength, Cycling, Yoga, Barre, and Pilates. Mystery shoppers—highly trained ‘experience evaluators’—go incognito to assess everything from coaching quality to front desk hospitality. And the verdict? New York’s boutique fitness scene is on the up, but some studios still have work to do.

Where New York’s Fitness Studios Improved (and Where They Slipped)

The biggest win? Class experience scores jumped by an impressive 3.3% across the board, meaning better coaching, energy, and execution. Barre saw the biggest leap, with scores soaring by 5.7%. Pilates studios also stepped up their game, though reception service took a slight dip.

Not all modalities crushed it, though. Yoga, while improving slightly, still lags behind as the lowest-scoring category for the second year running. And cycling? Not the best news—class experience scores dropped by 4.7%. Time for a reset, spin studios!

The Fit Guide 5-Star Award Winners: NYC’s Elite Studios

Only the best of the best earn a coveted 5-Star Award, scoring 90% or higher. This year, seven studios made the cut, up from five in 2024. Meet the clubs leading the charge:

These studios are setting the standard, offering world-class coaching, seamless service, and top-tier facilities.

What Needs Work? Reception Service Still Lags Behind

You can have the best coaches in the city, but if the front desk experience isn’t on point, it can throw off the whole vibe. The Fit Guide’s evaluators found that while reception scores improved slightly (+0.5%), they’re still one of the weakest areas across the board. The takeaway? More attention to hospitality could take NYC’s fitness scene from great to legendary.

From BASE to The Fit Guide: Raising Global Fitness Standards

The Fit Guide’s co-founder, Jack Thomas, is no stranger to the fitness industry. As the founder of BASE, one of Bangkok’s leading boutique fitness studios, he knows what it takes to create a world-class gym experience. With The Fit Guide, Jack and his team are taking those standards global, helping fitness enthusiasts find the best clubs and pushing studios to reach five-star excellence.

The Fit Guide’s Next Stops: LA & Miami

Following its success in New York, London, Singapore, Dubai, and Sydney, The Fit Guide is taking its rating system to the West Coast and beyond. Los Angeles is up next in March, with Miami set to follow later in the year. Expect more top-tier insights, more five-star experiences, and, hopefully, a continued rise in global fitness standards.

For the full list of New York’s best fitness studios, check out The Fit Guide.