Five-Star Fitness by The Fit Guide

Design plays a bigger role in the fitness experience than most operators realise. It shapes the first impression, sets the tone and influences how people move through the gym space. In this episode, Matt and Jack break down what great design actually looks like, drawing on lessons from hospitality. From creating a clear sense of arrival to balancing form and function, using lighting and sensory el...

Barry and Shay Kostabi of Fitcarma join the show to talk about what it really takes to build a meaningful, five-star fitness brand. At the centre of their work is helping operators find their “North Star” and use it to guide everything, from the member journey to how your team shows up every day. The end result is a business and brand that stands out, knows what it stands for (and against), is mor...

In this episode, Matt and Jack break down how the world’s best gyms approach service recovery and turn complaints into a competitive advantage. From handling feedback in the moment to using structured frameworks like LEARN, they explore how resolving issues properly can improve service, strengthen teams and build trust. Most gyms avoid complaints, but the best use them. From front desk conversatio...

Will Brereton joins the show to share what a five-star fitness experience means to him, drawing on his experience with Les Mills, Beachbody, and as GM for ClassPass UK and Ireland. More recently, he founded SH1FT, a concept focused on redefining how group classes are delivered in clubs. With a background rooted in class experience, this is a practical episode for trainers, managers and owners look...

In this episode, Matt and Jack break down how the world’s best gyms turn feedback into a competitive advantage. From asking better questions to capturing meaningful insights, they explore how feedback can improve service, strengthen teams and shape a better overall experience. Most gyms collect feedback, but very few know how to use it. From front desk conversations to team debriefs, this episode...

Matt and Jack discuss why knowledge matters so much in a five-star experience and what gyms can learn from hospitality. From understanding class types and coaches to confidently explaining memberships and facilities, we break down how better product knowledge builds trust, professionalism and a smooth, five-star client journey. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Thank...

The Fit Guide’s results for Melbourne in 2026 are live. In this episode, we break down the main stories and stats, including how Melbourne compared to Sydney and other markets, which modality scored highest and where the biggest opportunities are. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you to our sponsors Hapana , our preferred gym management software Ezypay , our p...

Matt and Jack break down why being noticed matters, how it shapes first impressions, and why prompt acknowledgement makes people feel like they belong. They share how leading hotels train their teams to greet every guest, from the front desk to the gardeners, including the well-known “10 and 5 Rule”, and how this can be used in fitness. From eye contact and body language to the first words you say...

Chris Howell of SPX Gym Design is a leader in five-star gym design, creating standout fitness spaces for hospitality and boutique brands such as Soho House, One Hotel, Proper Hotel, Hilton and Rumble Boxing. He joins us to break down what separates a basic gym from one that’s truly special. We cover essentials versus luxury, where to spend and where to save, why flooring, lighting and flow matter,...

How do the world’s leading gyms approach sales? In this episode, Matt and Jack break down how the best gyms and hospitality brands approach selling. They cover a mindset shift they call ‘sales as service’, why confidence matters, how asking better questions leads to better outcomes, and simple techniques like limiting choice and presenting clear options. If you want sales to feel more natural, mor...

The Fit Guide’s results for Singapore in 2026 are live — and they’re a mixed bag! In this 5-minute breakdown, co-founder Jack Thomas walks you through the key headlines from the launch, based on anonymous evaluations across 250+ objective standards and visits to 50 leading clubs and studios. We cover: Why overall scores fell in 2026 How reception service dropped to the lowest level globally The sc...

Most gyms don’t do personalization, but they’re missing one of the simplest ways to make their members feel valued. In this episode, Matt and Jack break down what personalization actually means and how the world’s best hospitality brands make guests feel seen as individuals, not numbers. They also share practical ways gyms can improve personalization using the tools they already have, from booking...

To be in the top 1% of gyms globally, you must deliver hospitality that is ‘unreasonable’. This episode is inspired by the popular book from Will Guidara, Unreasonable Hospitality that celebrates next-level anticipatory service, creativity and genuine care. In this episode, Matt and Jack break down what unreasonable hospitality really looks like, with examples from the best restaurants and hotels,...

Debra Strougo founded and exited Row House, an award-winning brand at The Fit Guide, and now advises leading fitness and wellness brands as a founder ‘co-pilot’. In this episode we discuss how she created the Row House experience, what she learned from New York’s tourism and destination marketing world and how she helps leading fitness and wellness brands scale and excel. -------------------------...

Anticipatory service is about being one step ahead. It’s knowing what a guest or client needs before they have to ask, and acting on it in a way that feels natural, not forced. In this episode, Matt and Jack break down what anticipatory service really is, how the best hotels use it, and what gyms can take from those ideas. They share simple examples from hospitality and fitness, so if you want you...

KX Pilates is one of the industry’s leading Pilates brands and has consistently scored well in our anonymous evaluation process across multiple global markets. Selina Bridge, KX Pilates CEO, shares how they’ve scaled strong culture and excellent service, whilst staying true to their values. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you to our sponsors Hapana , our pref...

There is an underrated skill in service, and it’s something the world’s best hospitality brands take seriously. In this episode, Matt and Jack break down what active listening really means, why giving someone your full attention matters, and how spotting the small “golden nuggets” in conversation can change the entire experience. They also talk through the real benefits of listening properly, from...

CycleBar Culver City is one of the few franchises in the world to earn a five-star award rating from The Fit Guide, and the only cycling franchise globally to hit that mark. In this episode, owner and instructor Steph Sklar-Mulcahy joins us to talk about what it really takes to run a studio at that level. She shares the decisions, standards and small details that shaped the experience, and how she...

The Fit Guide co-founder Matt Lavender has consulted with leading hotel brands such as Ritz-Carlton and Four Seasons, and he’s seen three things the very best do that others don’t. These are the details that separate five-star hotels from everyone else. In this episode, Matt and Jack break down what gyms can learn from top-tier hospitality, and the small touches that help the best clubs stand out....

Rumble Boxing co-founder Andy “The Mayor” Stern talks us through their brand’s journey, how Rumble was built and how the team created an experience that feels more like a show than a workout. We dig into the member journey from start to finish, how the brand trains coaches to deliver the signature Rumble energy, and the systems that keep the experience consistent across more than 100 global locati...

In this episode, Matt and Jack break down how the right questions can improve sales, strengthen service and boost retention. They also look at how the world’s leading hotels, restaurants and hospitality brands use questions to build connection, understand their guests and deliver a five-star experience. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you to our sponsors Hapa...

Cameron Falloon is the founder and CEO of Body Fit Training, also known as ‘BFT’, one of the world’s fastest-growing fitness franchises with over 300 studios open and 700 sold globally. In this episode, he joins Jack Thomas to share how BFT have achieved consistency and quality across different global markets, what drives their award-winning five-star class experience, and how the brand has mainta...

The language you use matters when delivering world-class service. The top restaurants and hotels know this — but do gyms? In this episode, Matt and Jack explore how language shapes a five-star experience, drawing on Matt’s background working with some of the world’s leading hospitality brands. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Thank you to our sponsors Hapana , our p...

Jay Siano and his company SABRE Life have advised some of the biggest names in fitness, such as The Fit Guide award winners solidcore, F45, Barry’s, Nofar Method, Orangetheory, Rise Nation, STRONG Pilates, TruFusion and Y7 Studio. In this episode, he joins Jack Thomas to share how smart real estate strategy can make or break a gym, what we can learn from billion dollar hospitality brands and what...

When someone visits your gym for the first time, it’s make or break. Do a good job and you could have a client for life. Get it wrong and they may never return, or even tell their friends not to. Data from The Fit Guide shows that many gyms are missing the mark. In this episode, co-hosts Matt and Jack share tips and techniques from the world’s best gyms, hotels and restaurants to help you get it r...