Table of Contents
- Key Highlights
- Introduction
- How winners were selected: data and member voice
- Why the new Best Food & Beverage category matters
- Geographic spread and what the winners reveal about global demand
- The categories explained: what each award recognizes
- What winners gain: visibility, campaigns and measurable lift
- How ClassPass drives partner revenue: mechanics and strategies
- Practical strategies winners — and contenders — use to maximize benefit
- Real-world illustration: a hypothetical studio’s pathway to a Best of ClassPass-level profile
- Trends signaled by the 2025 winners
- Potential limitations and risks for partners
- How smaller operators can compete with larger players on ClassPass
- Implications for employers and corporate wellness programs
- The marketing role of awards in a service economy
- What the awards mean for member experience
- How the addition of F&B could reshape local ecosystems
- What the awards do not cover: transparency and potential improvements
- Business models that benefit most from ClassPass integration
- Strategic takeaways for operators considering ClassPass
- Looking ahead: the future of integrated lifestyle platforms
- FAQ
Key Highlights
- ClassPass named winners across four core categories plus a new Best Food & Beverage award, recognizing partners from 24 countries based on reservation data and member voting.
- Food and beverage orders through ClassPass jumped 121% year over year in 2025, prompting the platform to expand recognition beyond workouts and wellness to dining and coffee.
- ClassPass has driven $3.1 billion in partner revenue globally; winners receive promotional support through year-long campaigns designed to increase discovery and bookings.
Introduction
ClassPass has turned annual recognition into a marker of credibility for studios, instructors, spas and now neighborhood cafés. The 2025 Best of ClassPass Awards mark a notable moment for the lifestyle app: the program continues to reward excellence in fitness and wellness while explicitly acknowledging the commercial importance of food and beverage partners. Winners were established through a combination of platform usage and member endorsement, reflecting behavior as much as sentiment. For businesses that rely on foot traffic, retention and word of mouth, a Best of ClassPass designation promises more than a trophy; it signals a measurable path to increased visibility and revenue.
This year's awards span North America, LATAM, EMEA and APAC, affirming ClassPass's role as a global marketplace for health and lifestyle experiences. The addition of Best Food & Beverage acknowledges shifting consumer habits: members now use the app not only to book a Pilates class or a massage but to order coffee, snacks and prepared meals. That expansion offers a window into how integrated ecosystems of services can expand commercial opportunities for both digital platforms and local businesses.
How winners were selected: data and member voice
ClassPass anchored its awards in two complementary measures: actual reservation behavior on the platform and direct member nominations. Reservation data provides an objective baseline — frequency of bookings, retention rates, capacity utilization and perhaps rediscovery by new members. Member nominations and votes supply qualitative confirmation, naming instructors, studios and establishments that create memorable experiences.
Nominations were collected via in-app surveys and a social-media-driven tagging campaign on Instagram. This mix reduces the chance that the awards simply reward the biggest businesses. A small boutique studio with consistently sold-out early-morning classes can achieve recognition on the same stage as a larger multi-location gym if members keep returning and actively endorse the experience.
This selection method embeds two key checks: behavioral validation and community endorsement. Reservation data shows where members actually spend time and money. Member votes identify who made those sessions meaningful enough to prompt a public recognition. Combining both reduces the weight of one-off viral spikes and prioritizes sustained quality.
Why the new Best Food & Beverage category matters
ClassPass added a Best Food & Beverage category after recording a 121% year-over-year surge in in-app food and beverage orders for 2025. That number reflects a shifting set of user expectations: the app no longer functions solely as a bookings platform for classes and appointments. Members now treat it as a single interface for multiple lifestyle needs.
The inclusion of food and beverage recognizes practical commercial behavior. Many members visit a studio, follow a class with a coffee, or pick up a nutritious prepared meal on the way home. By allowing food partners onto the platform and awarding top performers, ClassPass connects studios and instructors to adjacent spending opportunities for their customers. Cafés and meal-preparation kitchens that integrate with wellbeing communities can capture incremental visits and build relationships with regular fitness-goers.
For partner businesses, the integration creates an additional revenue channel and an audience that already values health and routine. For members, it reduces friction between workout and recovery or between a meeting and a quick grab-and-go option. For the platform, the move deepens engagement and diversifies transaction types — shifting ClassPass from a specialized marketplace to a more comprehensive lifestyle service.
Geographic spread and what the winners reveal about global demand
Winners in 2025 came from 24 countries across North America, Latin America, EMEA and APAC. That geographic breadth demonstrates two realities: wellness demand is not limited to specific urban hubs, and the ClassPass model scales across diverse regulatory and cultural contexts.
Markets differ in how members access fitness and wellness. In some cities, boutique studios and independent instructors dominate; in others, larger gym chains hold more inventory. ClassPass's ability to aggregate a wide variety of partners — from single-room yoga studios to multi-class gyms and neighborhood cafés — enables it to meet localized preferences while offering a consistent user experience.
The spread of winners also hints at where class formats and services are resonating. For example, high-intensity interval training and boutique cycling maintain strong followings in major North American and European cities, while mindfulness-based and restorative practices have deep traction in parts of APAC where holistic wellness traditions remain influential. Food and beverage winners likely reflect local tastes — quick, nutritious bites in dense urban centers versus sit-down cafés in neighborhoods with slower mornings.
Such diversity benefits members and partners. Members gain discovery across formats and time zones; partners tap into a global audience of active consumers who are more likely to try new offerings. For operators considering expansion, a presence on ClassPass provides market intelligence about demand patterns in new cities.
The categories explained: what each award recognizes
The Best of ClassPass Awards retain four core categories and add a fifth:
-
Best Studio: Recognizes facilities that consistently deliver excellent class experiences, high attendance rates and strong member satisfaction. Studios that manage inventory efficiently — filling classes without overselling, offering a range of schedules, and maintaining high-quality facilities — tend to rise to the top.
-
Best Instructor: Highlights individual teachers who combine technical skill, engaging coaching and repeat attendance. Instructors that build personal followings, foster community and generate positive reviews earn this distinction.
-
Best Spa/Salon: Rewards wellness providers that excel in appointment-based services — from massages and facials to nail and hair appointments. High-touch service, professional staff, and consistent appointment utilization inform selection.
-
Best Gym: Targets larger facilities with equipment-based programming, personal training options and cross-training classes. Metrics likely considered include member check-ins, class attendance, and usage of gym-specific services.
-
Best Food & Beverage (new): Celebrates cafés, meal-prep kitchens and food partners that members order from most frequently on the app or actively endorse through nominations. Metrics include order volume, repeat orders and positive member feedback.
These categories map to distinct business models. Studios and gyms often rely on class packages, drop-in pricing, memberships and peak/off-peak yield management. Spas and salons depend on appointment booking efficiency and client lifetime value. Food and beverage operators use order volume and repeat customers, often with small average order values but potential for scale through frequency.
What winners gain: visibility, campaigns and measurable lift
Winning a Best of ClassPass award confers several tangible benefits. ClassPass will feature winners throughout the year in marketing campaigns, editorial placements and in-app promotions designed to increase discovery. Unlike a one-time social post, these placements can generate weeks or months of uplift by directing traffic from high-intent consumers.
Visibility on a widely used app introduces winners to members actively searching for classes, wellness services or meals near them. For many businesses, ClassPass functions as a digital storefront. A Best of ClassPass badge increases click-through rates on listings and can materially increase reservations and orders.
Beyond direct exposure, winners often receive qualitative benefits: social proof, heightened local prestige and more robust word-of-mouth. Community recognition attracts new members who prefer recommended options. For instructors and small businesses, the badge validates their service in a crowded market and makes them more appealing to prospective clients and employers.
ClassPass's historical performance metrics underline the potential scale of these benefits. The platform has generated $3.1 billion in revenue for partners globally. While winners do not receive a fixed monetary award, their inclusion in promotional activity leverages ClassPass's marketing engine to produce incremental revenue and new discovery channels.
How ClassPass drives partner revenue: mechanics and strategies
ClassPass operates as a marketplace that helps studios and service providers monetize excess capacity. For many studios, peak classes sell out while off-peak windows remain underused. ClassPass enables dynamic pricing and inventory management that converts unfilled spots into revenue.
The platform's role is threefold:
-
Inventory merchandising: ClassPass lists available classes and appointments with a visibility that reaches users outside a partner's direct audience. This expands the potential customer base.
-
Demand generation: Through curated features and editorial content, ClassPass directs traffic toward partner listings. Campaigns around trends, recovery, or local hotspots create context for discovery.
-
Conversion and retention: ClassPass simplifies booking and payment, reducing friction for first-time users. Once members try a partner and enjoy the experience, they often return directly or continue booking through the platform.
These mechanics are particularly powerful for niche formats. A studio offering a non-mainstream class — aerial yoga, barre with a specific methodology — gains access to members who might not encounter the class without ClassPass curation. For spas and salons, appointment visibility during weekday lulls can raise utilization, reducing revenue volatility.
The $3.1 billion figure reflects aggregate revenue created across thousands of partners. For a single studio, the impact varies with local demand, price points, and the degree to which the business optimizes its ClassPass presence. Studios that strategically fill off-peak inventory, incentivize repeat bookings, and solicit member reviews typically see the largest relative gains.
Practical strategies winners — and contenders — use to maximize benefit
Winning the award is partly recognition and partly confirmation that a business is executing well on operational fundamentals. The strategies below explain how winners get there and how other partners can replicate those outcomes.
-
Optimize schedule and inventory: Analyze which time slots sell and which do not. Use ClassPass to fill consistently underbooked periods with promotional pricing or special formats. For gyms and studios, scheduling a beginner-focused class a few times a week can convert new visitors to repeat clients.
-
Encourage reviews and nominations: Member nominations contributed to the Best of ClassPass winners. Encourage satisfied clients to complete in-app surveys and to tag instructors or locations on social media. Simple, well-timed prompts after a great session can generate disproportionate goodwill.
-
Standardize quality and staff training: Members reward consistent, high-quality experiences. For studios, that means regular instructor training, clear class descriptions, and thoughtful playlist and cueing practices. For spas and salons, standardized treatment protocols and training improve reliability.
-
Integrate food and beverage thoughtfully: For operators in F&B or those adjacent to gyms and studios, aligning product offerings with member habits matters. Quick, high-protein options, cold-pressed juices, and pre-portioned meals sell well to customers leaving a sweat session.
-
Use ClassPass analytics: ClassPass typically offers partners data on bookings and attendance. Track repeat rates, appointment no-show rates, and conversion from ClassPass booking to direct booking. Use this data for targeted offers and scheduling decisions.
-
Cross-promote with local partners: Collaborations between studios and F&B shops — like offering a post-class discount — create mutually reinforcing traffic. Partnerships also provide content opportunities for both ClassPass listings and social channels.
These tactics reflect operational excellence as much as marketing savvy. Winners often succeed because they have fine-tuned the local customer experience and communicate that value effectively.
Real-world illustration: a hypothetical studio’s pathway to a Best of ClassPass-level profile
Consider a mid-sized boutique studio in a large metropolitan area that offers a mix of strength, mobility, and yoga classes. The studio lists a limited inventory on ClassPass during peak times and opens additional mid-morning and early-afternoon classes primarily on the platform. It uses ClassPass analytics to identify which class types attract first-time drop-ins and which retain members.
The studio encourages attendees to leave feedback and to tag favorite instructors on Instagram through in-class signage and follow-up emails. It trains a cohort of instructors to offer consistent thematic sequences that build a sense of continuity across sessions. For food and beverage synergy, the studio partners with a local café to provide a discounted smoothie for ClassPass members.
Over a 12- to 18-month cycle, the studio sees increased fill on off-peak classes, improved retention rates for first-time attendees, and steady increases in direct bookings from repeat customers who originally discovered the studio on ClassPass. When nominations open, members who have experienced these consistent, high-quality sessions tag instructors and the studio, producing nomination momentum. That momentum, validated by reservation metrics, positions the studio to appear on the Best of ClassPass list.
This scenario demonstrates how operational design, member engagement and platform integration translate into recognition.
Trends signaled by the 2025 winners
The winners reveal several trends relevant to operators and investors:
-
Convergence of lifestyle services: Members want a single interface to manage multiple aspects of their life. The rise in F&B orders on ClassPass shows consumer appetite for integrated experiences — from workout to recovery to nourishment.
-
Community and instructor-driven loyalty: Personal connection remains a strong driver of repeat visits. Best Instructor winners underscore that members return for personality, coaching style and community more than for marketing or price alone.
-
Value of diversified revenue streams: Studios that combine classes, private sessions, retail and partnerships with food outlets are better positioned to smooth revenue volatility and grow lifetime customer value.
-
Technology as matchmaker: Platforms that facilitate easy booking, transparent inventory and curated discovery will continue to attract both consumers and partners. In the presence of frictionless discovery, high-quality experiences scale faster.
-
Local brands matter globally: Even as ClassPass operates across 31 countries, local cafés, salons, studios and instructors can achieve global-scale discovery through platform features when their model resonates with members.
These trends suggest that businesses with a strong local footprint, combined with operational discipline and community-building, will capture disproportionate benefits as digital marketplaces deepen their reach.
Potential limitations and risks for partners
A balanced view recognizes that platform partnerships carry trade-offs. The advantages of discovery and incremental revenue come with operational and strategic costs that partners must weigh.
-
Fee structures and margins: Listing on a platform may require revenue-sharing or discounted pricing for promotional placements. The margin impact can be significant for low-ticket services like café orders.
-
Dependence on a single channel: Heavy reliance on ClassPass for new customers exposes a business to changes in platform policy, algorithm updates or shifts in promotional priorities. Diversifying acquisition channels remains important.
-
Managing demand spikes: Promotional exposure can drive sudden increases in bookings or orders. Without robust operational systems, businesses risk overpromising on service quality, which harms retention and the chance of future nominations.
-
Measuring causality: Determining the exact revenue lift attributable to platform features versus organic growth can be challenging. Partners must track cohorts and conversion metrics carefully.
-
Platform-driven competition: Being listed alongside many competitors makes differentiation essential. Businesses must continuously invest in unique programming and superior service to stand out.
These limitations do not negate the value of platforms, but they underscore the need for a strategic, measured approach to integration.
How smaller operators can compete with larger players on ClassPass
The Best of ClassPass awards show that small studios and individual instructors can win recognition against well-resourced competitors. Small operators should consider the following tactics:
-
Focus on niche excellence: Specialization — such as prenatal yoga, injury-aware strength training, or mobility-focused classes — attracts members seeking specific outcomes. Niche offerings reduce direct comparison with large multi-format gyms.
-
Build instructor brands: Encourage instructors to cultivate social presence, collect testimonials and foster class-level communities. Instructor-led loyalty often translates into repeat bookings even when overall studio marketing is modest.
-
Create referral incentives: Structured referral programs that reward existing members for bringing friends create organic advocacy. Word-of-mouth remains an effective growth channel.
-
Operate with hospitality-level service: Clean facilities, on-time classes and welcoming front-desk interaction matter disproportionately for small operators, as each guest represents a high percentage of revenue.
-
Use ClassPass to seed repeat customers: Offer packages and promotions that encourage ClassPass users to return directly or to sign up for membership. Converting occasional users to committed clients is more valuable than volume alone.
These approaches let small players maximize the benefits of ClassPass while maintaining control over brand identity and customer relationships.
Implications for employers and corporate wellness programs
ClassPass sells wellness as a corporate benefit for employers seeking health offerings for employees. The Best of ClassPass program, and the broader expansion into food and beverage, carries specific implications for corporate wellness strategies.
Employers can leverage ClassPass to provide employees with flexible, choice-driven wellness benefits that extend beyond gym reimbursements. The app’s combination of classes, appointments and F&B options enables companies to curate packages that align with employee needs — lunchtime classes, meditation breaks, or subsidized post-workout meals.
Featured winners may attract employee interest and improve benefit adoption rates. For organizations implementing wellness stipends, highlighting Best of ClassPass partners in internal communications can streamline decision-making for employees and raise perceived value of benefits.
From a procurement standpoint, employers should evaluate how ClassPass usage trends among employees correlate with engagement and productivity metrics. Integrating selection of in-app winners or local partner promotions into corporate programs can foster participation without significant administrative overhead.
The marketing role of awards in a service economy
Recognition programs like Best of ClassPass serve marketing functions beyond celebrating excellence. They create salience in the marketplace and reduce search costs for consumers. For partners, awards simplify marketing pitches: winners can showcase badges on listings, websites and storefronts, converting curious browsers into paying customers.
Awards also generate editorial content opportunities. ClassPass can amplify winners through profiles, interviews, and curated lists. Such content enhances SEO and organic discovery, funneling highly relevant traffic to partner pages. For smaller operators, earning an award provides a high-ROI marketing asset that might otherwise be unaffordable.
However, awards are not an automatic substitute for ongoing marketing investment. They work best within a coordinated strategy: use the award to attract attention, then convert visitors with solid operational performance, clear value propositions and accessible booking flows.
What the awards mean for member experience
For members, the Best of ClassPass awards function as a quality filter. They reduce the cognitive load of choosing among thousands of options by spotlighting consistently high-rated experiences. Members who value efficiency and reliability will likely gravitate toward winners.
The awards also legitimize newer or nontraditional offerings. A Best Food & Beverage badge signals that the partner meets standards of convenience and taste acceptable to the ClassPass community — a meaningful nudge for members who prefer vetted options.
Finally, awards breathe life into the community. Members who participated in nominations and voting see their preferences reflected in the results, reinforcing engagement and encouraging future participation. This dynamic strengthens the social contract between the platform and its user base.
How the addition of F&B could reshape local ecosystems
Integrating food and beverage partners into a wellness marketplace influences urban microeconomics. Gyms and studios often cluster with cafés and healthy eateries; ClassPass formalizes that relationship digitally. This integration can produce positive spillovers:
-
Increased foot traffic to local cafés: Members who regularly visit a studio might start ordering or dining at nearby F&B partners featured on ClassPass, increasing demand for those businesses.
-
Cross-promotional opportunities: Studios and cafés can design coordinated offers — a class pass that includes a discounted smoothie, for instance — enhancing customer value while distributing acquisition costs.
-
Enhanced service ecosystems: Neighborhoods where ClassPass partners cluster may see a larger inflow of health-focused consumers, encouraging other complementary services like retail or recovery centers to locate nearby.
City planners and local business associations should monitor these dynamics. Concentrations of wellness-focused commerce can revitalize retail corridors but may also increase competition for limited commercial real estate.
What the awards do not cover: transparency and potential improvements
While the awards reflect positive outcomes for many partners, transparency about selection criteria always invites scrutiny. ClassPass uses a combination of reservation data and member voting, but specific weighting and metric thresholds are not publicly detailed. Greater transparency about how much weight is given to frequency of bookings, retention, review quality and member votes would help partners optimize performance with clarity.
Potential improvements include:
-
Publishing clearer guidance on nomination mechanics and the data signals used.
-
Offering feedback reports to nominees showing strengths and areas for improvement.
-
Creating regional distinctions so that smaller markets are not overshadowed by winners in major cities.
Such steps would enhance the awards’ utility as a diagnostic tool for partners, not just a marketing accolade.
Business models that benefit most from ClassPass integration
Some models derive more uplift from ClassPass than others. The platform is particularly effective for:
-
Boutique studios that have capacity constraints and need a channel to fill off-peak classes without eroding full-price demand.
-
Appointment-based wellness providers (massage, facials, hair salons) that benefit from increased appointment discovery.
-
Food and beverage operators that cater to quick-service, high-frequency consumption (coffee shops, juice bars, meal-prep kitchens).
-
Independent instructors and small collectives that lack broad marketing reach but have strong teaching and community-building skills.
Conversely, businesses relying heavily on high-margin retail or those with very complex service delivery may find less direct value unless they can adapt offerings to the ClassPass user flow.
Strategic takeaways for operators considering ClassPass
For operators evaluating ClassPass as a partner, consider these strategic points:
-
Pilot before fully committing: Start with a limited inventory and track conversion, repeat rate and margin impact. Use these data to inform whether to expand presence.
-
Keep direct channels active: Use ClassPass to acquire customers but develop mechanisms to convert them to direct bookings or memberships where margins are higher.
-
Treat the platform as both marketing and operations: Visibility matters, but fulfillment and customer experience determine long-term retention.
-
Plan for scale: If promotions drive spikes in demand, ensure staffing, supply chain and space capacity can absorb increased traffic without quality erosion.
-
Negotiate for data access: The more insight you can extract from platform analytics, the better decisions you can make about pricing and inventory allocation.
These steps create a balanced approach that leverages ClassPass benefits while managing risks.
Looking ahead: the future of integrated lifestyle platforms
ClassPass’s expansion into food and beverage signals a broader evolution: digital marketplaces for lifestyle are moving beyond narrow function into bundled service ecosystems. As platforms integrate complementary services — fitness, wellness, F&B, retail — they create opportunities for partners to capture adjacent spending and deepen customer relationships.
For operators, the future rewards those who can adapt: aligning product offerings with platform behavior, collaborating with complementary businesses, and investing in consistent, high-quality delivery. For platforms, the challenge will be to maintain trust, provide transparent selection processes, and ensure value accrues to both users and partners.
Expect to see more platforms test these integrations. Observing which models maintain partner profitability and high customer satisfaction will be a key industry focus.
FAQ
Q: How were winners of the 2025 Best of ClassPass Awards chosen? A: Winners were selected using a blend of ClassPass reservation data and member voting. Nominations were collected via in-app surveys and social media tagging, then validated against usage metrics to identify partners with sustained bookings and positive member endorsement.
Q: What new category was added in 2025 and why? A: ClassPass added Best Food & Beverage in 2025 after reporting a 121% year-over-year increase in in-app food and beverage orders. The category recognizes cafés, meal-prep kitchens and food partners that members frequently order from and recommend.
Q: What benefits do winners receive? A: Winners are featured in ClassPass campaigns throughout the year, which increases discovery and can drive incremental revenue. The exposure includes in-app placements and editorial promotions that attract high-intent users.
Q: How does ClassPass generate revenue for partners? A: ClassPass lists partner inventory and directs users to book classes, appointments and now F&B orders. By filling excess capacity and helping partners reach new customers, ClassPass helps generate bookings that translate into partner revenue. The platform reports $3.1 billion in cumulative revenue generated for partners globally.
Q: Can small studios and individual instructors realistically win a Best of ClassPass award? A: Yes. Winners include small studios and individual instructors who combine consistent, high-quality experiences with strong member engagement. Member nominations play a crucial role alongside reservation data, leveling the field for high-performing smaller operators.
Q: What should a business do to increase its chances of being recognized? A: Focus on consistent service quality, optimize schedules to use ClassPass for filling underutilized slots, encourage members to leave feedback and nominate favorites, use platform analytics to refine offerings, and pursue partnerships with local F&B or retail partners for cross-promotional opportunities.
Q: Are the selection criteria publicly detailed? A: ClassPass uses reservation patterns and member nominations, but it does not disclose the precise weighting of metrics publicly. Greater transparency on specific metric thresholds could help partners optimize more effectively.
Q: How does the addition of food and beverage partners affect members? A: Members gain a broader set of services through a single app, enabling easier workflows from booking a class to ordering a post-workout snack. The integration reduces friction and can improve overall customer experience.
Q: Does winning a Best of ClassPass guarantee long-term revenue growth? A: The award increases visibility and can produce measurable short- and medium-term revenue lifts. Long-term growth depends on sustained service quality, the business’s ability to convert and retain customers, and diversification of acquisition channels.
Q: Where can I find the full list of winners? A: ClassPass published the complete list of winners and regional selections on its blog and in-app resources. For the definitive list, consult ClassPass's official channels.
ClassPass’s 2025 awards reflect a maturing platform that ties consumer behavior to recognition and rewards. For partners, the message is clear: operational excellence, community engagement and thoughtful integration with adjacent services like food and beverage create pathways to discovery and commercial growth. For members, the awards simplify choice and validate high-performing local options. The addition of Best Food & Beverage both recognizes shifting usage patterns and opens new opportunities for operators who can meet the expectations of a health-focused, convenience-oriented customer base.