Hotworx has reportedly surpassed 900 open studios worldwide, marking the 24-hour infrared sauna fitness franchise as one of the fastest expansions in boutique fitness franchising. The milestone comes as Hotworx serves more than 400,000 members across the United States, Canada, Ireland and Dubai, with studios in development in Mexico and Kenya.
The company said the 900-studio milestone marks a year of expansion driven by the brand’s owner pipeline, a first-time entry into Alaska and the largest wave of technology development in company history, all leading up to reaching 1,000 open locations.
Much of that growth is said to come from inside the system as a majority of Hotworx franchisees joined the brand as members first, converting from the workout floor to ownership. The company credits this pipeline with producing operators who understand the member experience before they ever sign a franchise agreement.
“Crossing 900 studios and 408,693 members in the same year tells us the model is working at scale,” said Stephen P. Smith, founder and CEO, Hotworx. “Most of our owners were members first and they bet on infrared training because they experienced it first-hand and fell in love with the workout. Reaching 1,000 is our next milestone, but the real goal is continuing to make the experience better as we grow.”
Alaska Debut Extends the Map
Hotworx entered Alaska for the first time in 2026 through a multi-unit development agreement for four studios across the market led by franchisees Tracey Pidge and Ciara Boyce. The first of those studios, in Wasilla (pictured above right), officially opened in August.
The company said the Alaska entry adds to a footprint that has expanded steadily across North America, Europe and the Middle East, with Mexico representing the brand’s next international market debut.
“People are looking for a system that tells them what to do next and why it works,” added Smith. “That is what this year of innovation has been about.”
