How Powerhaus aligned its brand and its booking system, and why that mattered

A studio built by two cousins, for the studio they wished existed

Powerhaus started as an idea between Rayhan and her cousin Deniz, who both loved Pilates and saw a chance to bring something different to their city. "We felt that something was missing in Heilbronn that we personally would have loved to have ourselves," Rayhan says.

There were already Pilates studios in the area, covering a broader, more traditional range of classes, but the cousins saw an opportunity to create something with a specific focus on group Reformer work and a more modern, boutique experience.

"We wanted to create more than just a place to work out. We imagined a beautiful, aesthetic space where you walk through the door and immediately feel a little lighter, somewhere you can switch off from everyday life, move your body, have fun and be part of a community."

That philosophy shaped everything that followed. Powerhaus opened with group Reformer Pilates classes and has since expanded into Mat Pilates and Barre, built around the same idea: a studio people actually look forward to visiting.

Getting the booking right from day one

Rayhan and Deniz both work full time alongside running the studio, so from day one they needed a booking system that would take administrative work off their hands without diminishing the customer experience.

They first came across bsport because other Pilates studios were already using it. Once they got to know the platform, they quickly understood why.

"We needed something that was smart, easy to use and would take as much administrative work off our hands as possible. At the same time, we didn't want to compromise on the customer experience. bsport gives our members a really smooth and intuitive booking experience, while saving us a huge amount of time behind the scenes."

That trust extends behind the scenes too. "The user interface on the back end is as good as the front end, in my opinion," Rayhan says. And when something isn't obvious, help is close by: "When I have a question in the chat, they try to answer it, and if they can't, I can ask for a call. bsport is always approachable and reachable, and I really appreciate that."

Giving the brand a home of its own

As Powerhaus grew, Rayhan realized the brand needed a home of its own, somewhere that reflected the studio's identity rather than just its class times. Building a website herself turned into more work than she had time for, so she went looking for someone to do it properly.

She found Studio OAX on Instagram and liked what she saw immediately. What followed was fast: once she called, Studio OAX's founder Lara set a clear schedule, and Powerhaus went live with its new website in only four weeks, in time for Christmas.

"She really looked into our branding and challenged us with it. She took the time to understand the brand, to make sure it matched the studio and us as founders, and our story. I don't think that's something AI could ever have done."

Rayhan also credits the timeline itself. "She made sure we stayed within the project schedule and followed up with us whenever our input was needed. I really appreciated that as it made our desired launch date before Christmas possible."

A website that finally matched the studio

The result wasn't just a page with class times and a booking link. It was, in Rayhan's words, a website that gave people "a feeling about what Powerhaus is" before they ever walked through the door, and one that matched the atmosphere they had already built inside the studio.

"Today, the website really feels like an extension of the studio. Someone should be able to discover Powerhaus online and already get a feeling for the atmosphere and the experience before they even walk in."

That match between the site and the studio changed how people found and talked about Powerhaus. "People often tell us they discovered us online and immediately wanted to experience the studio in person," Rayhan says. "That's probably one of the nicest compliments we can get and wouldn’t have been possible without us investing in getting it professionally done."

It shows up in the numbers too: 67% of the people who buy a pass at Powerhaus come back to buy another, a result Rayhan credits to the studio's strong community, its instructors, and the brand experience that carries through from the website to the studio floor.

None of this required changing anything about the booking experience itself. Studio OAX built the brand and the site around the bsport scheduling tool that was already working, so the studio, the website and the booking flow now read as one experience instead of three separate touchpoints.

One experience, not two

Powerhaus has already grown from Reformer-only to Reformer, Mat and Barre, and Rayhan has big plans to keep expanding the studio's offering from here.

"We want to grow in a very thoughtful way. We never want to lose the personal feeling, the quality or the community that made Powerhaus special in the first place."

For other studio founders balancing a brand, a website and a booking system, Rayhan's advice is simple: don't treat any one of them as separate from the others.

"Don't treat your booking system as just a back-office tool. It's part of your customer experience. You can have an amazing studio and a beautiful website, but if booking a class is complicated, you create friction."

That's the real lesson behind the Powerhaus story. A strong brand and a seamless booking experience aren't competing priorities; they add up to the same result. A beautiful website means little if booking a class feels clunky, and a smooth booking flow means little if it doesn't reflect the studio behind it. Powerhaus got both right by treating them as one experience instead of two.

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Looking to give your brand a home that matches it? Studio OAX can help.

Want a booking flow your members never have to think twice about? Book a demo with bsport.