Decided to get in shape? You have many options, one of which is to join a health and fitness club. We'll help you weigh the options and costs...and give you ratings of local fitness clubs.

Read our article and findings (available exclusively to CHECKBOOK subscribers)

Back to Bay Area Consumers' CHECKBOOK Table of Contents.

Sample Subscriber Comments/Reviews About Health Clubs

CHECKBOOK provides subscriber comments on their experiences with the firms they use. Please remember that individual subscriber comments are informal. Subscriber comments may give you insight into the types of features and problems that exist in a service field, but are not the best basis for selecting or rejecting a specific firm. To assess the quality of a firm's performance, we recommend that you give more weight to the percentages of favorable ratings. Those percentages are generally based on much larger numbers of consumers' ratings (the number of consumer ratings is noted above).

As You Can See Below, Some Health Clubs Get High Praise from Their Customers. Some Others Don't. So Choose Carefully.
Here Are a Few Samples of the Thousands of Comments CHECKBOOK Has Collected on Hundreds of Different Health Clubs.

• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Club: This is really just a tennis club with a workout area seemingly added as an..........
• Subscriber from SAN MATEO, CA wrote Another Club: I think this Y is great. The membership is very diverse in every respect and..........
• Subscriber from ALBANY, CA wrote Another Club: The facilities are adequate, but more machines would be nice. That said, I'd rather they..........
• Subscriber from CORTE MADERA, CA wrote Another Club: Really like having access to a basketball court. Makes Bay Club unique in our area...........
• Subscriber from ORINDA, CA wrote Another Club: Happy with the experience. The only detractor is the nickle-and-diming that goes on. There are..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Club: Child care is the top reason for my going here. Convenient and staff seems trustworthy...........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Club: Now ageing equipment, smells are showing up...prices have been lowered from some years ago. They..........
• Subscriber from GREENBRAE, CA wrote Another Club: I can't rate the quality of instruction since I haven't received any since I first..........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Club: The staff is very helpful and friendly; it's a pleasure to go to the gym..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Club: I've been going to this site since it was a Linda Evans fitness center. The..........
• Subscriber from LOS ALTOS, CA wrote Another Club: Instruction related to swim lessons only.......
• Subscriber from PLEASANTON, CA wrote Another Club: Many classes and training are at an additional high cost. Confusing as to what is..........
• Subscriber from SUNNYVALE, CA wrote Another Club: For families with kids only. Not enough equipment for achieving elite fitness. Pool inadequate for..........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Club: Dirty & disgusting. Towel policy never enforced so equipment is often soaking wet with dripping..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Club: I love this club........
• Subscriber from KENTFIELD, CA wrote Another Club: Excellent quality at a high price...staff could be more approachable.......
• Subscriber from SAN RAMON, CA wrote Another Club: Classes are available for all levels of fitness and all age groups........
• Subscriber from PINOLE, CA wrote Another Club: If you're skinny and sexy they're very friendly and love to help. If not, forget..........
• Subscriber from LAFAYETTE, CA wrote Another Club: well run operation.......
• Subscriber from CUPERTINO, CA wrote Another Club: Crowded. Extra charge for many of the classes........
• Subscriber from SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Club: Great trainer for seniors.......
• Subscriber from SUNNYVALE, CA wrote Another Club: Instructors for classes frequently fail to show up. Front desk never informs members of cancelled..........
• Subscriber from ALAMO, CA wrote Another Club: I went for a free 6 week membership which included a personal trainer, who did..........
• Subscriber from EL CERRITO, CA wrote Another Club: My only real concern is the incidence of theft from lockers. It happened to me..........
• Subscriber from SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Club: I love my health club! After more than a year with 24 Hour Fitness going..........
• Subscriber from SAN JOSE, CA wrote Another Club: Busy club. Often difficult to find free locker during peak periods. Pool does not have..........
• Subscriber from MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA wrote Another Club: They moved group exercise classes back into the main gym this year. It meant spinning..........
• Subscriber from CASTRO VALLEY, CA wrote Another Club: I have worked out in gyms over the world and this is one of the..........
• Subscriber from REDWOOD CITY, CA wrote Another Club: I was disappointed by the quality of the personal trainer I used, the unavailability of..........
• Subscriber from SAN RAFAEL, CA wrote Another Club: Totally uninterested in the desires of the clientel.......
• Subscriber from BIRMINGHAM, MI wrote Another Club: I really want them to do well, but their cleanliness is a bit to be..........
• Subscriber from WALNUT CREEK, CA wrote Another Club: OK if you want only high power military style programs. In spite of promises when..........
• Subscriber from SO. SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Club: Crowded and noisy........
• Subscriber from CUPERTINO, CA wrote Another Club: "The Y" is a friendly, reasonably-priced fitness facility. I use the weight room and pool...........
• Subscriber from OAKLAND, CA wrote Another Club: I've always hated going to the gym. I love this place so much I actually..........
• Subscriber from SO. SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Club: Not a lot of weight machines. The personal training staff is excellent........
• Subscriber from DALY CITY, CA wrote Another Club: THEY HAVE A VARIETY OF CLASSES TO CHOOSE FROM.......
• Subscriber from RICHMOND, CA wrote Another Club: This facility has just completed a major renovation. They spent a lot of money on..........
• Subscriber from PLEASANTON, CA wrote Another Club: great place for indoor tennis.......
• Subscriber from RICHMOND, CA wrote Another Club: They just remodeled and are better than ever!.......
• Subscriber from PIEDMONT, CA wrote Another Club: Beautiful facility==well kept.......
• Subscriber from SAN RAFAEL, CA wrote Another Club: This facility is consistently working to make the members' experiences better, even though it is..........
• Subscriber from SAN RAFAEL, CA wrote Another Club: Equipment is not maintained Facility is not kept clean.......
• Subscriber from MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA wrote Another Club: Poorly managed - similar to Mountain View facility. Poor maintenance, but a little better than..........
• Subscriber from SAN FRANCISCO, CA wrote Another Club: Lots of marble and chrome. Nice pool which you have to wait to get into..........
• Subscriber from NOVATO, CA wrote Another Club: Staff is not responsive to maintenance requests or much else. They don't seem to care..........
• Subscriber from EL CERRITO, CA wrote Another Club: Personal trainer quality is hit or miss........
• Subscriber from MORAGA, CA wrote Another Club: Owner prides herself on keeping the place clean and on friendly staff - she knows..........
• Subscriber from PLEASANT HILL, CA wrote Another Club: If the pool and spa were not often and unexpectedly closed for the slightest reason,..........
• Subscriber from MARTINEZ, CA wrote Another Club: Parking is grossly inadequate........