I was walking on the treadmill, cooling down after my workout and I went to check in at the gym on Yelp....the first few reviews that came up were all negative and i was shocked that my gym had such a low star rating....So I am now compelled to write a review and really put things in perspective for you if you are thinking twice about joining after reading those bad reviews...
#1. You are at a gym not the Rtiz Spa....So there isn't' someone waiting on your hand and foot every second. If you need something done there are always people at the front desk, trainers in their "area", and the manager's door is always open. All of the employees greet/acknowledge you verbally, with a smile, or a wave whether they are busy or not. That's pretty great customer service to me...
#2. You are paying for a GYM membership...not a SPA membership...so yes they will charge for extra amenities like tanning, towels, smoothies, kids club, etc. There is no reason that I should pay a huge monthly fee for services that i don't plan on using...so splitting up the cost so that people like me that go to a gym to actually use the GYM aspect of it don't' have to pay for the "extras". That being said, if you want to use other stuff than the GYM then pay up! I have been a member of several gyms--mostly Gold's (going on 3 years now!) but also Sport and Health and Fitness First (those are two fairly large chain gyms but not sure if they are only on the East Coast) and they all have similar policies...you pay for the amenities that you want to use.
#3. I have been a member for this gym specifically for 2 months and I go there 6 times a week. I have never EVER seen an "out of order" sign at any machine.
#4. The gym is always kept in immaculate condition. I am always seeing one or two people cleaning something every time i go!
#5. A gym is still a business...if you need to move or just want to stop going you need to give them notice....just like at your apartment or any other place that you pay a monthly subscription fee. That's just the way it is...
#6. Yes the gym gets crowded at peak hours....that's why they are called peak hours...grocery stores also get crowded on the weekend...does that mean that they are horrible places and deserve a lower rating? Not in my opinion.
Anyways....The trainers here are very knowledgeable as they have helped me out in the past with a few things--I've seen them work with a whole range of people from athletes to people who are trying to loose a lot of weight. I've only seen a few of them in action (Robert and Mike) but they are there all the time and so friendly :)