Beacon Hill Athletic Clubs

Tiny gym that is poorly maintained and charges an obscene amount of money for what it offers. Cut your losses and join the BSC, which is larger, cleaner AND costs $ 5 less than this dump.

I have been a member at this gym for almost 7 years and even after moving out of the neighborhood I continue to go, because it really is a great neighborhood gym. The staff are super friendly and always greet you with a smile and hello. Other members are courteous and respectful of personal space while trying to get a workout in. The equipment is always clean and organized. Jay, the manager, knows almost every member by name and keeps that fun welcoming atmosphere throughout the gym. For the price, the location and the people, this is a great gym for all abilities!

This place is just ok. My biggest complaint is that their weekend hours are really bad. The North End/​Waterfront location closes at 7pm on Saturdays and Sundays. The North Station location is worse, closes at 4pm on weekends. I don’t need a 24 hour gym but those hours are pretty bad. That said, the hours are on their website, so anyone who signs up knows what they are getting.
Other than that, can’t complain except for the occasional 10 minute wait for a treadmill during the busy 5−7pm weekday hours. It’s not spacious but it gets the job done.

Been attending the BHAC for quite sometime felt I should share with you my experiences.
Like previous people have stated the steam room never is working. This is a drawback as it was one of the reasons I joined the club in the first place.
I don’t agree with most people saying that it’s dirty, for a gym it’s not that bad I’ve been in far worse. I think most people have the expectation that someone is going to follow them around and clean up after them at the gym. It’s mainly the members who don’t respect the gym cleanliness.
Price is right for the classes and trainers it’s reasonable for the average person. Other gyms in the area are far more expensive with limited hours.
As everything in the north end it is small, so during peak times it is nearly impossible to get a machine or work the free weights. This is a major draw back for me as time is money and I usually get half a work out in.
I would like to see some new equipment in the future as some/​most of the machines are a bit dated and need to be replaced.
Overall price is good for what you get.

This BHAC location is a true neighborhood gym. It’s welcoming and well maintained and although small I am always able to easily use any of the equipment I want, even when busy. It isn’t a ‘spa-​like’ gym but it doesn’t claim to be either — the people who go regularly are there to get their workout in while in a functional relaxed gym. It’s quirky with a bit of grit and I love that.
Jay is the manager at the gym and has also worked with me almost every week as a trainer for well over a year. He is excellent at what he does. He is creative, so sessions never get boring, and he is also not afraid to push you — but just the right amount so you don’t feel overwhelmed. I have made a lot of progress with him and I am seriously impressed — he’s really helped me move on from my old, basic boring approach to fitness to a fun, varied régime where I’ve seen way more results than I ever did before.
Overall, great, welcoming gym with super competent and friendly trainers and staff.

In two years I was able to use steam room only 4 times. The rest of the time it was broken. Consider there is no steam room.

I’ve been going here for over 5 years now. And on/​off before that, when I was still in college. Jay is the manager and I’ve known him since forever. He’s a great trainer. The people working there are super nice and always great you when you walk in. You can’t beat the convenience and price, esp with the high costs of places like Equinox around the Boston area. I never really have to wait for a machine if I’m doing my cardio. The yoga class with Rachel on Wednesday morning is great. She’s a fabulous yoga instructor. The weight room could get somewhat crowded during after work hours, but that’s typical anywhere. I can always find a spot in the weight room. And no one really bothers you. I do my thing, and we share the space. Some of the guys are really nice and actually ask before trying to invade your space.

Not a huge fan of this BHAC location. As others have mentioned it is not very clean. The other day I found a flosser on the treadmill. Who flosses their teeth while they are on the treadmill? People are crazy. The staff is friendly, the yoga classes are good and they seem to always be opened. Guess they can’t control if people floss while running — still so weird.

The only reason to come here is convenience of you live in neighborhood, otherwise it’s not especially clean, very cramped, with dated equipment. A couple of the class instructors are saving graces, Kristina who teaches pilates is amazing with a fun personality, and Barbara the French yoga instructor is phenomenal. Otherwise, shop around.

I live very close to this gym and did join. I could not handle how poor the equipment is, how tiny the room for classes was and how unclean the space is. I watched a staff person dust a huge pipe above the elyptical and watch dust monsters fall to the ground next to me causing a fit of sneezing and coughing. IF Beacon Hill invested in upgrades for this space (there are LOTS of people who work out here and would LOVE it and probably pay a bit more for better quality equipment and classes) I would consider working out here again.

I went in for a tour and It is in the basement and smells of mildew as soon as you walk in. That was enough for me to turn around and walk right out.
Absolutely unhealthy to be breathing that in while working out. The place needs to be renovated.

A rather dirty place. The shower nozzles constantly fall off. Toilet seems dirty/​never clean. I am a member because of convenience but go as infrequently as possible. Staff is not friendly at all… even the manager of this place has an attitude. By the way, one reviewer indicated three years ago that there were shoes all over the place the men’s locker room. And yes, three years later, they are still there. Avoid this place.

I went here yesterday for the first time to get information on a membership and check-​out the gym. It’s very convenient, which is what brought me here to begin with. I’ve heard/​read mixed reviews, but the machines (especially the pre-​cor) and the room in the back with weights, mats, etc. is all I really need. I ended up getting a membership, a month-​to-​month which is perfect, and the guy Mike who was working the front desk was extremely helpful. He told me about what all the other locations offer, the different classes and whatnot — this convinced me that it was the right decision to sign-​up here. When the weather isn’t awful like it has been lately, I can walk a little further and check out the other classes at the various locations — this is included in the membership. I couldn’t give this gym more than a three, it’s not comparable to Equinox or BSC, but neither is the price. You can’t beat the price or the convenience if you’re located in the North End.

BEWARE! These people are CROOKS! If you sign up for a membership and give them your credit information they will take your money from your account!

score 1 – 100) — 51. This is one of the few places to workout if you live in the North End. I would love to run from the Back Bay to this location because of the area it surrounds. It really is the prime spot to walk around after a workout. You have the waterfront just steps from doing push presses or a long workout. The price point is similar to the BSC and Fitcorp of Boston but the amenities are lacking due to the small size. This location gets incredibly hot inside because of the small workout room and close proximity of equipment. You get the feeling that you are walking into a hotel gym rather than a stand alone business. There always seems to be a wait for stuff as you are constantly in the way of others and people wanting to use the same equipment. It is a «regulars» gym and everyone knows each other because of the intimate natural of setup. Great location but if you are serious about working out you may find you need to belong to multiple gyms if you choose this one.

Beacon hill athletic club is super convenient and has the basics to get the job done. This location is small (similar to all their locations it seems) but is typically not crowded so you can deal. The place is clean and the staff is usually friendly. They do month to month memberships and the price feels high, but is fair for the area. I’ve done their spin class at the location near TD garden and it was pretty good. This location has a medium sized work out room that has a sampling of classes.

I attended a fantastic Zumba Class on a Tuesday night at the start of purchasing a BuyWithMe (I think, I can’t keep track of Living Socials, Groupons, etc). Anyway, they gave me a paper card to track my visits, as the deal allowed so many visits. The card was lost when my wallet was stolen, I used it once, and they would not replace the card. I would hope there would be some back up system if they aren’t willing to replace cards. I was disappointed.
Besides a great Zumba class and convenient location the gym was far from impressive. However it was their poor customer service that so inclined me to write a review about my experience.

I should have never joined Healthworks because now I’m ruined for other gyms. Having moved to Quincy, away from all Healthworks locations, I have to try new gyms. GrouponLivingSocialBuyWithMe has been extremely helpful in this endeavor and I wound up paying $ 30 for 20 visits to BHAC (North End).
Location is quite convenient since I work in the Financial District, but dear lord, this gym just does not measure up. After I filled out the paperwork, signed the dotted line to get my punch card and got the general direction to the locker room, I was on my own. No tour. No indication as to where I get a towel or water. They offer classes, but who knows where! Luckily this place doesn’t get crowded after work, but that is its only saving grace.
The locker room reminded me of a high school gym locker room: green curtains that don’t reach the bottom, a soap dispenser similar to that you find at a grocery bathroom and barely any room to get dressed. And hey, you better bring your own padlock. I just did you a favor by telling you that because I arrived after work with nowhere to lock my stuff up.
The weight «rooms» are tiny. You’ll be crammed in there with all the equipment and even just one other person. I saw plenty of people just standing around waiting for the machine they wanted. And there is nowhere to go for people using free weights, doing ab work or stretching.
The cardio machines are wicked old. My elliptical was telling me my heartrate was 45, but lo and behold, I wasn’t even holding the handles. Needless to say, I did my 30 min and got the hell out.
If you just need a machine for your workout, go for it. But if they try to charge you more than $ 30/​month, do not bother. (I don’t know the price because I was not compelled to find out.)
If the environment you work out in affects you, do not bother.

I am a member of Beacon Hill and have been on and off for awhile. This gym packs a lot of good equipment into a small space. If you are there for a workout with no frills, this is for you. The TV’s only have a few channels and you have to watch what everyone else is watching on the big mounted TV’s. I have complained a few times since January about the steam room problems. I have contacted them online and in person about the steam room being broken, no response thus far some staff even unaware of a problem and the steam room is still broken. Some of the showers take awhile for the warm water to come. I am sure this is all because the building is a bit old. The fact that it has such an excellent location makes up for some of the shortcomings. I haven’t taken any of the classes there, so I can’t speak to them.
I recommend at least trying the place out!

I’ve been a member of BSC (the preferred gym of corporate types) and Gold’s (the preferred gym of meatheads and strip mall shoppers). This gym is Gold’s-level quality at BSC-​level prices. I don’t expect a spa-​like experience at the gym, but this place is not even pleasant. Perhaps if I were paying $ 10 a month like at Gold’s I’d be satisfied. But I just expected more.
Cramped, dingy quarters, with hardly any room to stretch or lift free weights. Since it’s basement-​level, it’s pretty dank. When the A/​C is on, one corner of the gym turns into a swamp from the dripping condensation. It drips right into the carpet, all over the walls, and sometimes onto the machines crammed in that corner. Gross.
Once I was grossed out by the space, the other, little things just started to add up:
Old cardio and weight machines. They’re functional, but very basic. The rowing machine is pretty old and rickety. I generally go after 6 or 7pm, so I haven’t had to wait.
Inattentive staff. On my first visit, I asked the guy at the desk if he could show me around. He said Sure! … And then proceeded to just point at things. No walk-​through or explanation of any policies. Luckily the place is tiny (nothing wrong with that in and of itself!) so there wasn’t much to show me, anyway.
Towels are scratchy and of a strange size: too big to be a hand towel, too small to be a bath/​shower towel.
The TVs at the treadmills are just regular little TVs hooked onto pipes. They’re way too close to the runner’s face, and the controls are on the side of the TV rather than on the treadmill interface.
Why are there shoes all over the locker room? I’ve never seen this in a gym before. People keep their gym shoes on top of the lockers, I guess as an alternative to carrying them to/​from the gym. The gyms I’ve been to don’t allow you to leave things there overnight unless you rent an overnight locker. Whatever this gym’s policy is, just imagine a windowless basement with shower, toilet, and steam room facilities, also filled with gym shoes. Just gross.
Edit: Okay, I’ve now fallen in love with the Precor 100i machines they have here. There are only two of them, but luckily they’re so weird and somewhat unapproachable that they aren’t that popular; I’ve only had to wait for a machine once, and it was during the peak post-​work period. Half-​star upgrade.