Exhale Meatpacking

Core Fusion Barre gets the job done, but is not my favorite barre class in the city by any means. The location is super convenient to me so I keep coming back, but prefer P57/​Bar Method/​Barre3. In my experience, the instructors are not as energetic and do not correct form too often. This is probably because the studio allows too many people in the classes. This also makes the room very sweaty/​hot and I find myself dripping sweat not because of the workout but just because of the temperature of the room. The location in the bottom of the Gansevoort Hotel is also pretty strange and hotel employees/​guests can be rude.

I went to Core Fusion Barre, and the class was okay. It was crowded, like maybe 35 or 40 people in the room, and hot hot to the point where I couldn’t tell if I was sweaty because I had a good workout or just because the room was hot. I also wasn’t sore the next day at all.
Since it was my first visit, they gave me a «tour,» which was basically, «here are the changing rooms, here is your exercise room.» I didn’t see a sauna or a pool (like in the pictures) and don’t know if that was available to me or not.
I don’t think I’ll go back, but maybe I will try one of the other locations.

Love the barre cardio classes and Kristin Calabria is legitimately the BEST instructor!

This review is only for the Core Fusion class at Exhale. I’ll review their spa separately.

I came here for a Barre class using my class pass and had a great time. The women at the desk were delightful and showed us around the facilities. The class was challenging for me as a first comer but even for others so don’t feel intimidating if you’ve never tried a Barre class. A lot of people believe you have to have a background in dance or ballet in order to try barre. Not the case. While some of the arms resemble moves in ballet and the class utilizes the ballet bar, prior ballet experience is not necessary to get the most of the class.

I’ve been to most of the other Exhale spas and this location is a little strange. First of all, it’s in the basement of the Gansevoort and you have to take the elevator down from the lobby to access it. Because it’s in the basement, the studio has no windows (understandable), but there are also no mirrors (unlike some other Exhale studios). As a result the studio feels a bit claustrophobic and bunker-​like. You also have to walk through a small gym area with machines to get from the reception/​shop to the actual studio.
While I like the classes and the workout a lot, I’ve had some weird customer service experiences at this Exhale as well as some others. For example, I took a charity class recently (that I paid for) that included an Exhale gift bag. There was a pair of Exhale grippy socks in the gift bag in a size large (shoe size 10 – 13). When I asked to exchange them for a smaller pair (I’m a size 6) I was told that they couldn’t but to give them to someone else (??).
I had another strange experience at a different Exhale studio where they tried to claim that I hadn’t paid for a pair of socks I bought over 2 years earlier. Thankfully when I pointed out how ridiculous that was they dropped it and erased that from my account. I don’t know — they’re very sensitive about their socks at Exhale ;)

The core fusion classes here are decent, but whatever you do — DO NOT try to book a group spa reservation with the events team at this location! I was planning my sister’s bachelorette party for a group and got verbal/​email confirmation from someone on the event team to lock in our nail appointments (which FYI they don’t even offer there, but it was promised that they were going to bring people in). After repeated attempts to get a response from her via phone and email to confirm other services, I was finally connected with an events director and found out that NOTHING had been booked. This was only two days before the event. Really poor customer service and nearly ruined my sister’s celebration.

I was flying into NY Saturday morning, excited for a massage before a long work week.
After my flight was delayed, Exhale was accommodating and pushed my appointment back without any penalties.
I got the an amazing deep tissue massage with Arana. She definitely understood my needs and I felt so much better after the massage. Can’t wait to stop by Exhale next time I’m in NY for another massage with Arana!

This review is for the fitness classes here. I come to this studio for one specific instructor, but otherwise would prefer other Exhale locations to this one.
Core Fusion Barre is an awesome class, and Kristin is a great instructor! She definitely pushes you to your limit and I’ll travel specifically to this location to attend her afternoon/​evening classes! I think she teaches at other locations as well, but I unfortunately can’t make it there at those times.
In terms of the studio, it’s a little bit more run down than some of the other locations, and is located in the Gansevoort Meatpacking in the lower level. There’s no stairs, so you need to wait for an elevator to get downstairs. This can get annoying because people staying at the hotel aren’t very respectful — I’ve had people cut me on more than one occasion and take the elevator up (when it was originally supposed to go down).
Also, the studio itself doesn’t have good ventilation, so it can get extremely hot in the summer. They have a fan blowing, but that doesn’t really help that much unfortunately.
If you want to try barre and would like to learn proper form and get a great workout, this is a good starter studio! If you would like a studio with better facilities however, the Flatiron or Gramercy locations might be a better choice.

This review is for the barre classes only, not the gym or spa. I’ve heard mixed reviews about the classes but I’ve been coming here for almost a year now and they definitely give you that burn you’re looking for with barre. Most instructors teach pretty much the same class so it can get a bit repetitive. I would skip the locker room/​shower (yes, one) here as it gets pretty cramped. Overall, definitely worth a try, especially if you have classpass!

I have done barre at both Flywheel and Chelsea Piers before. Compared to those two studios, I think exhale is a little less organized and the equipment is not as well up kept. The classes are also really large and can feel a little less personal though the instructor I had, Erin, was quite lovely and tried her best to get around to everyone.
The class I took was core fusion barre. You do some barre moves and then that is followed immediately with some yoga stretches. Definitely a challenging workout and you can feel the burn. Time flies when you’re doing barre.
The studio is located on the lower level inside the Ganservoort hotel in the Meatpacking district. The setup is kind of weird. When the attendant was showing me around, I asked her if there were any lockers and she told me no but there are cubbies inside the studio. I walked into the bathroom and it was lockers galore, so I don’t know why they don’t recommend putting your belongings in the lockers. When we were entering the studio, it kind of felt like «this is Sparta» run for a place to put your stuff down, run for a place to put your mat down, run to grab weights! Felt like a battlefield to me. Also, everyone just put their belongings on the floor and no one really used the «cubbies». It was a very small space to put your stuff down and would be difficult if you have a jacket or a larger handbag.
Definitely was a good workout, but I think I’d much prefer other barre studios to this one.

I just returned from my first barre class at Exhale. I took the Core Fusion class and thought it was great. I found it slightly less challenging than Pure Barre, but I was still shaking by the end of it and my hamstrings currently feel like jello.
I will definitely be returning, but the reason I’m not giving Exhale 5 stars is because of the facilities. Maybe I’m a bit spoiled by Pure Barre, but Exhale didn’t have carpeting and I found myself constantly slipping in my sticky socks. They also don’t have mirrors, (very important for checking your form). Only a few of the lockers actually locked, so everyone piled their belongs up in the corner.

Just had my second «less than mediocre» experience there. The men’s locker room is gross. The shower has a curtain hanging from a temporary rod and looks like it is about to fall down. There’s not even a proper faucet to operate the shower, just a shut off valve on the shower hose. The lockers are small with one tiny hook that won’t even hold a pair of pants. You have to fold and stuff all your items in the bottom of the locker. The message facilities are less than private. The rooms are adjective to the sofas where people wait for appointments and the hot tubs people use after their session. It’s a less than relaxing experience. The massage quality is about 7 – 8 out of 10.

I was really excited to get a massage after work because my back had been in pain all week and was assured that this masseuse was excellent at deep tissue massages. Also, they are around the corner from my office to there was added convenience. I wish I hadn’t.
First off, the pillow that you put your face in reeked of BO. As for the actual massage, I specifically told the masseuse to focus on my shoulders and upper back because that’s where I’m most tight. It felt as though she spent more time on my feet and legs, so by the time she got to my neck/​shoulders/​back, time was up. I am really really disappointed, especially since I paid full price and didn’t go through a discount website because I wanted a REALLY good massage. I dont usually splurge and now that I did I’m regretting.

RAUL is still the G.O.A.T. massage therapist, but I have had to cancel my spa membership. I will miss the great massages, but the overall quality of the spa has dropped so much that I cannot justify spending the money every month.
As a spa member, I was entitled to a monthly massage and manicure. In addition I received $ 50 merchandise credit. Sounds like a great deal, right? Wrong. Because at this location, they hardly ever have a manicurist available. When I tried to book the massage, they always said, «We will let you know if that will be possible.» It’s just a simple manicure, but you would think I was asking for Reiki and Acupuncture!
The managers would always promise to «see what they could do» but I was not once compensated for not getting the manicure I had paid for. (this happened six or seven times.) They offered to knock a few bucks off a facial, but who wants to go from expecting something pre-​paid, to having to pay $ 100 for a service you didn’t want in the first place?
Their solution– for me to go all the way to CPS to get a manicure! (I live in Jersey, mind you. And they know this.)
After months and months of this, I just had to cancel.
In addition, the facilities are just getting run down. The lockers operate with keys and sometimes you have to jiggle them to open the doors. The robes are often a little frayed and the slippers tend to be tiny. The waiting area has magazines available but it’s too dark to read.
Sigh.
I will miss Raul. He is a brilliant massage therapist. He’s the reason that I hung in there so long. Also, the front desk people: Aracelis was fantastic and also Eldon.

My experience at this spa was very underwhelming! Starting with the front desk, I didn’t feel like I was welcomed. the reception I received was luke warm. I had a prenatal service done, the therapist was really nice but the massage I received made me feel like my nail salon lady across the street could have done a better job. I mean the back massage was nice but she barely brushed through my hands and legs. The head massage was mediocre. I am sad that for the amount they charge they are giving out services like this and I would have returned had I received a better service.
I cannot vouch for any other services as it was my first time there. I will most likely never return.

I cannot stop talking about the deep tissue massage I got last night at Exhale Meatpacking. I’m usually not a big spa /​massage person in general, but I decided to give it a shot for two reasons: A. it was my birthday month so I got 50% off and B. I was in serious pain from pulling a shoulder muscle. I got the 60 minute deep tissue massage with Doug and it was excellent! Was painful at times, but I could tell that it was a good kind of pain necessary to help heal the pulled muscle. When it was over, I felt better almost immediately! The shoulder was still sore but I was no longer in pain and today I am pretty much back to normal.
Ambiance was ok. You would think it would be a bit fancier considering it is in the Gansevoort. Would definitely go back — although not sure I would pay full price.

This review is for massage. As a loyal customer at the Central Park South location, I bought a 3 pack of massages and decided to check out Exhale Meatpacking for a change of pace.
First off, I was kind of dreading on coming in here because I booked for a Saturday night and, as expected, the lobby of the Gansevoort Hotel was a complete mess. People were getting ready to go out and tons gathered in the lobby. I had to wait for an elevator down (spa is on the Lower Level) while everyone else was going up. The patrons at the hotel and even bellboys shot me dirty looks as I was the only one on the elevator going down… not relaxing.
The Fusion massage I received was very good but not as deep as I usually like — prior to the massage, the therapist asked what type of pressure I like and I responded heavy pressure, and she tried to upsell me on a deep tissue massage for an extra $ 15. I told her no, I signed up for Fusion… and then she clarified then it wouldn’t be as deep as it could be. Fair enough. However, I felt set up because then why did she give me heavy pressure as an option? I’d never been upsold on any package before at Exhale CPS!
The bathroom/​changing room situation at this location is completely weird. There are 2 bathroom stalls but also lockers blocking the door. 1 shower. Of course, as with ALL Exhale locations, the locker room was PACKED with people coming out of class when I got in trying to change for my massage. I would like to offer the Exhale franchise a simple piece of advice: If you are asking massage patrons and gym patrons to share a locker room, please STAGGER the timing of your massages and classes! It has never made sense to me that classes AND massages start at :30 on the hour. Why not schedule all class at the :30 mark and massages at :00? Then the two parties don’t have to see each other! By nature, the people attending classes are amped up and sweaty, the massage people are trying to relax. The locker room situation is so weird and packed.
Another comment i have is about the actual massage room. Although it looks cool, I was baffled by the semi-​private «massage rooms» which are just sectioned off parts of the main spa room. You can hear every conversation that is going on out there and it is NOT relaxing. Something in that room was beeping for a little bit during my massage and my masseuse actually excused herself to check it out. So distracting.
I don’t like this location, although the quality of the massage was decent. I will be going back to Central Park South from now on.

I don’t even know how to rate this place I bought a gift packfoff one of the social websites. I actually bought 2, one for me and one for a family member (for their bday).
I made appointments over the phone for facial and massage and a class we got there missed the class due to good’ol MTA train delay. We then had to kill an hour which was ok, we used the pool & sauna.
Eventually we received our massages. Afterward we went bsck to pool area to wait for the facials. After waiting & waiting, luckily the manicurist nearby noticed our wait & went to the front desk to make an inquisition.
Turns out after waiting 40 minutes we were found out that the facials had not been booked and I was shocked! Ofcourse I refused to believe «I» didn’t book one because it would only make sense that since I bought a class, facial, body package I would book them all. Esp since I am coming from Philadelphia to enjoy this what was suppose to be stress free morning.
So then the case was that they only one 1 facial aesthetician who can be available in 20mins and one of us can go (we can’t go together like we did for our massage)
At this point I was already frustrated that we waited 40 minutes to hear this, frustrated that I went against my better judgement which told me to have used a diff spa in brooklyn (&not buy this package). I said we’ll just reschedule it come back a different day.
Now having read other reviews about Exhale spas in New York none seem to be stellar like my first encounter with Exhale Spa in Chicago last year and I had a very very positive experience there.
This time I decided to try it in New York even though I potentially could have gotten a pack in Chicago as well. If I had read the reviews about the New York locations ahead of time I probably would not have purchased the package for New York.
Now I am hesitant to go back for my facial as I’m sure that may be a disappointing experience as well to add more injuries I also purchased another massage only package (this is all before I read any of the reviewsl so now I’m stuck with these sessions that I’ve purchased in NY that I have to use that I am dreading having to use the facilities and be disappointed.
My massage was good. As others mentioned the rooms are not sound proof as you can hear people outside by the water pool area talking on laughing or walking by.
I wish I had not purchased a new york package or actually that I can selll this package to somebody so I dont have to go back.
This was def a Epic FAILED bday gift for my family member whose respond to all this was (not «thank you».but) to reiterate what I already knew «we should have gone to the spa in brookyln that we used last time».

I got a spa giftcard as a present and after reading through all the not so stellar reviews for the other Exhale locations, this location seemed like it’d be the best of the worst.
The Exhale best was definitely lacking, even considering I’ve received facials in rooms shared by 6 women. This facial was considerably more expensive. The spa ‘rooms’ are curtained off areas that is completely not sound proof.
The facial itself was fine. My aesthetician did a perfunctory job.
But, if you’re going to pay for the facial, you might as well go to a place that is designed to pamper you.