Bay Club San Francisco

There is no air by the stepmills. It gets so hot you can barely workout. If they don’t fix this, I will have to drop my membership.

Just joined the club and am so excited. The amenities, service, and facility can’t be beat. Yoga was a huge selling point for me, up to 8 classes in one day which is unheard of and the instructors so far have been amazing! Take Doug’s class for beginners, it was a really beautiful experience. Showers and locker rooms are relaxing, clean, and nice. Ample lockers. The view on the roof is amazing and the café is delicious. They really take care of their clients. Location is perfect! Signed up for this place after having been a long time Equinox fan, couldn’t be happier about the shift. The service here can’t be beat from my experience so far. Ask for Neil to sign up he’s great!

So happy to finally see more KIDS programming at the Bay Club! We’ve used the on-​site childcare facility for over four years (which we love!), but until recently we felt like there wasn’t much for children on the actual fitness property unless they’re older and using the squash courts. This has changed and now Bay Club is offering hip hop, karate and other children’s classes. My six year old has been doing hip hop for several months with Marisa and we couldn’t more impressed. Marisa is amazing and the mirrored studio that she teaches in is terrific. There’s no comparable classes in our area — this place is a real gem. Pricing is pretty reasonable and I like that non-​member friends can attend too!

My 6 yo daughter has been going to Hip Classes with Marisa Pande at the Bay Club the past 2 months. Marisa is the new Head of the Playclub — she is a vivacious, energetic, caring and a talented teacher, musician and choreographer. She also has the very special gift that brings out the best in children– making them feel comfortable in their own bodies, an giving them confidence to shine. My daughter Clarissa adores Marisa and I am sure many of the other kids adore her too. Marissa is warm and encouraging and at the same time firm. She demonstrates all the dance moves, corrects technique, demonstrates to children that with will, and persistence, dance can be learned (no matter what the ability) and makes dance really fun. My daughter is so motivated she looks forward to class every week and practices her moves at home too. After class she is always happy and frequently asks us to play the music that she has heard in dance class and to watch her practice.
Marisa’s classes are well organised. Both boys and girls are encouraged to participate. Parents can watch the first 5 mins of class to settle kids in. We then leave the class and the kids whilst Marisa works her magic. The last 10 mins of the class, the kids perform their moves and demonstrate what they have learnt. My daughter learns and grows every week.
Well done Marisa. You have brought much heart and soul and your vivacious spirit to the Bay Club and the activities that you provide nuture friendships and help our kids to develop skills and confidence.
Thank you

The review is for the tread mills. I like to do 2 miles before working out. To keep my mind off the run, I watch DirectTV. Over the last month, most of the channels have been out of service 5 times. I get the lame excuse they are working on it — obviously not very hard.

Love the location, spa amenities, & positive friendly staff. I look forward to saying hi to trainers like Arthur as I grab my salmon salad post sweat session in the gym or sauna. If you play racquetball or basketball, lift, swim, enjoy yoga, pilates, and dance, there’s something for everything. There’s even a mini roll out cardio room in the women’s locker room for days you want to hide out. And the massages are shockingly good.

3.5 Stars.
Bay Club was the «cool» gym to go to 10 years ago. In recent years, with all the healthy-​living trends in the city, there are so many gyms (Crunch, 24, Equinox, StudioMix) and boutique studios all over!
I recently visited here with a guest pass and was surprised how downhill it’s gone. Machines seem outdated, spin bikes are pretty worn and even rusty? Generally, a lot of the open-​use equipment seems worn down, too.
This place isn’t any cheaper than Equinox, so I would expect the quality to stay sky-​high continuously and always
That aside, Bay Club does shine in several areas. The square footage here is pretty massive — and they offer some amazing amenities that no other gym in the city offers– full-​size basketball court, two 20.8-yard heated pools (only pool that beats this is USF in Richmond), and a Huge Squash court! If you like Basketball and Squash, this is the gym for you! There’s a sense of community among those who play Bball and Squash here.
If you want the best gym equipment to work at your own pace or high-​intensity boot camp classes that get you in tip top shape, go to Equinox, but if you want to get into Basketball or Squash or you love to swim — go to Bay Club.

I go to workout once in a week here to take Thursday Morning. Front desk people are pleasant, nice shops, great locker rooms, probably the most cleanest facility in the city. Parking is not easy but I always find meter parking around it. I would love to come and workout more often!

Joined mainly for spin classes, which have generally declined in quality. New bikes have been promised for over 6 months, as management try to inflate the financials to attract investors. Bikes are rusted, and about ¹⁄₃ have issues at any given time. Most of the better instructors have left. Fees are way too high for such a low quality experience. Time for Equinox?

After all these years, this place still hires snobby staff and the place is filthy. I could pay less at the YMCA and the staff there welcomes me like I was a CEO of Apple Computers. Their parking is terrible also. They need to close this place down.

We were promised new bikes in spring, summer, fall and winter in 2015. We were promised new bikes in spring of 2016.
The upshot: No new bikes, but the promises continue…

I use to be a member there, left already… The Club is ok, but way over priced. On top of that, you will feel terrible when you talk to them or pay them, due to their patients. I hope the Sales could have more manner and patients. Front desk girls could be nicer, warmer with more smile.

While the spinning and yoga instructors are fantastic and the trainers are also great, the management of the Bay Club is bit inept.
What’s dumber than a dumbbell? Making members, many of whom like me have unexpected business travel, sign up for training sessions that expire within one month.
The net result: I won’t sign up for training sessions.
That means loss of revenue for you, dear Bay Club management.
Also dear Bay Club management, kindly replace your crappy spinning bikes. They’re worn out, dirty, and broken. And yes, EVERY MONTH, we hear that we’re getting new bikes next month.
What don’t you make it happen?

Great gym and facilities, but the monthly dues nearly double when you turn 30. YIKES! It’s a 5 star experience when you’re under 30 or over 60. If you’re 30 and haven’t sold your company yet, you might find better options elsewhere.

Good club, but much too expensive.. You have to pay 260 a month for all gym locations. and the little fees here and there add on another 300… so I will probably cancel my membership soon. Def not worth the amount of money

Have been a member for over 5 months. It’s time to update my review! I enjoy most of the group classes (yoga, cycling club, cardio exercise, squash etc.). The quality of the classes are as good as, if not better than, that of sports LA. I have taken a number of personal training sessions as well. The personal trainer is very knowledgeable and I learn a ton from her (Anne).
A couple of complaints: 1. It’s extremely difficult to schedule a personal training session with bay club. (Don’t you wanna make $?! Lol) I got frustrated with the process and had to email the director/​upper management in order to get a response.
2. Lots of other Unilocalers have commented on this. A few snob members that go there are very annoying, such as not taking care of personal hygiene/​I can smell them 10 inches away lol or talking very loudly on the phone in the weight room etc. Luckily, most ppl that I have encountered there are very friendly.

DO NOT JOIN THIS CLUB!!! THEY LIE TO GET YOU TO JOIN AND PAY EXPENSIVE INITIATION FEES!!!
I had been a corporate member when I joined the first time and left after leaving my last company. Looking to rejoin, I was told by the membership director at this location that I would be able to upgrade to an all club membership at a discounted «activation fee». The reason for this is that I had initially question about getting a membership at the financial district location but he talked me into just joining the SF Bay club location with the promise of a discounted fee. I paid my initiation fee and continued on with the single location membership knowing I had options moving forward.
Then after 2 weeks of joining I realized that my husband had a corporate membership. I emailed the membership director to inform him of this and that we (or at the very least my husband) should not be charged an initiation fee. And here starts the problem. Once people get your money they don’t want to give it back even if it is the right thing to do. I tried for over 1 month to make this situation right but to no avail. I tried to give them every option to make this situation right and there was no resolution. All I get from the membership director is accusations of not hearing him correctly and swearing he would «NEVER say that». Then comes the hostility as I push for some resolution! I’m sorry when there are so many options why would I continue to come to you for your services. Paying $ 325/​month for a couples membership is CRAZY expensive and I expect a little more respect and courtesy from the staff working there. I tried to work with you to come up with a solution that works for everybody and yet you were so inflexible to find something. It is really unfortunate that people are so inflated with their own self worth to not realize that we will be fine without the SF Bay Club. There are PLENTY of other gyms in SF, that cost less and won’t lie to me to get me to join. WOW!!! What a concept!!!
SUMMARY
$ 200 initiation fee (couple)
$ 325/​month (one club)
apparently $ 600/​month (multi-​site couple)
apparently $ 380/​month (multi-​site single)
There is a reason why they do not advertise their prices. It is because they are inflated and not worth the price at all. They need to get you to walk in the door so a salesperson can tell you a sweet story to join. Otherwise, the initiation rates would be much lower.
I will never make this mistake to fall for the sweet tale from the sales man. Like your mother said, «if it sounds too good to be true then it is too good to be true». Or at least don’t make my mistake and not get what they tell you on the phone in writing.
I will NEVER recommend this place to people and I will make sure everyone I know hears about this HORRIBLE experience.

The amenities here make me feel like a princess in a palace!
Not too busy, always smells good, serene for your post workout warm relaxation.
Love it!

My favorite gym I have ever belonged to. I moved up to the Bay Area 4 months ago and have been looking for a gym and this one is the best I’ve found. They pay for up to 3 hours of parking which helped sell me on the place. There are great classes like Zumba, Pilates, and yoga and they have a relaxing cardio room. I like that they have same sex steam rooms.

This is based on overall value to what I use it for which is weight lifting. Old deteriorating weight lifting equipment (see photos), mats, hooks, bars… etc. You would think for $ 205/​month the management would invest a tiny amount on new mats at least or to have clean safe ropes.

While the Bay Club is a huge facility, they are not keeping the place clean and there is a general need for a refresh. You definitely feel the need to take a shower after — at home. The locker room is the worst. There is mold, grime, and hair mashed on top of and between the fading tile and all the cleaning ladies do is take a dirty mob and swipe it back and forth, spreading and embedding the filth in the floor. I’ve had towels with blood stains on them. The club also nickels and dimes for everything, and the only social building is the first Friday squash get together. This place is plummeting downhill, fast and needs a good scrub (or at least some new locker room tiles — gross!)

Nice gym. Great equipment, cool facilities, and really nice locker rooms.
This would be a 5-​star rating but their billing department consistently spoils the experience. They operate like they are in the stone age.
They don’t accept credit cards, their record keeping is sloppy and most importantly they don’t return phone calls.

Pros:
It’s huge
luxury locker room feel
good looking people (never hurts for motivation)
Cons:
locker rooms and showers are showing wear and tear (threadbare towels)
wet areas are not as clean as they used to be
should have a nicer restaurant for the clubbie/​high fee atmosphere; i want to take clients there like I do at Equinox on market
non-​stop upsell/​marketing
VERY high rates for what you get. I’m shopping Equinox and Embarcadero YMCA now.
Childcare on weekends has limited hours. that’s a real problem since I would love to work out Sunday afternoons.

This place loves to:
a) raise their rates (seriously — $ 5 – 10 every year, like clockwork. The discounted under 30 membership is $ 150/​mo now!)
b) Give you late charges. This one erks me to no end — they ruthlessly tack on $ 25 late fees, even in really unwarranted situations. They make auto paying impossible by only allowing members to pay with checking accounts. Thus, you have to remember to pay every month with a credit card. Even if you pay on the last day of the month, they’ll charge you a $ 25 late fee. It’s a really crummy, annoying practice, and does not show much compassion to their members. There’s lots of things that I love about the Bay club, but this detracts SO much from my experience with them. It’s really petty nickle and diming, and they are essentially penalizing their customers for their lack of getting with 21^st century billing practices & technology.
Make you a deal Bay club — I’ll implement Stripe subscriptions for you, and you stop billing me your silly late fee. How does that sound?

I always admired the Bay Club from afar and thought longingly about what it was like inside before I was a member. Then the unthinkable happened. My previous workplace started offering a discounted membership! I quickly realized that everybody and I mean everybody was joining this amazing cult. Never before could I pop over for a quick 1 hour workout and be back for my next meeting-​it was amazing and I miss it so much.
Cleanliness: the gym, lockers, and shower rooms are all very clean. Members and the staff clean the machines often and I think every time I’ve been in the locker room no matter what time the staff is always passing through to tidy up.
Amenities: there is everything here-​pools, saunas, racquetball/​squash courts, cardio, bball court, tennis courts, spin room, weight room-​basically, I could go on forever. It’s a little tricky to find your way around at first because this facility is HUGE. Anything I wanted, they provided and I never had to wait for machines. There is even a mini workout room in the female locker room. Classes are plentiful and great!
Staff: Very friendly and helpful. I’ve never had any issues to report!
Miscellaneous: I’m obsessed with the shower room here but not in a creepy way. The shampoo, conditioner, and soap are amazing. If anyone knows what the conditioner is, please let me know. I’ve searched and can’t find it. The showers are all individual with swinging glass doors and they provide huge bottles of toiletries. There is also mouthwash, q-​tips, hair straighteners, hairspray, and lotion to use. I can’t rave enough.
There are also inexpensive food options in their café with smoothies and other healthy selections. You get what you pay for and here, you get a lot.

I wish 3.5 was an option, because that’s exactly how I describe the Bay club. I joined for their unlimited Pilates program bc I was paying the same price at my Pilates studio without access to spin classes, gym, and other facilities.
So is $ 300 a month worth it? Yes, I take 3 Pilates classes and 2 spin classes a week. Added bonus is access to a reformer whenever I can’t make a class. However, if you are looking for a typical gym with typical classes I would advise better value for your money elsewhere.
The facilities are OK — why is there carpet everywhere. The café is a joke as is the ‘lounge’. The roof top sun deck is great on a warm day.
The front desk is pleasant albeit pretty incompetent and the billing department is beyond pitiful. I’ve been a member for 6 months and have yet to have my monthly bill correct.
Overall if you are looking for something specific in your workout, great place, but if you are looking for weights and cardio save your money and go to Crunch.

The best fitness in SF. Nice service, great facilities, handsome swimming instructors, fun activities, 3-​hr free garage parking, wonderful location.

I’ve been going here for about 4 years. Great gym, equipment, and facilities. Elliot Sanchez is an excellent and knowledgeable trainer. We have a family membership and also use the facilities in Corte Madera and Ross Valley. One star off because of an assortment of billing problems which took an unreasonable amount of time to resolve. Pretty expensive but given how much our family uses it, I think it’s worth the value. May not be right for the occasional use client.

This is a good gym to work out at. The worked are so nice and they can help you out with a membership and they are so nice.
Come on buy it you want a membership.
Come in anytime to get a membership so you can work out.

Really not a fan of this place! Granted, the last time I was there was in 2012 and I’m hoping things have changed– but to this day I hate this place!
Front desk staff: Some of the kids are great but that doesn’t go for everyone. They can be pretty unwelcoming, nonchalant and/​or overall difficult to work with. The manager at the time, was really horrible He always made members feel like the worst/​dumbest person in the world. Talking to other members, so many people complained about him, but he stayed. I’ve always wondered why they put such a non-​people person in the front of the house.
Facilities: Why there is rug everywhere I have no idea. But its kind of gross. Locker room is huge, but can get pretty busy during rush times. Its a weird layout and if you’re shy about changing with other people in tight places, then this might be a problem.
Gym: Huge! Equipment was pretty well taken care of – including cardio equipment. As a new member its pretty easy to get lost and confused, but you slowly start to figure it out and you find your own pattern and favorite places to be.
Training Staff– like anywhere there are good ones and the not as good ones. You just really have to do your research and watch trainers out on the floor and see how they are with their current clients. If you go to the general manager, usually she’ll just land you with whatever trainer needs more clients or needs to get their numbers up. If there are choices, then maybe your preferences will be considered. There seems to be a fair amount of turnover, but it also seems like some have really stuck around and it works for them.
Dietitian: I was really happy to discover that Bay Club had a dietitian. I had full confidence in her knowledge and she has a great way of making you feel very comfortable. She does have a problem with confidentiality so watch out. She usually can help though, so if you need a dietitian then go to her. She’s also your only choice there.
Management: Again this is from 2012, so I’m sure with the rate of turnover its different but it was pretty horrible back then– which means that if members bring an issue to management it is not likely going to be communicated to the next one in line. So, either badger them with the same issues, or give up. It always looked like it was at its tipping point. Management was either right on the edge of losing their mind or they had just reached a point where they didn’t care. Everything about the interactions they had with members and with each other was uncomfortable.
So glad I’m not at this club anymore… I would not recommend this club to anyone.
P. S. You have to pay for parking in addition to membership fees.

I joined bay club primarily for access to the Redwood City location. It’s a plush resort. However now I work in SF and find myself using this one to avoid traffic jams after work.
Wish I didn’t have to use this location. Now I know I great I had it.
— ladies locker room is amazing here; it’s huge, plenty of supplies and tools so I’ve never had a problem
— weight room is just ok; lotta guys who don’t know what they’re doing getting in my way; off-​duty «help» such as trainers working out here during peak hours infuriates me
— cardio is nice you can watch the embarcadero or cute guys play bball
— lobby is a dump
— lounge is a dump
— café is a dump but staff in café are so nice and thoughtful, an African American lady comes to mind
— front desk help usually ignores me when I enter unless it’s a weekend

DON’T JOIN THIS CLUB!
This place doesn’t care about anything othher than money. There machines has caused me a (slip disk) in my back and now I’m going to have surgery because of them. Even though I let them know about my situation, they have replied by requesting my monthly fee to be paid for the new month! After paying my fee I asked to cancel my subscription because of my back problems. They kept on playing me refusing to cancel the subscription and when I finally got to cancel it they qsked me to pay for ANOTHER MONTH! ! Plus they added $ 30 as a penalty!
They will suck your blood for money until they know that there’s nothing more and they don’t care if your even dying because of their crappy machines!

I’ve been going to the Bay club for over four years now.
Pros–
(+) Five stars to the top staff — Lisa, Ovid, Liz, café guys/​girls, the dudes (and lady) in the parking garage, etc. are great. always accomodating and helpful.
(+) Good remodel of the weight room. its nice to have the new squat rack, olympics weights, new TVs in the weight room.
(+) Squash courts overall are in good shape. clean, decent, well kept
(+) Cleanliness — overall gym area is well kept
(+) Ping pong table is fun and I like the remodel of hte lounge area.
Cons:
(-) Money-​grubbing nature of the place. Even after youre a full paying member paying premium dues, its impossible to do anything or even look around without them trying to upsell/​crossell you on something. (Posters everywhere, the wine dispenser in the lobby, all classes/​sessions, etc.) This creates more of a budget airline feel (only +$ 40 for a window seat!) instead of a premium country-​club fitness facility feel.
(-) Way too many booked lessons and clinics on the squash courts durng prime time. the reason many of us join is for the squash court/​community and this has gotten pretty bad lately.
(-) Not enough day lockers at the SF Tennis club
(-) Need parking validation at the SF BAy Club on sundays
(-) wouldnt kill to give a freebie here and there — ex: including razors in the bathroom would be a minimal cost and would put the UX on par with equinox, SCLA, etc.
Overall I’m happy with the place but just a slightly less corporate-​money-​grubbing feel to the place would do wonders for member satisfaction and building a stronger sense of community.