MINT Downtown

I’ve come to MINT several times to work out and one time for a class. The amenities are nice, but the actual gym equipment is below average and certainly not work the price.
The gym locker room offers secure lockers with a key code that you can create. They also have lotion, shampoo and conditioner, q tips, and personal appliances which is nice in case you need to work out before work.
MINT offers other amenities, such as mint-​infused water (although the cups are as small as shot glasses) and eucalyptus wash clothes.
However, when you look beyond the cute locker room and flavored water, it’s not a great place to get in a good work out. They have a handful of stationery work out machines, but when I use them they would rattle intensely which was alarming. Also, their equipment doesn’t have fans on it or TVs (although a few do).
There’s a small (emphasis on very small) section of the gym that has workout equipment. However, the machines are super close to each other so it can be awkward to work out there. There’s a box of small weights and balls but many of them appeared dirty.
On the other side of the gym, there’s an equally small area for weights. They only have one pair of weights in each size, and when I was there the lowest weight available was 30 lbs which as far too large. They also didn’t have some normal equipment, like an ab bench. There were no mirrors, which was odd and disappointing because I like to use mirrors to correct my form. Again, it was super small so it was very cramped and hard to work out.
Overall, I only return because it’s on ClassPass and it’s nice to mix in a gym session with my group classes. But if I had to pay out of pocket for the membership, I would be upset at the high price and low quality. I’ve tried other gyms in DC and this is by far my least favorite.

The downtown facilities are wonderful. Never a wait for the machines. The times of the classes are very convenient for work (not to mention that the instructors are incredible¡). The locker rooms are also well-​stocked and super clean, making getting ready for work after a morning work-​out a breeze. I couldn’t recommend this facility more!

I love the vibe and sense of community this place affords. It’s one of my favorite places to workout in the District.

What a dump this place is. I go there occasionally for a particular masseuse, who is great (and the only reason I give the place any stars). But the environment is horrible – down at its heels, with dirty, chipped paint, FILTHY showers (huge gobs of hair circling the drains), an a miserable locker room. Most recently when I was there, they had NO clean robes and NO available lockers that were not broken.
Can’t comment on any classes or services, but I have made up my mind that if I return for a massage, I will wait till I get home to shower. Big ick.

The payment policies are not transparent. Beware of the notice of termination requirement and the random maintenance fee they will charge on your credit card. This is one of the most expensive gyms in the city — I don’t see why they would nickel and dime its clients and I expect more from the facilities. The staff and trainers are excellent.

I felt I had to update this review as the issue with my billing was resolved, and although I did not get an email about the end of Tribe, new classes of TRX Training have been added and I love them!
Also, my trainer, Mary Dorsch, is the best, so my 5 stars go to her, who keeps me motivated and in shape!
Last but not least, I appreciated that the owner of the gym took the time to contact me and apologize, which makes a difference to me, as I felt I was being heard, so thanks to Patrick also!
I have been a member for about 7 months now and I am back in love with Mint!

I took a very disappointing barre class here with classpass. The instructor was standing around off to the side for a lot of the class rather than going through the movements with the class making it difficult to know what she meant for us to do. The class was mostly mat work and very little barre work. Rarely were variations presented to decrease or increase difficulty.
All in all, definitely not a class that gets your legs shaking like most of the barre classes around town. That said, the locker rooms are nice, and all the other staff I encountered were super friendly.

I really enjoy the Zumba class by Tara, great music, high energy, patience in coordinating the moves are the biggest assets of her class. She rotates the music and moves every week giving the class new experience every week. Perfect way to workout.

I’ve taken Tara’s Zumba class for about 6 months now and really enjoy it! She brings a great energy to the class that keeps us motivated. A teriffic instructor that teaches to all levels of experience with Zumba/​dance.

Been walking by this gym for awhile now and just tried out a class this morning via classpass. Staff was super nice + helpful, gym was clean. Loved my instructor + the small class size. Not sure if I would buy a monthly pass here but enjoyed my first time enough to come back for a class.

I’ve been going here for about a month now. It’s near my office and I’ve tried a variety of the group exercise classes and I signed up for the Tribe Fitness training which is kind of like doing a cross-​fit WOD twice a week under the supervision of a trainer. The gym never seems too crowded which is nice, although the locker room can get busy and the women can be kind of rude if you are in the middle of getting dressed, but you are in the way of a locker. I’m not sure why I have to move, when I’ll be done in two seconds. Everything seems pretty clean, and the staff are friendly. The spin room does get really hot and the bikes are different than I’m used to, but you get a good workout. I’m still trying to make it to a yoga class, but they seem well-​attended. The showers have body wash, shampoo, and conditioner. I have a corporate discount for my membership, and it would be expensive if you just used it for the treadmills, but considering they have spin, barre, yoga, and a few other classes, it’s worth it for me so that I don’t have to buy classes at individual studios.

What a difference a year makes. Please disregard most of my review dating from October 2013. With its current general manager, the club has made great strides in all areas that previously disappointed me. The cleanliness issues are much fewer and further between. The lockers have been replaced, and significant equipment investments have been made. I am much happier with my membership now.

I signed up for their five day free trial via
and confirmed the trial via emails with Skip.
Brian at the front desk got me started on Saturday morning, right before MINTride class with Marianne Hoski. Brian is friendly and calm. Marianne is the best instructor here in DC. I was that girl with a broken bike, horrible set up, and a tilted seat. She didn’t fuss and rendered assistance to get my bike (and me) all set up for the first spin class of my life. Music was quite motivating. Great beats. Marianne ended the class with a core workout focusing on simple and basic techniques that help the chest tone. She trains triathletes; so she pretty much knows what she is doing when she’s advising you to spin faster and faster and to stretch wider and higher. I wish she was teaching more than once a week though.
After the 90 minute class, I tried out all of the machines, there were no lines for any of them. In fact the gym was unpacked. There were a few people on the treadmills and some others on the other side where the boxing equipment hangs.
However, from the looks of the schedule, they have a few other spin instructors. As for the facility, everything is clean. The lockers seemed fine to me. They have the basic stuff you may need when showering — ranging from q tips, spray deodorant, shampoo, razors, body lotion, etc. Overall, the gym itself seems great.

I had a massage today at MINT DC and it was great! The therapist was lovely and took great care of me. She asked me which scent of massage oil I would prefer, inquired as to pressure, any problem areas, etc. Wonderful!
The only thing I wish they had was robes for plus size gals. It was a little awkward when the robe was too small, but I was clearly expected to be undressed when I got in the room.

The MINT gave me everything I needed in a basic gym:
*Free weights, soft rubber handled dumbbells ranging from 5 pounds to 95 pounds, barbells and benches. No need for weight lifting gloves.
*TRX equipment, adjustable plyometric platform, kettleballs, resistance bands, medicine balls, and all important foam rollers.
*Cardio machines — ellipticals, treadmills, row machines and bikes.
*Daily use combo lockers so no need to bring own locks. Free secure lockboxes for valuables.
*Spacious individual shower areas. Razors, Qtips, lotion, towels — basic toiletries provided for convenience. A steam room is a welcome feature in the locker room though operates inconsistently and the floor inside could be cleaned more throughly.
Overall, a satisfactory place to work out; nothing extraordinary but not too shabby either.

Le Sigh. I simply just cannot win! After searching high and low for the perfect yoga studio, finding the perfect barre studio, and wanting a one stop shop that was less than $ 150 monthly, I decided to join Mint in the end.
Pros:
–At first I thought the government rate was exorbitant, but then after shopping around for the last 6 months, nah these $$$$ DC prices are the norm!
–Excellent yoga. I’m a yogi. I’ve been practicing for 7 years, and have been looking for that «feed my soul» yoga for the past year that I’ve been in D.C. I found it at a darling studio in MD, but alas that’s too far for this gal who lives on the other side of the Potomac! All that background just to let you know the yoga here is *5 stars*. There was only one class, called Inspired Yoga, where the teacher was very uninspired. No music, monotone voice, called out poses and instructions like a robot, etc. I just decided then and there to avoid that day of the week she teaches! Paula is my absolute favorite. Her classes give me the yogi soul nourishment I’ve been looking for. Jen & Sara are also amazing. They offer yoga at 12:00 every single weekday, so I’ve been taking advantage of yoga on my lunch breaks since Mint is super close to my job. I love being able to do that.
–They have now frosted the glass windows in the group fitness studio, so people can no longer watch you doing yoga or whatever class you are in. Major plus!
–Locker rooms are nice. They are clean (most of the time), and have whatever toiletries you may need. It can get cramped by the lockers at lunch time, with lockers often broken. I can’t speak to the showers, because I would never take a shower in a gym shower. That’s just me though. I peeked my head in an empty one once, and didn’t see anything alarming.
–They just began offering barre classes, and have a variety of other classes for you to choose from, although not as many as Dupont location. Also, only 1 mat Pilates, trx, & kickboxing class a week. No barre on weekend!
–Those cool eucalyptus washcloths are really nice after a run or class.
Now, why am I lowering my review after joining & being a member for a month!!! Read on my Unilocaler friends…
Cons:
–CONSTANTLY CANCELLING CLASS WITH LITTLE OR NO NOTICE. I was eager to try a spin class, made the trek on metro from VA on a Saturday, only to find a piece of paper on the door that the class was cancelled. I checked their website and facebook page, and there wasn’t any heads up it was cancelled. The teacher had an accident, so I get you didn’t have a whole lot of time to post something on facebook. Okay, cool. The next weekend, they cancel the level ½ yoga class because the teacher had a family tragedy. I get it, cool. However, as a business holding yourself out to be a operating business and charging my credit card each month– you don’t keep more than 1 – 2 cycle and yoga teachers on the schedule!!! You can’t call a backup? You always need a backup. I’m not getting the full value of my membership when they’re constantly cancelling classes (and not just the Saturday class– although Saturday seems to frequently be affected), but they only offer one gentle yoga class on Sundays. I know not a whole lot of people work downtown on the weekend, but those are my off days and I would like to get a class in.
–I LOVE Barre. It’s my second love to yoga. I took a barre class this week that was really disappointing. Not only was the teacher late, she taught the class in jeans like she just didn’t give a ****. She was unprepared, and kept making stuff up on the fly. Not the studio caliber class Mint holds themselves out to offer by any means. We hardly spent any time at the barre, there was no arms or glute sequence either. You know, the standard stuff of a typical barre class was missing. Like using the barre! Turns out, they were all broken or wobbly. What are you using membership money for if you’re not keeping the equipment maintained!!! One of the barres have had a «broken, will be fixed soon» sign on it since my first day of joining (and probably longer), so I can attest it takes over a month to get equipment fixed. I have called to complain, but the manager is never in, and doesn’t respond to emails.
–Which leads to my next con that you can’t get a hold of management. Unless you tweet them!
–Some lockers have been broken since my first day.
–Once 5pm hits, their cleaning crew is gone for the day, and I was shocked to see the complete disarray of that locker room. Hair all over the sinks and faucets (ew, who wants to touch that to wash their hands? I had to use a paper towel just to turn the knob), towels not stocked, etc.
–Trainers will hog 4 machines while training 1 client like there’s more than 1 machine each for other ppl. We all know there is only 1 of each machine!
–Those awesome cool eucalyptus washcloths are often not stocked…
So disappointed in my membership so far, and may be cancelling soon.

This is an excellent gym and a great way to work off all of the disgusting and delicious food available around here.
I used this gym for free as a guest of the St. Regis Hotel across the street, which made it even sweeter.
They have everything you would ever need in a gym, including a full rack of free weights, all organized nicely, unlike some of the disgusting chain gyms, as well as plenty of cardio machines of all varieties. It is also nice and spacious with high ceilings so it feels like a pleasant environment to waste time away working out.
The staff is also really nice and they have clean and big locker rooms. Though I can’t speak to the value or the membership fees since I used it for free for a short period of time on vacation, it’s still a state of the art facility with everything you could ask for in a health club.

I’m pretty obsessed with Mint. I work a block away, so the location is why I considered joining in the first place. The other big incentive was that they released a two-​month special on Gilt City. Ghat I am not paying full price for my membership, I will still think Mint is worth it, and here’s why:
The facilities are lovely. Their tagline incorporates the words strength and serenity, and that is exactly what I achieve at Mint. It isn’t huge, but there is everything you need — yoga studio, weights, TRX, spinning studio, pilates/​reformer, and cardio machines that are new. The gym is clean and has a nice open layout.
Now, of course, let’s talk about the quality of your workout here. The training schedule has a nice variety of classes throughout the week. There are classes for spinning, yoga, pilates, strength-​training, and zumba. So far, I’ve taken spinning classes with Pam, Raisa, and Sara. Pam has her own following because she is just incredible. Dave also teaches a relaxing and invigorating yoga class on Tuesday evenings.
In addition to your basic gym needs, I think Mint goes above and beyond in the way of customer service, good vibes, and sweet amenities. Every trainer I have met has been incredibly one-​on-​one and interested in how I am doing. The staff are always friendly, helpful, and attentive, and the gym stays pristine even during peak hours. The locker rooms are really nice, feautring organic minty bath products, and a STEAM ROOM with eucalyptus! I think that is what actually sold me when I first visited. You can also get your fix of free coffee and tea, and they always have fresh fruit available, too.
All in all, I don’t think you can really go wrong here if you are looking for a complete gym that feels like a treat.

I’ve been a member at MINT downtown for about 6 months now and would definitely recommend it.
It’s very clean — on the gym floor was well as the locker rooms. You practically never have to wait to use any of the equipment even during peak hours. They have towel service and a steam room.
Their trainers are really top notch! I’d say the best of the best is Chris, followed by Anna and Jen. Their classes are also good although way more yoga than the average. They also offer reformer pilates and the instructor is fabulous.
I have not had any problem with the lockers — hopefully saying that now won’t jinx me.
Overall, a super gym especially if you work downtown.

The yoga classes are nice in the sense that the number of students per class is limited so it’s never as crowded as a lot of independent yoga studios where you constantly have to worry about hitting your neighbor while stretching. The facilities are also fantastic. After class you can take a shower or use the steam room; there are also hair dryers, body location, disposable rasers, towels, etc to use. They also let you rent mats free of charge.
I’ve also gotten an express facial (half hour) there. The aesthetician was attentive and nice. So nothing really to complain about with regard to the place as a whole. In the lobby you can also get free coffee and tea. Overall, the K and 16^th location is easily accessible for many professionals in the Golden Triangle, Dupont, and downtown area.