The Mount Auburn Club

I recently cancelled my membership, after they raised their rates. Is double to what I consider a comparable gym in the Arsenal complex, right across Arsenal street.
MAC is a nice enough gym… the pool is large and very clean and I enjoyed their yoga classes. They cater to an older clientele which is hard to come by in the Boston area… so perhaps they figure older adults will pay the extra fees to not feel out of place. Not sure but for me, I can’t see what MAC offers that justifies such high rates.

Good points:
Classes:
there are some great new machines and a good variety of classes. My fav classes are Melt, Yoga, Nia (dance) and Spin classes. All teachers are fantastic!
I like that they give you towels – when clubs charge for that it feels obnoxious. I like that it is a family gym and still think it is a great third place. Group training is good – did MACFIT in the Summer for 2 mos.
Lauren in membership is excellent – friendly, warm and efficient, and also a great yoga teacher.
Food: The café is great and Jen the nutritionist is great and gives classes and has input re: the café selections. Grilling in the Summer is great there and they have a new roof top garden for veggies! Julio left but the chef Jerry is great.
Nice events once in awhile with music and excellent food. Eric in the Café is amazing
Everyone who works in the Café is professional and friendly.
I think MAC needs to improve the following imho:
Noise and mindfulness:
Often during yoga classes on the third floor you can hear noise from the kitchen. This is not good during end of class when you are trying to relax especially. Why not just say to the kitchen please be more quiet during x hour? Over the past few years, NIA has been moved into a small room whose shape is really awkward for dancing. Lighting is great on the third floor but not in the second floor larger room. Fluorescent lights in a yoga studio? No thank you. Views from second and third floor studios are great.
Temperature regulation: there are chronic problems re: regulating temps in the studio rooms.
Re: the Spa– is great but needs a simple update in the upstairs waiting room – it is a separate biz from the gym. Gretta is amazing for facials. One of the spa managers is so cold I don’t know why she is in the hospitality business at all.
On rates going up recently:
The rates just went up, and it is already pricey – what is the demonstrated value? I would recommend the following: simple things like maintaining equipment, giving the locker room a fresh coat of paint (but not taking a long time to do it) would be nice. New carpet is needed in the lobby, just freshen things up without taking ages to do it, like with the construction this past year. Not sure what they were thinking with the toilet stall design. Think simple, clean, and colorful. Why not just paint the locker room an nice yellow and keep everything else plain? The lockers always stick which is mildly annoying, but not worth changing enough to go through more renovation.
Still like MAC overall, but they need to pay attention to these details, especially the temperature issue.

I went here using a guest pass I acquired by going to the facility and asking about membership. I moved here from out-​of-​state and am searching for a pool to use regularly.
The locker room is one of the nicest I think I have ever used. They have vanities with special lighting and cotton balls, q-​tips, tissues, lotion, a hair dryer, hair spray, and deodorant spray (yeah, did not use that as I had my own post-​shower.) The showers are quite nice with toiletries. A few of them have swimmer’s shampoo if you feel that is more useful than regular shampoo. Honestly, the only toiletry items I think they don’t have are toothbrushes and toothpaste. It also contains a sauna and steam room. The lockers have keys and a wristband for you to carry so no padlock is necessary. They have a wall of towels when you check in and that is included in the membership. They looked like standard gym towels, but I brought my own so I cannot comment on them.
I used a treadmill first, and they have them located in different spaces. It wasn’t crowded around noon so I picked one with its own TV right outside the locker room. Standard treadmill with ipod hookup, headphone jack and I think it had Nike+ compatibility. I saw their selection of dumb bells, kettle bells, and weight machines (both free and tethered). It is not huge, but they are not catering to the «bro space» crowd I avoided at my university gym. You could get the job done, and they have extra equipment in the exercise rooms that is free to use when the room is open. One of the rooms has the hanging straps like functional fitness playgrounds.
The pool is 25 yards and 4 lanes, but only three are dedicated to lap swimming. The lanes are quite wide with a line down each side rather than the middle. Kickboards are on deck, but I did not see pull buoys (I bring my own). A running clock is located on the far side for timing. They have noodles, belts, and the dumb bell things for water walking and water aerobics. I love the smell of chlorine after swimming, but you will not get it in their pool. They use something special so it has a really low chlorine content and no salt. The kicker is that the water temp is 83, which is close to diving well temperature. There is a nice-​sized whirlpool, but I was already so warm after my swim workout that I did not try it out.
Overall, it is a really nice facility. They have a beautiful yoga studio on the top floor with floor-​to-​ceiling windows. Lots of tennis courts. A smoothie bar/​café outside the check-​in and a spa open to members and non-​members. Their exercise classes are included in the membership fee. For Boston, I feel like they have a HUGE parking lot, and I had no trouble finding a spot around lunch time. Based on the non-​slip flooring and padding EVERYWHERE and the clientele I saw the two times I visited, it does seem to be a more mature crowd, which is noted by other reviewers. (An employee even commented to me about how the clientele prefers a warmer pool temperature. Read: old people) Old ladies tend to be au naturale in every locker room I’ve ever used, but it beats catty young women who come to the gym in full make-​up and poke fun at other patrons.
The membership fee is pretty steep: 3x the price of a Y. I haven’t received any pushiness with regards to getting a membership, and they were really accomodating with guest passes to try the club out.

This is probably more of a 4 ½ for me. After foot surgery and needing a pool to get in some cardio, I decided to give Mount Auburn Club another go. I had a free month pass that came in a new homeowners kit, so I had nothing to lose. They’ve done a locker room renovation since I was there last.
What I like:
–No pressure to join
–Older members, no weightlifting grunters
–Lots of nice ammenities: pool whirlpool, steam, sauna, wifi
–So far hasn’t been crowded
–Easy parking
–Lots of toiletries so you just need your workout clothes and a few items and not have to carry around a lot of stuff
What’s a little tough:
–The price, but I guess that’s how you pay for the ammenities and probably why it isn’t crowded. If I use it enough, it’s worth it.
–Lots of naked ladies walking around the locker room and some naked ladies sprawling out naked in the steam room. I’m just glad the whirlpool isn’t in the locker room or they would be naked there as well. I guess I’m just a little more on the modest side.
–Most classes are during the day when I work and evening water exercise classes start at 7. I get out of work at 4:30 and don’t want to hang around until 6 for a class to start.

First, swimming and weight-​lifting are my exercises of choice, been doing both for the past 36 years or more. The M.A.C. is perfect for me. I used to go to the Harvard pool as an alumna, but they cut out their convenient parking space and their hours are restrictive. Mt Auburn has super-​convenient parking lots immediately adjacent to the gym and pool, so you don’t have to make the walk from parking lot to facility part of your workout. The pool is beautiful, sparkling clean, many-​laned, water temp is very comfortable — not too warm — and what they use to keep the water germ-​free isn’t chlorine, it doesn’t have that horrible chlorine smell. (Whirlpool is great but it DOES smell like chlorine, though not overpoweringly.) The locker rooms and showers are great, very clean. Towels are clean, fluffy, and many. The staff are great — that includes the locker-​room cleaners, lovely women. One thing that bugs the hell out of me is that some clients just throw their towels on the floor for «the maid» to pick up. The club COULD put up a polite sign like: PLEASE CONSIDER OUR CLEANING STAFF AND THROW YOUR TOWELS IN THE BINS PROVIDED.
ALSO: there’s no one to tell swimmers who don’t understand lane rules that FAST lane means just that — not snail-​pace breast-​stroking or gentle, infuriating-​to-​lap-​swimmers-​tiptoeing-​through-​the-​water. This leaves clients to police other clients. I try to be as nice as I can be, but if you wind up with someone obtuse and flat-​out rude, things can get nasty. (A reason for 4 stars instead of 3. There could be a staff member at the pool periodically to check on this business. Permissiveness may be the way for some parents but it doesn’t fit with a high-​end gym.)
The weights are a good mix of machines and free-​weights. There are other gyms with more machine selection, but then they don’t have pools. MAC has a good mix of press machines, pec-​dec machines, rowing machines, overhead pulls, and also free weights. It’s a terrific all-​around gym for my own needs, I don’t like treadmills, but when I have used them at the MAC I have preferred the ones that don’t have the TVs in front of you. For those who like treadmills there are plenty, there are also exercise bikes. Trainers: I’ve had one trainer. He was great. But price is too steep at $ 90 an hour.
Tennis looks superb. Not my game, never has been, but I like to watch folks playing, and the instructors look excellent.
As far as the age-​bracket goes, yes: this IS a gym that caters to older people. Since I’m one of them, I like that fact. But I can also understand how I might feel if I were once again young and didn’t feel as well-​attended-​to. This is NOT a gym for kids. I like that fact. I was once a kid, we all were, but I wouldn’t like it if there were kids in the pool. Or in the weight room where they shouldn’t be anyway.

This s a review for MAC tennis club.
I visited this club for one session. great customer service.
Matt, Dan and the coach I worked with, Chris were all so helpful.
Unfortunately I couldn’t continue going there because I figured out the commute and traffic is a real burden with us living in the south shore now.

The Mount Auburn Club has top-​notch staff. The swimming pool is the best I’ve seen in Boston. And the clientele is very congenial.

Disgusted with owner. Don’t work for him

I have been a member for several years. I love the pool but it you are thinking of joining right now I would wait. There are ongoing repairs in the ladies locker room which means that without any warning half the locker room is closed. That means no sauna is available, handicap shower and bathroom are unavailable. In the last few months I think I was unable to use to sauna and the private shower area at least half the time I was there. If you come at night then perhaps things are better. But if you are a morning swimmer forget it.

«I joined the Mount Auburn Club to swim. I have been a member for 10 years and have left the club due to the pool being very busy. Circle swimming with 3,4,5 people in a lane is no fun! Also many of the lanes are taken up with water aerobics classes.»

I have been incredibly happy at the Mount Auburn Club. MAC pretty much covers all my needs. Mostly I work with the trainers at MAC and use the cardio equipment. All the trainers I have worked with have been incredibly knowledgeable, helpful, effective, and conscientious of any particular needs (plantar fasciitis flare up, mild back pain, slightly upset stomach, etc.). I have also found them to be excellent resources for fitness-​related information: diet, things to look for in a new pair of shoes, when to ice or apply heat, etc. The trainers are also approachable and kind – even trainers I have never worked with before are happy and willing to help whenever I have a question.
In terms of cardio equipment, there are plenty of ellipticals and I don’t think I have ever seen anyone have to wait to get on a machine. There are a number of stationary bikes (again, never had to wait) and spinners (plus many spinners exclusively for spinning classes). A large portion of the cardio equipment comes with a personal TV and remote, and another portion faces a bank of TVs set to a handful of pre-​set channels. The equipment is always clean and in good shape.
In terms of other features that I use, the men’s room comes equipped with a steam room and sauna. There is also a whirlpool down by the swimming pool. The sauna and whirlpool in particular have been incredibly useful to me. Also, on a side note, the men’s bathrooms are always stocked with pleasant-​smelling soap, mouthwash, kleenex, and q-​tips.
MAC also has a small café. I don’t often eat there, but they make excellent smoothies (with protein shots available).
Pretty much the only thing I could ask for is a little more space to stretch. There IS a dedicated stretching area, but it’s often crowded. Nevertheless, this is rarely an issue for me: much more often than not I have no trouble stretching in the weight/​cardio room.
Some other reviewers have mentioned that MAC has an older crowed. This is true, but it doesn’t bother me in the least. I guess it comes down to your preferences and whether or not you want to work out with people closer to your own age.

MAC is the bastion of the mature set. 55 – 60 is likely the median age band. Clients come to workout in spacious and well equipped club. Don’t come here for the eye candy that’s not what this place is about. Excellent pool and 2 floors of yoga, spinning, and Pilates rooms. There’s a full spa too to massage out the kinks which the workout misses. Game, set, and match! Indoor courts galore for tennis types. Owners would do well to brighten the club up, update the locker rooms (at least the men’s) and the tennis star pics from Borgs and Nastase to Andre, Sampris, Feder, and Djokovic.

The clientele of this club are mostly people over 60. It is NOT a modern club. I dislike old fashion cramped locker room (btw not very clean) and old naked ladies lying down in the small steam room. The towels are very old. The toilets do not have any ventilation… None. Do not recommend.

As a distance runner, I spend most of my time in the Cardio Room. It’s never crowded and I never have to worry about a machine breaking down on me while in use which I can’t say for my former gym around the corner. The nine or so big-​screen TVs always provide a nice distraction from the monotony of a 10– or 12-​mile treadmill run. (Yes, I’m one of those crazy runners who’ll actually withstand 60+ minutes on a treadmill.)
The staff is always professional and welcoming. All the equipment is well maintained and clean. Although I’ve taken only yoga, all the class offerings are abundant and mostly convenient. All but one of the six yoga instructors I’ve experienced have been very good. (I don’t think I’m alone in saying I miss Cat.)
The crowd skews a little older which I appreciate. Having belonged to other gyms in town with generally younger clientele, I prefer MAC’s maturity. Everyone there seems committed primarily to getting and/​or staying healthy. I’ve never felt like I’ve been on display in a meat market. Consequently, I feel less self-​conscious and more motivated to work out in my own fashion and push myself however much I want.
The café is excellent. I’d like it to close a little later (9pm, maybe), but I’ve liked just about everything I’ve had there (not so sure about the MAC-​6 juice) and using Club Cash is a great convenience.
The toiletries in the bathroom (shampoo, conditioner, moisturizer, etc.) are better than what I buy for myself at home. Sometimes I wonder why I even bother to shower at home and then I remember MAC’s gang showers in the men’s locker room. I’ll revise this write-​up with a fifth star once the men’s showers are modernized with stalls.
I am increasingly impressed with each visit. MAC is not inexpensive, but very much worth the cost.

I had never been a member of a health club before. Work life didn’t give me the time nor were there any clubs near my former place of residence. I did my workouts at home, aided and abetted by my Nordic Track and free weights.
Now I am retired and friends convinced me to check out the Club at their Oct. Open House. I am so glad I did! There is an abundance of classes to choose from and all kinds of equipment to use. Staff is very helpful and it is especially nice as a new member to be given intro sessions to various offerings, including an initial fitness assessment.
I chose to have an individual half-​session with personal trainer Jason Deranian at extra cost but it was worth it. Jason knows his stuff, is warm, and very supportive. The little café offering healthy and tasty breakfasts, lunches, and snacks is a big plus, too. The women’s locker room is attractive and has great make-​up stations to get ready to meet the work day world for those in need.
A big plus is that everyone there, staff and members, are friendly and warm. I concur with Jennifer G.‘s comments in her review that MAC is a great «third place» to connect with others. I am glad it is now part of my life.

I’m not a member of mt. auburn but i do frequent here as i’m taking endurance swim lessons from bill steele.
first off, bill is a great coach who is associated with the club. if you need swim lessons from the everyday swimmer to iron distance triathletes he’s a good guy.
the pool is very clean, it’s a bit in the small side, but every clean. the gym itself is larger than meets the eye. has multiple rooms and sections for different goals.
i do love how the lockers have locks in them and they provide little things like q-​tips, mouthwash, hand and face lotion and most importantly swimmers shampoo!
the only downside to this place is the lack of towels in the locker room. this is done to deter people from wasting, but honestly. if i need an extra towel i don’t want to walk out of the locker room to the front desk to get another one. pain in the rear… that is the reason for 3 stars.

Went to the Spa to have an eyebrow/​wax consultation and a back facial. Gretta performed both — and was pleasant, soft spoken, and incredibly attentive.
I needed a consultation on my brows due to a slightly botched waxing from the week earlier. Gretta was super helpful with advice and guidance (I basically have to be patient and wait for them to grow back!!) and only did minor tweezing. She told the reception/​checkout desk that it would be no charge (so nice!) and to stop by anytime if I wanted her to check on my progress.
The back facial was great — and she even did some hot stone work (new to me). She continued to check in with me throughout the facial to make sure I was comfortable on the table, with the amount of heat, etc.
I initially had purchased a Groupon for the spa, but was unable to book an appointment before the expiration date. They honored the face value of the Groupon and deducted it from the services. I think that was fabulous of them to do. With so many of the Groupons, you snooze, you lose.
I will definitely be back for more spa services!

My husband has been a constant member of the club since 2000, playing tennis every single Wednesday and participating in the seasonal leagues. He has made some tennis friends there, and he’s generally been happy with the experience overall.
I, however, have a love/​hate relationship with the MAC. I’ve been an on-​and-​off member because I have never really felt like they truly care for their younger clientele. The club itself has a serene vibe to it, but lackadaisical attention to detail have left it feeling dated. Like many other reviewers, it seems that the price of membership doesn’t quite match the facilities.
Classes are plentiful, though I’d like to see some more evening classes. They have a great «Active Living Program» aimed at retirees and older members, and the staff there seem to work well with clients. I have not heard from my personal trainer, though, so I show up every now and then and work out, never really feeling as though I’m taking advantage of my membership. The past two years I received a «Smart Start» type program that never came to fruition because I never could nail down someone who could tell me what to do. The customer service could definitely be better.
In short, the club has a lot to offer in terms of classes, and it provides a nice, quiet atmosphere. The machines are spread out so it doesn’t feel like a crowded gym, and overall the gym is kept clean and quiet. However, it tends to overlook some of the details that would make the experience of being a member more of a «whole» experience.

I love this place and despite my portly physique have been a member for about 8 years now.
It is always clean, the staff is responsive, and the equipment works and when it doesn’t there are enough other options.
I cannot speak to the classes and such as workout time is me time. Another bonus is that the weight room is generally free and you rarely have to wait for a piece of equipment.
The pool is nice and clean and yes, though there is water aerobics, I have no issue with the ladies (and occasionally gentlement) getting their splash on while I do my laps.
Sure, the clientele is older, but frankly, I am happy to not see any orange meatheads or cardio bunnies.
Yep, I am a fat chick who likes to work out, I like to be in a place where I am comfortable enough to sweat like a pig, look so red I am about to explode, and do not fear for my health from the filth :)

Mt Auburn Health Club and Spa looks like it was snazzy in the 80’s but hasn’t been updated since; it’s the kind of place that 70-​year olds meet for swim class and then lunch. (Not that I have anything against 70-​year-​olds, water, or spritzy little overpriced salads — smile -).
On the other hand, the massage I received was top-​notch!
I went in feeling exhausted with a bad sinus headache, and left feeling rejuvenated with my head feeling cleared!
MY massage therapist, Amy Cardillo was attentive, asked me about particular areas I wanted massaged, went over potential medical issues, (including whether I was allergic to nuts, since the massage lotion is made from almond oil), was strong and gentle (a rare combination), and really sweet.
She focused on exactly the areas I wanted massaged, and I felt great.
I also fell asleep twice: always a good sign. :)
The spa is actually kind of hard to find since it’s in a (dome-​shaped building that looks kind of like a would-​be circus tent).
But, the spa was pleasant and the massage room was quiet (which I loved). Music was piped in before and after the massage.
I was able to be scheduled the same day, which was amazing, and it was a decent price ($ 85).
Ask for Amy: she’s 5 stars!