★ 5

Pleasant place, helpful staff, good equipment, constantly kept clean, and set in the very nice and well kept up Water Garden complex with easy parking.

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★ 3

It’s a great place to work out. I used to go every day at 3:00 pm. However, I decided to discontinue my membership because they close on Saturday and Sunday at 3:00 pm which I think is crazy because of the price of the membership. Better to go somewhere where they are open later on weekends.

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 5

A pleasure to train at the Bay Club Santa Monica.
Diana P. is the manager and has made it an exceptional place to train. She is a
knowledgeable trainer herself as well as a hands on administrator in the fitness business for many years.I have witnessed her immediate responsiveness to members and ability to competently address their needs.
The club itself provides a wonderful, clean, space with amenities.
I am glad to have found this gym after the closure of the Palisades Bay Club.
1/18/2025

Source: Google

★ 5

I'm a long time member from Howard Hughes, and am surprised to read some negative reviews about the cleanliness. This club is VERY clean; support staff are excellent. It is a smaller club than Howard Hughes was, & El Segundo, but classes are excellent, members have flexibility to either have a single membership, or be part of a group, which makes it quite affordable. You are not working out in overcrowded classes. It's a caring, spotlessly clean, place to work out and chill.

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★ 1

Wants to be boutique but just your typical club.

The facility itself feels dated. Machines are often out of service, mats are cracked and overdue for replacement, and much of the equipment is of the last generation, not updated.

Maintenance is inconsistent at best. The men’s restroom frequently has clogged toilets, the water fountains are often broken, and the showers quickly become unpleasant with leftover toiletries, bandages, and other debris. They don’t seem to be cleaned regularly during the day and often reach a level of gross.

The locker room is small, awkwardly laid out, and overcrowded during peak hours—picture men in towels squeezing past each other at uncomfortable angles just to get dressed.

Lastly, be cautious with your membership—there is no option to pause. If you then need to cancel (as I did during a short-term move from the area), expect to be charged for an extra two months unless the cancellation falls exactly on their specified dates. A big health club tactic and was very disappointing.

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★ 5

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★ 2

The Bay Club Santa Monica is supposed to be all fancy and upscale. They ask a high price for membership also. A staff member didn't show up for work and batteries were not in a device clients need.

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★ 5

Been coming here for years now and love it. Thank you to all the staff!

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★ 1

Don’t be surprised when they raise the fees right after you join

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★ 2

I ended my membership a few months ago because the weekend hours remained short despite several requests to extend them beyond 3pm. The front desk person A--x is unprofessional and seems very unhappy with his job. They really need to improve their customer service in a major way.

I liked the gym otherwise, and I did like the other front desk folks, and there are some good instructors.
I signed up with the new Equinox.

Source: Google

★ 1

Bay Club Santa Monica is hands down the most poorly managed and disappointing gym I’ve ever encountered. It’s crammed into a tiny space within an office building, offering an inadequate amount of cardio equipment and free weights. Worse, the air conditioning is virtually non-existent, leaving the weight room boiling hot. I’ve seen the thermostat reach nearly 80°F, with sweat puddles visible on the floors—something I have proof of.

The steam room, one of the gym’s key selling points, was out of order for months. After a lengthy wait, they finally installed a dry sauna, but even then, it lacked wood panels, exposing dangerously hot marble walls. This shows a blatant disregard for member safety.

Customer service is equally nonexistent. One of the front desk staff members in particular is ALWAYS rude and dismissive, and the overall management is unresponsive to member concerns while expressing constant attitude.

The gym’s cancellation policy is also absurd—despite giving notice before the next billing cycle, you’re forced to pay for an additional month, even if you’re no longer using the facility. The gym hours are awful as well since they are only open until 3PM on weekends.

Save yourself the frustration, money, and effort. Bay Club Santa Monica is a poorly run facility that doesn’t prioritize its members. Do yourself a favor and look quite literally elsewhere.

Source: Google

★ 5

I had the pleasure of coming into the Bay Club and the service was exceptional. Madeleine and Bryce were lovely and hospitable.

Source: Google

★ 2

I have been a member here for 12 years but time to say bye-bye. I understood their shorter weekend hours right after Covid but now they still close a major gym at " 3PM " on weekends and that is really bad. There are many people who can't get to the gym till the afternoon and they are the only gym in town that closes so early. If I had a dollar for every member who has told me they are pissed off about weekend closure at 3PM I could book a trip to Mexico. For me to leave a post here takes a lot but their being so bad with the hours has left a bad taste in my mouth. And for $194 a month they are not giving anything away. They have "multiple" locations throughout the state and this is the only one that shuts its doors on members at 3PM on weekends. Shameful. The worst thing is that the manager on premise said she would approach corporate about the topic but I know they didn't even try. 26 Clubs on 10 campuses and none close before 5PM ( some open till 9PM ) weekends except one in SF financial district which is closed all weekend. Shameful.

Source: Google

★ 1

I wonder who is writing the good reviews. And even those have 3 stars.
The absolute worst management, a tiny club, constant rate hikes, .......
The nightmare list just goes on and on.
The worst gym ever.

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★ 5

Great experience! Clean, Chic, and great management/trainers!

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★ 2

Used this gym last year up until late this year. One of the main reasons I joined was the steam room. Once it broke they said it would be fixed by thanksgiving / Christmas 2022, this didn’t end of up happening for 8+ months until I left. Every time I asked a staff member about it, I hardly got a response and mentions of el segundo, which to me is irrelevant. The membership fee then increased, without anything given from the team to improve the experience. The facilities are decent but the majority of the time, the gym was packed, even at 6am, and for the price they charge, it’s hardly a great experience. I understand there is local restrictions, but considering how amazing the el segundo branch is compared to SM, they should reduce the price. Overall, okay experience but would not recommend.

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★ 3

Needs a basketball court asap

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★ 5

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★ 1

Very unhealthy “health” Club!

No access to fresh air. If you go there, you’re going to be breathing in stale, stinky recycled, air, complete with Constant construction - dust included,- and even with the issue of Covid, the management would not let me open the door, even a crack!

It’s so ridiculous that people who call themselves health experts demand that people work out in recycled air. I get a sore throat every time I go there.

The management insisted that the recycled air was filtered. But everybody knows that’s just a joke. Inside air is toxic. They have so many doors they could easily just open a tiny bit to provide our health and safety, but they refuse. (God forbid we should let out some of the toxic inside air and let a bit of healthy fresh air in!)

The management can’t think for themselves, and they insisted that instead of just letting a little fresh air in, that I should work out in their outside area (which, in fact only consists of one or two stationary bicycles) - and if I want to take a free weight outside I can. But that’s insulting. Why would I spend $200 a month to come to a gym and stand outside with a free weight, when I have free weights at home?

All they have to do is crack open a door that has a readily accessible fresh air! But they “don’t want to let the air conditioning out”. Absolutely ridiculous.

They obviously don’t care about the safety of their clients. I don’t go to the health club to get sick. Thanks anyway. Very unhealthy “health” Club!
Addendum: And as a response to their reply below, how can you honestly promise me that your inside air is “filtered and safe”? That’s an impossible claim and completely ridiculous. All you have to do is open a window or two. Very simple!

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★ 5

Good

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 1

Gym is really clean and classes are good but the steam room has been down for months and they have been saying it will be fixed next month then next month. It’s a shame i had to drive all the way to el Segundo from Santa Monica to get in the steam room or the sauna because Santa Monica location doesn’t have any. This never happened at equinox

Source: Google

★ 5

Fun clean and gray place to work out

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★ 1

The steam room has been down for 7 months. Patiently inquired about it frequently and had only one polite conversation where I was told that it was going to be converted to a dry sauna. This I was told was being done as a favor to the members so they wouldn’t have to wait longer. The problem with Bay Club is that it’s always someone else’s fault. They closed palisades because they couldn’t work out a deal with the property owner. Same excuse for Howard Hughes. Same excuse for Thousand Oaks. They also closed the Woodland Hills location. Also closed Rolling Hills. So, the only location worth going to is in El Segundo. Wouldn’t be surprised if Redondo Location is closed next. Regardless, if you paid for a “Los Angeles” membership you realistically have access to 3 clubs, but only 2 have amenities. This used to be 8 clubs. After all this…. They raised prices… make it make sense….

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★ 3

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★ 5

Good

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★ 1

Steam room has been broken for 7 months and no update on when it will be fixed.

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★ 5

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★ 3

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★ 1

My beloved after workout steam room ritual has been interrupted since November of last year and there is still no end in sight that the steam room will be fixed any time soon. Would recommend choosing another gym

Source: Google

★ 3

I was a former member of Spectrum/ Bay Club Howard Hughes (Closed). When Bay Club took over that spot I think they improved it. The SM club isn't bad by any means. It's like a step up from the LA Fitness/ 24 hour fitness- maybe close to equal with those gym's highest service level- but way more expensive.

They offer complimentary coffee, have good towels which is nice. Limited and dated cardio equipment here.

As others will state, it's a weird layout but not necessarily a bad one. The equipment is pretty decent.

Parking is great and easy. It's relatively clean but the locker room is small and really stinks. Something I really found pleasant about Equinox is the top-notch cleanliness (including locker rooms, showers, etc- but of course you pay for that)

Honestly I feel the dues are about 25% overpriced at BayClub.

Source: Google

★ 1

I'm a member at the Bay Club and really enjoy it, but the Santa Monica club's steam room has been down for over a month. They said today that it will be down for a while longer (no ETA given), but they have no plans to give members, who pay for the gym AND its amenities, any kind of a discount. My fiancé and I joined the Bay Club because we were looking for a gym that offered amenities like a steam room and was beyond just a regular gym, so it's disappointing that this is the current situation. Yes, we can go to the other clubs, but we got the membership that allows us to use all of the clubs, and we expect and pay for them ALL to be fully operational.

On top of that, when I called to ask about the steam room this morning, the employee I spoke with cut me off while I was speaking/asking questions multiple times, which is just simply rude. Obviously they have a script they have been given regarding this, as I'm sure I'm not the only person who has called with the same questions/concerns.

Source: Google

★ 5

Great amenities and equipment without Equinox fuss /scene. Love the steam room and spacious lockers and showers. It’s also never too crowded

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★ 5

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★ 2

I'm glad the price is increasing, as well as the amount of broken equipment.

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★ 5

Love couple and funny multilingual pastors

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★ 3

I've been a member of this Bay Club location twice, and another time when it was called Spectrum. Also used to belong to Bay Club Palisades which closed unfortunately.

The renovation made the place look really nice but the vibe in the club never really comes together. The layout is very odd and the ambiance is kind of disjointed. The main issue I had and why I quit a few weeks ago is the not great air conditioning that works great in some spots (like in the locker room by the tv's where you don't need it blasting on you) but not working well by the treadmills arrayed along a west facing all glass wall. The management is very nice, especially Rebecca and Jarrod (but not Madelyn...avoid her), and also the Bay Club Dir of Ops Morrel Marean, but the mgmt just says the right thing to placate but never gets around to fixing the fundamental problems. The one thing they did do was moderate the volume of the music that is played over the PA. The main thing is it's not a comfortable place to work out but mgmt did nothing about it and I got tired of the b.s., so I quit. It's really too bad but inevitable actually since Palisades location closed. I loved that place and will not miss the Santa Monica location. The parking is great tho but not a reason to join.

Source: Google

★ 2

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★ 5

This is a fantastic gym that I’m sad to leave (just no longer locationally convenient for me). It’s always impeccably clean, all the equipment you could want, excellent amenities, and all the staff are friendly and courteous.

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★ 5

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★ 1

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★ 1

Overcrowded, over priced for what it is, and just does not care about their members. Was told I would have to cancel my membership when I didn't download their phone app. Was charged an extra month because I did not cancel in 30 days notice. Only reason for this is because they won't let you cancel in person. You are required to do this through their app. Seems like the best days are behind it.

Source: Google

★ 4

Nikki runs the desk and is probably the Greatest Human Being who ever walked the Planet Earth.
No kidding. Love this place. Been lurching around the dance classes for a couple of weeks and not one person has made fun of me yet.

PS Nikki is no longer there!

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 4

I have been a member of Bay Club Water Garden for many years. It’s a nice club. Great location and convenient parking (as of Jan. 1, 2019: 3 hours free). There is a lot of equipment and a robust schedule of classes. The staff is very nice and helpful. The members are friendly. I was told there will be some renovations this summer, including a health food cafe.

Source: Google

★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

I decided to try the three day trial before signing on. And I just have to say how nice it is working with Jennifer Hulme, Senior Membership Director...she’s beyond helpful and sweet. Isn’t pushy to get you to join, just makes it an easy process. Really can’t say enough about her!!

Source: Google

★ 1

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★ 5

I love the Bay Club. I am here for it. It's clean, always can get a machine but not DEAD and there's WIFI. The crowd vacillates between bros, cardio queens and baby boomers. The vibe is cool and friendly. The staff is helpful and can call you by name.

I love how engaged the gym is with local charities, fitness challenges, and national events like March Madness. Bay Club feels like a family gym owned by a corporation. This gym is perfect for any young professional escaping the crowded lines of Equinox and GREAT parking.

Source: Google

★ 5

Actually I hit five stars by mistake, but I believe., The Bay Club deserve 5-stars for the friendly emails that I have gotten from Jen, and a couple of visual voicemails! I will see you soon Bay Club Santa Monica, for my 3-day pass.

Source: Google

★ 5

Love this place. It's crazy convenient because I work within the Water Garden complex. Andrew, the membership director, is such a sweetie. I did a three day trial, fell in love, and signed up shortly after. The gym is always clean and well stocked. There is coffee every morning from 7-11am. The coffee they serve is local and it is the BEST coffee ever. There is a lot of equipment. Some of the machines have NETFLIX on them. Omg, This is a game changer! The classes are amazing. PowerSculpt and Cycling with Esmey are my favs! I would recommend 100 times over.

Source: Google

★ 3

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★ 5

Love this place! I like this gym because it's clean, has WiFi, the staff is friendly and Did I mention clean?

It doesn't smell like old gym. They've replaced or upgraded a lot of equipment in the year I have been here. I also love the small touches like the fitness challenges and the cool marketing they do.

Would definitely recommend to someone looking for Equinox alternative.

Source: Google

★ 4

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★ 4

I have been to this location a couple of times and it actually isnt that bad. Compared to Equinox Santa Monica, the weightlifting area is very similar (but $110 less a month). Locker room floor is a little outdated. Much better than the Palisades location. They could add a little more machines and free weights in the white hallway near the back and in the place where the dip machine and row machine is. SOOO many cardio machines and has a good stretching area. The water fountain has ice cold water.

Source: Google

★ 4

Good gym. Staff friendly, equipment clean and never really packed .

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★ 4

Small gym but well equipped and clean. Staff is nice and a good number of classes to choose from if desired. Usually no wait time on equipments.

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★ 5

I have been a member since February and I absolutely love it!! I recommend it to as many people as can afford it lol as it is a bit pricey for a gym but for all you get , the staff, the amenities & convenience to anything you can think of, plus the steam room makes it all worth it. There dance classes are excellent (especially Ashley & Keisha), their trainers are awesome & as someone else said it's never too crowded where you cant get a machine & It's never too empty where its deserted, even on the weekends. plus my biggest motivation is getting up early to avoid LA traffic. That's probably one of the only things keeping me on track! Anyway I never write yelps but this gym is worth it. I definitely was skeptical in the beginning but months later, weight goals on track & i'm not mad when the money leaves my account for this so I'm happy its proved me wrong .

Source: Google

★ 5

Friendly and attentive staff! Clean facilities with all the essential equipment you need. Large scale expansion forthcoming.

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★ 5

Been going to the Bay Club for about a year now, and in that time it's changed hands and seen lots of improvements. All new cardio equipment which records your workouts to the cloud so you can access it later, various new strength things are starting to roll in too. The gym is never so busy that you can't find something to do, but it's never so quiet that it feels deserted. Really enjoy the staff too, who are friendly and willing to help whenever they can.

Source: Google

★ 3

Clean facility, not too busy which is nice. They're missing a LOT of equipment, can't find any bicep curl machines and a few other things. They also play fox news on the TV's which is a BIG offensive no no...

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★ 1

The Bay Club keeps charging my credit card after I canceled my membership. I have called and talked to them at least 10 times the manager promised to call me back and deal with it. It's been more than a week, no call and more money charged to my account. Don't let them have access to your credit card or direct withdrawal.

Source: Google

★ 2

I recently had a terrible experience with Bay Club Santa Monica's management after a theft incident that occurred at their gym. It was so mishandled, I cancelled my membership.

The quick story is that my iPad (and nice headphones) were nabbed from the men's locker room while I had run down to the car to grab my change of clothes. I couldn't have been gone for more than 5 minutes.

I reported the incident immediately and the staff was very cooperative in helping me try to find it. After 3 days of it not showing up, we knew it was stolen, and so I reported the incident to management. This is where the mismanagement (or non management) of the issue happened.

Over the next 3 weeks, the Bay Club Santa Monica had THREE different managers, none of which made my issue a priority. In the end, I was simply told [in an abrupt manner] that it was not their responsibility and all they would be willing to do was comp me a month of dues.

So I cancelled my membership, after 3 years. I take full responsibility for leaving out my items, that is my bad, but the way in which their management team handled the entire issue was incredibly inept. There is no excuse for that and I can only imagine this would trickle over into other issues that you might run into that don't involve theft. You've been warned.

The only reason the Bay Club Santa Monica even gets a second star here is because of their wonderful spin instructors and generally friendly and helpful staff. But their management stinks.

Source: Google

★ 1

Small, condo style club. Over crowded. Showers dirty. Full of old people resting on equipment reading their books. No coherence with equipment - Dirty sticky gear, barely cleaned (the cleaning crew pretends to work and wipe stuff) Cleaning crew using gym equipment. But worth: Some staff are rude, especially the manager is a fluke and talks like a soap bottle. They lost my gift voucher, they never replaced or cleaned a worn out and sweat entrenched!! equipment (for hanging leg rises) requested multiple times by members. that is really disgusting and reason alone to avoid this club. I had stuff stolen from my locker (by member brought to court). I placed a written complaint to the spectrum headquarters about the poor club management. There was some movement and long CEO calls full of apologies, - in all, nothing changed.

Source: Google

★ 5

Source: Google

★ 1

The 5 Worst Things About Spectrum Santa Monica:

1. Slow repairs. Among the broken equipment: Water fountains, treadmills, bikes, lockers and the steam room, which took all summer to repair. They're not exactly in a hurry to get anything fixed.

2. The old men who use the locker room hair dryer on their pubic hair. Ugh.

3. The showers, which often smell like a science experiment, and are stocked with watered down soap and shampoo.

4. Some of the members think the equipment, including the bench press, is a resting area. "Ah, this looks like a nice place to read the newspaper."

5. When I finally gave up and quit on the first of the month, they told me that because of the 60 day cancellation policy meant I would be billed for three months. "But a month has about 30 days...?" Fuzzy math, I guess.

It's too much money for what it is: A dirty, poorly maintained gym that will try to squeeze every nickel out of you.

Avoid.

P.S. In fairness, I want to say that the Spectrum Howard Hughes, Palisades and El Segundo, all of which I've been to multiple times, were all much cleaner and less problematic than the Santa Monica location.

Source: Google