how is this place beneficial to Wellesley? swimming access still covid policies, no drop ins. did…read moresomeone get paid off to give so much away??

We have had a fantastic experience here! The facility is great--the pool and locker rooms are…read morealways clean and well maintained. One of the biggest pluses is the water temperature; it's perfectly warm, which makes a huge difference for kids getting into the water. Most importantly, the instructors are incredibly kind and patient. They truly know how to work with children and build their confidence. Highly recommend!

MAKE THIS BETTER! WHY 4.2?! My swimming skills have gone up so much since starting here! As a…read morestudent, the instructors have been incredibly patient, helpful, and high-energy. The facilities are always immaculate, and the lessons run with perfect precision. I wish a 6-star rating was an option because 5 stars doesn't do justice to how much my confidence in the water has grown. An absolute masterclass in swim instruction--highly, highly recommend!

My 18 month son broke his collarbone and the team didn't explain to me my options to cancel his…read moremembership and stop being charged, but instead they offered me makeup tokens that I could use for July. I know from previous experience that you have to be enrolled (aka paying) in order to use the makeup tokens so I was confused by the sudden shift, but decided to trust them. Now, my son's collarbone is healed and is ready to start swim lessons again, but now I'm being told I have to pay for a full month, instead of using the make up tokens. This plus the fact that the swim instructor (a young gentleman) told me to give my son (1 year old at the time) to him because he had to learn some independence and that it didn't matter if he screamed and cried, it'd be good for him. I was ready to cancel my membership then, but my husband talked me down.

Even if you changed your mind. Not one person looked at the size of the swim trunk that your…read morefacility previously provided. No manger was there to help. It was an automatic do not allow. Totally unfair and poor practice. Again disappointing.

Our family recommends goldfish in Burlington for so many reasons, from the well educated staff to…read morethe super clean and WARM pool. My son has been taking lessons for almost two years now and he has grown into such a confident swimmer during this time. With the help of his instructor Ada he has learned many life saving skills for when he is in the water! Some other pros of Goldfish that we love are- Changing huts - for before and after lessons so no leaving in wet swim clothes. Showers, a bathing suit spinner(the best amenity by far), and a hair drying station for the days it's cold out! The pool deck is also heated to the perfect temperature, so even when it's cold outside you are warm for your lesson! And last but not least, smaller class ratios! The classes are perfect sized, which is great!

Goldfish has been a constant in our family's weekly activities for 6+ years at this point. We have…read moreloved how our girls have progressed and seeing how proud they are with their swimming.

This review is based on the birthday party package which I booked to celebrate my kiddo's birthday…read more I must say that everything regarding information for booking was pretty straightforward (24 children guests for two hours ) and you can pay for an additional hour or additional children. I was allotted 15 minutes prior to my party to set up although I don't feel like 15 minutes is enough. The staff there did help with setting up the staff they were all pretty friendly and helpful children who were 6 and under needed to be accompanied with a parent in the pool. my kiddo and friends all had a blast.

Haven't take classes here, but was invited with my little squid as guests to an aquatic birthday…read moreparty, and it was a hit! Atmosphere is in stark contrast to the dull gray industrial exterior - you'll step in to a tropical cabana den with colorful murals adorning every wall. Sign in at the front desk, then make your way to one of maybe 15 private dressing rooms (two are accessible) before heading over to the single pool. For classes, there's a clever setup where the pool and showers are separated from the lobby by a full-length "glass" wall, so parents can watch their kids' tutelage without getting too hockey dad about the whole situation. For birthday parties, it's simply free swim with some balls and platforms to make for a sweet respite from winter's chill. Props for the props, but if you have a ledge jumper, be advised: kids can only jump in to the pool from the top step on one of two entry staircases. No big - my son made full use of that rule. Bonus for lots of natural light streaming in to the swimming area, and an entire blow dry bar once you're rinsed and changed. Goldfish is a very festive spot, and I'm definitely curious about their instruction based on this impressive intro to the brand.

We joined the infant class hoping to get our 6 month old used to the water early and to start her…read morewater safety journey nice and young. My boyfriend and I both work full time so we signed up for Sunday morning classes. They are FULL. There is no way to move around with your child without bumping into someone, there is zero chance the instructors can check on every child/parent, and it is insanely uncomfortable. Each class is exactly the same, there are people who sign up so they can "free swim" with their kids because the lack of structure allows for this type of behavior, and there is no learning curriculum for which my daughter has benefited from over the past 4 months. Absolutely nothing. The kids range in ages in this area and there are fathers allowing their older sons to jump into the pool, soaking those of us with small babies with no consideration of the safety of others. I did not want to make an issue of the young swim instructors hardly paying a cent of attention (it's a beginners class, there's not a ton going on) but not asking these parents to stop this behavior week after week is dangerous and the majority of the reason we won't be returning. We also never had consistent, reliable instructors so there was no opportunity for anyone to get to know our child or us in order to make it a more personal experience. We felt like cattle being rushed in and rushed out and just another body in the pool. It was not a warm and fuzzy experience for us and we are pretty disappointed. After the last class where a child jumped into the pool right next to my 8 month old and the instructors were too busy chatting with each other to notice, we chose to stop our membership immediately. Without giving notice as per the contract, we lost a month of tuition for Goldfish to keep, along with the tokens we had from our baby having chronic ear infections and being unable to attend (as which happens with infants). That in itself was telling that the fee is worth more to them than providing the best experience. While I believe Bill is very nice, I don't agree with the business model and packing people into a pool. Power Aquatics gives space to their members and their instructors are consistent. The children start learning water safety immediately and the program is much more personal.

Not safe for your child or your family. Not sanitary. Unacceptable administrative staff behavior…read more Stay away at all costs

When my son first joined Goldfish Needham, he spent two years stuck at the same level until I…read morerequested an assessment from management. Several friends of mine had similar experiences. We eventually left for another swim school. This summer, we decided to give Goldfish another try since it's close by and his current school is undergoing renovations. Unfortunately, we didn't see any improvements. I enrolled him in group lessons, but I noticed little progress and a lack of attention from the instructors. His final lesson this summer was supposed to be two private sessions scheduled back-to-back. Instead, each session started with about 10 minutes wasted as the instructors tried to figure out which lane he should be in, what level he belonged to, and who his private instructor was--even though all of that information was clearly available in my app. I had to step onto the pool deck to help resolve the confusion, and at one point an instructor even argued with me about my son's level because her clipboard didn't match what was in the app. Eventually, another staff member confirmed that I was correct. As a result, I paid $200, but my son only received about 40 minutes of actual instruction out of the 60 I paid for. That was the final straw. I voiced my concerns at the front desk in front of what appeared to be both the location manager and the pool deck supervisor, but neither acknowledged me or attempted to engage. I'm not sure if they truly didn't hear me, but given the small space, it felt dismissive. No one offered to make up for the lost lesson time caused by their disorganization. The whole experience felt like a rip-off and an example of very poor business practices. I had hoped that paying a premium for private lessons would lead to a better experience, but it was actually worse than the group classes. Last year, my son had a great private instructor who was highly experienced, so clearly the quality depends entirely on who you get. In my opinion, only experienced instructors should be assigned to private lessons, especially since the cost is more than double the group rate. Bottom line: If your goal is simply for your child to be comfortable in the water and play around, Goldfish might be fine. But if you care about steady progression, I would not recommend it. They do a poor job of tracking swimmer progress, largely because instructors rotate so frequently. And based on conversations with friends at other locations, this isn't just a Needham issue--it's a franchise-wide problem. One friend told me his daughter learned more in two weeks of summer camp than in two years at Goldfish. From my perspective, their strategy seems clear: keep students at the same level as long as possible to maximize revenue, rather than focusing on progress.

On July 19 at 12:30 PM, my 3.8-year-old son had his very first trial swim lesson at Goldfish…read moreMarlborough. It was our first experience with swimming, and we were very open about this with the staff before the class. My son was so excited and happy during the entire 30-minute lesson. He enjoyed every moment in the water, and as parents, it made us so happy to see him have such a joyful experience. After the class, we went to the front desk to sign up for a membership. But instead of welcoming us, the staff started asking if we received a card or certificate. We said no. After waiting for a while, the staff member came back and said they were offering a second trial lesson -- without any explanation. When we asked why, we were told something vague about "rules" and that our son was "not sitting properly" and "playing with a toy giraffe." This was deeply disappointing. He is only 3 years old. It was his first time in the water. He does not speak English as a first language. What kind of behavior are you expecting from a small child on his very first swimming experience? We were not asking for free lessons or discounts. We were ready to pay for his membership. Instead, we felt judged and unwelcome. Even worse, some of the lifeguards were rude and unfriendly. We decided to cancel the second trial and will not return. I don't recommend this school to any families who expect kindness, patience, and proper communication -- especially with young children or non-native English speakers. Swim schools should support and guide children gently, not criticize them for being new.

Update: My daughter…read morehas progressed so much in swimming, thanks to Goldfish, specifically Mr. Fernando. I am pleased.

The good: the coaches The bad: not following up with skill…read moreevaluations, not having make up class compensation as a lot of classes get closed due to bad weather.. The infrastructure to not be able to have a good dry after a swim. Especially for small kids who are vulnerable to cold and cough if not had a good dry . The make shift tents make you feel like they are doing charity . But you are paying 150 for 4 classes wow. Thanks but no thanks. Switching to lifetime for a more personalized and warmer swim lessons. Lifetime charges 110 per month if we already have a family membership . It was a no brainer already!

The school was great until new ownership took over. Was a loyal customer until they made empty…read morepromises to the swim team kids to keep their team around through summer. They even sold off equipment the kids fundraised and pocketed the money saying they are going to keep the pool. Pool has been given to another team already all lies. I'm not even sure the same instructors that were good still work for them. From what I know a bunch left.