My office is down the block from the Embarcadero YMCA, so I go there after work a couple days per week. It is so much better than the Berkeley and Oakland locations for a number of reasons: 1) The locker room is cleaner and smells way less gross. 2) The sauna and steam room always seem to be in working condition. (Note: they close for cleaning between 2 and 3 p.m. every day.) 3) The ellipticals and treadmills are right by the windows. You can see the Bay Bridge, and it almost feels like you are exercising outside. 4) I don't have to bring my own towel, which is a major inconvenience when I go to any YMCA in the east bay. The only cons that I am aware of are: 1) This location is closed on Sundays. This is not a big deal for me because I'm only in the neighborhood on a Sunday once in a blue moon. 2) The showers need some deep cleaning and could also use new shower heads. 3) Membership at the YMCA is more expensive than it should be, and if this one were my home gym, my monthly rate would be higher. I'm glad the nationwide membership plan gives me the flexibility of using multiple YMCA locations. I would be ecstatic if every time I walked into a YMCA, it resembled the Embarcadero location. read more

This is one of my favorite places to workout at . They have a lot of different workout machines. This gym is reasonably priced too. I intend to work out here every Saturday morning for 2 hours. I give them 5 stars read more

Embarcadero YMCA - Exercise room - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

Wow! Who knew a YMCA could be so nice? We were lucky to experience this location because our nearby hotel offered day-use passes as part of their amenities. We simply had to walk a couple doors down, present the passes to the front desk, sign in, grab towels, and head upstairs to the workout areas. I went straight to the elliptical machines which had fabulous views of the Bay Bridge. There are also many treadmills, weight machines, and pretty much everything you would expect from a well-equipped gym! My husband was impressed with the basketball court and had a great workout when some younger guys asked him to play. We didn't even get around to checking out their pool or locker facilities but would if we had more time. read more

Embarcadero YMCA - A workout with a view - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Cheers to the lifeguards in ensuring safety and working so hard. Lifeguard making sure everything is fine, amiable and checking in that everyone is ok. Much gratitude to Charles and the whole team for the stellar friendly service and support. read more

Leg day with a view... This YMCA is incredible! The location is doing a lot of heavy lifting, but the amenities are all there. This Y is located directly across the street from the lovely, and heavily trafficked Pier 39. You can run on the treadmill, and watch the fog dissipate over the bridge and people watch as thousands of tourist make their way in and around the area. The equipment is well placed, the layout just makes sense. It's 3 floors in total, but you won't find yourself running around looking for a place to do core and yoga next to loud free weights, or dead lifters. I stayed for 2 hours and 30 mins, and anytime I was ready to transition to another area there was ample space and machines to use. ' The pool is very large, at the time there was a class doing laps with a life guard on duty. The sauna is also on that level, you can reach it through the lockers on each side. I didn't go in on this trip but it was also very large inside, and very clean. The entire gym was very clean, with all the equipment placed where it should be. The customer service at first was awful, when I walked in and told the rep at the desk it was my first time...he robotically said 1st floor this, 2nd floor that, and blahahahaahaha is all I heard. He never even looked up. So I went in a little bummed, but once I reached the second floor, I came across several more staff members who were very informative and actually seemed like they were there to help and answer questions. Pro tip: They have digital lockers! You don't need to bring a lock, just set a four digit code and the space is all yours. read more

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Great place for a workout while vacationing in S.F. & staying at a boutique hotel nearby.

A great location. It's huge! The pool was massive and very busy. The locker rooms were nice. I particularly liked the steam room and sauna which were both in the locker room. The workout equipment was also nice and taken care of by staff. I was visiting for the weekend and got a guest pass from our hotel. If I lived here, I'd get a membership and use it regularly. read more

Can't say enough good things about the facility and staff! I've been a member for a number of years and as an active senior, I find it to be a integral and important part of my overall fitness and well being. The machines are well-used and it shows, but they are still functional (why waste $$ on appearances if the stuff still works?) Some days/times are busier than others but I've never NOT been able to complete a workout in a reasonable amount of time. Can't think of any other gym or spa that has the same or similar facilities, the Y has it all! read more

Says it is open on Google Maps, Apple Maps and on yelp right now yeah I walked over an hour in the rain to find the door chained up. Typical YMCA experience. Edit: I saw your response. How about updating the hours *before* you close the facility? This has happened like a dozen times and I've only been a member a couple months. read more

The amenities are great. there is a lot of space and it never feels crowded. Really appreciate the clean premises and the variety of equipment. The dressing rooms, sauna and steam room are kept very clean by the hard working staff, much appreciated. The front desk experience can be a bit of a hit and miss. Friendly staff for the most part, except one bad apple. He is very unpleasant and you might wanna retrain him further in the art of customer service. Other than that, good place to work out. read more

? Wowzer! This gym is INCREDIBLY FABULOUS for disabled folks! I just joined. They have a special program by and for disabled folks that has been making a real difference. The gym circuit equipment is wheelchair-friendly. They even have special arm-strengthening machines and sit-down shower stalls. (TWO of each, even!) And more. Everyone I've interacted with there in person has been particularly friendly and helpful and professional. I was able to enjoy the pool and steam room and there's a sauna too. I hear they'll be opening up again on weekends soon? The only problem so far is with me getting there! Look forward to trying out the other SF gyms, which membership also covers. (Doesn't cover East Bay ones though, as I recall.) read more

Poor customer service. I went to get a membership, and the lady at the front desk was not only unfriendly and unhelpful but also extremely rude. My friend and I were shocked by the way she spoke to us. It's a shame that such a great neighborhood YMCA has an employee like her. If I didn't live in the area and if it weren't so convenient for me, I would never go to that gym because I don't want to see her every day. read more

Today, I informed one skinny, tall African American receptionist upon entering the premise that I knew exactly what time they closed on Sundays. Then not only did he insisted to tell me AGAIN, what time you guys closed. He added, "be sure you know to get out!" and raised his eye brows. Then I went upstairs again to be approached by a wavy, blonde hair staff about the same thing that you guys need to close on time. He said, "you guys have 10 min!" Some guests responded to him. I was busy working out and did not respond. He had to come closer to me and seek an acknowledgment by verbally repeating the same. I am an adult and I know exactly what time you close, what do when you close and inform you already I know before entering. Therefore, I don't appreciate the above experience. If anyone is using the gym 1 sec after your cut off time, be my guest and escort them out ASAP but I cannot enjoy my little time left using your facility when you kept reminding me that you want me OUT! No one is staying there over and I hope you enjoy the one second you gain from keep telling people what time you close. For the records, I did everything I needed to do and got out 3 min before you close at 5:45 pm. I really think you should post a sign that says any guest staying behind closing time at the Y will be subject to brutal and usual punishment. See if anyone stays after? Verbal assault is synonymous to physical in my book except you leave no physical marks. read more

Embarcadero YMCA - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Great location! The employees are extremely welcoming, greeting me whenever I walk in. I only used their swimming pool so far. Pros: the lifeguard is really nice. Cons: crowded at peak hours, and the hair dryers are weak. read more

Very nice gym.Pools are clean and not over crowded. During cardio,weights training awesome views of waterfront San Francisco could be enjoyed. Superb basketball court,likewise not crowded. The only downside is,closed on weekends and limited hours during the week however membership allows access to other locations when Embercadero is not available! Overall very good experience for the fraction of what a similar private gym would cost. Definitely recommended! read more

This one star relates only to their current security situation. There has been a rash of locker thefts recently. Don't bring anything you're not willing to lose. read more

I enjoyed being a member of YMCA Embarcadero for years. Great pool and amenities, well maintained. Unfortunately, the hours of operation changed post 2020 and the gym is closed during the weekend. I used to come on the weekend and swim and workout. Not sure why it's still closed on the weekends, but that doesn't work for me. Had to cancel my membership and look for pools open during Saturday and Sunday. read more

The hotel I stayed in was located a few doors down from this YMCA. Given that the hotel didn't have a gym, they'd worked out an agreement where hotel guests could get a complimentary pass for the Y. I went early one morning and found a very spacious and well-equipped cardio and weight area. The machines were updated and well maintained. I happen to be a fan of the life fitness line, which is what they had. I was also informed by the kind man at the desk that they also had spa and sauna facilities that I could enjoy as well. One of the best features of this Y is the location. There are amazing views of the waterfront and the bay bridge from the treadmills! This is a great setup for hotel guests and the Y seemed very welcoming to me. read more

I've now been to the Embarcadero, Chinatown, and Stonestown location and the Embarcadero puts these other Y locations to shame. First off, let's start with the people here. From check-in to aquatics to changing room staff, everyone is super friendly and accommodating. This is the only Y I've seen where there's a person constantly maintaining the cleanliness of the changing rooms. This is also the only Y I've seen where the pool staff actively maintain order of the lanes. The other locations are absolutely abhorrent and will let people waddle in lanes meant for swimming, even if the swim lanes are absolutely full and there are dedicated waddle spaces for those who aren't swimming laps. Second, the location, amenities, and space here is very well designed and maintained. The changing room is huge and has plenty of nice natural light and air from Embarcadero. The beautiful view also brightens up my day every time I come here. The gym is also nice, modern, and spacious. This place even has a rooftop for sunbathing, separate yoga and spin rooms, and sauna and steam inside the changing rooms. Honestly, the amenities here rival any expensive gym, such as Equinox or Bay Club, and the people just puts the cherry on top of the overall gym experience here. read more

Pros: -- Pretty good selection of machines. -- The staff is awesome. Always friendly and helpful -- Classes are good (especially Robert's core class) -- Steam room and Sauna -- Good towel service -- Financial aid is generous Cons: -- Gym Availability: Hours are stingy for an expensive commercial gym. They close at 530pm on Sundays. They also randomly close the whole gym early some days for "staff meetings". To make it all worse, they shut down the whole gym for a week once a year. I've never seen this from other gyms like 24 or Equinox. -- Equipment: The lifting area is pretty small so they can only fit 2 squat racks and 3 benches. The bench availability is ok, but they really need another squat rack or 2. It's hard to get a squat rack even when it's not very busy. They also need a machine for calves and a stair stepper. -- Feedback: I have submitted multiple requests to their feedback box for a year and nothing has ever happened. read more

I have to give this place 2 stars because the place is clean but the staff there always pick and choose who they say anything to. The worst staff of all of this pink hair lady that is always picking to say things to say just at me and only me . She makes my time there the worst and due to her always consistently picking in me I will have to change gyms!! Sad because I really did like it there. read more

This review is for the Level 1 adult swim lessons I attended last month. To set some context, most of us in the Level 1 introductory class had no experience swimming or floating, or even had a fear of water (myself included). Our instructor, Michael, was just wonderful with our group. He started us off with the most basic steps, like growing comfortable with putting our faces in the water, and made every advancement after that at a leisurely pace. Not only was he patient and encouraging, but he also knew how to meet us at our level, slowing things down when we struggled and throwing in some more "advanced" lessons after our class got the hang of things. I was incredibly nervous, but after classes ended, I was able to maximize my island vacation and snorkeled in the OPEN OCEAN, yup. Big accomplishment for me!! If you're reading this, wondering if you should sign up, and hesitant due to some fear or prior bad experience with the water, I highly encourage you to go for it! This class changed my life -- and I'm so glad I took it! Thank you Michael! P.S. Bring some goggles, it really helps read more

Great family place and nice workout center. The staff are friendly and following all safety pre-cautions.

This gym has great facilities and is located in a great spot - it's only about a 5 minute walk from the Embarcadero BART station. This YMCA location is about to undergo renovations and the plans look really great. A lot of gyms in the city are really expensive, and it's really nice that this YMCA exists in this location as it is not as expensive and a great facility! The view is amazing and you can overlook the water and the Bay bridge as you workout on the treadmill. I would give this 5 stars after the renovations are complete! This location has about 5 floors with a beautiful roof top area, pool, hot tub, many gym classes, a weight room area, and many machines! The gym classes are great - I recommend the body pump class for a really good workout and if you want to be sore for the next couple of days. I would say the locker rooms could do a little revamping and change out the carpeting floors. Overall, this gym is great and offers a lot for a good price! read more

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Decent gym, friendly staff, just be careful and don't be caught off guard as they randomly close the gym without notice and if you had come out of your way to go to the gym you will be turned away. Hopefully they stick to set/posted hours eventually (fingers crossed). read more

This place is freaking amazing, Alaa that works the front counter is the guy to go too. If you are not sure who he is he is the man in front with the huge smile. Guy even speaks french and gave me a few pointers on my upcoming trip to Paris. I am a big fan of their yoga classes and the fact that I can park my bike on the rooftop, where she feels safe. It's also nice that you have a varied amount of hours to come here- yeh it might not be 24hours but as far a customer service, the nice pool and great classes I am truly a fan. I only wish I could use the same account in Manhattan. Love you guys. The Latin/hefty guy that works there when Alaa is kind of a Goober, he just watches people walk in and gives them a blank stare. Excuse me, don't you work here??? read more

Embarcadero YMCA - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

The Embarcadero YMCA is connected to the Harbor Court Hotel, where I've been staying all week long. And as a hotel gym the Embarcadero YMCA is a 5 star establishment- every machine you could possibly need including treadmills overlooking the water, classes all day long, and it's FREEEEEEEEEE (YIPPPPEEEEE) for hotel members. However, if I resided in the SF area full time I would not be a member of the Embarcadero YMCA. There's nothing wrong with this gym, but it's definitely a no frills gym...and I can admit that I'm a frills type of gal. In the past 4 days I've taken 3 spinning classes, a kickboxing class, a bosu core class, and an abs class. The kickboxing class was pretty poor (although a sub was teaching the class), but I was able to get in a good workout from the other classes. Nowhere nearly as good as I get at home, but this did the trick! What is refreshing about this gym is that it's all about real people working out. I'm used to the 2 pound, yet muscular instructors at my gym back home so I was surprised to see that all this instructors are on the larger side. And to the spinning instructor who will remain nameless: let me introduce you to my friend....the sports bra. No one wants to see your boobs flapping around in the morning! People here workout in t-shirts and shorts (gasp)...have to admit I probably looked a little silly walking around in my fancy lululemon workout outfits. However, I did see a young gal hard at work on the stairmaster in skinny jeans today. Hmmm....so that's the way to get skinny jeans to fit. And while I'm not the subject of people at the gym I should probably warn y'all about the smelly older man who followed me around the past few days flexing his muscles and telling me I light up his life like a candle. wwhhhhaaaaattttt? read more

I was relieved to find out that guests at the Harbor Court Hotel have access to the Embarcadero YMCA for a daily fee of $10. (This must've gone up in the last couple of years because in previous reviews, it seems there was no fee at all). But for $10 a day, it's an extremely convenient gym to be able to pop into... I made it to this gym three times during my stay in SF last week. I didn't check out the locker room, the pool, or the running track on the roof, but I did use the treadmills (which overlook the pier) and took a few classes (step and bosu). I found the employees to be friendly and the facility to have plenty to choose from. I was there early mornings so it was not crowded at all. Towel service was an added plus. If you're looking for a health club with all of the bells and whistles, this YMCA is probably not for you. But if you want a casual place to go to work out, you're all set! read more

Not much to change from my previous review. Still a fan of this place, impressed that it is actually a YMCA. Although the smith press is in a horrible location if you want to drag benches over to it. And you get a lot of the typical SF crowd (see other gym reviews). read more

Swimming pool has a lot bleach - not good for sensitive skin, what I have. Showers are oldstyle not very clean. Finnish sauna is good one, not popular at all. I had great time in sauna. If you have long hair take dryer with you, they have dryers but very old and those really damage hair. read more

Embarcadero YMCA - Hopefully they can get better dryers - Gyms Near Me - San Francisco, California

Pros: Great location, great hours, plenty of capacity for an early bird like me (6 to 8am). You can catch epic sunrises over the bay from several workout areas. I participate in two programs: toddler swim classes with my child on Saturday mornings and pick-up basketball on Mon/Wed/Fri at 6am. For basketball, I like that they use a clock and limit winners to 3 consecutive games. Both policies improve general participation. There doesn't seem to be an issue (so far) with aggressive basketball players. Cons: The water temperature for our toddler swim class is really unpredictable. Sometimes it's nice but most of the time it's too cold for the kids to enjoy the water/class. I'd be in favor of a little more organization for morning basketball: maybe a few ambassadors that lightly regulate rules/expectations curated by the playing community. read more

This is a shout-out to the two instructors in fitness classes I adore: Tammi from Kinesis & Dan from Bolly X. They are amazing instructors. They have so much enthusiasm in teaching and do genuinely care for the students. I have been a member at the embarcadero Y for 6 years and I have seen that the facility does improve over time (new lockers installed, new flooring installed, new layout). I appreciate that Y cares to put time and money on the facility improvement. There's the mobile app that allows me to sign up for fitness classes so that they are not over-crowded. The swimming pool is indoor and heated so that I can swim in SF in any weather condition! read more

This place is gross. The mens locker room right off the pool creates an absolutely disgusting smell and obnoxiously warm humidity that is unbearable. Make your way up a floor, and youll still be haunted by it. Give up all aspirations of coming during peak hours (5pm-7pm) as everything is being used with lines forming behind them. So if youre lucky enough to grab the machine youre wanting, be prepared for others standing behind you watching, waiting impatiently. Its places like these that justify paying hundreds a month for a quality locker room and open equipment. I cannot stress enough how off putting the mens locker room is. read more

Nothing but positive things to say about the Embarcadero Y! Coming from 24 hour fitness this was SUCH a wonderful change. I used to go the the local Y as a kid growing up, so coming here has that nostalgia factor too. Call me crazy, but there's just something about that chlorine smell that screams childhood for me. Haha. This location has clean lockers, a pool, a variety of classes, kinesis machines, super new cardio equipment where you feel like you're virtually on some trail in Yosemite, not to mention the view of the bay bridge while you're working out! I've never had to wait for a machine and I've only encountered great staff and clean/up to date/well maintained equipment. There's also a rooftop that's accessible. ALSO, did I mention there's a sauna and steam room in our locker room? Oh yeah, don't forget about the basketball court that doubles as a volleyball court some days. I definitely look forward to coming here to workout. Well worth the cost of membership. I'll stop gushing now--check it out for yourself! I feel like they have deals here and there. :) read more

Their hairdryer burned off a clump of hair on the front of my head. VERY frustrating. Also the pool room (which I came there for) was so filled with chlorine fumes that my eyes started watering asa I walked in - hurt my eyes. Once in the water it was very cloudy and I was afraid of getting the flu or scabies or something. There is no lotion or amenities like that... Same price as Fitness SF and worse quality. The view of the bay is nice though. read more

I LOVE this gym and all of the staff! I joined almost a month ago and I've had nothing but positive experiences. I lost a bracelet in the women's locker room last week and was frantic at best, but the staff were so helpful and understanding. I came in every morning and evening to check and they all were extremely receptive. There was even an email sent out about my bracelet to the whole staff, and they let me put up a flyer in the locker room to find it. I eventually found it after someone turned it in and I thank the staff for helping me! Similarly, the gym itself is pristine. I typically go to the cardio room and the view of the Bay Bridge is spectacular! Would definitely recommend this gym to anyone working or living near the Embarcadero! read more

I usted to be a member of the Embarcadero YMCA for several years. But when Mick Hughes SENIOR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR had came alone everything change. Me and my friend was attending the ymca on a regular bases. One of the member services worker attacked my friend and they got in a heated discussion and the lady whom was doing janitorial services attacked him as well just out the blue. Mick didn't do anything to his staff for disrespecting the member instead he call my friend on his phone and starting attacking him regarding his membership and stated that he was attacking his staff members which wasn't true. I also received nasty behavior from one of the member service staff named Matt regarding my payment. When things was handle by someone else I started to walk away and then Matt yelled out loud to the other staff "What's her problem" when I heard that I went back to ask him did he have a ptoblem with me since he decided to talk about me behind my back nothing was done regarding his action. These are some scenarios leading to my confrontational conversation with Mick Hughes. I came into Embarcadero YMCA he approached me about my account. Now before this I would go into the the upstairs gym where I would notice that he would be follow me around to see what I was doing in the Y like spying on me which I thought was very stalker-ish but back to the point. He pulled me to side to ask me about my account he started talking to me in a very a aggressive tone he started specking to me like I was a child. He then asked me to go into his office away from everyone that could hear the conversation and he sat me down close the door with out asking me if that was ok and he started talking very abruptly and confrontational to me regarding my account. I felt very unsafe and threatening at the time especially being a black woman trapped in an office with this man. That was the last time I stepped foot in the Embarcadero YMCA because of him. Me and my friend are African Americans and I felt that it was a lot of racism from Mick Hughes and his other cerain staff. People shouldn't be treated differently because of their color of their skin. When I joined the Y @Embarcadero I was highly rated as a good member there was no problems. I even worked on the YMCA project for raising money for the Youth. But when he came along everything went downhill. I will never step foot into that YMCA do to the disrespect and racist manner from this man and the staff that he hired. Their were not a lot african -american staff there but Im pretty sute he tried to get rid of as many African-American staff members and member. I'm a person who respect all Races and the LGBTQ community. I felt as though I was treated differently from him. So if you see Mick Hughes and he greets you with this warm trusting smile welcoming you into the Embarcadero YMCA just know that it is just fake and you won't be a member too much longer cuz he will see to it. He picks who he wants and it's not many African Americans. read more

Personable staff, clean bathrooms and extensive schedule over all. Just started working out there and am mainly focused on swimming. So if you like pools here is the deal. It's a good size, 25 meter for lane laps, warm (maybe salt water) and chlorinated. I'm hypersensitive to chemicals, scent, ect. So if you fall in that bucket the chlorine is intense. I asked about the levels on my first tour prior to signing up. Now that I'm part of the club I'm certainly going to ask again. It just smells like the levels are higher than what is needed. Aside from that there is a jacuzzi, sauna and steam room, in addition to normal gym stuff. read more

This review mostly pertains to the pool. I have yet to check out the rest of the facilities but I fully intend to this year! I've been coming here to swim for 3 months now and it is amazing. I am pretty picky about pools and this one fulfills pretty much all of my (potentially unreasonable) desires. Towels are provided so you don't have to bring your own and you don't have to carry around wet towel afterwards. There are also swimsuit dryers which help with the not having to carry wet stuff around. Pool itself is large with 6 standard 25m lanes. One of the best things about this pool is lane swimming is available the entire evening. Even when there are master's or lessons going in they will only use 2/6 lanes. It's also surprisingly uncrowded. I've been here at various times between 6:30 and 9:30 and I've only have to share lane with two other people at most. Facilities are clean and well maintained. Staff is also super nice. All of this plus the ability to go to all the other YMCAs for the low low price of $60! What's not to love! read more

I liked being a member there. It was a nice place but the front desk people were obnoxious except for Jolson who was really nice and professional. I walk in one day past the desk and an attendant made a homophobic comment to the other attendant about me. I actually think it's also overpriced and that your paying for their programs. read more