I'm so grateful to Pablo from the spa who helped me up the stairs with my suitcase since I had to check out of the hotel and go straight to work, he ran down the stairs to help me, carried it all the way up the stairs to the check in desk and showed me to the coat check where i could leave it. Pablo, you're a gem. Thank you for your kindness. Thank you for your consideration. Thank you for helping me when I felt so exhausted and drained by travel and work. Happy holidays to you and your family. read more

Claire, from Dartmouth St. Equinox she is absolutely incredible. I got a membership with her and Claire was very welcoming and all the answers to all my questions with a positive personality. read more

This amazing Equinox location is my favorite thus far! Loved my sunny deadlifts on spacious turf, with super pull up rig, rings, trx, sled... and the highlight of it all are super clean & comfortable two saunas and two cold plunges available to use whenever for free!! What a way to spend quality time with self or friends. Inside is also clean & spacious, with excellent selection of strength (glute ham developer!) and plentiful cardio equipment. Steam room is older, but clean and powerful, locker room has great amenities. Excellent wellness retreat in the middle of the city. Thank you for being awesome & supporting health & wellness with such generous dedication. read more

Welcome to Equinox Dartmouth - the worst Equinox location in Boston, and probably the entire US. You'll arrive to the smell of middle school boy bedroom meets the breath of the guy who used the machine 5 days before you. The locker room will have 4 available lockers, whether the gym is at 150% or 110% capacity (it's never below 100%). Once ready to begin your workout, get ready to change whatever plan you had. Broken equipment, lines to use the equipment you want (even the cables). The entitled Northeastern undergrads will not clean up after themselves, and will hog 3 machines at once while taking photos and getting a solid thumb set in. Don't bother asking to use it, they're only self aware when someone helps themself to a machine that wasn't in use, but "they were using it". For $270 a month (or whatever it is, they raise the price every year, despite the gym's physical health deteriorating) you think they should teach gym etiquette classes to all new members. Some trainers are really great and friendly - but some have no idea what they're doing. They'll watch you use a machine wrong while they pretend to take notes on an iPad. You are better off at ANY other location. Having worked out for 12 years, this gym consistently infuriates me. It's expensive, busy, dirty, and totally not worth whatever promotional rate they will give you. Try Lifetime at the prudential opening summer 2025. read more

This is my go to Equinox location when I'm in Boston usually due to the proximity of the finish line of the marathon. Nestled right down the street from the Boston public library, as well as Copley Place, it's an easy walk. Right through the revolving doors you will find the shop and up a flight of stairs to the check in. Around the corner and all the way to the back you will find the women's locker room. I like this location as it's very spread out and it never feels like anyone is working out on top of each other. Nice selection of treadmills, elliptical machines, and weight machines. Pretty decent size of an area to foam roll. They have a boxing studio as well. During the summer there is an outdoor workout space too. The locker room is pretty spacious with plenty of towels, decent amount of showers and a nice steam room (no sauna). They also have the wonderful eucalyptus towels. The only thing I haven't found in this gym is the stretch bands, they have the ones you can loop around a pole, they have trx ropes, but no small stretch bands (think the ones you put around your legs to warm up). read more

I love the feeling when you walk in. Everyone is in the gym to handle business. A bit expensive, but I know where my money goes, especially to maintain a day to day high level/lifestyle gym. The gym is clean and really nice! read more

Luxury gym with great amenities - the nicest gym I've ever been to. The space is wide open with room to accommodate a lot of people. There's a super soft stretching mat area and a ton of free weights and benches too. An outdoor workout area is being redone but is a truly unique feature for a gym. There's an entire cardio section with lots of TVs - they will change the TV to whatever channel you want at the front desk. They have tons of classes that are included with the membership and all of them sound great. The free towel service is great and the towels for showering are nice and big. Inside the locker-room all the products are Kiehls from the amazing smelling grapefruit body and face wash to the body lotion - so you really don't have to bring any of your own stuff to get ready after your workout. There's even disposable razors and shaving cream. The showers have nice glass doors. The steam is super hot and feels amazing - especially with the eucalyptus spray bottle inside. There's also a sauna. There's even a store where you can find great workout gear and a cafe with everything you could want to eat post-workout! read more

Equinox Dartmouth - Outdoor workout area - Gyms Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

Great place.....not. Their "Walk-in's Welcome" per Yelp was a "No, we don't take walk-ins, sorry". I then stated "I'm in town for the marathon, I just need a quick workout and it says Walk-in's Welcome on Yelp." At that point it became, "Well it's $50, you still want it?" I might pay you $50/month with that attitude, but not for one day. 2 Stars because I've been a handful of times in the past years and the equipment is nice. The pretentious attitude is too much. read more

Equinox Dartmouth - Walk-in's Welcome..... - Gyms Near Me - Boston, Massachusetts

This is the worst gym experience I have ever had by far. The gym served its purpose for me for a bit. It is clean and they have unlimited classes with membership. Classes were good enough, I've been to better, but it was pretty convenient. The gym, particularly its employees and marketing campaigns, gives off pretty pretentious vibes, but it was ok enough to overlook this initially. Then my experience took a nose dive. While I was working out my locker, which had a gym provided lock pad on it, was broken into by a woman who entered through the parking garage connected to the gym. She then took my wallet and spent $2,000 at the mall next door. This was clearly an inside job, as she knew how to override the lock, and knew exactly how to enter the facility unnoticed. I filed and police report and complained and complained to the staff about my experience but they would take no responsibility for someone TRESSPASSING IN THEIR FACILITY. To make it worse, the staff actively avoided me for weeks (no email replies, ignored called), refused to make it up to me in any way, and even refused to prevent this from happening again. The entrance the woman came through to break into my locker is still unmonitored and the staff still ignores my needs. This gym is a joke. Their staff is terrible. Sure the towels smell like eucalyptus, but the workout experience is not really any better than an SBS, and the staff will treat you like dirt. STAY AWAY! read more

Pretty terrible customer service. I had been a member for seven years prior to Covid. I was looking to get a new membership that was not a year contract but despite all the years I was a Member they will not allow that. They said my membership needs to start new and have a 12 month commitment before it goes month to month. I even said I'd be happy to pay a higher rate for a membership with one month notice period for cancellation but they wouldn't accept that. Pretty disappointed with their inflexibility. read more

It's actually so disappointing that this equinox closes at 9pm... steam rooms close at 8:30pm. A lot of people work late jobs and in order to get a workout you have to rush out of work to just get a 45 min lift... this also forces everyone to go during rush ho it and it's totally packed. It feels like you're in a planet fitness except paying $250 a month for a lux gym.. This Equinox location is Just totally cutting corners, it makes no sense when the locations further away in seaport and Avery st are open until 10pm.. and pre COVID this was open until 10pm. We're well out of COVID now so what's the excuse for closing at 9pm?? read more

Issues are as follows: 1) the music volume is frequently blaring to a degree that you need to have your music at a deafening volume to drone it out. This depends on who is working, but it shouldn't. 2) they need more free weight benches and places to do pull ups. The allocation of space is very odd. 3)The closing time could be extended read more

Very busy gym, equipment can be worn especially machines. Many group classes and free weights

NOTE: This review is for the SPA ONLY! ATMOSPHERE: very dim lighting, and really tiny rooms for treatments. You must enter them one person at a time. STAFF: There is a desk at the entrance, but there is almost never anyone at it. I receive chiropractic treatments here from Dr. Green, who I highly recommend. THE DEAL: If you love your privacy, the Equinox Spa gives each patron a private room. If you like labels, Equinox is the high end gym of Boston. read more

In summary; I pay $200 for a third of the equipment that most gyms have, very few amenities, and group fitness classes that vary greatly in quality. Added bonus of trainers taking up equipment forever and then not wiping it down after so the next person has to deal with the sweat angels left behind. Equinox values sleekness so much that they sacrifice amount of equipment available. Seriously. There are parts of this gym that could hold 5+ other machines without sacrificing walk ways. The trainers can't see anything beyond what they're doing. So they take what they want and it's too bad for you if you're not their client. And honestly? I've seen some pretty questionable training practices. They care more about how the instructor looks than how they teach. I took one yoga class where the instructor kept pulling up his shirt to show his abs. I found ONE that I like and the very next week they turned it into yoga strong. A poor excuse for a yoga class with enough weight in a bean bag to make it awkward but not enough to see strength training benefit unless the heaviest thing you can lift is a gallon of milk. If you're going to spend this much money consider going to a location with amenities, not a sad steam room and handful of showers. There have been times where not a single staff member was available for unlocking lockers etc. for 30 minutes+ if it's short staffed then I get it, but empower your employees to work outside of classic parameters if necessary. Not hard. A membership advisor takes up multiple lockers in the locker room at all times. So she leaves them locked to her code 24/7 so even if she isn't there you can't use them. 3/10 once my contract is out I'm going somewhere with equipment and people who give a fck read more

This location hurts the brand. Lovely outside signage reads Equinox in shimmering silver caps. You walk in and its Equi-nah bruh. Aged equipment, cramped free weight floor, humid locker rooms, rust in drains in showers, and tiles without pores slippery as f, picked by someone who didnt know a thing about showers. This would go for $25/mo in CA. Yet people are paying $200 here in MA. Go figure!! Anyone with a plan and some capital could open a better gym with proper space and great classes, charge $125/mo in this market and take all Equinah bruh's business. Dartmouth needs to close or be completely made over to rep this brand. read more

The worst gym I have ever seen in my life. Sloppy manager, incompetent trainers and unresponsive staff all wrapped into one place with the pretentious to be luxurious. They show all get fired read more

Wow. This place is huge! Completely blown away by the sheer number and variety of exercise stations, cardio machines, and free weights. Plenty of televisions to watch while you burn calories. Lots of space; I never felt crowded. Locker rooms are large and have plenty of amenities. This is the gym for the 21st century. read more

This review is purely based on using the gym on a guest pass so I can't comment on the price for membership. Also I will say I think it is a bit strange that members only get 2 guest passes which basically equates to two days worth (pretty cheap to me...) That said, the gym is uber fancy and has all of the equipment one could ever imagine. Cardio machines, free weights, lifting platforms, lifting equipment, pilates, spinning bikes, you name it they have it. The locker rooms are also great with high quality shampoos, conditioners, lotions etc read more

One star only because you have to give a star. My boyfriend and I went to Equinox this past Saturday to obtain a free one-month membership, courtesy of Yelp's Passport to the South End. After doing the tour and being dutifully impressed by the bamboo shower floorboards, chilled eucalyptus towels and bevy of pretty yuppies and trust fund babies "working out", we sat down with our tour person to set up our membership. Turns out, we weren't entitled to it because we didn't bring the entire Passport booklet. Even though Leighann F. specifically says a print-out of the coupon is fine. We even showed the guy Leighann's comment from my boyfriend's iPhone, but no dice. The manager wouldn't approve our membership. Apparently, we need to come back with the actual book. All this we were informed of by a guy with a serious attitude problem who wasn't the slightest bit friendly or sympathetic. "Douche-tude" is the word that comes to mind. I mean, we're only here to get the gym's free one-month trial, rather than pay the $145 monthly membership fee + $595 registration fee (I kid you not) to sign up, so of course we're not deserving of courtesy and respect. I'm actually glad we didn't get the free membership. A douchebag environment is no place to get your sweat on. Besides, Healthworks kicks these guys' asses in pretty much every way. And it's half the price. read more

I'll make it quick: For what you pay, it's pretty piss poor. My main complaint is FILTH. (see my photos). Hair everywhere, the sink counter in the ladies room is always covered in water, when the housekeeping staff should be taking a used bathtowel and drying it off throughout their shift. Nope... so when you wash your hands, your shirt gets soaked. Also, there are only 4 restrooms in the ladies room. Yes, 4. Last night, there were 5 ladies in line at 5:40 PM. Oh, and there often isn't toilet paper, even BEFORE peak times. The floors in the stalls haven't been swept regularly, and there's just stuff all over the floor. Cons: Of all the treadmills, 4 have TV capability, that's right, FOUR. And there's one channel. And it's blurry. See photo. I also am a member at BSC (for the pool, for one instructor at Boylston, and also because I just like it), and let it be known that every machine at BSC (with a few exceptions) has a working television. Years ago I also was at SC/LA, and every single machine not only had full television, but also, on-demand.... yet Equinox can't afford working TV for more than 4 treadmills? It seems like The Onion wrote that story. Equinox: $185 a month - 4 treadmills with TV - with 1 blurry channel BSC: $59.99 a month - Most treadmills with TV - multiple good channels That's just really pathetic. Cleanliness: I'm astonished. I've already even mentioned it to management, but it's still in drastic need of improvement... and nobody seems to care. These place is staffed to the GILLS, yet it's dirtier than every, single BSC I've been to (Newbury, BSC, SS, Pru, DTX), yes, there, I said it. - Used razors and razor covers left in shower - Used hair ties with hair hanging on towel racks in shower - Hair EVERYWHERE on the floor. - Mops and brooms are left out right at the paper towel dispenser, I would imagine for easy access, but no one seems to be accessing them because the floors aren't clean, and there's trash on the floor. And it's just a bad place for them. - Trash on floor, such as pricetags and paper towels and tissues, in locker room changing area. - Ladies locker room is just bad... it appears there are 2 cleaners in there, yet things are missed left and right. Why am I stepping on someone else's paper towels near the lockers? - Cleaning staff, I guess because they aren't allowed to use their phones, just let their phones ring out at full volume, in the locker room. Weight Room: Same story as the cheap places... they have someone who walks around I guess who should be tidying up, yet, why am I still unloading racks of 45-lb plate weights off bars? Isn't that what the employees are supposed to do? But no, because people are rude, I have to waste my gym un-racking plates... this should be done BY ALL THE STAFF MEANDERING AROUND. Clientele: It's *exactly* what you think it would be at a $185 a month gym. Staff: There's an awful lot of attitude at the front desk. If you ask them a question they can't answer, they act annoyed that you asked them something, and that they have to do something other than scan your phone. And they also set up a table near the walkway to the locker rooms so they can sell you something, who knows what, I avoid eye contact. Hate salespitches. Communal TVs: All on liberal news like CNN and MSNBC. At least one should be FOX to balance out all the left. Pros: - Nice shower products - Decent large towels - Decent weight room, despite some things not being lubricated enough to move the pins out to adjust - Nice air conditioning. - Good location for me; I work in the building. read more

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Look, I love equinox and I'm an evangelical member. But this location needs to be expanded or renovated or moved. I have lived in NYC, San Francisco and Boston while being a member of Equinox, and I'm actually considering cancelling my membership for the time that I live in Boston. The Dartmouth location is essentially a planet fitness for 10x the price. It is by far the worst equinox I've ever visited. Some equinoxes are exceptional, like Pine Street in SF or Printing House in NYC. In NYC, equinox is on every block. But in Boston, you have the worst of both worlds -- except for Seaport, the clubs are incredibly lackluster, and there are only a few clubs (which also means they are usually packed). The Dartmouth location is VISIBLY dirty and old, needs renovations. Oh and by the way, it closes at 9pm. Remind me again why I'm paying $250/month for a slightly upgraded Planet Fitness with fewer hours? read more

The best gym around. Large, comfortable, and beautiful interior in an accessible location next to Back Bay T stop. Extensive weight machines/free weights to prevent long waits. Driven/talented instructors/trainers. Friendly/personable front desk staff. Respectful/considerate members. read more

I visited this Equinox while in Boston for a wedding. I've been to six or seven of the Equinox outposts in New York...as much as it pains my New York pride to say, this one beats all of them hands down. I was shocked at the amount of floor space. It just keeps going and going, from the cardio machines through the weights area and the stretching mat, around a hallway to a huge back room with fully stocked kettlebells, therabands, etc. There's the usual short supply of power racks and other more serious weightlifting equipment, but that's pretty standard for Equinox (except for one in NYC, which I'm keeping to myself). Along the wall are doors to an enormous patio, where there's equipment to do various bodyweight exercises on sunny days (something that's a true value add, and not something I've seen at any of the New York outposts). The locker room was large and clean. And, during the middle of the day on a Saturday, there were maybe 15-20 people there! Eagerly looking forward to trucking my sneakers and shorts with me on my next trip to Boston. Wish this one was in NYC! read more

I joined this gym after coming here from a different equinox and I was thoroughly disappointed. There is not a ton of equipment and it is hard to even find an open treadmill during the busy hours or when the classes are going on. It felt extremely crowded compared to what I would expect from Equinox. The class schedule was terrible and the instructors had very little enthusiasm and the front desk staff was rude and never once made it a personable experience for me. I agree with the other reviews, this location hurts the brand. For $210 a month, take your money elsewhere. read more

Oh equinox. I have so much to say. The good: Beautiful facilities. Beautiful people everywhere. Nice class listing (though I haven't done the classes). The treadmills are TOP NOTCH. The treadmills seemed BRAND NEW and I saw them all being replaces. Upon running on the truly brand new treadmills, I felt like I was running on a wonderfully soft, bouncy surface. The trainers on duty walk around handing out towels. Eucalyptus towels. Nice shower soaps. The bad: The beautiful people might make you feel insecure or horrible about yourself. If you're prone to these kinds of feelings, stay away. It's expensive. I got a corporate discount and it's STILL expensive. The locker rooms can get really crowded during peak times. The showers are good but things are sometimes broken so it's not as good as you'd imagine. The ugly: Quite honestly, people are pretty cocky here. It's like living in a bubble with only the upper class. You can just stay in this gym and imagine that there are no middle class or poor people anywhere. I get the feeling people are fairly uptight and judgmental here and sometimes that creates an uncomfortable environment. read more

I joined EQX early in 2015 after coming over from BSC. I joined fully aware that this is an expensive gym. The membership experience is different than that of other gyms I have joined, you are assigned a "membership coordinator" which, make no mistake is a salesperson. Their job is to sell you your 1 year commitment. As in all sales, everything is negotiable, so do what you can to negotiate. The good thing about htis coordinator, is that they are assigned to your account to manage for the duration of your membership. Traveling to another city for a weekend and want to use that city's Equinox? Ask your coordinator to get you on that gym's "guest list". The gym itself is very spacious, and there is a LOT of equipment. 3 different sets of dumbbells (up to 120's), 2 squat racks (with deadlift platforms), 1 smith rack, 4 flat benches, 2 incline, 1 decline... countless precor (plated and pin ones). They also were very smart and have an area towards the back that is very open and encourage people to do walking lunges, rope work, etc... in that area as to not take up space on the other area of the floor. They have a very large spin room, yoga room, boxing room, pilates room, and a immense fitness studio. All of which you can take classes, or use the rooms when a class isn't in session. All the cardio equipment is in tip top condition. I think I have seen something out of order ONCE, and was fixed the next day--- treadmills, treadways, stairmills, ellipticals, bikes, rowers and pretty much anything else you could think of. The locker rooms are pristine and are constantly being cleaned by the "Maintain" staff. Tons of large, fresh towels, and anything you might need to be ready for post-gym. (Razors, deodorant, q tips, hair spray, blow driers, and even mouthwash) There are both a steam room, and sauna, and about 10 large teak bottomed "rain fall" style shower stalls equipped with Keihl's products. The locker room even has a 'lounge area' that has a TV and newspapers should you want to relax for a bit after your workout. EQX has trainers... .everywhere. Sometimes it feels like there are too many of them sometimes, but they are all friendly and are willing to lend a hand (or a quick spot if you need one). I go about 5x week, and perhaps that is to feel like I am getting my $160/mo worth... but hey, if thta is what keeps me going... great. read more

To quote Yogi Berra, nobody goes there; it is too crowded. It is really packed solid with people during peak hours. I am trying a Boston all access membership to see whether across gyms I can collectively attend group exercise classes at a better price point than attending one of the competing pay for each class boutique fitness studios. Instructor quality is uneven so jury is out. Amanda Lilley is my favorite instructor at this location. Thank you for being you. read more

I've been loving the classes at this location! I wish there were classes offered at 4 or 430 though! The gym seems to be very busy at that time and I'm sure there would be enough members in attendance! read more

I love this gym. I got hook once I found it. Every time I'm in town this is the place to let off some steam and get a First Class workout. NYHRC is my next favourite. Gotta love the corporate accounts :) One thing that can make any gym better is a new definition to Gym Ventilation. Once they master that they, got my fifth star! read more

I have been a member of high end gyms, AND THIS ONE IS BY FAR THE WORST. - classes are not impressive. I would rather go to core power yoga, soul cycle, and pure barre for my classes. - the bathroom/locker room is TINY and usually over crowded. - I am not kidding when I say that the towels are DISGUSTING. They are small white bath towels with gross stains. They are gruff, scratchy, and grainy. No one towel is the same shade of white. It is truly embarrassing for them. - THEY WILL NOT RESPOND TO YOUR EMAILS unless you contact them multiple times. Even the manager. - The people who work at the front desk are not particularly nice. - IT IS TINY AND THEREFORE CROWDED AT THE NORMAL WORKOUT TIMES. - They will do everything in their power to slow down the cancelation process. EVERYTHING. Truly, when I say this place is so below the standards of the nice places I go, I mean it. If you sift through these ratings you can see they have advertisers for the gym rating multiple times to bring up the stars (example: Tiffany b). Why on earth would you pay 160$/ month for a 3.5 star rated gym? I wouldn't pay 60$ for it. If you're looking for a real, clean, respectful, well kept, worth the price gym though, go elsewhere. If you don't believe me, join for a free week. I'm sure you will be far from impressed. read more

There's nothing cooler than traveling far and wide and being able to work out in a consistently world class gym. During a visit to my corp office in late January, I found this location and was happy. As a competitive athlete, it's key to be consistent with training and since I ride a bike, options are limited. Equinox always has great spinning classes and the overall experience is always good. This location was no different. The staff was friendly and helpful. As I was going to ride for an hour before the class, they kindly agreed to put my name on a bike when the roster went up 30 minutes before the class (usually they won't do that because it's cheating). The instructor was this big, jolly dude (not what you'd expect from a spinning instructor) who looked and acted like he stepped out of the TV show Glee. At one point, he turned out the lights and told everyone to visualize themselves reaching their goals. "Imagine that person who tells you, you can't; who makes you feel small. I want you to grab them by the head, hold them under the water and drown their ass!" WTF?? Anyhoo...it was a fun class. Can't wait to go back. read more

Don't trust the advisers at this club. Equinox has turned into a gym that makes it impossible to exit your membership. The advisers will tell you what they need to in order to sign you up, and you will be stuck paying thousands of dollars thanks to their fraud when you try to cancel. As a pretty loyal customer since 2007 (save some moves to cities without Equinoxes), I can say that this is a relatively new, and highly crappy, development. You also can't freeze your membership in the first year of your contract with these guys, so if you're traveling for work for six weeks (as I did), then you'll be stuck paying your gym membership even though you aren't using the gym. 10 months ago, I joined the Back Bay location as I started a new job nearby. I was concerned that I would be moving (to Cambridge) when I joined, and repeatedly asked the membership advisers if I would be able to cancel my membership with proof that I had moved to Cambridge. This month, I tried to cancel my membership. I haven't used this location since May (it's now mid-July). David Mounce - the Assistant General Manager of Dartmouth St - let me know that I would not be let out of my contract until the very end of September's billing period. So... Equinox tells you that you will be able to cancel if you show proof of moving to Cambridge, then tells you that you need proof that you've moved 25 miles away from a gym location. (A quick google search shows that other ENX members at other locations have been told 100 miles, upon trying to cancel). read more

This is a hard one for me. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this gym and initially was going to give it a 5 as far as gyms go but after reading some of the other reviews I am sadly going to have to agree with a lot of what was said on the negative side. Pros: Personal training is PRICEY but if you can swing it's amazing!!! The trainers actually know what they are doing and care. If you can see Marie. She is incredible. The classes are great as well. Always changing and interesting. You will get a work out and the instructors genuinely want to be there. The facilities are gorgeous I love the design and the equipment is well maintained. They offer free seminars to teach you how to use new equipment and exercise techniques. Their kids club is amazing the people working there are great and my son genuinely enjoys going. Although I would think with your steep membership it would be cheaper/free The front desk staff is also incredibly friendly and helpful. They practically fight to wish you a nice day. Cons: Cleanliness is going down hill. The locker rooms are covered in hair and the shower seats are always sopping wet. The people walking the floor used to be much more helpful. Now they just seem to wander and pick up weights. Unless they are vulture-ing for new clients The management there is less than friendly. My husband had some issues with a training session and they were not accommodating at all. After a week of not calling him back. He was put in touch with the woman who runs the fitness programs she literally picked up the phone and said "yea well what do you want". She told him there was nothing she could do for him and to find another gym if he wasnt happy. I was FLOORED. I have been to a lot of gyms and we both work in client service/sales and have never been treated this way. They were extremely rude and basically told us they didn't care if my fiance' and I canceled both our memberships and training. I didn't like that at all. UGH all and all I love going to this gym. I do fear if they go further down hill I will be forced to leave. I am crossing my fingers and toes that does NOT happen because I do love the environment. read more

I will start off by saying I joined this Equinox and have been a member of other Equinox's for the studio classes. I also use free weights, but for me you pay for the classes. I also workout in the AM so this is based off attending early classes....not including spin. Cons: traditional barre and trx classes aren't offered. The variations that they offer are not anything like a traditional barre or trx class, mostly because they aren't equipped for it. The instructors are so inconsistent. Some show up late, some you can tell are just reading a script and some are just plain lazy (ie not motivating or helpful). I'd say 80% of the instructors fall into this category. The bathrooms are never kept up during prime time. Towels are not always available....which is totally unacceptable when you are paying this much. Pros: nice workout/free weight space, so it never feels busy. Lots of cardio. Machines are generally clean. Front desk people are always so friendly....that goes a long way for me. I've been to other Equinox's and this one just doesn't seem to cut it for me at this price. read more

Update as of Sept 2008: Six Stars for the Spa! One Star for the thoughtless corporate thirst for revenue Four stars for the Gym ********************* Six Star Spa: The Spa is really nice! I've been to 3 or 4 waxings with Kerrie, and she's amazing. Yeah, waxing ain't cute, but some of us boys gotta keep the back smooth. Kerrie does an amazing job, is very friendly, the price is (surprisingly!) good considering the quality, and I've yet to have a serious reaction to the wax. So, boys, if you gotta get to smooth, Kerrie and this spa are the place to be! It doesn't matter if you're a member or not - the rate is still good, and quality is exceptional. ************************ One Star - Corporate revenue thirst Four Stars - Gym I'm actually leaving Equinox, to go back to my old gym. Here's my thoughts: 1. Equinox is beautiful - it is a very spacious gym with lovely equipment and great classes! Most of the staff are courteous, and the men's locker room is nice. Some of the trainers can get a little "meat headed" and think they're all tough-guy butch. 2. Equinox is not as good as it used to be! When I joined, this place couldn't sparkle more. But, I've noticed that the locker room isn't as clean as it used to be. Fortunately, the place is only like 2 years old, so it's still in good shape. But, dirty towels are left around for hours, the floors reveal hair and lint, and the insides of the lockers can show a little dirt. Relative to what I've found at other gyms, it is usually cleaner/better. BUT, Equinox also charges TWICE what other gyms charge. If they want to charge high prices, they need to keep it crazy clean - as clean as what they showed me before I signed a one year contract! 3. I've made several recommendations to make small improvements. ALL of the requests were left unanswered and undone. So, if they're gonna ask for feedback, and we give it, why not either 1) do something or 2) tell us "thanks, but no." Again, not a big deal, but you're paying serious cash to be here and be ignored. 4. Almost the entire staff has turned over in the last 12 months. That's a bit suspicious for a gym of this quality. Coupled with the decline in cleanliness, something is amiss. 5. They're clearly more focused on generating revenue versus being a great gym. Why WHY are you selling necklaces and bracelets, wine (or some prune juice?) and having receptions with DJ's if it's a GYM!? Oooh, that's right - "it's not fitness, it's life." Uhh, yeah, I've got a life and don't need a DJ at my gym to add to it. To me, that's squandering my money, which instead should be spent to fix the problems listed above. So, here's the rub that caused me to cancel my membership: They raised their rates by $5 a month. Yeah, we're already paying a pretty penny to be there, but to raise the rates when staff and service haven't stayed consistent is troublesome... I've raised all of these concerns with the new General Manager of the club. I'll give him credit because he called me to discuss my concerns, especially considering the increase in fees. He agreed they haven't been as good as when they first opened, and said they're on an aggressive program to exceed customer expectations. I don't doubt they've started a program but I've yet to see real improvements that justify the increased fees. If they agree that they're not as good as when I joined, then WHY is the fee going up? He said there's nothing he could do, and then the discussion devolved into corporate BS about energy costs... In the end, they lost my continued monthly membership dues over sixty bucks - the ugly Revenue Monster... So, Equinox is a beautiful gym with great classes. But, don't be surprised if the consistency of service declines as the prices ascend... It's a shame, because if they had kept my rate flat for like 6 months after our discussion, I'd still likely be a member and would have given it 4 stars instead of 3... It's principle! So, instead, I'm going back to my old gym, which is like 1.5 blocks away. It's at least $50 cheaper a month, just as clean, and the people are super friendly. And, I know my money is going to provide a great gym, and not all the extra crap. read more

Terrible gym. What I learned is NEVER TO SIGN A ONE YEAR CONTRACT with a gym,. Super expensive $150 per month plus initiation fee. Same equipment as $25 a month gyms like LA Fitness. NO Olympic weights, no rings, cross-fit. The limited equipment is usually monopolized by their "trainers," most of which look like they could use a trainer. Their hours are terrible and they use any excuse to shorten already short hours. Bad sports selection on the TV's; only a handful a channels. Worst of all is the constantly hassle you to buy personal training and even tried to trick me in to signing a six month extension by claiming they "just needed a signature" and hoped I didn't read what they wanted me to sign. I had to fight with them to get out of my contract after a year when they claimed I couldn't cancel until 45 days AFTER THE YEAR EXPIRED. By far, the worst gym experience of my life and I belong the three other gyms/yoga studios that I love. If a gym tries to lock you in a ONE YEAR CONTRACT it means they are not confident that they can keep you month-to-month and their own merits. Eek! Methinks not. read more

I got a free month trial to Equinox, and it's expiring tomorrow. I'm not renewing. Forward: I got the whole song and dance from the sales rep on my first day, trying to highlight it to my specific workout plan (cycling), and he asked how I thought of the entire gym. I lied and gave it a 9.5, and he asked why I gave it a .5 off, and I responded that I "hadn't used it yet"... I was semi impressed, but as a "meat head" guy who is there to do weights and nothing else, Equinox really doesn't do much for you. The facilities are pretty good, but I don't know, have you ever seen the movie Dodgeball? Yeah me neither, but there's supposed to be this "evil corporate yuppie gym" that caters to every whim and so on and so forth. This is that gym. I'm not going to hold them, but with all the options you have, is this going to fit in with you? The shower facilities/locker room is nice, but the retinal scan for the "executive" areas is a JOKE. Like I couldn't take myself seriously if I was to use those facilities. Yes, you need more security than most high end tech companies to get into a "magic" locker room. The amount of jazz playing in the shower room becomes annoying, but I suppose it's something. The steam room, and sauna are all well cared for. The shampoo and shower gels are really nice, I will admit, some sort of tea tree oil formula. I like the locker setup better than BSC's. If you're all baller and want to spend 139 dollars + a month on a gym that closes at 10:00 (and closes the shower rooms 15 minutes before), doesn't have a pool, and you can work with the schedules of the classes (or consider classes an important part), by all means join on up. Me? I'm going to stick on my side of the river. The commute and the cost just isn't worth it for someone who just wants to hit the weights and do cardio outside of the box. read more

I've been going to Equinox for a while, and must say I have not had one complaint. Besides hosting the most optimal and clean equipment, the look and feel of the place does not say, "I'm a gym and I need to look like one". It has a tranquil design, accommodating services, and an incredible staff. I look forward to my workout everyday as I have begun to become more acquainted with the staff and trainers even. I was one time freely given a tip on how to do a harder "plank" than the one I usually do. The people that even come to this gym, you will realize over time, are incredibly friendly. You would think as a result of the price tag this may not be the case, but after a few familiar hello's and great conversations in passing with regulars, my every day routine has a nice slice of home to it. The classes are fantastic and give what you ask. Whether it's solid and relaxing yoga with all-stars Rebecca Pacheco or Vito, or it's a kick your butt cycling session with Scott, you're expectations are met and multiplied. read more

I've been a member since Equinox opened. While it's still probably the nicest gym around the Back Bay/South End, more is expected for the exorbitant price. Pros: 1. Excellent machinery, weights and workout gadgets...everything you'd want in a gym. Upkeep is great. The gym is usual clean. 2. Friendly Staff -- Everyone from the receptionists to the spa staff to management are friendly and helpful. Cons: 1. Overcrowded. It can be nearly impossible to get a quick workout in during peak hours, and can be frustrating navigating around the 4-5 personal training sessions going on simultaneously around you. It's also nearly impossible to get a decent locker capable of fitting all of your stuff during the workout rush. The "jigsaw" locker format is a little silly (if you're a member you'll know what I'm talking about). 2. Questionable Value. Equinox is definitely an upscale gym, but it's getting harder to justify the costs -- especially when places like the LA Sportsclub offer many more amenities (pool, courts, food) for approximately the same monthly fee. In the three plus years, there have been minimal club upgrades, and you could argue that the club has gotten worse...they don't even have a juice bar anymore. There's also an expansive outside space that I was told when I joined was going to become a state-of-the are outdoor training center with a climbing wall. That was three years ago, and (other than some jungle-gym equipment) it is still mostly abandoned today. All in all, if you have money to burn, workout casually, and are looking for somewhere nicer than BSC you'll be pleased with Equinox. If you don't fit into that profile you'll likely end up being disappointed. read more