The Long Version (TLDR @ bottom): I've been a member for six years, but it's really improved over the past few years. I am in my mid-thirties with a disability that has me in chronic pain, but I feel so much better on days I work out that it has become an absolute must for me to be at the SACdt. My mood is better, I'm getting strong, and my health is improving, but most importantly, I just feel my best on days I work out. 1.5 years ago, I was in a wheelchair after major hip/back surgeries and weak as a baby, but through hard work, personal training, water aerobics, and dedication, I am walking, in the gym 5-6 times a week, and STRONG. Machinery: They have older (more typical gym stuff) all over the gym, but they also have this crazy apparatus (that is new in the past year) that takes up the entire front room and it is awesome! They are pretty consistent (I've been a member for 6 years) in upgrading the cardio machines, so there are really good selections between the old-school stuff and the newest machines (everything has been spread out for COVID so you have to really tour the whole place to find what you like). There are multiple classrooms for different classes, including cycling and pilates. Pool: I use the pool (which is saline) multiple days a week. It is five lanes and only one person per lane (that you schedule via the app or phone--I really hope they keep this after COVID because it's awesome not having to guess if a pool lane is open). They have a disability chair to get in and out, which was clutch after surgery. Normally, there are a bunch of pool accessories (fins, paddle boards), but they are limited right now because of COVID. The water aerobics class with Kelly is awesome for all ages and she helps me customize half the exercises. Locker-Room (Female side): The locker-room just reopened (after a year of being closed for COVID). Normally, they have a sauna room, jacuzzi, and steam-room but I don't know if those have reopened; otherwise, it's just lockers, bathrooms, and showers. The locker-room facilities are definitely older, but they have everything you need (including a bathing-suit spinner, hair dryers, flat-irons, and q-tips). COVID safety: This is going to sound cheesy, but it's true: I feel safer at the gym than I do at the doctor's office based on how well SACdt is keeping it clean. From the start, SACdt implemented thorough rules for keeping members safe at the gym, but their cleaning team is keeping it sterilized! They have an app to pick specific times to come in, there are limitations to five people per room in each session, in-between sessions their house-cleaning team cleans every machine and apparatus, they are checking temps at the front desk, and everyone is wearing masks. Personal Trainer: Lisa is AMAZING. I feel so ENERGIZED on days I work out! What do I mean by energized? You know the term "runner's high" that no one except runners seems to know---well, I am fairly certain this is what they mean (or as close as I'll ever get to it, because I am no runner). I'm pretty sure they do trial passes so you can try before you buy. ---------------------------------------- TLDR: - Personal training at SAC has changed my quality of life - SACdt has everything: Pool, squash courts, indoor track, mini climbing machine, basketball, body-composition machines, personal trainers, water aerobics, massages, boxing room---it is the most full-service gym I have ever been to. - COVID safe: Everything is cleaned each hour; Everyone is wearing masks; They did something cool to the HVAC system (no pun intended). read more

See all

This is a nice gym with friendly staff with lots of amenities. There's a large variety of equipment and classes so it's tough to get bored here. The facility itself is older but it feels like it's well maintained and very clean. I really like that I can reserve a pool lane ahead of time so I don't have to wait for a lane. The classes are all very approachable with helpful instructors and I felt this way even about classes I was trying for the first time. I also appreciate that the gym has a lounge area with wifi that's good enough to take a work meeting on if you need to, and I've taken meetings there so I can have enough time to get a workout in before/after a busy day. read more

What a great gym! Large and spacious with everything you need. I love that it is never very crowded. I especially like the LifeFitness treadmills - very high quality. The locker rooms also have a sauna and I believe steam room. There is a pool, basketball court, squash, and much more. The crowd runs a little older, including in the morning fitness classes, but we loved it and had a great experience doing a 1-week pass while we were visiting from NY. Was really happy with this gym! read more

This club was easy to sign up and the staff were very kind in showing us around. The gym has many great amenities for all fitness levels. The gym is very clean and has a great environment read more

2 stars for this gym for several reasons: 1-super outdated feel to the gym. It really feels like you walked back in time into 70s-80s with the dingy lighting, ugly paint color, archaic photos, and some really old cardio equipment (I'm looking at you, stairmaster) 2-the ridiculous and unforgiving policies. The fact that there is a different price for people 30 and above is really absurd to me. They won't even give your spouse the lower membership cost if they're under 30. $115 per person is pretty ridiculous considering how outdated and dead the place feels. The only reason we fork over this price is because it's so close to our apartment and because there is never a line to use the squat rack. Another ridiculous policy is how if you leave for a set period of time, they will not waive or even lower the exorbitant initiation fee of $450 that they charge. Your only option is to pause membership and STILL BE REQUIRED TO PAY HALF OF YOUR MONTHLY DUES each month. Crazy. 3-I have had unpleasant interactions with their fitness manager, Jacob. He came off with an undertone of snark and condescension in his email correspondence with me, and gave me super brief breakdown of my body composition, a service they offer for new members, while giving my partner a very in depth review (he seems to be much more interactive and jovial with other fellow buff males). The only thing I like about this gym is that I never have to wait for a rack, and the personal trainer named Melissa. She is a joy to have around. read more

Seattle Athletic Club - Gyms Near Me - Seattle, Washington

If you're visiting from out of town, forget about trying to obtain a day pass to work out. After charging me $20 to work out of their club on my 1st day of travel, they denied me that same opportunity, the 2nd day of my trip, because they "don't do day passes." The Ace Hotel, where I am staying in Seattle, previously provided vouchers to work out at their club. The Ace tried to call on my behalf, & the SAC didn't call them back. Working out as a tourist should not have to be this difficult! read more

This is what I received in an email when I stopped by to inquire about a membership, after a one month $200.00 trial. I WAS ACTUALLY GOING TO JOIN UNTIL THEY WERE EXTREMELY RUDE! "I understand you were in the club this morning to use our restroom facilities. I see your membership was extended due to an injury but has since expired. Unfortunately seeing as though we are a private club we do not have public facilities to non-members. Please let me know if I can be of further assistance or answer any questions." FROM THE MANAGER Desiree Valdovinos read more

I am a former member of SAC for seven years. I called today to buy a one day guest pass (visiting from Vashon) and was informed the only way I could get entry was to reactivate my former membership. There apparently is no staff in the membership office on weekends even If I had any interest in reactivating. Bad vibe and bad policy. I'll go elsewhere and don't recommend the Seattle Athletic Club. read more

The general manager is extremely rude and has created a negative environment at the club. The old squash pros were great, but he let them go and has hired new ones which has resulted in lowering the quality of coaching. Canceled membership and hopefully the owner will improve the club management soon. read more

Not for out of town guests looking for a place to workout for a few days or a few weeks. They said they offered a week "membership" but wouldn't say how much. They said the membership office had to do share that, but they don't open until 10:30 so if you want to workout before work, you're out of luck. Made no sense. read more

The Seattle Athletic Club was pretty much my second home through my childhood and adulthood from year 1996 thru July 2020, when the pandemic hit. Fond memories were created with my family and friends on the basketball court, weightlifting room, racquetball courts, and cardio room. Membership prices were definitely on the steeper end, but you get what you pay for especially the privacy and cleanliness compared to public gyms with a much lower price tag. Quarterly or bi-annual members only events would be held with live music and catering or privately held at a nice venue/restaurant. Unfortunately, all good things slowly came to an end with free parking across the street being removed as part of the gym membership, which is critical since the club is situated in downtown Seattle. Sauna, steam and spa rooms suffered more closures with slower than acceptable reopening timelines, especially for the membership fees charged. As a member for 24 years, I didn't see the end of my membership until I began to experience how the Club handled the government mandated gym closures driven by the pandemic. Members continued to be charged 1/3 of their gym fees (remember these gym fees are $100+ per member per month) even though members were unable to enter and use the facilities. That's absolutely absurd. Not knowing when these restrictions would be lifted and having already continued to pay for three months of non gym usage, I made the difficult yet best decision to cancel my membership. I will say that majority of the front desk and housekeeping staff were amazing, but improvements are beyond needed for Management. I understand times are tough, but please take care of your customers/members. Without them, business will not exist. Plain and simple. read more

I love this gym! I have been going here for about 2 years, I love the un-pretentious-ness, yet full amenity gym that they offer. The staff is absolutely amazing and always so sweet. The classes and teachers are great, very spacious, great equipment, big pool, sauna, steam room, hot tub, etc....and they finally re-opened the cafe! (yay). I really don't think these reviews are doing this gym any justice! It's a little older but I like it :) read more

For the last eight years I have had multiple surgeries, gone to a dozen specialists, and have worked with four different physical therapy outfits. I deal with chronic mobility issues that previously made it seem impossible to find a fitness and strengthening routine that I could perform regularly and sustainably without pain or injury. Until my time at SAC, no other medical or fitness professional had been able to crack the code. I was miserable and pretty hopeless. Earlier this year, I had the good fortune of being introduced to Jacob Luckey, the SAC fitness director, who was the first person that was able to put a logical theory together on the biomechanical issues I was experiencing. After a few email and phone exchanges and then meeting in person for one session, he was able to wrap his head around what may be going on. He then paired me with Joe McColskey for one-on-one personal training. I cannot say enough good things about Joe. He is an incredible trainer and human. The work he did with me was literally life-changing, not only in the strength work that we did, but also the hurdles that he helped me overcome and the confidence he helped me build in myself. His level of patience and empathy is extraordinary. I am not a "jock" and previously had found it incredibly difficult to find a trainer that was holistically focused and sensitive to my legitimate medical concerns, past trauma, and anxiety around training safely. Joe was all of that and more and truly receives my highest praises. I was genuinely excited every day I got to train with him and he has the kindest soul. Our sessions were both physical training and therapy sessions. If you are someone that wants to train with a "real human" who is also incredibly bright and knowledgeable, go to Joe! read more

This place is OUTSTANDING! I was so happy to find out while staying at the Inn at the Market these two places are in cahootz and offer a $15 fay pass for this gym (I am a gym rat so being gone for four days was going to be quite difficult for me without my usual swim and weights... not to mention pilates!) You better believe I hit this spot up! Although it is a bit outdated, the staff was SOOOOO friendly, I literally felt like I was back in Tacoma at my usual YMCA! The pool is salt water which was amazing (my skin felt so much better than the nasty chlorine I usually swim in), and they have an awesome variety of workout rooms with free weights, machines, stretching/yoga/pilates equipment. The women's locker room was soooooo nice (private showers including shampoo, conditioner, soap, hair dryers, cotton swabs and Q-tips, straighteners, curling irons, lotion, etc.) They also have a hot tub, steam room and sauna for women only! I was planning to try out the pilates class however I was on vacation and just did not feel like getting up... maybe next time? My ONLY issue is the pool is not standard length so it was difficult for me to figure out how many miles I was swimming, and to get into my groove (as soon as I got going it was time to turn around). The water level is also much lower that normal and because I "touch and go" it really hurt my shoulder and back to have to lift my body so high out of the water to do this. I would recommend attending this gym if you have access to the day pass :) read more

Seattle Athletic Club - Gyms Near Me - Seattle, Washington

A friend and billionaire was looking for a quick access to a pool, he was rudely turned away for not having a membership. Typical type of business and mindset that will close post-pandemic. read more

I feel VERY blessed to be a happy member of the Seattle Athletic Club since 2003! The staff is outstanding! They are warm and friendly! The squash courts are first class, and the squash programs are excellent! The Club has facilities for Yoga, Pilates, basketball, cardio, free weights, a Cybex room swimming, and many more !!! An investment for good health is the best way to spend my free time and my money! Robert Mussehl SAC # 7084520 You gave the wrong name for my review. My wife is Misook Chung, and she is not a member. I clearly stated above that my name is Robert Mussehl read more

A review from a woman in her 20s: If this gym weren't a block away from me, I would steer far away from this place. Today was the second time i've been harassed out of my 2.5 years of being a member here and it's exhausting having to deal with angry, entitled, caucasian men who think this place is a CrossFit gym. With the limited capacity and time slots due to covid, you would expect that people would be respectful towards others, but nope. You'll have people who will take up multiple stations at a time to super-set and get angry when you take their weights off of a bar that is VACANT, because apparently they're still working out right there there when they are clearly OUT OF SIGHT. This has not only happened to me, but also my boyfriend numerous times by different members. The only difference is that as a woman, you're harassed and made to feel small and insignificant. Today, this man kept going up to my boyfriend to seek validation from my partner when he was clearly in the wrong and trying to belittle me instead of owning up to his actions or confronting me himself. This is the second time i've come across this issue and both times the trainers in the area have been complacent towards intervening and coming up with solutions. There is a repulsive culture of authority, entitlement, and ego at this gym that makes being a member here extremely difficult, but because they are the only "traditional" gym in the area, they get away with outdated machines, toxic elitist culture, and not holding inconsiderate members accountable. I'm writing this review so that management can truly address this issue. The first time I got harassed I brought it up with upper management and was given a "we're sorry for your troubles" free smoothie card. I hope that they take some time to truly listen and make necessary changes where they cultivate a SAFE, warm, and welcoming, atmosphere for ALL of their members. read more

I've been a member at SAC for about four years. I originally joined because it's one of the only places in Seattle that has squash courts, but I have stayed because they literally have everything else you could possibly want. I've been to gyms and athletic clubs all over the world. SAC is one of the best. The gym is in Pike Place Market, in an older building, so don't expect shiny aesthetics. But, none of that takes away from the quality and variety of equipment and classes the club has to offer (they are constantly upgrading, cleaning and rejigging things -- so there is always something new to try). Again, it has literally everything you could want. There are still machines, classes and gadgets that I've yet to use. Not because they are useless, but because I'm still working through and mastering other things. The staff is similar to the equipment -- a complete range of professionals with depths of knowledge unlike any gym I have been to. Most of the trainers and staff have been with SAC for many years. Which tells you something, especially when it comes to gyms. There are no meathead membership guys, pushing 12 year commitments on you; and every trainer has a specialty of their own. They are educated, mature and profoundly interested in one thing: helping you achieve your goals. If one can't help with an issue you're having, or doesn't know what exercise to recommend to you, they have no problem referring you to someone who might. I've done personal training sessions with two of the many trainers (Jacob Luckey and Joe Mccolskey), and both had amazing things to share with me. I planned to do one or two sessions with each trainer to work on various techniques, but ended up doing many more sessions because it was fun, challenging and helped improve whatever I was working on. I've also had interactions with just about every other trainer. Whether it's for a quick spot on the bench press, asking about my weekend, helping with an exercise that's not intuitive, or chatting about life events, they are all great to get to know. I use the childcare service for my infant and this is also incredibly helpful. Being a stay at home dad is not easy, so knowing that I can bring the baby to the gym daily eases some of that stress. If you're looking for an LA Fitness, this probably isn't the right gym for you. But, if you're looking for a place that will make you feel respected, appreciated, and right at home, SAC is the spot for you. read more

I am 43 and have been coming to this club since I was a child. My father has been a member for 30 years and sadly, the SAC seems to have very little customer loyalty. Today, they refused to honor a punch card I had purchased which I was not able to use the last time I was in town due to a snow storm (the entire city was basically shut down and no buses were running/ my car was stuck in the driveway). While this seems like a small offense, the manager could have at least offered to honor it for the day and made no incentive to work with me, despite the fact that my family has paid this club thousands of dollars over the years. I would never work out here again on principle. read more

Everything is fine until you try to freeze or cancel your membership. I called them to ask if I could put my membership on hold for a month since I'll be traveling and won't be in town. They told me to do that I need to provide a written notice 30 days ahead and the minimum duration for membership freezing is 3 months. What's more ridiculous is that during this 3-months period I will still be charged 1/3 of the membership fee every month! That's more than $30 per month for NOT using the gym at all! A written notice 30 days ahead is also required to cancel the membership. I've been a member for over a year at this place now but they just don't seem to care what their customers need at all, at least in my case. I'm going to cancel my membership and I would definitely not recommend this place to anyone who might be interested in joining. read more

The Ace hotel has no gym, so I headed over to SAC one morning during my stay in Seattle... (For Ace guests, it's a $15 daily fee, which isn't too bad considering this gym has everything you need and more to get a great workout in). I was bummed that there weren't any classes that appealed to me during the time that worked for my schedule, but I managed to motivate and get my own little interval workout going on the treadmill. The gym itself is a bit outdated, but the staff is super friendly. The front desk people were warm and bubbly as was the woman working at the little cafe downstairs. I can't compare SAC to other gyms in the area, but I was pleased with my experience and wouldn't hesitate to return again... next time, I hope to either take a class or take advantage of the indoor pool. I love checking out gyms around the country when I travel and SAC is no exception! read more

The saline pool is hard to beat - great staff, always friendly and professional. Always very clean. It's right at the market and now we have to pay $2 to park (after validation) but that is something that they can control. read more

I've been going to the Downtown Seattle Athletic Club for many years, mostly using the yoga studio. I had been experiencing chronic neck and shoulder pain, and had tried physical therapy, as recommended by my doctor three times over the past few years, for 10 weeks or more each time. Physical therapy didn't address the whole problem, though, and the pain would return. I even tried getting steroid shots in my spine to address the constant pain. I've started working with a physical trainer, Jacob Luckey, at the club, and the pain has subsided. I'm still working with him to help further isolate the source of the past problems, to become stronger overall, and to avoid injury and build confidence using these muscles. When I started a few months ago, I sometimes couldn't even raise my arm up in the air due to nerve pain. This exacerbated the problem because I would literally stop using that arm, it was so painful and awkward. Things like cooking dinner and lifting everyday items had become extremely uncomfortable. I'm so happy with the results because I'm now much more mobile and not afraid to move anymore. This has made a positive difference in my personal and family life! The staff are very professional, and even though I had never been in the weight room before, they made me feel comfortable asking questions about everything. Scheduling was easy, and I really feel that they're tuning in to what I need for my specific body. The pandemic has taken a toll on our mental health, and being able to tune into yoga classes via Zoom got me through my days during the past year and a half. Friday noon yoga with Frances Hammond especially reduced stress, and now I'm glad I can attend in person again. Fran Gallo is another favorite instructor, and I'm looking forward to seeing her again soon, too. On a side note, the staff are diligent about safety measures, and the facility is being cleaned constantly. I recommend this club, and I enjoy working with the people there. read more

I would ideally give this place 0 stars! The review is for the management and not the facilities of the club itself. When we enquired to be members of the club, there were three of us interested to join in. My brother and husband being the other interested people. My husband was a part of the club long time ago, but was asked to pay the initiation amount again as he was considered a new member but they would not give any new member benefits as he was an alumni. The rules just weirdly differ. The representative - specifically Ido, gave us information about a family plan for the three of us and we provided all the details. We submitted our application and were charged membership fees and made members. However, the next day itself, we were told that the family membership is not meant for our situation and the director - Carmen actually wrote an email saying - "I am sure it was just an oversight and not intentional as a way to get one free month". This is hands down the worst customer service! She also referred me as my husband's sister which is highly offensive(and ignorant) and even after mentioning the same, both Ido and Carmen didn't apologize even once. We were then asked to provide documentation as a proof of our marriage. I have no issues in providing any proof but the first time around our membership went through without any proof. Secondly, Ido and Carmen were somehow convinced that I was my husband's sister in spite of the application form stating otherwise. I know a bunch of people who have not been asked for a proof, I would like to understand why was an exception made for them or why were we being asked to prove our marriage the second time around and how they got confused in spite of several emails and application forms. It makes me think that they don't care about any member, can't bother to get any details right, try to accuse people of lying when representatives here didn't know who would be eligible for a family plan and aren't even apologetic when they make a mistake(repeatedly calling me as my husbands sister is not okay). I have written emails out asking the same but have received no response since over a week now. This is highly unacceptable and rude! WORST PLACE!! read more

This is a bittersweet review. This month I've resigned my membership in the SAC due to nothing more than financial priorities and practicality. I can't say enough good things about the SAC. From the management, to the front desk staff to the personal trainers, the SAC has done an incredible job of hiring top notch professionals who know the meaning of providing outstanding customer service. What made the club a special place for me were two amazingly incredible people who set me on a path of fitness and lifestyle changes that have improved my life 1000%. On the day that I signed up, I couldn't make the walk up the hill on Virginia Street without having to stop in the middle and rest. Today I can say that walk is just the last step of my workout! Will Paton and Kendra Kainz made such an impacful difference on my life. Kendra met with me initially to discuss my fitness and weight loss goals. She set me up with Will Paton, because I had expressed an interest in boxing skills and Will is a trainer who teaches boxing fitness. Will was the match I needed, he is highly professional, yet he put up with my quirky sense of humor and sarcasm. Though there were many times when I wanted to "tap out" Will would steadfastly keep pushing me to achieve more and do more. After six months of training with Will, I was down 25 pounds, my measurements and stamina were vastly improved. Will gave me the tools to step out on my own and keep up a program of maintaining my personal fitness and reaching new goals. Kendra was my "coach in the corner." Though technically, she could have considered her work done after matching me with Will, she was always there with a smile, words of encouragement and asking me what I was going to do to take my fitness to the next level. Though she is a busy woman, Kendra always made time for a short chat and a cheerful, "keep up the great work" conversation. In December of 2016, she nominated me for Outstanding Member of the Year for the achievements I had made over a 9 month period. The SAC is and always will be special to me. Will and Kendra gave me a new lease and outlook on life for which I will always be greatful. I now have the tools and information I need to keep this up on my own and, for my two sponsors, I will keep it up and honor the work they did with me to help me get to this point. I highly recommend this Seattle Athletic Club as a premier place to achieve your physical fitness goals. read more

Seattle Athletic Club is awesome!! The staff is super friendly, there are a lot of great amenities, and its the best/only place to play squash in Seattle! read more

It's clean and has what you need, but it's old and very cramped. The cardio space is as tight as I've ever seen in a gym...ever. I came on two days while staying in a nearby hotel. It served its purpose, but I'd never be a member here. The ceilings in the weight room are cramped, you feel as if in a cave. The locker rooms are in dire need of a facelift. Yes, it's a gym, but there are so many more options. read more

It's hard to find someone I don't like, who works at SAC. I always have a good feeling when I walk into the club. Everyone is so friendly at the front desk and the trainers are amazing. SAC works with businesses in the areas to do workout challenges/competitions so employees can take advantage of the services without having to pay a membership fee. Our company has partnered with SAC to do a self defense class and one of their yoga instructors will be conducting a class for our employees! I've been going there for almost 3 years now. Currently, my coworkers and I see Jacob once a week for a tailored workout, which we've been doing for a couple of years now. Jacob is incredibly knowledgeable and attentive. Because of him, i'm sad when I miss a session. SAC also offers some amazing massage services - Ivy is awesome and very skilled at what she does. read more

I've been a member of the SAC for almost 3 years now, mostly for the squash courts. The club is always in amazing condition, has great facilities, locker rooms, and most importantly, caring staff! Folks at the front desk recognize you, Tatu and Annelize always want to chat and hear about your game, and overall has a good vibes. Despite being younger than most folk, everyone is open to jumping into a rotation and generally shoot the s**t. If you're looking for a gym to join, I wouldn't recommend any other. read more

I've been going to this gym for little over a year now and have had great success with it. The trainers seem nice but have only interacted with Melissa and Emily. Melissa Barasona is probably the nicest person you'll ever meet in your life, and offers to help you even without paying her (which she totally is worth any amount!) she has helped me with lots of my questions and my form on many exercises. One unique feature for her is she likes to introduce new people to each other so everyone feels included in the SAC family. (Since it can be scary to start a new gym) If you're looking for a trainer, she's your girl! Haven't had any interaction with the night time male trainers, they aren't as easily approachable read more

Front desk staff rude and dismissive when I asked about parking location. Whatever. Then, while walking to the locker room I got hollered at from the other desk attendant because he didn't see me check in. So I descended into the basement to the weight room and realized mid workout that I couldn't breathe. The air is stuffy, humid and I subsisted on triple recycled C02. Basically, lack of ventilation and moist, floating ball sweat molecules ended my workout prematurely. I don't like this location. It was such an unpleasant experience that I'm waiting for the Northgate gym to reopen to continue my normal routine. read more

I've had such a positive experience here! The environment is extremely friendly and supportive. I've been in the middle of a workout and had someone walk by (seeing me struggle with my last rep) and give me the thumbs up to keep it going! And there are towels everywhere! I've been to a gym where you had to leave your ID to get one towel. Not here, there are towels galore and they are always fresh and clean and placed everywhere so you can wipe down the machines easily. Not only that I'm always seeing someone wiping down the cardio machines and making sure everything is kept clean. The staff is fantastic. From the front desk to the locker room everyone is super helpful. When I couldn't find one of the group workout rooms someone on the staff walked me directly to it because it was tricky to find. My trainer (Kendra!) is so wonderful to work with! My goal has been to get stronger and she is always finding new and fun ways to help me reach my goal. When something doesn't work due to prior injuries she always finds an alternative. Her supportive and positive attitude makes it so much better to go to the gym! It's been a great experience for me and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a place to work out in a friendly environment! read more

My friends are members of the SAC. It's a nice club and I've come here to play basketball and some racquetball. I would probably join this gym if I didn't work and live on the east side. The staff are really nice and the locker room was clean. read more

This review is in regards to personal trainer, Greg Svoboda. Greg is great! I started working out, for the first time in my life, about 2 months ago. I see Greg weekly, and I have learned so much. He explains why you're doing what you're doing in a way that is easy to understand and fun. I HATED working out until I started working with Greg. In 2 months I can already see and feel changes in my body. Suddenly my belts are all loose, while gaining strength I've never had before. I can't recommend Greg enough!!! read more

I recently moved to Downtown and was excited about the Seattle Athletic Club as it was about 3 blocks form my house. When I arrived it was dark, old, outdated in comparison with other clubs/gyms I have been to in the area with very little in the way of natural light. It was however large with many amenities and it was right down the street so I asked about a membership as I have worked out in much worse facilities. When I was given the pricing I about fell over in my chair. I am in my 30's and because I am "old" I have a different pricing plan for those that are "young". When I asked if my wife who is under 30 could benefit from the different rate I was instructed yet again, no because YOU are old. I have never in my life seen a business model like this, I have had a gym membership in 5 different countries and have never been made to feel like I felt walking out of Seattle Athletic Club. When I expressed my shock and humiliation, as it made me feel that I should OBVIOUSLY be making MUCH more money at the age of 30, I was basically given a shoulder shrug and the comment, you're more than welcome to talk to the general manager. In Short, if you're under 30 and want to go to a club that is old, dark and empty its a decent price. If you're over 30 its apparent they only want your business if you pay through the nose. $400 sign up fee along with $120 a month. with taxes and administration fees its over 500$ to walk through the door. Under 30 was $80 a month so yes, if you are 30 or over, you will pay 50% more, just because you are 30. The actual gym itself is outdated and dark, it does however have a basketball court and a gym. For the price however.... terrible deal, if you're "Old" that is. read more

I've been a member here for nearly two years. I've taken classes and use the pool and cardio machines regularly. This is a solid gym, one of only a handful of diverse full-service fitness centers in Seattle. LA Fitness, Olympic Athletic Club are probably the two others that offer as much diversity of activities. The good: They have some great staff. Only one or two in the two years I've been there have been kinda questionable in knowledge or interest. The front desk is friendly and most of them go out of their way to remember your name, where you like your locker, etc. They can help you from getting a hair tie if you forget (they have a box of them!) to letting you know when the free coffee is being brewed in the morning. The towel staff, as I call them, who are always replenishing the towels, are super. The towels! There are always, always towels. And they are pretty good for gym towels, even though at times I feel, small for my regular size bod. (These are the showering towels, not to be confused with the workout towels they also offer) They have a million different offerings for fitness. Pilates, yoga classes, cycling, lifting. I like all the classes that I have taken here and the instructors. They have a full weight room, plus another room just for boxing. It seems like they have a million squash courts, but its probably closer to eight or ten, plus two racquet ball courts. They have basketball and badminton and a full set of cardio equipment. The best part about all of this: the only time it's ever busy is about 1 pm on Saturday. I've been there a million different times, and there is never a wait. I've never waited for anything, actually. The pool is pretty clean in my opinion, although to be fair, while lap swimming, I do not look at the bottom of the pool. They also offer each month some "one-off" classes or activities, such as learning about all the weight room machines or how to set up your own lifting plan or free nutrition classes and such. They usually don't have a lot of attendance, which is a shame, because they are really great and informational. Although, I hesitate to tell more people to go since it's nice to be part of a small group... They have a smallish cafe with juice and pre-made salads and wraps. It's nice to be able to sit afterwards and just chill and watch some tv. I feel really comfortable in this gym, and like going here. They validate my parking between 10-3 and the rest of the time it is free in the Marketplace garage across the street. The bad: This place, for the cost, is dated. The inside could use a good remodel and update. While serviceable, some parts are just worn. The women's locker room have some places where the ceiling leaks, and do not look between the spaces between the lockers or where they join at the corners, because the layer of dirt and dust is probably a foot high (I wish I was exaggerating this). Sometimes the showers, while never not unclean, could use a little extra somethin'. The grouting is clean, not yucky, but sometimes you think, hmmm, this could be scrubbed a bit more. The sink area seems to be having some kind of ant problem currently that I'm sure they are aware of. When I joined, I was supposed to get the "free" 30 minute swim lesson, free Pilates lesson, free training session, etc. The lady who runs this portion fell down on the job and didn't contact me for two months. When she did do that, it was to tell me she had broken her leg. I then had to contact her, which I did, three months later. She was not helpful, and tried to push me into things I wasn't interested in doing. The swim instructor was difficult to contact. I gave up on that. I was never contacted by a trainer for a free training session, although I took a free class to learn about weight machines, and the trainer who ran that gave me a free session out of her time, which goes back to the awesome staff they have as mentioned above. The members are generally older. The place is also very quiet, which, depending on who you are, might bother you. People aren't stopping in large groups and chatting. They drop in, do their workout and leave, without the social. Some other reviewer felt it was odd. It was to me too when I joined. I called it the "silent city". It's not the place to go to network. But now I'm one of the "silent" members. I workout and leave. The cost is pretty steep here for a month, over $100 for me. But most big employers offer a discount. And, well, it is a full-service athletic club. Whew, this is a review. In parting, I like it, try it, see if it's for you. read more

The SAC isn't a terrible place, but it really didn't fit what I look for in a gym. I go to the gym to lift. I do some cardio, play some sports, but primarily I am a weightlifter. That said, the environment was less than ideal. Yes, they have the essentials, but it could use more of them. I also don't really like the adjustable and seated benches they have for dumbbells. The cardio area is decent, but I prefer the cardio machines having personal TVs rather than the plasma "theater" they have at the SAC. Also, they only have a few regular bikes. Locker rooms are well kept and clean, and I do like getting a key to a locker every time I go to the gym. More convenient than having to drag a lock down with me. One thing I found odd...and you can take this as good, bad, or inconsequential...but I've been to many gyms across the country, and none had as many people hanging out naked in the locker room as at the SAC. I found this very strange. They had some interesting-sounding classes. The reason I say interesting-sounding and not just interesting is that the cost is astronomical. You'd think since I'm paying anywhere from $80-$120/month just to be a member, that classes would be free. Well, only the basic ones are. Anything that I would consider attending, such as boxing, all-sports conditioning, etc, cost in the realm of $200/month ADDITIONAL. All-in-all, I'm leaving the SAC because A) for me anyway, the cost/benefit ratio does not add up and B) the social, "hey let's hang out in the gym" clientèle does not really mesh with my "I'm here to work" philosophy. read more

I've been a member for over a year now and really want to rave about this gym but for the price (just over $100/month for one person), I wish the club could make sure the little things are taken care of. The personal trainers don't track their sessions with their clients. They don't write down the exercises or amount of weight used so they have no idea which exercises/body parts were worked on during their last session with their clients. This means that from week to week trainers don't know which exercise they've done with you or if they are using the same (or less) amount of weight as last time. Also, every time I visit the club on a Sunday, the cardio area has no wet wipes for the machines. So then we're forced to use the quat spray which is a hospital grade disinfectant. I've seen veterinarians use quat to clean litter boxes. Who wants to touch or inhale that? This outage of wipes only seems to happen on Sunday for some reason. Compared to other gyms in the area (not including the WAC), the gym has nice equipment although the facility is old and half of it is in the windowless basement. I also wish they would upgrade the lockers to be keyless (you create your own 4 digit code) like a lot of the newer gyms I've been to. The gym is closed once a year (in August) for an entire week so they can make updates/repairs. Members do not receive any sort of discount for this week. And as another Yelper mentioned, the updates are sparse. It only occurred to me recently that in the nearly 20 years I've been a member of some gym, I have never belonged to one that closes for a week to make updates. The types of updates they make during this week such as replacing the carpet in ONE area of the gym or redoing the basketball court could be done without closing the entire gym and by simply closing off one section of the gym at a time. I feel dubious about this once a year closing (as if there is some money grubbing business angle) but can't quite put my finger on why they do this. read more

Seattle Athletic Club is a great place to train and elevate your game. The staff is super friendly, the instructors are great, the group classes really fun and motivating and the club truly supports their members with one-to-one sessions, advices, etc... Plus they have all the facilities (from an indoor running track to a 20-yards pool), right in the city center. I can only recommend this place! read more

Overall, the SAC is an excellent place to join. It tends to be a little pricier than a chain gym like Gold's or 24 Hour Fitness, but you do get the benefit of a fairly large cardio room, bb court, lap pool and racquetball courts. Most of the classes are free (spin, step, BOSU ball, weight training, masters swim), and they also offer short-termed speciality training classes (tri training, etc.). Not too crowded or a pick up place in the mornings or at lunch (not sure about the evenings). Why it deserved 5 stars: the staff. In particular, the trainers. All are great at customizing your workout to meet your particular goals, being flexible about setting you up on a weekly or even monthly schedule, and will really teach you what that tiny muscle is back there that all of sudden screams out when you do the exercise (it looked so simple when they were doing it). Shout out to Elizabeth, who has been a very supportive and enthusiastic trainer. She is fun to work with, but really pushes your limits. For women who are wanting to build some self confidence, or just learn how to work in strength training into their workout (got to ladies, to keep those bones healthy), she is really good to work with. And before you know it, that tiny muscle back there looks pretty nice! Why it gets 4 stars: difficult to get in and out during rush hour. Located near Pike Place Market, traffic is terrible during tourist season, and they validate parking only during certain times. Check ahead if you are driving to work out. (Excellent though if you work or live near there.) read more