I really, really wanted to love this location of YMCA for its gym, but I just don't. The parking lot is always jammed packed, the equipment has seen better days, and there's always at least 2 treadmills shutdown for service. Once I was on one and it glitched on me going from 3.6 speed to 6! Anyway, if that wasn't enough there's virtually no space and you may bump into people on equipment (dangerous). The locker room smells and the classes are always full. Sure if you want a lesser expensive gym w a sauna, maybe you could forgive all of those issues, but for me it's just not it. I will say the customer service is phenomenal. Everyone who works there surely make up for the lackluster gym experience. read more

Just joined the Y at this location. The staff member who gave a tour was great and explained everything and all of the facilities. We have tried some of the classes (all free) and I have to say this is a great gym. It was clean and it does get a lot of traffic. The price is way less than my old gym and you definitely get more for your money. read more

I usually come here with my dogs, but this time I came to the Dancel With Wolves. Get it. Dancel... with... wolves... What do you mean you're too young to remember that movie. It's a cultural icon from a time when th... Nevermind. Oh, and did you know, this location is managed and run by Dancel Washington? TRUE STORY. This is a rather excellent YMCA and is actually one of the best ones I've used anywhere in the country. Everything works perfectly and they have almost everything that I would want. There's a couple of little issues but the vast majority of things about this YMCA are five star quality, and I've been giving a lot of 2, 3, and 4 stars to YMCA locations lately, so it's really great for me to finally find another awesome 5 star facility, as they seem to be (sadly) few and far between. So the Dancel. It feels brand new like the Reston VA one, but without some of the downsides of that one, and with more space to breathe and move, and way less crowded and with better AC. It's better than pretty much any of the ones in the DC area. By far the best location in the Baltimore area. Better than most that I've used up and down the Northeast region. I can't really say enough good things about this particular location. Very friendly staff as well. And lots of attractive people using the gym, also plenty of older people, so you'll feel at home whether you're young and hot, or old and... hot. It can get a little bit busy later in the afternoon and evening but for the most part this is a top-notch gym. Parking wasn't too much of a struggle. Pretty much perfect across the board. Not that I've met the board. If I had, I guess I'd be friends with Dancel Washington. And I've been wondering, philosophically speaking... Are we human? Or are we Dancel? I only ask because my sign is vital, my hands are cold, and I'm on my knees looking for the answer. read more

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I joined about a year ago. I really enjoy it, most of all the yoga classes and sauna. However, it has been so crowded lately, that you are literally inches away from your neighbor doing yoga. Other members keep coming in, taking any tiny sliver of space that's left, and it makes the experience not enjoyable at all. The parking lot is packed, the sauna is packed. If you keep adding members, you should take some measures to ensure that members can actually participate in the classes. Do you plan to add anymore weekend yoga classes? I cant tell you how many times I have had someone's feet touch my head, or their elbow touch my side. The teachers are great, but you need more classes to accommodate all the members you are adding that want to take yoga! read more

We joined the Y because they had a competitive swim team. We were always happy with it until this week. The Y canceled the only practice time my child could attend and also canceled another important part of swim training. The Y sent an email about the cancelation and compared competitive swim to "splash time". Extremely insulting and apparent that the person who sent it is oblivious to what a swim team is. Worst part is that I have sent numerous emails to the Y about my concerns and have not gotten a response. No response in two days is very poor customer service. read more

When I see all of the reviews about the bullying, employees not caring about people injuring themselves in standing water, employees being jerks just to be jerks, overcrowding, sub-par facilities, I am not suprised. I just quit my membership because the apathy and attitude and overcrowding is just too much to bear. The attitude is, what do you expect for the price? They consider it a CHARITY GYM and they are doing you a favor for giving you such a good deal and you should just shut up and be grateful. Dirtiest water I have ever seen in the warm pool, and the ambiance is horrible as is hasn't gotten a coat of paint in decades. I mentioned to someone at my place of work, that I had a Y membership, and the first thing they said was "the thing I hate about the Y's is that they use so much chlorine." Yes, so much it will burn your eyes and lungs and skin. But, just be glad they are giving you subsidized swimming experience and learn to live with it. Update: Response below is double-speak. I spoke to two different "managers" on different occasions, one was a teen or early 20s, who said "yeah, we know, we get complaints like that" and proceeded to zone out into space. The pool is unpainted. The water is soupy and cloudy. I quit going because it was way too crowded, which they are painfully aware of but gloss over. Cholorine in a pool is NOT supposed to burn your eyes (even with goggles), skin, and lungs to the point that it is painful. I guess you get what you pay for. It is gov't subsidized. I stand by my assessment that the attitude there is, "well, what do you expect?" Look at the preponderance of 1 star reviews and don't feign surpise when you see another one. read more

COVID-19 REVIEW Today was my first time back in the gym since COVID. Arrived around 8:40am or so, and was surprised that there was hardly anyone there. Mask are required, they do temperature checks when you come in, and ask you a series of questions related to symptoms and exposure before you're allowed in. The equipment area has a long wall shield in the cardio equipment area so that the cardio machines that face each other won't be exposed to each other. Every other cardio machine is closed. I noticed all of the staff and almost all of the gym members had their mask on while they were working out. Everyone in strength had it on, a couple people doing cardio didn't, but they were spaced out, so i wasn't personally bothered by it, and they put it back on once they were done with their cardio. I will agree it is hard to wear the mask while doing heavy cardio, especially as an asthmatic. They have closed the ATHLINKS print out / logging station for now, I'm guessing due to COVID Locker rooms are open, but they have some sections of lockers closed for COVID. I think it would have made better sense for them to close off every other locker instead of keeping two long rows open and having one row closed, but that's just my opinion. They close the lockers every hour or so to sanitize them. Water fountains are closed for drinking, but they didn't actually turn off the water. The water bottle fill up stations remain open since those don't require any contact. They also have hand sanitizer stations set up around and have sanitizing wipes in the equipment area for you to wipe your equipment down before and after you use it. read more

I love coming here. I especially love the heated pool. That pool is everything when your in the mood to swim but its a cold day. The employees are a bit neutral-not super friendly but not mean either. The gym is really nice too and I really like that they have a good selection of class offerings. read more

Up to date equipment, fun classes to choose from and my favorite spot after a good workout is to relax in the sauna

What a great place to get healthy! Clean, nice staff, helpful trainers, and lots of time for indoor Pickleball! Very convenient location with plenty of parking. And two pools - one lap pool and one warm pool. Lots of classes. Become a member - you won't regret it! read more

I'm giving only 2 because I wanted my membership in order to swim and the pool situation is very lacking. In the warm pool (for those who don't like freezing water) there are only 4 lanes which are rather too narrow for 2 in each lane. I tried it and kept smashing in to the other person and hitting them and visa versa. ALSO THE WATER IS DISGUSTING. IT IS CLOUDY AND SOUPY. I think the filter is not working properly? I see the lifeguard dumping chlorine in every hour but I never see them testing the water as they should. They dump in so much chlorine that it burn my lips, face, skin, eyes. And I do not have dry or sensitive skin. The chlorine fumes are in excess and quite toxic when not used properly. THIS PLACE SHOULD BE REPORTED TO WHATEVER AGENCY OVERSEES PUBLIC POOLS. Chlorine (in excess from misuse in pools) will damage lungs for life. I have brought this up to on duty "manager" (teen aged boy) and you can imagine the blank stare I got. Yes, the boy said, they gotten complaints and had issues with that. Another blank stare. So, in words, tough luck, what do you want for the price. Also, although it is probably only an aesthetic issue, the bottom of the pool (cement) is disgustingly stained all over which makes it look filthy, but most likely just gross to look at. Was it ever even repainted once since opening decades ago? read more

My primary draw to this location was to have a place where my son could engage in physical activities while I also took advantage of the classes offered to adults. I have been a member for about 6 months, and the few months were exceptional! My son was active in basketball, swim and soccer while I participated in group exercise classes. It was an ideal situation for my family. Unfortunately, the last class offered for his age range (9-11) ended in November. Between December and March, I have been told multiple times by multiple staff that Spring courses would be posted soon. We are now at the end of March, and still nothing. In fact, I just called today and was told that youth classes had begun in March, despite the fact that none are posted on the website, beyond swim, which is offered year round. I was told that next week, the classes beginning in April should be posted, which I highly doubt. The lack of classes for youth is extremely disappointing to me. It is one of the primary reasons why I joined. As the Dancel Y continues to design their programming, I hope that you keep youth in mind. As a parent, it is important to me that my child is able to have a positive experience at the Y, rather than just sitting around waiting for me to finish my classes. Please consider making changes. read more

I have been working out here for a few months since moving to the area and it's mostly a clean, laid-back, decent gym. However, not rating higher because there are some things that could be improved. The locker rooms seriously gross me out. I dread going in even to use the bathroom. I feel like they need a larger area for stretching and other exercises that don't necessarily require machines. I do various types of resistance training while in the gym, sometimes having to use that area and I feel like everyone is on top of each other over in that section. I go into the class studios when I can, but they are often having classes so I feel like there's nowhere else to go and wish there was a larger free area. It's also insanely crowded and there are not enough machines. It's stressful being on a time crunch before having to leave for work and not being able to finish a routine because literally every bench/treadmill/whatever else is always taken. I get that not having the hugest space or being able to buy rows and rows of machines may not be entirely their fault, but the fact that it's so crowded all the time can ruin the gym. Also, I'm not sure who's in charge of the music that plays in the gym, but they definitely are not pump up songs. That being said, I've liked the few classes I've taken so far, and the staff have always been very nice and pleasant. read more

I may be biased because I am an Group Exercise Instructor here BUT this is one of the cleanest facilities I have had the pleasure of working at and their classes really are top notch. I am not going to review my own classes but I will say that I used to spend a bunch of money to go to a boot camp studio and then I took the Monday Bootcamp class and I was blown away!!! I realized I had been wasting money by paying for two gyms when the instructors at the Y really know what they are doing and tailor their workouts to the members in the class! I really love this facility and you will too when you stop by...the only issue is parking sometimes so be ready for that hassle! read more

I used to go to the Pasadena Y, but since moving, I am going to the Dancel Y. The Aerobics Studio is TINY! The locker room is disgusting. Walking in there, you forget you're in Ellicott City and are instantly transported to a locker room in a 50-year old high school in West Baltimore that hasn't been updated ever. I like the group exercises in the gym where there is enough room. I haven't seen any rude staff. By the way, it's 2018. If you can't update your website as fast as your Facebook posts, I hope you consider hiring new web staff, if you have any. There is no excuse that class schedules are not updated promptly. I noticed the Columbia Association is closer to home, but I dismissed it because it was more expensive. However, since going to Dancel and dreading using the cramped, gross locker room or being crowded in the step class, my husband has been looking at CA and I'm a bit more willing to go with it. read more

Today was very disappointing of the Dancel YMCA. Both of my children had a 7:15 class. We were running 5 minutes late. There were four employees at the front. The door was locked and they claimed not to hear me banging on the door. We wasted an additional 10 minutes at the door. Disgusting! Then they stated that the y is closed. I said I have classes till 8. read more

The Dancel Y - The employees sitting there socializing. - Trainers Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

The facilities are fine and staff is friendly, but I have a few issues: 1) They have a weird policy about the lights being on during spin classes, which makes it really boring compared to other boutique spin studios. The bike displays illuminate and the light still comes in from the hallway, so it's a silly rule and makes the class infinitely less fun. 2) Despite the hard work the spin instructors put into choreographing fun classes, there are terrible people who don't participate in the actual class and just do whatever they want on the bike. One guy sometimes BRINGS HIS OWN HEADPHONES. God bless these instructors for putting up with this rudeness. 3) No free towels. Not small ones in the gym, not big ones in the locker room. This is such a small touch that would make the gym experience so much better. I think they're really trying, and I'll still come here when I can, but they're not as good as they could be. read more

My first complaint about this gym is the sound system in the weight room. I find that headphones get in the way during my workout, so I like to rely on the music played by the gyms I attend. At this location, there is only one speaker in the entire room that plays the music only audible enough to hear when standing directly underneath. 2 stars for the staff being friendly. read more

-overcrowded, always no place to park -staff is mean, rude -unwise schedule , e.g. extremely late schedule for family swimming time - lack of family changing room. - water in shower always cold read more

I used to go here as a kid when it was much smaller. I now live in Baltimore County and usually take my family to the Towson or Parkville Y's. I had driven past this one since the updates and have been looking forward to trying it out now that it's so much bigger and presumably better. I am seriously, seriously disappointed and won't be back. I visited over the weekend with my 3 children to go swimming. First of all, on the weekend swim schedule right now they never have more than 2 lanes open for family swim in the warm pool which is not enough to handle the volume of people that obviously want to participate in that activity. So there were 4 people taking up half of the pool, and about 40 people in the other 2 lanes, even though all 4 or 6 lanes of the main pool were also dedicated for laps. The locker rooms are, quite simply, a nightmare. There is a very limited number of private "family locker rooms" that are mobbed when the pool is so busy. I had no choice but to take my young kids into the main locker room to shower, where we were promptly yelled at by a manager for being in there. The locker rooms are dirty, outdated, and extremely small even if limited to only adults. The lifeguard also did a very poor job of managing misbehaving and unsupervised kids in the pool and enforcing the Y's own policies of unattended children of various ages in the pool. Kids of various ages were stealing items from my children, splashing my infant and disabled mother repeatedly in the face. jumping in the pool, and none of these kids were wearing necklaces indicating they had passed any kind of swim test. read more

I was a little leery at 5:30 this morning when the parking lot filled up. I had read other reviews that said it was overcrowded and didn't think I would get a treadmill. Not so! We have an "away membership" and use it all over the country. This is by far the best YMCA I have used. It's new. It's clean. The staff is friendly. All the machines work. There's hot water in the showers (yup, that's a problem at some places). The Y in many locations is starting to become the Walmart of workout facilities. Most are run down. Dingy. Staff with piss poor attitude. Broken equipment. This location is none of that and really raises the bar for other locations to aspire to. Exceptional! Fantastic! Superb! Keep up the great work!! read more

I've been a member for a year and overall I'm satisfied with my membership. It's difficult to find a comparable price for amenities in the area. I've always been able to use cardio equipment and weights without a wait. The cardio equipment has individual TVs with headphone inputs to watch TV (network TV and a couple basic cable channels). My guess would be during peak hours, after school to 6pm, that it gets really crowded, but by 8pm it's not. I've done the cycle and yoga classes without any trouble with overcrowding. For yoga, you do need to sign up. My main critique with the yoga room is that it isn't a particularly relaxing environment. It's full of windows, and it'd be nicer to have shades that could be drawn so it wasn't so bright. I'd like to zen out when I do yoga and pretend I'm not at the Y. The pool is pretty much always full of children whose parents do not take the opportunity to teach them about respect and personal space. Good luck swimming laps. The women's locker room is it's own universe of annoyance. People don't put locks on the lockers and take up an entire locker just for a sweatshirt. One time our lock was cut off because someone hid their car keys in the back of the top shelf. It's nice that people don't steal, but come on, carry your keys with you while you work out or keep them at the front desk. I think it'd be nice if the Y put cubbies in the locker room for those who don't have locks. The sauna is nice, but no one seems to follow the wear clothing/towel or talk at a low volume rules. The staff does nothing when you complain, their standard response is "we'll put a sign up." I'm tempted to start posting my own guerrilla signs. :) Again, just minor complaints. I've looked at other gyms in the area and for the price it's the best for our needs hands down. read more

Love free yoga classes, especially on Saturday morning in a big gym where you can breath and have enough space. Sign up for fitlynxx. Not sure how to spell it. The personal trainer will fit the correct position and maximize the benefits of each gym equipment that you want in your personalized program. Free! The pool time is disappointing. Too many people. read more

This place has let me down time after time but today was enough to finally write a review. To start with, the parking is a total pain. If you have a class, make sure you get there at least 20 minutes early so you can tool around the parking lot and fight for a space. I only come here because my child is enrolled in classes and I do like her teacher. The problem is the rest of the employees. Friendly or not, all I have encountered half ass their job and do the bare minimum. When I first showed up, someone showed me to the locker room area and that was it. They failed to mention there are "family rooms," a regular locker room (where kids are not allowed), and a locker room for kids (which I didn't find until my child's 3rd lesson and wasted a lot of time waiting for the family locker rooms to open up thinking they were my only option). My next issue is that I showed up early for a class and the front desk lady said "when Howard county schools are cancelled, we don't have classes until noon." So, I left only to find out during the next lesson they DID have classes and my child missed it. Even the teacher said the front desk is clueless. Thanks, missed class and no make-ups offered due to employee incompetence. Today was the final straw. The teacher for the class didn't show up. No biggie. It was again the attitude of the employees that rubbed me the wrong way. We asked two different employees if they knew anything about why our teacher was missing. One said "nope," and walked away, the other said,"I'm in the middle of a class," and walked away. Finally, a front desk employee called the teacher only to get voicemail and so we went home. Thanks for all your help! NOT!! Also, I wouldn't trust most of the lifeguards I have seen so far. Today's guard seemed far more focused on socializing than paying attention to what was happening in the pool. read more

Web site is a bunch of fluff, very little meat to it. As in, what is the schedule, what are the fees? So I had to drive down there to get information; in 2020, that is pretty sad. The young guy there was friendly, but getting information was not easy. I ask how many lap pools. He tells me "one". Yet I can see through the glass there are two. "Well, there is one main one." Ok. Great. The price is $50+ per month; he doesn't tell me about the pay as you go price. In fact, he tells me he doesn't know what pay as you go means. Finally I get out of him that I can pay $10 as a guest to swim instead of joining, to try it out. It was an exhausting conversation, also unnecessary, as they should have information in an easy to find place on the internet. The pools are absolutely tiny compared to what I am used to at Lifetime. No open swim area, no fountain; only doll size pools. Is there a sauna or hot tub? Who knows. Columbia Association is about $89 with huge brand new locker rooms, scrubbed top to bottom every nite; 3 huge pools, climbing walls, volleyball, on and on and on. For about $7.50 more per week, a little more than a fancy latte at Starbucks, or a drive thru meal. I'm not going to use the gym, and I think over $50 is too much to pay for a small pool and grungy locker room and cold showers. read more

I've been going to this Y since I was 0 years old. I was taught to swim as a baby at this Y. I learned how to be a reasonable human being at Y camp. Y weightlifting class taught me how to do basic resistance training, and created the foundation for my journey as a bodybuilder. Yea, they need a hot tub, and now it's pretty crowded but that's the fault of over-development in Howard County. I'm sure they'll expand again soon! Can't wait to see what the future brings for this YMCA read more

Years after they responded to my comment about parking and enforcing their rules, it's actually worse. They've done nothing and simply don't care. They also seem to have hired staff that pick and choose who they ask to scan in at the front, what kids they choose to ask for proof of wrist bands, and who they ask to pick up gym bags laying around the gym floor in the free weight area. read more

I am giving this location 5 stars due to the effort I see one of the lifeguards make daily. Lisa is an excellent lifeguard. She goes above and beyond doing her job. She is always upbeat and willing to help anyone who needs assistance, as many of the elderly people do. She greets everyone with her bright smile, as she executes the duties of her position. Thank you Lisa, you are an asset to the YMCA. read more

Disappointed. I have been going to this Y for years, but it's gotten increasingly crowded recently. Parking can be like the mall at the holidays, and classes fill up so I've been turned away. Then I had a bad experience w/ a manager who didn't want to honor a free entry/guest pass we had been given when we signed up - she cited rules which we hadn't been told and weren't stated on our pass! Will look elsewhere. read more

The warm pool is always filled with hairballs. The lifeguard's attitudes make it clear they do not want to be there, much less keep the pool clean. I need to use the warm pool due to arthritis, and it is upsetting when the air conditioning is turned on...it is winter after all. I truly hope the Y takes these reviews seriously. I need to use the warm pool due to health issues, and it is a shame it is so filthy. Please consider at a minimum skimming the pool to get the huge hairballs out. read more

Be very careful here. There is a thief in the membership that is watching you use your combination lock. We were a victim of credit card theft. They only take the credit cards and re-lock your locker, and therefore you don't notice until it is too late. They immediately go to Macy's and Apple Store at Columbia Mall. 20K in charges. Leave your wallet at home. The Howard County police are investigating. This is not the first incident. read more

Love this YMCA; staff are knowledgeable and friendly, gym & locker rooms are clean. Beautiful facility, great classes & cardio/ weight training area. Highly recommend. read more

You're better off paying a few dollars extra and going elsewhere. This facility is overcrowded. My husband and I mainly joined for the purpose of swimming as our a cardio workout, and to lift. We always checked the pool schedule before going to make sure there were multiple lanes available for lap swim due to the many water aerobics classes that usually take up both pools. More times than one we would show up to find swim team, or lessons that were not on the schedule taking the remaining laps, leaving the many lap swimmers to fend for themselves in one lane. Also, add about an hour onto you're normal lifting session because you will be waiting for just about every piece of equipment that you'd like to use. The administration is not helpful either. I was told when I signed up that if we would like to quit, we would finish out the month we were on and that would be it. We quit the Y at the beginning of July due to our dissatisfaction, and were charged through the end of August. read more

I just did my free trial at the Y and decided I won't be joining. Before Covid I can imagine that this was a nice place. Social distancing rules are too strict that you can't use any of the amenities that you pay for. You can not use the sauna, you can not use the computers, they claim that you can use the pool but you will not be able to get a reservation so I was unable to use either of the two pools they have. I can't imagine myself paying full price for only half of the services being offered. I think they need to reopen all amenities, or charge a reduced rate, because they are quite literally charging you for things they do not provide. I'm writing this review in may of 2021, vaccines are readily available, the Y is imposing more social distancing rules than are legally required which is just an inconvenience and unnecessary. If they ever decide to reopen the entire gym, or charge half price then I will reconsider joining, but I refuse to pay for services that I am not receiving. read more

I've been going to this YMCA for a little over a year now. I usually just go to workout with the free weights and on the machines. The workout area has a pretty sizeable collection of free weights and they also have plenty of your typical cardio machines like treadmills, elliptical machines, and stationary bikes. One cool thing about the cardio equipment is that they have a video screen on them which allow you to play a simulated bike-riding game or you also have the option of tuning to any tv channel you want to watch. The facility has an upstairs and a downstairs basketball court, which is good if you find that one is occupied. The Y also has a few different aerobics classrooms spread throughout, as well as two pools. One pool is usually used for free swim while the other typically has some type of swim class going on. Another great feature of this place is their childcare which is included with your membership. Your child can be supervised for up to 1 and 1/2 hours while you work out. They have toys and computers for the kids to play with while they're there. The only complaint I have about the YMCA is that they close too early compared to all of the big fitness centers. read more

The Dancel Y - Trainers Near Me - Ellicott City, Maryland

I have been a member for several months and it has been wonderful for my family and I. The kids love the stay & play and the group classes are great! The bathrooms, exercise rooms, and child center are all clean and sanitary. The only reason I did not give a 5th star is the facilities lack of stay & play for Sunday. It would be nice to have the child center coordinate with the weekend group classes so that myself and other parents can take the kids on a Sunday. read more

Love this Y. I come for the sauna. The reason I give it 4 stars is because there are a lot of annoying people in the sauna. People doing personal grooming in it, lotion applying, hair combing, just no! And all the Asians come in and don't ever stop talking. I wish it could be a place of quiet meditation and silence. They don't understand that they're annoying others. read more

Parking is a headache here. It is difficult to cancel a membership; in the interim, you will continue to be charged. I've been told several times to email in about cancelling and she has not acknowledged or responded to any of my four emails. Phone calls will yield an answer that involves sending an email to the same unresponsive person. It is a total hassle. Know that if you sign up here and your needs change, they aren't going to make it painless to leave. read more

I love this place it's awesome I love the steam room in womans shower room. I find this to be the most awesome awesome place. You high school warm water exercising or swingman. The people here are so wonderful and so welcoming and make you feel like it's home sweet home. There's so many different things you can do here. I despise anyone that's looking for a place where you can lose your weight and do multiple things come on and come down into the welcome you in my arms of the YMCA read more

I pay a monthly membership but always have to call before coming to use the gym to play basketball. They rent out the gym to the Columbia Ravens constantly. They get rent from the Ravens and my monthly membership. Double dipping at the members expense. read more