If you're considering joining The Downtown Met in Houston, do yourself a favor and don't. This place is a complete disaster, hiding behind a nice location and slick marketing while delivering some of the worst customer service and member experience you'll find in the city. The communication is abysmal, particularly from Sarah and Alicia, who are repeatedly unresponsive and unhelpful. Emails go ignored, questions are dodged, and if you do finally get a reply, it's vague and often inaccurate. They don't follow up, they don't follow through, and unless you ask five or six times, you will not get any clear answers or confirmations. You are constantly left chasing them down just to get the most basic information. To make matters worse, they will charge you whatever they want, whenever they want, without warning, explanation, or approval. You won't be notified of fees or changes unless you hunt them down to ask. If you're offered a credit, promo, or adjustment, take a screenshot and save every email, because they certainly won't help you figure anything out after the fact. Once you've signed up, you're on your own. Bijan is somewhat more communicative, but not enough to make up for the chaos. There's clearly no leadership or accountability here -- it feels like a group project where no one knows what their role is, and no one really cares. Facility-wise, it's barely above average. Courts are often overbooked, the gym space is mediocre, and amenities are inconsistently maintained. You're paying premium rates for a second-rate experience across the board. Bottom line: The Downtown Met is a textbook case of mismanagement and indifference. For a place that calls itself a "premier fitness and tennis club," it operates more like a poorly run pop-up gym with no structure or respect for its members. Look elsewhere, literally anywhere else would be a better use of your time and money. read more

This place is full of friendly and dedicated employees. Many of them are like family. The food is good and the service is excellent. Did I mention 10 tennis courts? This is my home away from home. read more

After "upgrading" their weight room, they have made this gym a lot worse. $150/month here vs. the $30/month I spend on my other membership at LA Fitness makes me just amazed at how over priced this place is. If it were not for the convenience and familiar people I play basketball with, I would have been gone years ago. I'm defintely considering cancelling my membership soon. read more

Fav tennis club in Houston. Indoor courts in great shape. Entire facility including gym, cafe, and restaurant is excellent.

Gral Manager is unaccountable and poorly trained for that position. Hopefully they replace him. read more

Facility is clean and staff is excellent! The fitness and cardio equipment is always in working order. Generous hours and easy to park and exit garage. Food is excellent both in restaurant and snack bar! Towel service is always available in the gym as well as locker room. Since renovation, this is one of the premier workout clubs in Houston! I only use the fitness facility and social activity- have been very pleased. I have been a member for over 10 years. Looks like it is also one of the top squash locations in city as well as a five star tennis facility. Membership is on the expensive side but worth it as there is never a crowd or waiting for equipment! read more

A little background about myself before going into my review: I work in the downtown area from 8-5, I am an avid powerlifter/fitness enthusiast, in my mid-twenties, and I travel quite a bit for work. Before getting my membership at this Club, I was at the YMCA on Pease St., Gold's Gym, and Metroflex when it was off of West Park. I am reviewing based on my experience and what I use daily to workout. I will start with the bad, then good, and finally conclusion. Now let me get the bad stuff out of the way first: what made me decide on giving two stars to the club are the recent renovations. In all honestly, I felt that the club had everything it needed before the renovations. There are four deadlift platforms along with bumper plates, a gym rig, there were four squat racks, three regular bench presses, two incline bench presses, and a decline, among a myriad of machine equipment. A couple weeks ago, they got rid of two squat racks, a lying leg curl machine, and replaced all versions of the bench presses. The bench press replacements were an absolute downgrade. The racking positions are fixed so they cannot be adjusted. Which WILL be terrible on the shoulders if you're of average height or taller. For example, I am 5'9" and have a wingspan of 6'3". Unracking the bar from the highest position, I still need to travel a good 3-4 inches before my arms are fully extended which I feel in my shoulders. I don't feel safe whatsoever. The incline bench press was a for sure upgrade so no complaints there. The decline bench press feels extremely flimsy. Just like the regular bench press, the racking positions are fixed. That' not the only issue. The other issue with the decline is that there is a ricochet when reracking the bar with weights. I'd prefer not having to worry about having weights fall on my face because the bar ricochets and my shoulders are worn out from getting into position. That concludes the bench presses. Now for the squat racks, yes there are still two remaining racks, but one of them has a pin thats stuck in and will not come out. Meaning, you have to be at least 6' or be on your tippie toe to use it. Initially, I figured that I would just use the gym rig in the back. It's a great idea, until classes start during peak hours and I'm kicked out OR there's volleyball going on and the ball keeps getting spiked at me, unintentionally of course, and I fear that I'm either going to step on the ball while walking out during a squat or a ball will roll under the weight while I am lowering them during a deadlift. Doesn't seem safe either way. On top of that, there were personal trainers that were disgruntled and venting towards myself and others in regards to the renovations. Down-talking management, which to me seems like the Club really aren't taking care of their employees. I completely understand that this is not a powerlifting gym and is not geared towards that, BUT again, the equipment before were perfect. It was the main reason why I even considered this club. Everything else (will cover in the next paragraph) was icing on top. Now the good stuff: if you work in a position where you want to network with success professionals that share a similar interest in tennis, golf, racquetball, squash ball, basketball, or just fitness in general, this is a great club to join. You're not going to run into much college students, but instead, you will see tons of professionals that work in the surrounding buildings. From Jeffries to Shell to EY to private law firm. The best part, they're all nice. Super friendly and easy to talk with. Outside of the fellow gym-goers, there is a full bar upstairs. There's nothing like a nice cold beer or a few cocktails after a great workout! Really though, it's a great bar and they have great food. The breakfast buffet typically consists of an omelet bar, cereal bar, hash browns, bacon, oatmeal (warm and cold), yogurt, and fruits. Briefly mentioned in my rant, they do have a NBA size basketball court. If I recall correctly, it's the only one in Houston outside of the Toyota Center. The club is always clean, which obviously is extremely important. Something a little minor but I find great about the club: they have toiletry in the locker room. The dumbbells go up to 120lbs and have all your fitness equipment needs, unless you're training for strongman. In conclusion, I personally do not like the recent renovations and will probably end up moving to another gym soon. The club will cover majority of your fitness needs so I would still recommend vising this club. I personally am no longer satisfied with it. There is another location as well across the street from The House of Blues on Caroline St. that you can check out as well. Their lunch buffet is amazing. As far as cost, my monthly dues are $150 a month, which includes: club access across the nation, discounted meals, personal locker, and laundry services. I typically pay around $250 due to drinks and food, but totally worth! read more

The gym was always great but now that they have begun renovations its just truly top notch. If you love tennis, squash and raquetball this is for sure the place for you. They even have a regulation sized basketabll court. A full bar and resturant top off this place.........full of events every week. Huge pilates studio nice yoga room. You cant go wrong here. read more

The Met Athletic Center - Lobster tacos, oven baked mac& cheese and a vodka splash cranberry. - Gyms Near Me - Houston, Texas

Love this gym! I've been a member for 5yrs. All of the classes are great, from Pilates to barre to yoga and cross camp and cycle. Barre and yoga are my favorite with fantastic instructors. Randy the water guy is the sweetest and very helpful and friendly. Everyone at the met is extremely friendly. The salad bar is my favorite bc there's lots of options and they mix it up and cut it for you. Tennis is great, lots of courts and the tennis pro is friendly and great at teaching. read more

Imagine, if you will, a gym that is the total opposite of the big-box gyms that litter Houston. A gym that isn't crowded. A gym that has reasonably priced alcohol, food, and other post-workout goodies. A gym where you don't have muscle-bound "bros" or girls who spent an hour getting ready to look pretty for those bros (just so they can preen while on the no resistance elliptical). A gym where you can put lemon and lime wedges in your water. A gym where you can play racquetball, squash and tennis, or basketball. Well, this imaginary gym actually exists, and it is a part of the Downtown Club at the Met. Caveat: The Downtown Club ain't cheap, but it comes with much more than just a gym membership. Access to the Downtown Club also gets you access to the Shell Plaza Club (an exclusive restaurant/lounge at the top of the Shell building), as well as access to the Houston Center (near the Four Seasons). There are membership specials, and when you sign up, it also gets your family access as well. Therefore, if you're married (or pass yourself off as married), the cost is really 1/2 the price. The amenities at the Downtown Club at the Met are plentiful, though the biggest benefit is the clientele. You're likely to get businessmen and their families instead of the meat market at your local LA Fitness. A big benefit. My favorite amenity is the laundry service that comes with getting a locker: you can put your dirty gym clothes in a laundry bag and toss it in the dirty towell sack and the next day, your clothes will be back in your locker. Not too shabby. Lunch at the club is steadily improving. I had the $5 lunch burger (add-ons make it about 6 or 7), and it was delicious. There is an option for buffalo if you're trying to count calories, and the salads are also quite tasty. Another significant benefit is access to the Club Corps, the organization that the Downtown Club belongs to. Through your membership, you can get discounted hotel prices with VIP treatment (we stayed at the Coeur D'alene Resort over xmas and got a great rate and a great room) , as well as access to other club corps clubs (my brother used a club corps club for his rehearsal dinner at his wedding in North Carolina; and they waived the fee, so we only paid for food). Of course, there are a few small things I would change. The gym closes at 10 PM during the week and earlier on the weekends. And they've cut down on the number of group classes (including yoga) because the attendance wasn't high enough. But this gym works very well with my and my wife's lifestyle. All in all, you get what you pay for. You pay more at The Met so you get more at The Met. If having a relaxed, high-end club is a priority to you, then join the Downtown Club. If not, I'm sure you won't mind waiting another 20 minutes for a treadmill at your local chain gym. read more

I've been a member of The Downtown Club for about six weeks now, and love it! I park in The Met garage for work, so the location of the club couldn't be more convenient for me - but for those in or around downtown it should work just fine as well. The garage is huge (the Met is on the 6th floor) and you gain free parking access with your membership - which is nice when comparing the YMCA downtown or the 24 Fitness in Midtown. I should start by pointing out that the Downtown Club is far more than a "gym" membership, and some of the negative reviews on Yelp seem to miss that fact. When you join the Downtown Club at the Met, you're joining what is basically the equivalent of a country club in the heart of downtown that also includes the Downtown Club at Houston Center. From what I've experienced thus far, I see it as more of a community than a gym. Sure, the main attraction may be the gym or athletic facilities but the social engagement and events is where I've enjoyed myself the most. In my short time I've been on the floor at a Rockets game (pre-game party and then welcoming the Rockets to the floor), had Dodgeball night (with food/beer/wine), wine tastings, cooking lessons, networking events, lunches with speakers like Jim McIngvale (Mattress Mack) and more. All of that doesn't even take into account that membership also gives you access to hundreds of other clubs around the country that you can use anytime. I have the "ONE" membership which gives me six free rounds of golf for myself and a +1 at 13 pristine Houston area golf courses (or others when I travel) per month, while also giving me half-priced food, drinks and amenities while at the club. With all of that said I do love the gym as well. It has all of the latest and greatest equipment you'd expect of a nice gym, a full basketball court, squash courts, racquetball courts, tennis courts and a slew of fitness rooms for classes like yoga, pilates, spin/cycle class, joomba, crosscamp, total body blast, and the list goes on. The best part may be that due to the gym being in the heart of downtown, it is also never overcrowded - as professionals flow through constantly throughout the day, rather than flood the gym before or after work. I've never had to wait for a machine or equipment, and I spend at least two hours a day five days a week there. The amenities offered around the club aren't anything to scoff at either. There are filtered water stations throughout the club, and infused water everyday that may include strawberries, cucumbers, zucchini or other flavors. You can also get a dedicated locker and unlimited laundry service for one time fees, and the laundry is done several times throughout the day. I've been back in less than four hours to find my laundry bag back in my locker ready for me to use again. The men's locker room is nice as well. The upstairs bath and toilet area has been recently updated and there are countless towels, soaps, razors, shaving creams, mouthwash, hair products and every other kind of toiletry you would ever need available to freely use. There are also nice couches, TVs and sitting areas throughout both the up and downstairs locker rooms if you need to get some work done or just gel out. Finally - I can't say enough great things about the staff and the people I've met at Downtown Club. The front office ladies of Ashley, Katherine, Sarah, Celeste, Cherie and others have all been fantastic. Everyone who works at the front desk, in the restaurant, or at the cafe/bar are great as well (you're my boy, Cleveland)! I wish I could name them all, as every single person I've come in contact with has been awesome. Long story short, I couldn't be happier with my membership at the Downtown Club, but I also feel that your membership is what you make of it. The club gives you avenues to experience new and great things while meeting all kinds of fabulous people - you just have to take the earbuds out of your ears for a few minutes to realize that part of living a healthy lifestyle, likely should include surrounding yourself with good people... and The Downtown Club has an abundance of those. read more

Indoor tennis courts, squash, and racket ball! And no wait on any machines. The machines and locker rooms are really clean too! It is a little pricey but worth every penny! read more

Pros: - Lots of machines and free weights, virtually no waiting even during "rush" hour(s) - Clean (and not smelly) locker rooms - $5 member buffet every Friday @ lunch - awesome choices - Love tennis, racquetball, squash? They've got the courts. - 2 choices of workout facilities (Met & Houston Center - close to 4 Seasons) - Access to Shell Plaza 49th floor restaurant - Mom would love it if you take her during Mother's Day (no cooking for you), Thanksgiving Day (no cooking for Mom) or Easter buffets. Plus awesome views while you dine! - Great personal trainers like Kevin Ward Cons: - Not the cheapest, unless subsidized by work (mainly downtown companies) Overall: Great space, continually updated equipment, clean facilities, good food service, outweighs the slightly high membership fees. read more

This is my first experience with a full service type health club. By that I mean that besides the exercise equipment, they have a restaurant, snack bar, pro shop, etc. They also have a fully amenitized locker room with all you would need to wash up and get ready to go back to work. Towels, soap, shampoo, deodorant, hair spray, hair dryers, combs, brushes, razors........you get the point. I pay a little extra each month and they even wash my work out clothes and put them back in my locker. No more lugging the sweaty stuff back home and having to bring work out gear in a bag every day. The place is a little aged but they keep it in pretty good shape and the equipment is nice and in good repair. The cardio area is huge and Ive never had to wait for a treadmill, stepper, or elliptical. If you work downtown, it is a great place to grab a work out and break up your day. read more

I can't say enough great things about this club: Great workout equipment and classes, nice tennis courts and good pro's. There are leagues and functions to keep you busy and active in the club. It's a place to feel very comfortable and if you have kids they have a babysitting area and summer events. Nice and clean, comfortable setting. Cons: Please serve food in the bar area - especially Sunday's for lunch; please put in a bathroom for the ladies on the main floor; please put towels and a hamper for towels near the tennis courts. read more

I absolutely love this place! The staff and facilities are clean and all the equipment are brand new. The group classes they have, I mean I co go and on. My two small children enjoy the day care and they give me 4 hours to work out. The restaurant and cafe with coffee bar is delicious. One of my favorite times of day are spent at The Met in the morning, I can enjoy the salad bar and great service from the staff upstairs. This place has so many great features and I have not scratched the surface. read more

I would really like to give this place a 5 star but the jacuzzi in women's room never works and wish there was a closer restroom for the ladies. But this is the best squash atmosphere to be around if your a squash player. Best squash pros (Muhammad & Larissa) in town coach here. The staff is very friendly especially my buddy Cleveland who works at the bar. Restrooms are fully equipped, all your items you need to shower, including blow dryers, q-tips, razors etc. This racquet club has tennis and raquet ball cts. Also with nice fitness equipment cardio/ weight machines.. Group classes... Personal training... Best club I have joined with many great squash players. read more

Honestly, their services are very limited due to COVID, so I can't give a full five stars. I will say that the GM and staff are trying to be accommodating given the current environment. Hopefully the full club experience returns before long. read more

The downtown club has been a great place to go and play tennis with a nice number of local tennis players to boot. Offers a decent selection of food and facilities. All though the gym was recently updated some areas are still be updated to my knowledge. read more

Honestly, I expected more out of a venue that hosts business holiday parties. The only reason I am giving more than one star, is because one bartender and one waitress actually knew what they were doing. The female bartender this evening was very nice, prompt, and knowledgeable. The male, however, was unable to execute drinks from their cocktail list or make a drink in under 25 minutes or without assist from the lady. The waitress was very attentive and conversed with us, as well as prompt with clearing the tables. Now, onto the food. The food was cold, tasteless, and overall just bad. I'm not sure I understand how I can watch you put food out, be there within 2 minutes of it being out, and yet it's cold and stale. This leads me to believe that the kitchen staff had the food sitting out for hours prior to our arrival. Finally, the overall consensus of the drinks the bar served was subpar at best. The Long Island iced teas were good, but my lemon drop tasted like Crystal Light Lemonade if you mixed one tiny packet with a pitcher of water. I would strongly urge you to not have your company holiday party here or at the very least, negotiate the price far far down. It might be a decent gym, but it is a garbage venue. read more

Been a member for 3 years now and the little annoyances are starting to add up. So, I want to present an honest review by someone who goes to this location 5 days a week. The good: 1. Extremely friendly and competent staff 2. Rarely overly crowded 3. Convenient downtown location The bad: 1. Overpriced at $120.00 a month plus initiation fee 2. Basic membership does not include tennis or locker rental 3. Does not have a pool 4. Poor equipment maintenance 5. Poor facility (ie air conditioning in the summer will barely get you below 85 degrees) 6. Wifi bandwidth maxes out if more then 5 people are using it. I know this is a nitpick, but I like to stream netflix on my kindle while doing cardio) 7. Lack of working ice machine Update: cancelled membership effective mid month and they did not prorate the last two weeks. Talked to 3 different managers who promised the refund, but no luck. What a bunch of crooks! read more

Indoor tennis and basketball facilities sold me on this club. The tennis leagues are very high caliber and Keith, the head tennis pro, is great. However, it is very expensive for what it is. The locker room facilities are inferior to gyms that are half the price. They also do accounting "with an abacus" according to another club member. I would concur. Be prepared to review your bill every month. Join for the tennis and gym, not for the locker room or cost. read more

I love my club! I have not worked out for years and the 24 hour fitness type places are the reason. Like the other reviews it is a great family gym. We have used all aspects of what they offer and have not been disappointed. My husband plays tennis in a league several times a week, I have been with Phillip Kendrick personal trainer for several months and he keeps the workouts changing and challenging. The classes are fun and also challenging. Everyone I have met there are super nice and encouraging. My son even takes basketball lessons from Coach Matt which helped him a lot in his basketball skill. I am glad my husband found this place. read more

This is not the cheapest club in town, but if you are looking for a great health club that has lots of social opportunities as well, check out the Met. Great restaurant, a choice of clubs to work out at (membership includes access to the Houston Center Club by the Four Seasons downtown, as well as the Plaza Club in the Shell building although that second one is strictly a restaurant), nice locker rooms, nice equipment, and just a good, non-threatening atmosphere. Great customer service as well, and the $5 buffet on Fridays for members is an awesome deal. read more

This club has the best group exercise program! Indoor cycling, TRX, yoga, pilates, zumba.... you name it, this club has it! Great workout and cardio equipment. If you work downtown, this is the club for you. read more

The Met has it all. The tennis courts, staff, and members are great. A good competitive crowd. The Met is also one of the most reasonable clubs in Houston. You get a great value for what you pay for. read more

Love the workout facilities and the numerous classes offered each day. The Club's two locations not only offer numerous ways to stay fit but also monthly social activities from wines tastings and cooking classes with the chef to sport socials and competition. My wife and I have been members for more than 11 years and have made many new friends that share our same interests. I am excited that ClubCorp is updating the Center Club this year and doing a major renovation to the MET in 2017. It is great that parking is free. read more

Ugh, this gym is the worst! For $125 per month, you get a run-down facility, unresponsive management, unapproved fees charged to your account, and teachers who don't show up for group fitness classes. I've been a member here for nearly 3 years, and despite the convenient location, I've had enough. read more

This is a very classy club. Staff is friendly and knowledgeable. Group Ex instructors are awesome . Locker rooms are some of the nicest I've ever seen. So glad I found this location! read more