LA Fitness

If you have visited any other LA Fitness, this location will be a bit of a disappointment. It’s relatively small, there’s no pool, no basketball, no racquetball, no jogging track, and only 1 shared room for classes. Fortunately, I don’t really care about all that stuff. I use free weights, a few of what I still call «Nautilus» machines (I’m 46), recumbent bikes, and ellipticals. All that is readily available here.
Granted, the weight room is full of gay men, but as a straight guy I have rarely felt uncomfortable. A few of the overheard conversations are not for the homophobic or easily offended, but you wouldn’t live in this area if you were, right? The vast majority of people here are just zoning out and getting their workout for the day.
They did a «renovation» in ’14 that seemed to consist of new wall art and a few newer machines. They didn’t even shampoo the carpets, much less replace them. I think the locker rooms were left untouched. In general they keep the place clean, the machines working, and the staff are friendly. That’s enough for me, so I don’t drive the extra 10 minutes to the much nicer Buckhead location.

Closest to my home, but not my location of choice. As you enter the building, (1) cardio to the right, (2) strength training straight ahead, (3) lockers rooms back and to the left, (4) group fitness room way in the back. A couple odd placed pillars in the group fitness room. Also, they don’t have a dedicated spinning room, so the bikes are stored off to the left. Not enough of the ellipticals that I use (incline version). Not as intuitive as my «home» gym. I would need to get a tour of all the strength training equipment here. In Toco Hills, I can find my way just fine. Located in Ansley Mall, parking lot can be particularly crowded.

!! Warning to brahs looking to smash a deadlift PR !!
This gym has octagonal plates. It has hard edges, so every time you put the weight back on the floor, it will roll around. Nothing you want to think about while you’re trying to kill it.
These plates are only really serviceable if you are hitting some touch-​and-​go reps.

I have a 3 year membership and have recently been trying to mix up my workouts by adding some cardio classes. I used to do step classes but it has been years. I took an 8:00 PM Zumba on Wednesday 11÷11÷15 and it was great. Even though I had never taken a class, the instructor offered clear, advance voice and hand clues. I didn’t follow everything but I had a great time and got a great workout. I would take that class again. By the way the class was packed to its maximum with people of all sizes, ages and abilities.
This is in dramatic contrast to the two step classes I tried. The first was a 7:00 Wednesday (11÷11÷15) class taught by a substitute from the Sandy Springs LAF. She was pretty good but not very focused on really trying to break down or build on the routines. She also had some music «playing in her head «so she would throw in a number of extra steps, hops spins. Whatever. This would be fine if she had the whole class is sync which it hardly was. Again, I hardly expected to be able to follow all combinations but I expected a logical build. This class had maybe 10 people. Very sparsely attended. I see why.
On Friday (11÷13÷15) night at 5:45 PM, at Ansley LAF, I thought I would try another step class and try and build on my skills. This class, was again taught by a substitute (this time for the regular instructor Wes). The «instructor» was a tall African American man.
He asked if there were any first timers. Two of us raised our hands. He said «You are going to be confused because we start off with a choreographed combination. You can just do step touch if you get lost. «He then started. No building on the steps or routine. I ultimately left because it became so ridiculous. This class, and none of the others, were advertised as Advanced. It is insulting to say «just step touch». Everyone is in there to participate, not just step touch, and the instructor possessed no ability or willingness to instruct. I could «step touch» at home.
The dramatic difference between that excellent Zumba instructor and the two lame Step instructors was dramatic.
This may explain the significant discrepancy in attendance and participation.
By the way, no men in any of these except for two men in Friday night step.
This is very likely due to the lack of openness and sense that if you haven’t spent a few years on DWTS there is no reason to come in. The step instructors seemed to be more interested in getting their own workout that trying to «instruct» the class.
Lastly, when I tried to share this in person, I asked Ansley’s front desk, a thin African American man, «can I speak to a manager?» He said, «About what? I can help you.» When I started to explain about the step class I had just left, he started checking in other members and chatting. When I walked off even more disgusted, he yelled, «come back. I can listen to you too.» Really? Great customer service.
The focus seems to be get new members, not service the ones they already have. Maybe that’s the strategy at LAF although that is not what the Investor Relations page says.
I could never recommend this place to anyone.
Back to the weight floor for me!
Weight equipment is decent and works. Just don’t come between 5 – 7:30PM. Jam packed with people sitting on equipment checking their phones or Grindr.
Certainly not the nicest location in the chain. I go to other locations like Akers Mill or Oglethorpe for a nice, clean location.

I have had at least two issues with fraudulent billing from their training department. The first time, some one in the training department depleted my back account over night. The company said that the person quit and moved to florida and was no longer with the company. The second time, a trainer created two accounts and billed me twice a month. They denied it when called out, but a year later I followed up with my bank and discovered I had been lied to for over a year. It’s fine for a cheap gym with tons of locations. But never use the training. They have had multiple issues with embezzlement and billing fraud from the people who sign you up for contracts.

This gym has a high turnover in the front end staff. On top of that, there are only a couple that are personable and acknowledge you when coming or going. I see the cleaning staff doing a great job, but sometimes they have zero cleaners scheduled. 7pm on a Sunday, locker room trash is overflowing and all paper towels are out. It’s just not a very well oiled machine overall. It’s just a convenient location.

I am complaining about the unprofessional behavior from the person (his name is Hugh) at the front desk — LA Fitness at Atlantic Station, Atlanta, GA:
My husband and I have been a member of LA fitness for over a year, and I love the organization. However, the recent unprofessionalism by the person, whose name is Hugh, at the front desk disappointed me very much.
I am writing this complain letter to tell you about the situation. In this way, maybe no other customer will be complaining about a similar experience:
My is visiting me for a couple of months at Atlantic Station. That’s why, I added her to my membership account. Two days later, the pool was closed due to the maintenance. My mom decided to cancel her membership because she could not use the pool, which was her main purpose for the membership.
When I talked to Hugh at the front desk about the cancellation, he told me that he cannot cancel the membership. He added that only Operations Managers can cancel the membership. And the Operations manager position was vacant at their location (261 19Th St #1140, Atlanta, GA 30 363). Hugh told me that I have to go to another location to cancel the membership.
I contacted another LA Fitness at a different location and talked to their Operations Manager. The Operations Manager told me that anyone from my location should be able to cancel the membership. I went back to 12 Atlantic Station’s LA Fitness again, and asked another person from desk to cancel my mom’s membership. She cancelled my mom’s membership.
When I saw Hugh the next day at the front desk again, I told him that he should have been able to cancel my mom’s membership; he did not know about the rules or his authority to cancel the membership. His reply was: «It is not my job!», and his attitude, gestures were very rude.
I am very disappointed by his rude answer, hand gestures, and lack of knowledge about the rules and/​or authority that he has about the membership cancellation.
Please make sure that every employee at LA Fitness is knowledgable about the rules and that they are kind towards the customers.
I submit this complain letter to your consideration and action.
Sincerely,
Tuba Angay-​Crowder

What a very nice, clean, and friendly environment the La Fitness is at the Ansley, The staff/​associates there are superb, please continue to have more personell like DeVonta, Janelle, and Perla, they are a major assets to the La Fitness Corporation, Thank You!

This place is in dire need of an immediate renovation. The place stinks !!
Carpeting is spoiled and men’s wet facilities are moldy, stinky, and rusty.

I have happily been an LA Fitness member since I moved to Atlanta last year. I usually go to the Midtown branch and absolutely love it, I have a trainer I adore there, and the entire staff really goes out of their way to make it a fun place to work out.
However, all of those positives were totally overshadowed by the HORRENDOUS service I just received at this location. Hands down this was the worst customer service I have ever received in my life and I will be canceling my membership.

The gym has really improved. It appears as though they’ve gotten new management and really cleaned the place up. The front desk staff is phenomenal now and very attentive. I think that may be due to the new operations manager Montoya. It is now a pleasure coming to this gym. Janelle is also phenomenal. She’s always so bright and cheery and talks to everyone. She’s a wonderful ambassador for LA Fitness, and needs to be recognized for the wonderful job she does. She’s just an incredible little dynamo!!!

I am currently gym shopping because I just moved to Atlanta. It is typical for a gym to offer a free day for you to try out the facilities. This gym tried to charge $ 15 to try out the facilities OR join, then cancel if I don’t like it. This is terrible customer service and I will not be considering this place at all.

To start with the positives– great gym if you’re a gay man or a woman looking to work out where the men won’t be stalking you down on the way to your car. HOWEVER– The turnover seems to be pretty high. It’s obvious that management skill is lacking the necessary competence to properly manage anything. There is always trash in the bathrooms and locker room and dirt all over the floor. But more importantly management is rude and unprofessional. The «operations manager» practically barked at me today over a question I asked (didn’t even answer the actual question) and when I asked him to repeat it he raised his voice quite loudly and argued with me until another manager came over and told him to calm down at which point he threatened to call security (literally over nothing besides me asking him to answer the question in a different way) and anyway he threw his temper tantrum and the sales manager explained the answer to the questions had… Which I fully appreciated but THEN apologized for the operations manager and said «I agree that he acted out and shouldn’t have acted like that but I’m going to call him over here and I’d like you to be the bigger person and apologize to HIM about not understanding the way he explained his answer.» At this point I was like… «Umm I’m sorry… Wtf? How about… No. I’m a paying customer and you’re supposed to be providing ME customer service not screaming at me because I didn’t understand your poor explanation and if anybody is going to apologize it is not going to be me. But I don’t have time for this I came to work out.» So in conclusion my question was answered. Nobody apologized. Management is incompetent. And I’ll be calling corporate Monday to tell them about how crummy, invasive, and threatening their staff is when they scream at their members literally over nothing.

I really can’t complain this a gym to workout as others have stated. If you want cardio it’s there. I did elliptical and treadmill. Both were good. I do have to say that contrary to what others posted the staff were friendly. My keys fell out of my pack and the staff went out of their way paging me which I didn’t hear because I was unwisely blasting music. lol. Then the walked the floor. My car is unique so it would have been unusual for someone to use.
The machines varied from modern to ancient so for us dinosaurs it helps adjusting the seats.
As for the sexual persuasion of the population I really didn’t pay attention. I live in midtown. I’m heterosexual married and not looking to pickup anybody.
The women’s locker room was like your high school locker room. Now I do not go to LA fitness for the sauna or steam room. It’s not a spa for goodness sake not at that price. Go join a club downtown I can name that will run you much more.
Will I be back? Yes! It’s convenient and suits my needs when I’m not wanting the Buckhead traffic.

This is a great gym. It was recently renovated. The equipment is nicer than most LA Fitness I have been to. The crowd is very diverse and being an actual gym rat, there are plenty machines to get a good work out in. I imagine this gym gets crowded but I tend to gym in the morning so it’s not as busy.

Wow, I am not a fan.
The three squat racks were occupied. I stood around waiting with another two people waiting for their respective machines. We each stood around at least 5 minutes before they opened up, and there was so much pressure to finish my workout quickly that I felt rushed and it didn’t feel good.
I can’t complain that most of the machines I needed were definitely there, but they were not in the best condition and there was a wait for almost every machine I needed. I ended up resolving to the cardio Stairmaster, which thankfully had an open spot.
Locker rooms are ancient but seemed mostly clean, smelling only slightly of feet. I don’t like when locker rooms are carpeted, because you can never tell when they are clean…
Those working out here are definitely different from the ones you find in other parts of Atlanta. There are the more flamboyant and the more unique characters here. If you don’t get a good work out, you can at least have a good time people watching.

Perfectly acceptable corporate gym. Enough cardio gear to avoid a wait but the weights can get crowded. Good Ansley location, nice staff but not a fancy private club.

This place smells of bacteria! I have NEVER seen an LA fitness this filthy. I looked at the floors and there was old black gum stuck on the tiles, and the machines are covered in sticky crud. I went into the Sauna and there was a women in there sitting straight up as if sge did notvwant to touch anyrhing. As soon as I mentioned the old dried sweat rings on the benches she mentioned how uncomfortable she was. I went to find management, and the Operations manager told me that I was the only complaint he has on the lack of sanitary conditions. I told him to ask his GUEST! Everyone should have just walked out

With the exception of the guy at the reception desk the staff was rude and disrespectful doing everything in the book to ensure that I didn’t let go of my membership from telling me I was scared to try them out to pressuring every thing out of me. They don’t know what customer service is at all. Flat out if you wanted to be judged and treated like you are a dollar sign then go here!

As a member of this gym for over 7 years I have never seen any improvements or renovations occur. The equipment is rusty, locker doors broken and equipment frequently says «Out of Order». The elliptical sometimes shuts down and reads «low battery, no incline» The carpet is moldy in the locker room. The small lockers up front jam often, you have to be very careful. I’ve even seen employees use a screw driver to lodge the locker open. The best part of this gym is the hours of operation. Open until 11PM. Staff is always friendly. There is a large fan in the men’s locker room that is turned on to keep the room cool and the odor down. The locker room is moldy. A better alternative intown would be the Spring Street location.
*****
FYI– Don’t let the photos fool you~ LA Fitness must have uploaded stock photos to each facility, because the photos shown are not of this gym, OR any LA Fitness in Atlanta.