24 Hour Fitness

Dirty, old and in sad need of a major remodel and new equipment. They’ve remodeled most of the locker rooms but it seems like only what they had to. The equipment in the weight room is old and in need of replacement. The cardio room has all new equipment but that’s about as nice as it gets. Parking is limited and it seems like everyone left this location for the new Redwood City location. The building is older than dirt and literally looks like a warehouse. The floors inside have deteriorated (rubber matting), the ceilings are covered in dust and looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in years.
If you’re looking for a basic gym that’s convenient and meets your basic needs, this location could work, but don’t expect anything super nice or new. This place needs to be gutted and rebuilt. The locker rooms used to be completely disgusting, dirty with mold and hair and what not. Seems like they were forced to remodel the locker rooms out of being forced to with minimal investment or expense. Please REMODEL this location!

As far as 24 Hour Fitnesses go, this one’s kind of impressive (which doesn’t say much) simply because it’s so big. There’s a huge empty room that’s the general workout area. The Cardio room is surprisingly big and most of the equipment works. Never stepped foot in the locker room so if that’s a key point for you, check it out first.
Parking’s not great and everything’s old but not yucky old.

Whoops… nothing less than one star. Apathy would be the motto here. In the cardio room they have 4 TVs in the main area with transmitters for FM radios. Only two of the four transmitters work. The last couple of times I was there one of the TVs didn’t work either… it was just snow. I’ve stopped at the front desk multiple times to ask about the TV systems not working and get the same puzzled look like this is something new each time, (from the same person), along with a «I’ll pass it along».
The parking in the morning can really be bad… I’m not sure of the rest of the day.
I don’t do the spinning class but I can surely hear it. It’s a tiny little room that I assume has insufficient ventilation because they leave the double doors wide open during the class. The fitness machine area is right out in front of these doors. I don’t expect silence but working out listening to a shrill PA scream at the spinners is a lousy way to start the day at 6AM or so. I complained but that is talking to a black hole. I finally changed my workout time.
They installed brand new elliptical trainers a while back. A couple of months later one of the stainless cardio sensors from the handgrip was loose and needed tightening. I told them at the desk two days in a row with the usual «I’ll pass it along». A couple of days later it fell off and broke which meant instead of just tightening a screw they spent weeks waiting for a new part to install.
I don’t use the locker room so I can’t address that. I’ll admit it’s not the most expensive club… so I guess I’m getting what I pay for. Just don’t believe the commercials.

I would like to give for this place none stars.
The place is a dirt … No personal to care about cleaning. Jacuzzi smell bad … this all moldy … dirty … really dirty

Not the best 24 I’ve been to, mostly because it’s an active and has no pool :(but if you’re looking for cardio and weights it has a lot here for you. On top of it the staff is super friendly ^.^

Too many cancellations since my last two posts…
Tonight’s 7:30 yoga class was not cancelled, the teacher just didn’t show up…
7:40, I walked to the front desk asking where is the teacher, the guy said: oh, she’s not here? I’ll call her.
Almost 10 minutes later, I asked him why he hasn’t called yet? he said: I’m going to call her…
As all us disappointed people leaving the building, he said very cheerfully: see you next time.
It’s beyond disgusting!

Run! Don’t walk away from doing business with 24 hour fitness. I recently tried to cancel a membership over the phone at the specific phone number listed for that purpose. Each time I called I was told they had such a high call volume that I would need to wait on hold for 30 minutes.
Are you kidding me? I can call Macy’s on Christmas Eve to place an order and not have to wait more than a few minutes.
It is no surprise that their ratings suck pond water.

This location has a small parking lot, showers that make me feel clausterphobic — if i extend my arm it hits the wall, weights that feel like they have not been sanitized recently BUT they do have a large group exercise room!
Not the nicest 24 hour fitness I have visited but it does the job.

1 star because Unilocal doesn’t allow me to give 0 stars.
Do not bring your business here or to any other 24 Hour Fitness for that matter.
This club offered me a «Lifetime» membership, a promo deal back in 2006. Pay almost $ 700 for 3 years up front, then it’s 49/​year for every year after that for the rest of my life. I opted in. No conditions, no asterisk. Now they have raised the fee to $ 99. They renegged on their agreement. I called corp — no luck. They referred me to the original club I signed up with on this deal because the manager Catherine (kate) is the only one who can change it back to what it should be. So I waited for her to call me. She called after a couple of days and said she wasn’t here back then and has no idea what was promised me, so she cannot honor it. On the contract, which they used their standard cookie cutter form that has the standard dues verbiage it says they have the right to raise it. Yes that applies to new/​standard memberships. But not what was offered to me. She asked what would make me happy. I asked for her to honor the original agreement. She said her hands are tied, she has no authority to Ok the original deal and she could offer me 1 free month. I am livid. Oh but guess what? I should be happy that my yearly fee is still lower than everyone else’s! It’s not a surprise that 24 Hour does this to their members (and I have been one since 1993) but this is unacceptable. This is a sham. I was lied to by corp, telling me only the club mgr could help me. And she said no, she can’t. And what’s to stop them from upping it another $ 50 every year after that? Lifetime has a different meaning for them; apparently there was an asterisk. Which at the time, they made NO mention of.
I am not the only one this has affected and I am shocked they are screwing their customers this way. It’s simple, your people made an offer/​promise. I accept, you honor it. But they only see dollar signs and have no interest in my loyalty.
I absolutely will be marketing this issue wherever I can, in any social media avenue and to Michael Finney, 7 on your side. Even if in the end, I still get screwed and have to buck up the extra $ 50, it’s the principle. Hopefully I am heard as well as the many others who are affected by this bait and switch.

All right so here’s the basic
Cons:
This 24 hour fitness location does not look or feel clean by any means.
The parking is a B@&$&… If you find a spot in the lot shared with two other business you’re lucky!
Looks like a few machines are «out of order every time I visit»
Weight room is often too crowded for comfort
PROS:
Usually not super packed in the cardio room
Class space is usually pretty open EXCEPT FOR
CYCLying, but every gym has cycle space limited so that understand me
The front staff is friendly
This location isn’t full of the jocks and teenie boppers like the San Mateo super sport
YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR I GUESS,
Not horrible, not great

Disappointed. Had to work in San Carlos today and I drive from Sacramento.
I checked 24 hour website last night for the asterisk on the cycle class at 0530 today. No asterisk. So, without an asterisk I figure I’m okay to join the cycle class this morning.
Nope.
I show up and the trained monkey at the front desk is less than empathetic and states that all of the cycle classes are usually full in the mornings.
I politely tell her that the gym needs to update the website with an asterisk to indicate that this is a popular class and to come early.
Yeah. I got a deer in the headlights look and «ummm. Ok.»
Apparently it’s too much to ask for consistency amongst clubs on their website.
Epic fail.
Love my Sacramento clubs!

A bit gross, but sufficient.
I only come to this location on Tuesdays for Jessica’s yoga class. She’s a great instructor and her classes match my pace the best while still offering me a challenge. I’ve pretty much successfully avoided all the other parts of this gym so far by only using the Group X room.
This place is old and dirty AF. I only recently went into the locker room (I live close by) to use the restroom and it was reminiscent of my middle school locker room… except dirtier, smaller and with claustrophobia-​inducing twists and turns. I’m not asking for a 5-​star gym, but it would really help to keep things a little more updated and cleeaaan.
But, hey, at least it’s a bit entertaining when I’m on my back during yoga. The ceiling is nonexistent in the Group X room and you’re really just looking at insulation and wires and the duct tape that’s holding it all up. There was one time in class where we used the walls as support for a few different poses. I knew this place was not the cleanest, but those walls dude… I washed my hands like crazy after. Those walls are so beat up too, it’s almost comical. I do really like that the ceiling in there is high and the room is well lit. There’s a lot of room to spread out if it’s a small class for the night. Another great perk is the loading door — I’ve been told that it can be opened if the room gets too hot and stuffy.
I haven’t had a problem with parking so far. The lot can be a bit confusing as they share it with some other companies, but you can also easily find parking on the street. One of the places they share a lot with is Devil’s Canyon Brewing… shameless plug about their awesome space and beer.
Other than the broken down-​ness of this gym, it’s an okay, simple gym for your most basic workout needs. Unilocal said it best, «Meh. I’ve experienced better.»

El-​Oh-​El, two years later and the same DYEL’s are complaining about how this gym doesn’t offer them Valet parking, hot towels and Midol
For those of us who go to the gym to lift weights its still the best 24 hour in the peninsula.
Edit! Since redwood city super sport has opened, I’ve noticed fewer people here which is great as the serious lifters are the ones staying here so there’s less jackassery happening in the weights room and an overall better atmosphere if you’re there to get work done

Pro’s:
— Front desk staff friendly
— Some gym equipment which I don’t see at other gyms, great for working muscles in different tangents and fresh perspectives
Con’s:
— Facilities and equipment older than other 24 Hr. Fitness gyms I’ve been to
— Parking and surrounding industrial area sometimes not conducive for busy, working people just trying to get a workout in

I don’t go for fancy clubs. I like a place I can go to regularly to stay toned and get ‘er done. The price differential for fluffy towels and nice shower soap isn’t worth it to me.
That said, there is no excuse for the dirtiness and deferred maintenance of this club. It smells bad at all times. It’s not that individuals smell bad, but that years worth of sweat has evaporated onto surfaces and has never been cleaned off. The ceiling insulation is torn. Machines are taped together. The walls are visibly dirty, especially near the floor. The lockers (especially bathrooms) do have, as someone else put it, a prison like atmosphere. Exercise balls aren’t fully inflated. Exercise mats smell bad. The group room is just about suffocating. The only clean areas I’ve noticed are the glass and mirrors, probably because it makes a good first impression. As busy as the club is, it’s hard to believe they don’t make enough revenue to clean the place.
The staff have almost all been stellar; knowledgeable, helpful, and easygoing. Only two staff people, who I’ve only seen once each, have been unfriendly. If not for the staff, I think I would have made this a one star review.
The parking lot situation is endlessly frustrating. No, I don’t mind walking a block. Yes, I do mind walking a block in a dark, industrial area alone at night. Tonight, I thought I’d squeeze in a workout before going to bed. Arriving at the parking lot, I was stuck in the car in the middle of the oncoming traffic, waiting for someone, who was waiting for someone else, to leave a spot. Really, 24 hour? This is the best you can do for people who are trying to stay healthy? No maintenance, no parking, pay for towels, pay for lockers… ?
Obviously, the chain takes no pride in their business, and cares nothing for their customers’ welfare.
If Gold’s Gym in Mountain View works for you, I recommend it 100% over this gym. It’s clean, it’s serious, and it costs less.

The gym has all the basic equipment that I like to use. The members here are pretty good about re-​racking their dumbells but not so much with the plates.
Even though we’re in a severe draught, we still have guys wasting water in the gym. There was an overweight fellow that had the sink faucet on full blast while the entire time he was shaving. A solution would be to install sensor faucets.
Another time an older gentleman that seemed a little out of it urinated all over the floor. This was not the gym’s fault but it gives you an idea of the demographics at the San Carlos 24 HR Fitness.
Parking is difficult to find unless you go at an off-​peak hour. Basically you need to go when it’s most inconvenient for you because most likely it’ll be inconvenient all the parking space-​takers, as well.
Minus two stars for the bad parking and crazy members that you have to share space with.

Called ahead and signed up for a free pass. Came in and they said the manager was the only one who could accept a pass and we was out today. Since I had driven 30 minutes to get here, I said fuck it, I’ll just pay for membership. Apparently they couldn’t even let me pay and buy membership… What kind of gym is this?
It was good i I didn’t buy membership anyways. I felt like I was about to get shanked. The lighting is dark and reminds one of a horror movie.

I came here on a daily basis for about 3 years. It was super convenient as I worked nearby. If I’m not mistaken it’s an «Active» club in the 24 Hour Fitness caste system.
The weights here make you strong like any other gym — all you need to do is lift them. I used to be of the mindset that this was all that mattered. Then I realized that even for an «Active» club, the look, feel, and amenities of the club are subpar.
The mens’ showers, in my opinion, can be described as «prison style». While I’ve never been to prison, this is how I’d imagine prison showers to look. In fact, I was once showering when two gentlemen complimented one another on their respective tattoos with one of them explaining that he received his tattoo in prison. I was careful not to drop unbranded liquid soap dispenser soap on the floor.
The place appears to be an old warehouse and the leasehold improvements or lack thereof highlight this. It can get cold in the winters and hot in the summers as a result.
The parking situation is also annoying. For some reason the tiny clinic next door has some 4 parking spots assigned to it (often unused) with the obnoxius threat of towing wrttien on each of these spots. That’s not the only parking obstacle. If you venture too far into the lot, you arrive in a no man’s land in which it’s unclear whether your car is subject to towing due to the warehouse business out back. I usually parallel parked across the street and ran for my life across Industrial Rd. It also amazed me how many people would sit idle waiting for a spot rather than park around the block and walk! I suppose walking is only reserved for the treadmill!
I’ve since sprung for a Super Sport membership and now work out elsewhere.

I don’t go here often (only on Wednesdays for the BOdy Pump class or the Cycling class). But those classes are AWESOME!
THe group fitness room is great and bigger than the one in San Mateo Sport. The Cycling room is also nice and the instructor is amazing and upbeat and encouraging.
I haven’t used the equipment here but it is a little worn down, but I feel like all 24 hour fitnesses tend to be a little. Parking is a hassle here. There are only 10 spots for the gym so try to find street parking around the corner or before you enter the parking lot. Some of the spots are designated for the office next to the gym so be careful because I’d hate for anyone to get a ticket.
I highly recommend the body pump or the cycling class! It is a smaller gym and it tends to fill up after the work day (affects parking).

Wow this place is janky! I’m sorry but when the bathrooms and locker room smell like a bunch of piss and BO, you need better sanitation practices or something! That place was grossssss.
I came here after work one day because I had time to spare before heading to Belmont. First impression at the parking lot was… man there is absolutely no parking here. I had to drive around for 10 minutes and finally settled to park a block over on the street. When I walked in, I noticed that this place does not give towels like other 24 that I’ve been to.
When I went inside, the place was quite packed already. A lot of the equipment just seemed really battered up. There were tape all over the pull up bars that left sticky residue on my gloves. A lot of weights were partially broken.
Yeah.Safe to say I’ll just stick with my home gym. This place is a no go for me.