Bay Club Santa Monica - Santa Monica, California

Emma S.

Bay Club Santa Monica is hands down the most poorly managed and disappointing gym I’ve ever encountered. It’s crammed into a tiny space within an office building, offering an inadequate amount of cardio equipment and free weights. Worse, the air conditioning is virtually non-existent, leaving the weight room boiling hot. I’ve seen the thermostat reach nearly 80°F, with sweat puddles visible on the floors—something I have proof of.

The steam room, one of the gym’s key selling points, was out of order for months. After a lengthy wait, they finally installed a dry sauna, but even then, it lacked wood panels, exposing dangerously hot marble walls. This shows a blatant disregard for member safety.

Customer service is equally nonexistent. One of the front desk staff members in particular is ALWAYS rude and dismissive, and the overall management is unresponsive to member concerns while expressing constant attitude.

The gym’s cancellation policy is also absurd—despite giving notice before the next billing cycle, you’re forced to pay for an additional month, even if you’re no longer using the facility. The gym hours are awful as well since they are only open until 3PM on weekends.

Save yourself the frustration, money, and effort. Bay Club Santa Monica is a poorly run facility that doesn’t prioritize its members. Do yourself a favor and look quite literally elsewhere.

Love B.

I ended my membership a few months ago because the weekend hours remained short despite several requests to extend them beyond 3pm. The front desk person A--x is unprofessional and seems very unhappy with his job. They really need to improve their customer service in a major way.

I liked the gym otherwise, and I did like the other front desk folks, and there are some good instructors.
I signed up with the new Equinox.

brian B.

I was a former member of Spectrum/ Bay Club Howard Hughes (Closed). When Bay Club took over that spot I think they improved it. The SM club isn't bad by any means. It's like a step up from the LA Fitness/ 24 hour fitness- maybe close to equal with those gym's highest service level- but way more expensive.

They offer complimentary coffee, have good towels which is nice. Limited and dated cardio equipment here.

As others will state, it's a weird layout but not necessarily a bad one. The equipment is pretty decent.

Parking is great and easy. It's relatively clean but the locker room is small and really stinks. Something I really found pleasant about Equinox is the top-notch cleanliness (including locker rooms, showers, etc- but of course you pay for that)

Honestly I feel the dues are about 25% overpriced at BayClub.

Sam R.

Used this gym last year up until late this year. One of the main reasons I joined was the steam room. Once it broke they said it would be fixed by thanksgiving / Christmas 2022, this didn’t end of up happening for 8+ months until I left. Every time I asked a staff member about it, I hardly got a response and mentions of el segundo, which to me is irrelevant. The membership fee then increased, without anything given from the team to improve the experience. The facilities are decent but the majority of the time, the gym was packed, even at 6am, and for the price they charge, it’s hardly a great experience. I understand there is local restrictions, but considering how amazing the el segundo branch is compared to SM, they should reduce the price. Overall, okay experience but would not recommend.

Sindé T.

I had the pleasure of coming into the Bay Club and the service was exceptional. Madeleine and Bryce were lovely and hospitable.

mack M.

Gym is really clean and classes are good but the steam room has been down for months and they have been saying it will be fixed next month then next month. It’s a shame i had to drive all the way to el Segundo from Santa Monica to get in the steam room or the sauna because Santa Monica location doesn’t have any. This never happened at equinox

Kelsey M.

I'm a member at the Bay Club and really enjoy it, but the Santa Monica club's steam room has been down for over a month. They said today that it will be down for a while longer (no ETA given), but they have no plans to give members, who pay for the gym AND its amenities, any kind of a discount. My fiancé and I joined the Bay Club because we were looking for a gym that offered amenities like a steam room and was beyond just a regular gym, so it's disappointing that this is the current situation. Yes, we can go to the other clubs, but we got the membership that allows us to use all of the clubs, and we expect and pay for them ALL to be fully operational.

On top of that, when I called to ask about the steam room this morning, the employee I spoke with cut me off while I was speaking/asking questions multiple times, which is just simply rude. Obviously they have a script they have been given regarding this, as I'm sure I'm not the only person who has called with the same questions/concerns.

Sandy C.

I have been a member here for 12 years but time to say bye-bye. I understood their shorter weekend hours right after Covid but now they still close a major gym at " 3PM " on weekends and that is really bad. There are many people who can't get to the gym till the afternoon and they are the only gym in town that closes so early. If I had a dollar for every member who has told me they are pissed off about weekend closure at 3PM I could book a trip to Mexico. For me to leave a post here takes a lot but their being so bad with the hours has left a bad taste in my mouth. And for $194 a month they are not giving anything away. They have "multiple" locations throughout the state and this is the only one that shuts its doors on members at 3PM on weekends. Shameful. The worst thing is that the manager on premise said she would approach corporate about the topic but I know they didn't even try. 26 Clubs on 10 campuses and none close before 5PM ( some open till 9PM ) weekends except one in SF financial district which is closed all weekend. Shameful.