Lifestyle has been a clean, friendly, well maintained gym - until recently. Now that LFF is offering Peak members the same deal they had at Peak - whether it was $15 or $25, the place has become overcrowded as a result. The parking lot is packed, classes are full (which is fine), there are no free machines, the sauna is jammed, there are lines 10 to 20 people deep at the front desk to check in, and there are stacks of people in the aisles of which the fire marshall might well disapprove. The existing LFF members, who pay from $33 to $39 a month and many of whom paid a joining fee of $50 to $75, have been given no information at all about the influx of new members or about plans to increase class offerings (which are nowhere near as large in # as the YMCA's class list). My friends who take water aerobics (I have not been in those classes) say that the small pool is packed and equipment is short, sometimes the equipment closet is locked. I know several LFF members who are looking for new gyms as a result. My fear is that if LFF emphasizes new members over old, and the old members who are paying the fees that support the place leave, it will go downhill fast. There has to be a balance between sales and service, and I'm not seeing that at LFF right now.
That being said, the staff is in general quite wonderful there - but corporate offices are clearly pushing the staff to increase enrollment at rapid rates. They are clearly giddy about the opportunity to grab as many Peak members as possible no matter the cost to existing members or the long term health of the club.
I imagine the same thing is happening at Golds, which the N&O indicated is also offering special deals to Peak members.
Pros: Great classes, good equipment, clean
Cons: Recently has gotten extremely crowded
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