if I could give this gym less stars, I would. I have been trying to cancel for almost a year now. I have relocated twice, to the point of living in a completely different state. Still won't let me go. I wasn't aware I had to lock in for life when I signed up. What a scam. read more

Best gym I've ever belonged to by far! Everyone at the desk has been super welcoming, and the shakes are amazing. read more

Facilities are OK (not really worth the annual $40 upgrade fee) and feels kinda dirty. Equipment is from the old Court House Plus (CHP is written in Sharpie on most of it). Most of the instructors were great, though! As many of the other reviewers mentioned, when I signed up, Big Sky boasted "month-to-month membership, no cancellation fees, and no contracts -- EVER." (I really love how they emphasized "ever." But when I went to cancel because I'll be traveling for the next few months on the West Coast, I got a response from their billing CS that I had to prove I'm moving more than 25 miles away. Huh? No contracts, right? Denied the charges on my CC and will let them take care of this. For $20 a month, I guess you get what you pay for, but I'd pay at least double (or more) to workout at a clean gym that doesn't need to lie to you to get you to sign up. read more

Big Sky Fitness gym itself is good; however, the contract is managed by ABC Fitness, which is absolutely predatory and a scam. If you need to cancel the membership for legitimate reasons, they will require a ridiculous amount of information from you: "You must move your residence 15 miles or more from any Big Sky facility. You must provide sufficient proof that you are moving. Please send in one of the following: New lease agreement in the member's name signed by member and lessor. New utility hook-up or utility bill in member's name showing new address. Newly issued driver's license showing new address. Copy of a pay stub from a new employer showing new address. Students--must send in a copy of a class schedule and tuition receipt. Car or home insurance papers showing new address. Closing papers on a purchase of a new home. Current bank statement showing new address. Current major credit card statement showing new address. Post office change of address confirmation. Military orders greater than a 3-month duration." This is just another way for them to make the process very tedious, so they can keep siphoning your money away, despite your loyalty and prior payments. Please be cautious of this and consider finding another gym with a more reasonable cancellation policy. read more

Do not sign up if you don't want to be locked with Big Sky for life. Even after a full year, they won't let me cancel unless I'm relocating more than 25 miles away from any of their gyms, have proof of disability from a doctor, or am deceased. Their cancellation process is extremely unreasonable. I would not recommend you to register even with new membership perks and discounts. It's not worth it. read more

Figured that I would give this gym a shot for their three day free trial. I have to say that I was quite disappointed with the gym.g Given tho I am a new customer I was not shown around the gym and the customer service was terrible. I was very confused about the layout and it took me a good 5-9 mins to figure out where everything where everything was located. Besides the bad customer service the overall gym has a gloom to it. I don't think it is the cleanest gym I been too. I most likely wouldn't Gerry a membership here for my personal experience. The only good thing about the gym is the large amount of turf they have and that's pretty cool. read more

Joined to give it a shot. Very disappointed. Locker room is filthy and you can smell the toilet as they are always clogged. People continue to use them even when clogged. When you walk in the front door you can smell the funky smell in the stairwell. Smells like mold to me. Equipment is from the turn of the century at best. Many machines not working. Hodgepodge of equipment in different locations, no rhyme nor reason for placement. Will never be back. read more

DO NOT SIGN UP!! I signed up and needed to cancel for personal concern with Covid and because I was moving, but they have a policy that they will not cancel any membership without a medical condition or moving. And you have to move over 25 miles from any of their locations. When I signed up, this was Not explicitly clear. Only after you sign up is it in the fine print. If I had known before I would have never signed up. Customer service told me that once I submitted the necessary paperwork that I could request not to be transferred to a different location. This was not the case, even though I don't want to be in a different gym. So now I am stuck paying a year's membership for something I won't use. It's just a waste of money. read more

This place is horrible. There are never towels in the dispensers, water fountains are essentially non existent, they never have enough treadmills (the exception is the "women only room" which is NEVER being used), they closed the pool with almost zero notice and to top it off there is always some major issue with a feature of the gym. To top it off I called to cancel my month to month plan with them and they gave me such a hassle about it. They said I needed to mail them a letter requesting to cancel and then they would stop billing us. Jokes on them. I cancelled my credit card, because that was faster and easier. NEVER again read more

This place hits all the nails on the head. the equipment is awesome, the staff is fantastic, sand the smoothies are awesome. would recommend this place to anyone, the culture is awesome here and there are a lot of helpful people throughout the gym. read more

Big Sky is the best gyms I've been to. The atmosphere is unbeatable and the trainers are amazing, especially Noah. Love that guy. You won't find a better shake around to have after a workout. read more

Don't trust the childcare room with your younger children. Staff cannot protect them from the older children.

Overall, it's a nice gym with a wide variety of equipment and group ex classes. It kind of smells in the entry way especially, and people don't always wipe down their equipment and you rarely see staff cleaning. But READ THE FINE PRINT. They lure you in with "4 months free," but then you have to to commit for a year. The only way to cancel is if you are medically permanently disabled and have a doctors note, or you can provide proof that you moved more than 15 miles away. After the year you can cancel, but you need to give them a 25 days notice or else you'll get charged for another month. If you want to upgrade or downgrade your membership, you are relocked into another year. I've had negative experiences with some of the older men being creepy but feeling uncomfortable on the premises isn't a valid reason to cancel. Just know what you're signing up for. read more

Swim lessons review I enrolled my toddler for his very first swim lessons here. I heard "Big Sky Fitness" through a friend and I say I'll never regret going here. Did the enrollment through phone without any fuss the staff here are great. Prices are reasonable compared to other swim places. The location was convenient for me, close to home. This was introduce to water session for age group of 6 months to 3 years. Four classes and only 10 babies in the batch. Shawn was the coach, well trained to handle small kiddos. Really appreciate his patience with the crying kids in the pool. Thought the very basic things in an easy way. They have an indoor swimming pool and also offer personal coaching. They have a huge gym with special classes too. Also they have a health bar which serves protein shakes and fresh milkshakes. Spacious parking available on site. read more

I really like this gym, never too crowded ans a good mix of people. Equipment is great but only giving 4 stars because they took out the pool, which was my biggest reason for joining! It's been filled in and going to be turned into turf eventually. I did like when I first signed up I received some great coupons in the mail shortly after. I like the gym, like the employees, they keep the place covid clean, just wished they were open 24 hours read more

Like Julia W. - I too was put on to Big Sky by way of a free seven day trial. Luckily at the end of my trial there was a promotion to sign up and pay nothing for the next 3 months. It's been a month to the day and I'm glad I did! As of 03/19/2014, renovations are still underway. With that said, yes it might not be super organized or perfectly clean - but there is noticeable progress. All of the front desk staff have been super approachable and very helpful. I haven't had the opportunity to set up appointments with any of the trainers (you get some free sessions upon joining, along with rolling promotions they email/mail to you) but they also seem to be real down-to-earth. Recently decided to take my fitness to the next step. As I train for the next 12 weeks, I find that there is a sufficient amount of equipment to effectively help me burn fat and build muscle. The top floor consists of mostly treadmills, ellipticals, and exercise bikes/cycles. There are a variety of machines, but the majority of weight-lifting equipment is on the bottom floor. Free weights and any and all weight-lifting equipment are comfortably spaced out on the lower level along with 2 studios of which classes (all free) are held. There is also some space between the studios to stretch and train there if you're looking for some privacy. The biggest of the 4 Big Sky Fitness gyms, there is also a pool here. One thing I have really come to love though and MUST mention is the fact that they offer a dry sauna. I have not once come here without using it, and sincerely hope they continue to offer this amenity after the overhaul is done. If anything, they should get rid of the hot tub and make the men's and women's sauna bigger! A child-care center, soon-to-be juice bar, and the many features they offer make Big Sky a great catch in the sea of boring or overpriced gyms. If you're looking to get back into shape, or just a change of scenery; Big Sky a very attractive and affordable start! read more

Big Sky Fitness - club hours as of 03.20.2014 - Gyms Near Me - Vernon, Connecticut

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Big Sky, apple of my eye. You know, as far as gyms go. Long story short, I hate gyms. I visited Big Sky because a friend invited me to accompany her for a free seven day trial. I am on day four, and will absolutely be joining as a permanent member. I will say, they are still currently under mega construction. Like, when you walk upstairs, you wonder if you're in the right place. Some more signage would be helpful here. There's also construction happening downstairs. I do believe there is a juice bar and tanning room on the way, amongst other things. This is actually the only reason I left out the fifth star. Once you pass all the chaos, you just breeze by the front desk and scan your card to check in. No hold up waiting for the person at the front desk to check you in manually. Speaking of the front desk, the lovely, petite blonde who signed me up for my trial was so friendly and inviting. She made a great first impression, which is everything, as the front desk person is literally the ambassador for the gym. The gym is two floors. On the top floor is all of the cardio equipment, with a small weight section. There is also floor space dedicated to battle ropes, bosu and balance balls, and other miscellaneous equipment. The bottom floor has an enormous weight room, and is also home to the pool, classrooms (tons of classes available that are free with membership), and locker rooms (with a SAUNA). This gym really has everything, and everything is very, very clean. Big Sky offers a room upstairs dedicated to women only, filled with circuit, weight, stretching, and cardio equipment. This room exists for women like me who sometimes feel uncomfortable or intimidated by crowded gyms. It's such a wonderful feature. Speaking of crowded, the layout of the facility is such that it never really feels cramped, and machines are always available. I also noticed they have a childcare center, which must be great for folks with kids. I really don't have a single negative thing to say about this gym. Yes, the random construction zones make it less than perfect, currently, but I feel like once they are done I will be updating this review to an easy five stars. If you don't consider yourself the gym "type" like me, or if you love gyms, this is one gym that can handle both of us (and lots of our friends as well!). read more

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Friendly people, great staff, always clean. Even during peak hours you can still find the equipment you need but it would be nice if they had a few more cable machines! read more

They don't have a pool anymore. They filled it in with cement and the other Big Sky location that has a pool you have to pay extra to use it. Like another 10 dollars. read more

The only appeal of the Big Sky gym in Vernon, CT is the 4 month promotion otherwise the gym is not that clean with some old equipment and hostile staff. I signed up for the 4 month promotion in December but I saw that I got billed anyways. I called to ask why and the staff aggressively told me I have to show proof that I signed up for the 4 month promotion because they didn't have that on record. I answered that there isn't proof since they took the promotion coupon I received in the mail from me when I signed up. It's amusing, because every few months they email all of us about 4 month promotions but they cannot give me one despite me actually signing up for it. Going forward, I look forward to quitting this gym at the 1 year mark because that is as early they allow us to quit. read more

Today I tried to cancel my month to month membership with Big Sky Fitness. When I Called Customer Service they transferred to another ABC department, and when I asked to cancel they refused to allow me to cancel it unless I wrote them a letter and spoke to a representative. They make it easy when join the Gym, but make it IMPOSSIBLE for you to leave! Contacted the BBB and filed a complaint also might sent complaint to Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. Will update after this gets resolved. read more

I've been visiting family in the area for the past 10 years and over the years have worked out at Big Sky. When I visited today and asked to purchase a one week pass they said it would be $40. In the past the most I paid was $20. When I asked how much it would cost for a one month pass they said $50. Seems very unreasonable for them to charge $40 for a week when one month would cost $50. I told them that the most I had ever paid before was $20 and that my family had been members in the past, etc. but it was to no avail. It was extremely disappointing since they're a small business. Even large cable and internet companies will listen to reason. Also, after I was there for 30 minutes they informed me that the gym was closing. So on top of paying for $40 to workout for the week, one of the days was only for 30 minutes. After this happened I again asked if they could reduce the rate but they did not budge. They claimed they informed me that the gym would close before I signed up. In regards to this I do remember they said something about closing at 2 p.m. but I thought they were stating I could work out for an additional day until 2 p.m. I likely misunderstood that part. TLDR: $40 to workout for a week when a monthly costs $50. On top of that the gym was closing in 30 minutes so it wasn't even a full week. I've also have been coming in over the years and my family have also had memberships. read more

If I could give zero stars I would. They lock you into an "installment" contract. The only way to fully cancel agreement is to move away or become disabled (which they claim their doctors can investigate you on) with detailed proof. I requested to turn off the auto-renewal, which I was told was done (I just got billed again this month). When I reached out to their billing company they informed me that I would still have to pay 20 payments until the installment was complete. I signed up in February. 20 payments is well over a year. They also told me effective last month my actual membership was cancelled. So now they want me to pay for a gym membership that no longer exists. They will not cancel the agreement. Do not sign up with this gym, they're just eager money grabbers, they do not care about their customers, and the actual facility is nothing special. read more

Went to go and cancel my family's membership and have been locking in for a year. A year passed and we're still getting charged for out membership. I even send an email and no reply read more

I tried to get a short term, two week membership here and was told, sorry, we don't offer those, here are your options, take it or leave it: "All we can offer is $10 for a day pass, $59 for one month,  or $39 for one week. Sorry for any inconvenience." Where is the customer service? How hard is it to prorate a one month membership? I advise you to go somewhere else. All they care about is the money. read more

I have been a member for many years. Lived through multiple renovations and inconveniences but enjoyed working out here. My primary reason for joining Big Sky was the Pool. There are many less expensive ( with friendlier staff) options around but the aquatics made this gym unique. The pool was always an issue as it was closed many times for various reasons. Maybe it makes sense to the management to close it as I'm sure it's an expensive thing to keep up, but to some of us who used it as the main source of exercise it's devastating. All that aside, the way it was handled leaves a lot to be desired. No notice, no email, no Facebook post. An explanation to the membership would have been appreciated it. Oh well. Shopping around for another gym. read more

Big sky in Manchester recently closed its pool to the dismay of many people Even worse, they just discontinued the silver sneakers program sponsored by Medicare advantage programs run by and paid for by the federal government--boo boo!! This makes no sense since they were being paid by the government for each member that belonged to Silver Sneakers. read more

I signed up in December 2015 for a one-year membership, and ended up being charged $27/month (it was a few dollars/month more than the 2-year membership). When the year was up, I was automatically placed on a month-to-month membership that was $32/month. Overall this gym cost more than others, but I knew this going in and still decided that it was worth it. My overall experience was pretty positive. I loved their smoothie bar, group power classes, very spacious, they had tons of different types of equipment and weights, they have a women-only room (it's small compared to the rest of the gym, but I know this is important for some people).Some of the staff were super nice and genuinely friendly, others were just weirdos who seemed crazy/dead inside, but I feel like that's to be expected at any gym... Below is a list of things that I wish I had known over the past 13 months: 1. NEVER LEAVE ANYTHING BEHIND!!! Either people stole my stuff, or someone threw it out. Once I left a bag (with really expensive jeans) on their coat rack by the front door, another time I left my favorite shirt in the downstairs locker room. These items never made it to their lost and found box in the back :*( I know, leaving stuff behind was my bad, I just assumed that of *course* it would just be in the lost and found... 2. Their yoga classes are slow as fffffffff!!! If that's for you, cool. They are relaxing and gentle... just know what you're getting into since there was nothing in the class description about this important detail. 3. There's a one-time annual fee for membership of ~$30. When you do the math, it averages to an extra $2-3 to the monthly fee you're already paying. 4. You need to contact ABC to cancel your membership, and they require 25 days notice via email. I got lucky and cancelled at the beginning of the month, but I'm guessing a lot of people will get stuck paying an extra month because of this 25-day notice policy. I had my email up on my laptop when I called ABC, and I wrote the email as they were giving me the information (their email address, my account number, full name and reason for cancelling..). Then I received 2 separate confirmation emails of my cancellation, one that confirmed they received my email, then another the next day confirming I was officially cancelled and when my last day of membership will be. If they try to pull any shady shit I'll update my review, but hopefully it's all set! read more

I've been going to Big Sky in Vernon for years. It's a good gym... has good equipment and spacious. However, the woman's only is too small. The hours for the facility are horrible. I wish they stayed opened later on Saturdays and Sundays and.. at least till midnight weekdays. Also, the upstairs equipment there's always something wrong with it. If I'm paying a $40 a year fee to keep up with the machines... why are so many of them so old, rusty, and constantly breaking???? The Big Sky in Newington and Farmington have much better equipment read more

Terrible. I signed up for $25 a month. They said I could cancel at 6 months since I'm working contract to hire. Well I'm getting hired and I still want to cancel my membership and they won't let me. They also started charging me $42 per month instead. What the hell. Apparently I can only cancel if I move or am permanently injured The gym locker rooms smell like moldy socks all day for months at a time until they clean it. Then it goes back to the old smell quickly. The gymneeds more pullup bars. The ab machine there is old and wobbles side to side when using it. Both of them do. They are also constantly changing the way the building looks on the inside, so parts of the gym are unavailable. I wish i had chosen LA fitness. It is cleaner, and doesn't stick you with a year contract. You pay by the month. read more

I had a terrible experience with the swim instructors and the head of the swim classes. They were rude, obnoxious, didnt make eye contact and when we discussed private swim lessons she wouldn't talk in person. Lizzie is her name when she was being rude I called her out on it and she started yelling and screaming in front of the my kids and other kids. When I complained to management they never called to apologize or confront. She threatened me not to refund my money. I would never recommend this place to anyone, The swim instructor treats certain type of ethnicity differently compare to other people. They never apologized and its a terrible place to send your kids. read more

I like this gym a lot. Compared to the others in the area, it's the only gym that stays air conditioned, pretty clean, and has enough equipment to keep all your muscles in shape. Another gym has more, but the facility is filthy, and the equipment stinks (odor wise). The other is more of a disco-gym, a place to do some aerobics, a little weight lifting, but more for finding a partner and socializing. The only thing that really sucks is that they close at 5pm on Saturdays and 2pm on Sundays?? Durr!! Don't understand why they would close during the most opportune time, not to mention driving people away. read more

The good: remodeling has made the upstairs pretty good. Much better than 2 years ago. The Bad : the men's locker room is horrible. Cramped and the odor is at times unbearable. The toilet area smell bleeds over into the entire locker room and shower area. It's clear that the money maker is their classes and those areas are very well done. Huge oversight was not remodeling the men's locker room. read more