We came here because a coach subbed at another location and we actually saw our kid connect with them and begin to learn something. I love this place! The coaches actually coach and the staff is very attentive to students struggling to adjust. Our son attended 6 sessions before moving to junior 2. read more

Communication with front desk is really bad! The never answer phone calls or return your call even when you leave a message.

Staff is incredibly friendly and helpful, love the variety of lanes for different seimming levels. The water temperature is perfect. Christine Elena and Alexis have been helpful!! Nick is a great teacher ans taught my daughter so much! read more

Our son has been at Goldfish Elmhurst for over a year, and we've been very pleased. He started as a beginner and has now graduated through 4 levels! The very best part about Goldfish is the teachers, who may be young but are SO patient and kind with the children. They know all the best ways to get hesitant swimmers in the water: sometimes with bribes, sometimes with games, sometimes with laughs. It's truly impressive and appreciated. Class sizes are small, and even though there's a max of 4 kids/class, we usually see only 2 or 3. Other things we love: - THE POOL: water is always warm! The pool itself is designed for young swimmers, with a little bench that goes around the perimeter so students can safely wait and stay warm in the water until it's their turn to swim. - AMENITIES: changing rooms, several private bathrooms, bathing suit dryer, and even a surfboard-themed blow dry station. - CONVENIENCE: lots of flexible class times to choose from. And if you have to miss a class (vacation, sickness, etc), you can cancel on their website and schedule a make-up class for another time for free. - VIEWING AREA: Parents can sit and watch their kids from the other side of a giant glass wall. That way, you're not sweating in the pool area, and kids stay more focused on the lesson, too. - OTHER STUFF: Goldfish offers "family swim" times for members. read more

We've been going here for one year now. My kids started at 2 and 5, they're now 3 and 6. They moved up a couple classes. It is pricey. They don't waive fee if you can't make it to class, they just give class credit. We tried semi private but the kids didn't like it (it was just them 2). The class is about 20 mins long (5 mins to get started and it's done 5 mins early where parents come in to get feedback). I personally don't need feedback weekly. Maybe once a month max. Anyway, there are up to 4 kids per class. So you're paying for 5 mins of swim time in most cases. I suggest less feedback time, less kids (2-3 is ideal ). They do have quite a bit of turnover for instructors. The instructors are mostly very good! The facility is clean and they have lots of showers and maybe a slight deficiency in changing rooms for the number of families (we often have to wait). But overall, it's a good experience and my kids can swim now! read more

Goldfish Swim School - Elmhurst - Parents area - Swimming Lessons/Schools Near Me - Elmhurst, Illinois

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The instructors are so amazing here- you can tell they really care about your child making progress in their lessons. Any time I have had a question or concern- the management team has been so responsive! read more

I signed up my 6year old about a month ago. Her teacher is amazing with her! Dyanne is her name. You can tell she loves what she does. She gives her so much confidence. She's been doing so well in just a month the progress has been amazing. Everyone there is so friendly. If you have any questions they are quick to answer. read more

Our kids have been coming here for over a year. They live it. We like it too. The major drawback is that there are too many kids per lane for the 30 minutes of swimming. Each kid gets about 10-15 minutes this way. It would be ideal if each lane is max 2-3 kids. Not 4. Otherwise the facility is nice and the kids are making steady progress. Price is reasonable but would have more value if limit is 2 kids per lane. read more

We've been attending Goldfish for around a year and a half. They're very clean. Offer awesome amenities to their customers and have done an awesome job throughout Covid. They're great at teaching the kiddos on how to swim. The only drawbacks would be the number of kids per lane and their cost. They do average around $20 for half an hour of swim time (yikes!) and if there is 4 kids in the lane, it's not really worth the money vs the attention your child receives on critics. read more

They are understaffed and only hire teenagers. There employees have minimal training and there is not enough adult supervision. The school needs more adults who are trained in dealing with special needs kids read more

Awful experience. Prior to registering for a class I called and messaged the facility to make sure the staff was able to support a non verbal autistic child. I was informed all their instructors are trained to handle kids with autism and other disabilities so I booked a visit. The facility send emails prior asking that you arrive early to sign in an a tour. We got to facility 10 minutes before glass and were told we are too early and to come back. When we came back no tour or an overview of how things work. The main focus was to try and get me to sign up for a membership. When we arrived to the lane for the class (that we had to rush to because the place was packed with people) I informed all the swim instructors my son was non verbal and when class was over someone would need to walk him to the door. The response by the instructors was ok. During the class I watched the instructors pass my son back and forth. It appeared they didn't want to be bothered as the spent the majority of the time just pouring water on him and talking to each other. When class was over they took my son out the pool and just let him go after I specifically said someone would need to walk him to the door. Luckily my husband was swift and ran in the room when he saw our son running to jump back in the water. After class we received all these emails about all the swim techniques our son had learned and his swim level. We clearly saw he learned they didn't teach him anything. If you have a child with a disability or delay don't waste your time going here. As I am now I would be worried about my child's safety. read more

Great accommodating place and they care about their customers. I recommend this place

Their facility, teachers, and program are fantastic. Their booking process, change, and overall management of the classes is horrible. They constantly are changing the class my daughters are in. Their Web-portal is the worst built software I have ever encountered. Their front desk is clueless most times that you check in or call. It is really frustrating to deal with anytime there is any issue. We really wish they would recognize this issue and try to address it. We are contemplating moving both kids because of the hassles. read more

Wow, the cleanest pool I've ever dipped my toes in! The instructors are amazing. My daughter loves going there, she looks forward to her swim class every week. Brianna is an amazing GM. Whenever I have an issue she always offers a solution. Perfect environment. 10/10 would recommend this swim school!! read more

I came in for a Mini trial lesson for my 12 month old and was not impressed. There was no attempt to know my son or his swimming skills, being that there was another family I anticipated more one-on-one instruction. It was hard to hear the instructor due to other classes taking place at the same time so the majority of the time I asked to repeat herself. She modeled the exercises extremely fast with a baby doll. While we were supposed to practice a new skill she went to the edge of the pool to chit chat with the lifeguard. At the end she quickly congratulated us for doing "great in class" when in reality she did not pay attention to any of the exercises we completed due to her being busy talking. I am only giving a one-star rating because of the cleanliness of the facilities. I do not plan to enroll my son to a place where there's lack of attention from instructors and that can potentially put his safety at risk. read more

Without informing me, this placed decided to have a fire drill in the middle of my 3 and 4 yr olds swim class, when its 40something degrees outside. My kids were in the pool for 2 minutes, just enough to get cold, before they were dragged out to the parking lot. Class was then cancelled. Parents should absolutely be informed ahead of time if there's going to be something like this, and we should be allowed to decide if it's in the best interest of our kids to participate. There's a million better ways to handle this, and everyone of those ways starts with keeping parents informed of what's going on. I would not be surprised if this place is closed soon because of a lawsuit, kids getting sick and parents being uninformed of what their kids are getting involved in. read more

We have really enjoyed our experience with Goldfish. The costumer service has gone above and beyond in my experience. The instructors are friendly and the facility is tidy. My kids really enjoy going there and are sad when they have to leave. During the winter it is a great option for those kids who love the water. read more

My little boys have been attending swim school for the last couple years. They have the individual attention they need even in group lessons. They have progressed so much compared to the park district lessons. Today we had some awesome teachers that helped my kids with their individual skills they were having trouble mastering. read more

My children have made great progress in a short amount of time. The pool is warm and the facilities are top notch. Clean and comfortable. I also used to dread swim school in the winter because of all the gear and changing clothes but not anymore. Patient, kind, and wonderful swim instructors! My son and daughter have had jitters about jumping into the pool and these guys could not have been more encouraging and patient. Front desk staff is fantastic too. We schedule the lessons later in the day and bath and change our kiddos into their PJs and then it's a straight shot home. read more

Goldfish swim school is the best best best place for my child she has learned so much. The staff is wonderful and front desk service is great. I can't thank you enough for my wonderful experience with You all. Shawn read more

Super warm pool and pool room. This environment the instructors and the pool water make my kids enjoy coming here and they are actually engaged in their lesson and advancing. I don't think this would have happened... at least not as steadily, anywhere else. I highly recommend that Jump Start programs when they are offered. Once a week is good for them to keep up the skill, but everyday for a week really helps them advance. The administration understands the importance of having one consistent instructor. In rare times where they haven't been able to do that they have provided the lesson free of charge. That was very important to me as my kids can be anxious and they have a rapport with their instructor and their instructor knows the areas they need to work on. Overall, great customer service. read more

My daughter started swimforce with 5 swimmers per lane and 2 lanes total. Fast forward 2 months, there are 7 swimmers per lane and 3 lanes total. The space constraints have created more opportunity for injury and harm. Moreso, the opportunity to improve her skill level have been minimized with the overcrowding. There is never the same answer about the allowable number of students per class in normal circumstances or during today's COVID restrictions. read more

I usually do not leave reviews, but I just wanted to share some positive experiences I have had at Goldfish Swim School in Elmhurst. I take my niece to lessons once a week. Prior to attending lessons she was frightful of the water and would freak out if she got water in her eyes. The instructors at Goldfish have been so accommodating to help her feel comfortable in the water. She looks forward to attending every week and has progressed through a couple of levels now. The young girl that was frightful of the water now is swimming like a little fish. Thank you Goldfish!!! read more

Terrible place to be. Service there below expectations. i canceled the service and asked for refund and they still charging my credit card after cancellation. They made me go there to fill piece of paper to cancel the service. Cant cancel over the phone. Dreadful experience read more

Goldfish Swim School is great! We love taking our 16 month old daughter once a week. It's very well organized,the water is very nice and warm,and the changing rooms are very clean. Our teacher Jenny is great & I'm sure the rest of the staff are awesome too. read more

The instructors are wounderful and the methodology / process they use with the kids is fun and exciting for them but they are actually learning to swim as a part of the process read more

We started bringing our 4 year old daughter there for swimming lesion 2 weeks ago. The place is great, very friendly staff. The pool area is very warm and so is the water. On the top of it they have showers and hair dryers, so you can wash off the child before you go home. Great place, I would recommend it to everyone. read more

On my 1st visit to the facility, I had an appt time. When i arrived at the desk, they quickly asked my appt. Time, quickly explained where the bathroom and changing areas are. I changed my daughter into her suite and came out and waited, and waited. No one called me for the class. It was FREEZING in the wait area. When I finally went to the desk, after a long wait, I said no one called me! She said oh, her lesson just ended! I told her I was sitting and waiting and no one checked to see if I was in a class. Remember, I'm NEW to this facility. So at the customer service desk, she stated, ok we have another class starting after family time. I waited an hour and had my daughter sit in the pool. After family time, when classes resumed, I asked which class she was in, no one knew, and said she wasnt registered for any on there roster. I had to explain that I missed an earlier appt while sitting right here in the facility and someone at the desk rescheduled me. Obviously they did NOT. I was told there was a layer class that day, but I already was exhausted waiting and miserable from the heat inside the pool area. He accommodated me, and let my daughter join a class with a young toddler, which was just fine. MY PROBLEM. While in the changing room, if I missed a call, why was it not followed up? I'm a 1st time visitor. After missing the earlier appt. Why wasnt I appropriately rescheduled for another. It was not communicated to other staff members. It was really cold in the facilities waiting area and extremely hot and humid in the pool area almost like a steam room. I do think it's great to have a heated pool, but there was no air circulating. My child and I have ASTHMA, and that atmosphere is very taxing on the lungs. Then to walk out of the pool area into the dry lounge area, was dreadful because it was soooo darn COLD. I saw everyone's face coming out in discomfort trying to keep warm. The setup is nice, I had to pull my child in the middle of her lesson, because it was her first time and she was alittle scared, but what made me pull her was" she was breathing a little hard to me, and trying to compensate would of gotten harder because of the HEAT AND HIGH HUMIDITY IN THE POOL! SHE NEEDED some " fresh cooler air" please, warn Parents with asthma and asthmatic children of this, so they can prepare. I would have brought her inhaler and given her a pre-treatment prior to the lessons to alleviate some discomforts. But really, it was too hot and humid in the pool area, and a shock cold walking out of that area into the lounge area, warm that area up for the comfort of your swimmers too.i like the concept, but my child simply was not ready this time, and I wasnt prepared either. I may visit at another time in the future when I think shes prepared, since I know what to expect and what our for now. THANK YOU! read more

My two children have taken lessons here for about seven months. I couldn't be happier with this school. The staff is always very friendly. They are warm with the kids - completely positive. The facility is very clean and welcoming. I also (as a teacher myself) am very pleased with the teaching methods and the pace at which my kids have been progressing. Thank you teachers and staff! read more

I found the cancellation copy and received a call from the GM. I will be credited the charges and found out I was not told the correct policy during my initial call. I am happy to hear this and understand mistakes happen. To me it's what the business does to correct the issue. They are going to correct my issue and re-educate staff on cancellation policy. read more

We're not impressed enough to remain members, so we've already submitted our notice to transfer to a different program, despite only joining last winter. First, the facilities are immaculate, which earns these stars. They're maintained really well, and it's pretty roomy. There's dressing rooms, showers, bathrooms, and hair dryers. The staff is give or take. Where there are several somewhat unfriendly employees, there are definitely plenty of other employees who go out of their way. There seems to be a little disorganization and miscommunication with the front desk and some administrative stuff. We've had a few makeup classes since we started, and there have been issues. The Easter event, for example, was not managed well, and parents received contradicting information. Twice they've rescheduled my daughter in a level above her abilities, and when it's a teacher who isn't familiar with your child, then they end up over-estimating where your child is on the learning curve. It doesn't seem like the class is long enough to actually make a significant impact. Maybe they should consider lengthening the classes instead of worrying about how many individual classes they can hold in a day. The instructors seem to make some positive impact, but you can tell that they're really pressed for time and don't have enough to spend with each child. I would personally expect more quality from a franchise like this. read more

My number one favorite thing about Goldfish Swim School is the instructors. Our daughter has learned so much in a short amount of time from caring and supportive instructors. I so appreciate how they are teaching her the proper techniques for the different strokes in a way she enjoys. I also love how clean the facility is. I look forward to my daughter joining the swim team within the next year. read more

Their Attention to detail when correcting the children technique is superb...the instructors are excellent with pointing out the small things that makes a huge difference in my daughter's form. Great Job!! read more

My review is about their cancellation process and policies. After my sons favorite instructor was no longer teaching at goldfish, he did want to attend swimming anymore and it became more and more challenging to bring him even after trying for a month so the second month we finally cancelled. I called to do this on 12/26 and was told it was in the system and I would be prorated for next month and still needed to come in to cancel. I was surprised to hear this granted I had probably agreed to this in their contract. But still in this day and age you can cancel anything over the phone, Email etc. Due to weather, illness, life in general, I did not make it there until 1/5 and at that point they had already charged me for January. When I asked why they require ppl to come in to cancel and it's because they want to talk you into staying. I'm sorry but that is total bs. I asked for a refund or a credit for when we start again but was refused. I just feel kids at that age (toddler) are very unpredictable and their policies should reflect that and not charge for services not being rendered. We cannot plan for them to want to quit or get sick or anything else for that matter. It's really a shame because I wanted to go back but now I am reluctant to sign up for anything with a monthly recurring charge. read more