Do not join this gym. They will scam you out of money. I was reassured twice over the phone that my membership was canceled. A few months later I noticed I was still being charged by the gym. I called the manager to demand my membership be ACTUALLY be canceled and a refund, he said he'd get back to me. I had to call him again because he never got back to me and only then (On my fourth call) did he say I had to fill out a cancelation form. NO ONE had ever breathed a word about this form. He just passed me down to the customer service hotline, where I'm still getting the run around... Here's hoping to getting my money back. read more

The operations manager at the gym scammed me out of money at the front desk. Charged me an egregious amount for a supplement drink and additional money for a "free" guest pass. In all, he swindled me out of about 11 bucks. I should have said something, but I was meeting my friend on a guest pass and didn't want to create a stink. Managers there were surly and unfriendly. I would never return to this establishment. read more

The good: The place has plenty of equipment. Lots of cardio options upstairs, and whatever you might need for weightlifting downstairs. The members who work out here are pretty nice. They leave you alone, but are good at communicating to coordinate equipment use or help you find things. Location is perfect. The not so good: The place is clearly not kept up. Most highway rest stops have nicer facilities than the locker rooms at this place. I'd never even consider a shower here. So overall for the facility 3 stars. The unacceptable: There is a total lack of customer service. To a point where the overall rating is definitely a 1 star- stay far away from this place. The details: Nothing new. All of what I've mentioned above and what I'm about to detail has been said in multiple other reviews here, as far as naming the specific employee who I interacted with. I went in for a trial because the gym is just three blocks away from my place. I had an overall great experience. The facilities are run down, but all the equipment I needed was there and I had some very positive interactions with other members. I was ready to sign up, but the membership consultant wasn't available. I was given a business card and told to follow up. I made an appointment to come back in and get plan info to move forward with the membership. I wanted to go to a class so I specifically asked if we could meet before the class so I'd be set. The consultant was very nice and said I could come to the class and we'd meet afterwards. I come in ready for the class, but the person working the front desk immediately tells me I have to pay $15 (not as a sign up fee or to start the membership, just to enter for the day). I tried explaining I had an appointment with a membership consultant, but he was having none of it. He said if I didn't have a business card then too bad. I explained I was given a business card, but wasn't told to bring it in. He then countered that if I hadn't met face to face with the consultant I had to pay. This was confusing since I had the appointment. Unfortunately, he was the only employee there at the time. I'm not sure if there was some sort of cultural communication barrier, but the employee's tone was incredibly rude and bordering on belligerent. I left confused. I looked up the general manager's info, confirmed it with the membership consultant (who again was very nice), and emailed him about what happened. The email was friendly and I didn't make any demands. I simply asked for an explanation. The email remains unanswered. I'm pretty sure they received it because I cc'ed the consultant. I called corporate and while they were apologetic, they told me the best thing to do was to contact the general manager. When I asked them to give me his info to double check I was contacting the right person they said they had no idea and told me to call the number listed. I explained I really didn't want to interact with the employee who turned me away and they said to give it a try because sometimes different people answer the phone. I asked if I could file a complaint with them and they said 'well you could email me, but it really really would be better to speak with the manager' and didn't give me any info to email them. I came online to see the reviews while I was waiting for responses and was shocked to see that this scenario has played out many times before. Reviews from years ago mention the very same thing happening with the very same employee. Clearly there's something going on. Maybe there's frustration about how corporate markets the gym? Maybe this guy is related to whoever manages or owns the franchise? In the end I joined a different gym that's a mile away. It is farther, but I'm getting some cardio on the way to an from the gym. The facilities are palatial in comparison to this place. And most importantly, the people who work there are polite. I don't know if I'm paying more or less than what I would have paid at Gold's because I didn't even get that far. read more

Do not go to this gym. I moved and tried to cancel my membership for over a year. The staff was clueless, when I called in, initially they told me to cancel online. I submitted the online form and my monthly fees continued to be taken out of my account. I was then told to come in physically to cancel, this was very difficult to do, after three separate trips to this gym they finally canceled and the answer was that they couldn't find the right account to cancel, obviously this was not my issue it was theirs. I asked the manager for my money back when I finally got in touch with him an of course there was nothing he could do. Beware folks! read more

Hi It was the worst experience by far i ever had , the front desk guy send me to a sales guy by the name of Ethan. He started nice hi hello the first thing he pulled this form and said we have this deal if u sign up today we will give a free Tshirt to your Girlfriend since she is a member , i said let me try it out today see if i like it here then i will sign up by tomorrow and i mentioned i have the 7 day free trail , he totally flipped and change his attitude become very rude and said i cant let you work out either i have to sign up or pay for today I got pretty surprised asked for the manager and he escort me so we don't have a manager he's out anywhere it was a very bad experience finally I have to leave without work out and then i try to call the corporate but no one help over there as well i was very disappointed about this customer service and since I already have the pass and it was just a bad experience should be a better customer service specially the sales Guy can be that pushy try to make you sign or get out and being rude and disrespectful like that when I checked on yelp they already had a lots of complaints about the same thing well good luck with everything ..... !!! Thanks read more

Been a member here for a year. Good gym, good amenities, I didn't have to haggle in order to get a straightforward deal. Also I left my keys one day and it was close to closing, Lois was badass enough to stay after hours and help me look for them (fortunately we found them). Great customer service and Lois deserves a promotion imo. read more

If you can't lift it don't go here. But if you're into lifting like me this is the number one corporate gym spot.

Gold's Gym is the worst! They let me cancel membership back in Nov. when I moved, now they continue to charge me stating that I did not show sufficient proof that I relocated. They want $100 from me to cancel membership, months after being told my membership was terminated!!!! I regret ever setting foot in that run-down place. I guess since they can't get people to stay, they charge people who leave! Do NOT join!!!! read more

I am a member of a Gold's gym in another location which puts this Gym to shame. I was in town and thought I'd get a good workout in. It was legitimately disgusting inside this place. The locker rooms look like they are 30 years old and the shower fixtures are coming off the wall and looked and smelled like they hadn't been cleaned all year. The lockers were also disgusting, doors falling off or missing from the hinges. The gym itself had extremely old equipment, literally looked like squat racks and bench presses hadn't been upgraded in over 30 years either. Getting weights on and off the barbells was difficult because of how old they were, you couldn't slide on the weight stoppers easily at all. The cable machines were old and out of date and dirty. No towels given out by the staff or paper towels to dry anything off so you are just working out on other people's sweat. No cleaning staff in site to take care of any problems. I am sure during my one workout here I was subject to more MRSA and other communicable disease than any other gym I've ever been to. It was that gross and DC health inspectors would probably shut this place down if they walked in and looked around. I get some people want to work out in a dungeon but I think gold's gym is trying to make over it's image a bit and it should start at this location. Thia place needs a serious overhaul. read more

Cardio Cinema? FANTASTIC watch a movie and burn calories at the same time. The gym is super clean, staff is fantastic. Do watch out for some pressure tactics to sign up for more than what you want. However, Chris is straight forward and will help you get exactly what you need read more

Decent gym . Great price and OK staff, But here is the catch. These guys are going to affect my credit rating and that is serious business. I once forgot to inform them that my card on which I get charged monthlky had expired. I corrected it within a month but it has been disaster since. I have called three times and each time i am told that my account has been correct and everything is A OK. But i get notices from collection agencies about overdue accounts and my card is not being charged correctly. I am so nervous that it will affect my credit rating. But the staff seems incapable of handling their own system and I might get penalized. As this is an issue that can affect everybody I would say, take care. You might get fit in body health but lose your good credit rating. After three calls I am still trying to rectify the problem of trying TO PAY THEM CORRECTLY !!!!!! read more

Very friendly staff, overall great atmosphere! Not the biggest gym but has all the equipment I need. All the cardio equipment upstairs is cleaned regularly and functions great. Downstairs has all the hammer strength equipment and multiple squat racks. Also, the Les Mills classes kick my butt every time I take them! I highly recommend them! read more

I have been a member of this Gold's Gym for 6 years, but today was the last straw. The gentleman at the desk (Omar) harassed me about my parking spot and repeatedly refused to give me his name. After which, the manager, Lauren Evans, I video taped acting unprofessionally and rude toward me in the parking lot. The behavior and conduct of the employees and managers of this Gold's Gym tarnish the once great name of Gold's. Tolerating broken equipment is one thing, but I draw the line at harassment and being berated. Running from this place is perhaps the best workout to be had! read more

I have been a member of this gym since the 90s and witnessed the many versions and transformations through the years. NOW this is the best and only bodybuilding gym left in DC. Gyms suited for bodybuilders are an endangered specie in this city. Management heard the customers and updated the equipment and upgraded customer service. The only thing to upgrade is customer gym etiquette. Members need to understand and learn that benches are not for reading and checking emails on their phones. Members attempting to do crossfit training and trainers/fitness experts need to learn to put the dumbells and bars back in their place once they are done. Most of all, everyone must use towels while using the benches. read more

Definitely the rudest staff I ever experienced in my life. Bored, clueless, unhelpful and on top of that with a stinky attitude. Was is that so? read more

I joined Yelp because my treatment at Gold's was so horrible. The gym is fine, but beware if you ever move away or decide you don't need a gym. When I quit, they continued to charge me (deducted from my account) for months. When I tried to get them to fix it, they were almost never available to take my call and made me go through hoop after hoop. I filled out the paperwork, but they lost it. This charade went on way longer than it should, and in the end, they still didn't give me the full refund. I was fool enough to go through this twice because the location was convenient and because I innocently thought the trouble I had the first time was an anomaly. The second time was the worst because I moved away and couldn't go in person to complain or show them the paperwork. I'm still waiting on resolution the second time, but rest assured, I will never step in another Gold's Gym. BTW, when I looked up the BBB info about Gold's, they had an "F" rating. I tried to paste the link, but it didn't work, but look it up for yourself if you're curious. A shady place. read more

This Gold's has been my gym for about 3 years now. It's pretty well-equipped, it has a good schedule of classes, and my experiences with the staff, teachers, and trainers have been great. It's not a super fancy gym - if you are looking for mint water and towels made out of the finest cotton grown by trained zebras etc., you will need to go somewhere else. But if you want to work out in a nice facility, Gold's provides everything you need at a fraction of the price of what you'll pay at many other gyms in D.C. read more

Solid gym option for around $16-$20 bi-weekly. Gives you access to the other golds locations in the DMV metro region. Parking on roof for $10/month, cardio cinema, good sized sauna, and expansive weights area. read more

Poorly functional gym with bad business practice. Even after the end of my 1 year contract, cancelling the membership was a nightmare! The continuing attemps to charge my credit card for months after cancelling was annoying. I do not reccomend this gym. read more

I lost 34 pounds by changing the way I ate. The experience was great, but challenging. I'm happy with the weight loss, but now I want to maximize my good living by working out and this is where Gold's Gym of Van Ness comes in. I will be attending The University of the District of Columbia (UDC) this semester, and Gold's Gym is literally about 20 footsteps from the school and the subway station. It doesn't get any more convenient than that! I wanted to know more about the gym so I called and spoke with a gentleman by the name of Shannon. Shannon was very helpful, kind and knowledgeable about the gym. He offered me the best deal possible and was enthusiastic about bringing me in. Once I finally visited the place, I was very impressed. I'm a very simple girl, I don't need state-of-the-art equipment and whatnot to make me happy. That's not to say that their equipment is not nice because it is very nice. Is it the best of the best? Probably not, but it's definitely above decent. I saw a room full of workout equipment and I said to myself, yes, this is what I need. Then I went downstairs and saw a nice-sized weight room and clean bathrooms replete with lockers, showers and a sauna. The gym has a yellow theme, which is different. I think subconsciously the yellow does something positive for me, perhaps because it's vibrant and bright. One thing I must mention is the fact that none of the staff bothers you unless you ask for assistance and that is just what I want. I want to go in and concentrate on my workout and I don't need someone critiquing me and/or staring in my face thinking God knows what. The fellow members are friendly and will help you if you ask. I am overall very pleased with my new memberships at Gold's. I like it so much that I stay in there for hours, I work out, eat and then go back for more, and once I leave, I miss it and want to go right back. What a fantastic facility. read more

You know the expression, "You get what you pay for". The monthly fee at Golds is very reasonable. The down sides are as follows: The equipment is beat to hell and remains in disrepair indefinitely. The towel dispensers are usually empty or out of service. That spray cleaner you use to clean a machine (after you use it) is water! Not a disinfectant. The locker rooms are rarely cleaned. (trash in the lockers; hair in the shower floor drains; dirty floor). No hot water in the bathrooms/shower. One gets the impression that perhaps management is not maintaining the facility because the building is being torn down? I can 't see any other reason for all the neglect. read more

The Van Ness Gold's offers adequate standard gym facilities on its street-level floor. The men's locker room downstairs is another story: urinals that don't flush, doors hanging off hinges in the locker room for months, floors filthy. What is going on with the management of this locker room? I would be willing to pay more in a monthly fee for a place that is clean. Not an inviting experience as it now stands. read more

Avoid this gym at all costs. The WORST experience I have had with a company in my life, period. - When signing up, I was lied to about what my membership covered. Training sessions that I was told explicitly were "free" with my "fully refundable" sign-up fee were actually pre-paid sessions that were charged to my credit card on the first day. - After filling out a cancellation form, it took them several weeks to cancel my membership, during which time they continued to charge my credit card. - It took more than FIVE MONTHS to receive my refund check. This was after 20+ frustrating e-mails and phone calls. I kept being shuffled back and forth between the "van ness office" and the "corporate office". Despite several requests, I have not, to date, received a summary of what "fees" I was not refunded. I am convinced that all of the people who have written positive reviews on Yelp have not yet tried to cancel their membership. Read the reviews carefully before you decide to join. Also look up the gym on the local Better Business Bureau website -- they have received 500+ individual complaints about their business practices, most related to billing issues. It takes them two minutes to start charging you, and weeks to stop and get you your money back. read more

I go here. I like the gym. The staff is very nice. Why the lower score? It's the tv situation. There are 10 TVs in the cardio room. For months, 3 are set on MSNBC, 3 are on ESPN, 2 are set to the "gold's music channel, and 2 have been stuck on black and white movie that never moves. For a person who is disinterested in news and sports, this just simply sucks. How about a little NBC, CBS, or Fox. Maybe you can go a little crazy and throw on HGTV of the history channel. A little variety would be nice. read more

I have been a member of this Gold's Gym for about 3 years. It costs about half the price of most gym's in DC and offers tons of free classes. The machines are regularly refreshed and the cardio cinema room is a nice idea. The weights downstairs and the various machines offer a really good variety of workouts and all sorts of ways to create muscle confusion. The Van Ness location is cool and when you see the sweat on the windows it makes for a nice effect and gets you in the mood to workout. I love to ride my bike here. I am normally more eloquent but I'm not trying to wax all poetic about a gym. Thanks. read more

I went early afternoon, Saturday, 8/13/2011, Excellent balance of hardcore equipment, weights & cardio. I really like the great roof top parking option, I have visited many urban locations without parking options, the area haas a lot of healthy eating places. The staff was friendly enough, processing our travel passes, along with other members and trainers. I feel this is the best location downtown DC & 1 for the best locations in an urban area in the US read more

Do not believe the offer for a free 7 day trial! My wife and I signed up online for the free 7 day trial. We got the gym and were given a tour. We had to answer numerous personal questions before the staff would give us the membership rates. We decided we wanted to try the gym out (as we had signed up for) before making a commitment. At that point our guide went to the manager's office and came back to tell us we could only have a two day trial because we are graduate students. If this 7-day trial offer is not available to students, this should be noted on the web site, or, at least, when we entered that location. This offer is obviously a lie and a marketing scam. UPDATE: To Gold's Gym's credit, after I called the Corporate Office to complain about the situation described above, I received a call from the gym's manager telling me that we could come begin our 7-day trial. read more

I went today with a three day pass they have me a day which was i lodd i still was interested in becoming a member tho so i ask for price . He said man wasnt there a guy who worked there, I simply asked for proce he couldnt even tell me im African American and so is my boyfriend who went with me maybe we didnt look like someone they wanted idk for sure the reason but will not return even tho equipment was great to be honest. Im also a tad over weight so im wondering what the reason is im trying to find a excepting place to work out and feel like he didnt want our business read more

No, this gym doesn't have eucalyptus towels or whatever it is they have at WSC/Equinox. It's less of a 'sports club' and more of a GYM. No frills - just lots of cardio equipment and weights. Most of the cardio equipment isn't brand new but it is all well maintained. It is rare to see an out-of-order machine. They also have a few newer machines towards the back. Just like the cardio machines, they have a mix of older and newer weight equipment. Again, the older items are in good shape. I personally enjoy the Cycle classes, and most of the instructors have been really great. They recently renovated the restrooms, and they are kept very clean. I took them up on their offer of one free personal training session. The trainer, Zac, went over my diet, fitness routine, and goals before taking me out onto the floor to do a few exercises. It was useful but I am not down with paying $60-$75 per session (depending on how many you buy at a time), especially when one month of membership is only $40. I appreciated the fact that he didn't push me into buying - just said to come talk to him if I decided to do it. No pressure!!! I have to take the Metro a few stops to get here, but it's worth it! Not a fancy sports club, just a no-frills, get-your-sweat-on gym! Oh, one thing I also like is the variety of people you'll see here. Old, young, men, women, meatheads, and, well....non-meatheads. I never feel intimidated here. read more

Gold's Gym is the place to be... With low monthly dues, a great weight room, and a friendly staff I am glad I joined. There never seems to be so many people there that you cannot workout. I have never been there and had to wait for a cardio machine and they have everything from bikes to treadmills and their cardio room with a huge movie screen is awesome. I would recommend this play to almost anyone. The only downside is the lack of a pool but if you live in the district you can take advantage of public pools in the area. read more

I went here for 2+ years with no issues. Except they don't have big ropes which are awesome crossfit items, towels are $10 extra a month and parking is $10 a month etc. Same old fees you see at most gyms. But the kicker is I quit in August, signed all the complete paperwork, CLOSED my account and then 2 months later they try to start billing me again, charged me every 2 weeks again for 2 months. Corporate does some stupid stuff. read more

Golds is a bare bones gym for a reasonable price. If you live in the area, and are looking to just workout, this is a great option. If you are looking for something fancy, this is not for you. The ventilation is terrible and gym gets muggy once there are a bunch of folks running on the treadmills. read more

Please be careful at this gym. Thieves have been known to to break-in lockers and steal wallets. The DC police are of NO help. Also, membership does not include parking. They hit you with hidden fees. Please be careful at this gym. read more

If you are lookin for an insultingly bad gym experience, you have come to the right place. Here's why: 1. Several treadmills don't work properly (esp. the front row, looking onto the street) and haven't for years. I've put in requests at the front desk over the last 3 - 4 years, and nothing is ever done. What fun it is, starting a run, only to have the treadmill start throwing random settings and slowing down and speeding up when it decides to. 2. The heating broke down last winter, and it wasn't fixed for weeks. Literally, WEEKS. I was working out in three layers of clothing, and still cold. It was completely ridiculous. 3. The A/C doesn't work properly in summer (see other posts). I'm all for a good sweat, but this is comical. On some days in summer, you might as well be working out on the street. 4. There was a large pool of water in the spin room for weeks last year. Again, nothing was ever done -- classes just worked around it. 5. To cut costs, last year they stopped offering free towel use. Now, people bring their own, or just use the paper towels they offer. Terrible maintenance may be one way that the chain keeps the memberships cheap. The owner of this place should be run out of town. Don't bother dealing with their Customer Service toll-free line. It's an endless phone tree with an elite group of extremely unhelpful operators. Like a previous poster on this site, I got phantom billed for charges. Only got them removed by seeing them on my bill and contesting them with my credit card company. The good parts: Gold's staff is pretty friendly. The memberships are cheap. The weight room downstairs is pretty good. The classes are popular. Overall, is it worth it? Really depends how much pride you have, and how much crap you can eat. read more

Just wanted to let people know that when you join, they'll give you a bunch of "free guest passes." Seemed like a nice perk, that way if a friend wanted to check it out, they could. Well of course there had to be something in the fine print. Only LOCAL residents can use those passes. This is super lame in my opinion. Tons of my friends-- myself included-- don't have local driver's licenses because we moved here recently after college. I ended up paying $7.50 for my friend to come with me. Looks like I won't be using the rest of the passes, since they've made it pretty difficult. read more

This is a great Gold's Gym. Fits the neighborhood perfectly. I joined this gym about 8 years ago when I moved to Van Ness. The staff is super from the manager team (Moe, Lauren and Melissa) to the cleaning staff. I see a number of complaints on this site [members being tricked about cost and terms] which are inconsistent with my observations. There was no hard sell when I joined and no one attempted to mislead me about the cost or contract terms. Of course, I took the time to read the agreement BEFORE I signed it. I have personally observed the management and staff handle complaints in a very professional manner and attempt to satisify the person complaining. Obviously they cannot please everyone. I say if you live in or near Van Ness Gold's go and check it our for yourself. While it isn't perfect, the staff is friendly, the equipment well maintaned, the classes challenging....and it isn't over crowded...it is a great place to workout!!!!!! read more

I took out a contract with this gym last month. When I signed I was told that I could cancel within 15 days. I never used this gym and due to relocating decided to cancel then days after signing. I did this online via their cancellation service which I have printed off as evidence for my lawyer to deal with. These guys are still taking my money from my account every two weeks even though the membership is cancelled. I would not recommend anyone sign up to this gym. read more

The staff is very nice, the location is perfect. Only issue for me are free weights, they are never organised and some specific poundages are missing, for example, there are 2 sets of 25 lbs. but only one of 35 lbs. read more

Make sure you read those contracts! Bait and switch is nothing new in the gym industry.... If an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Personally been baited and switched. They say they your membership will be a yearly membership, no no no my friend, it will not at all be a yearly membership. Once your year is over, they will keep on charging it!!! The cherry on top? You can't cancel it without a 60 day notice! The cherry on top of the cherry? If you already moved outta town, you gotta walk into the gym to personally sign cancellation papers! Isn't that just lovely. :) read more

Was happy with the cost effective services this gym offered until I left the city, cancelled my membership and was continually billed for monthly charges. No one has responded to my emails or worked to resolve this issue. All in all management is awful and unresponsive. Go waste your money at some other two bit crap gym with better classes and cleaner facilities. read more