I am looking to complain to this YMCA about its unreasonably hard pool lane dividers in which one…read moreof my pinkies was injurred this morning but since I'm here I'm going to be fair, give a rating of 4 stars, and refute to several cranks here. I've gone to this and the Mission Valley YMCA for years. I find the complaints about the front desk to be frivolous. There are no towels except small ones for use with disinfectants and thus that complaint is frivolous. This is Yelp and it draws a lot of defective people to complain.

It's the Y. It's not a fancy schmancey, hoity-toity, lala gym. It's a neighborhood gym for normal…read morepeople. Average Joe's if you will. And I love it. We left Crunch after 17 years (well, technically it was Gold's before but you get the point) because I had a female stalker and Crunch wouldn't help me (even with restraining orders). I was wildly unimpressed with their non-assistance. We went to Equinox bc it was supposed to be nicer and it was only a 1 mile walk from our house - fantastic. While it looked nicer, it was not nicer. It's old, outdated and limited. It's stupid expensive. And the hours really, really suck. So after a year, we left Equinox and we were wavering on going back to the Bay Club or joining the Y. Our kids really wanted to work out and the Y was a great option for a family plan. So we joined for them. While testing it out and thinking we might bounce out to the Bay Club, we ended up loving it. They recently upgraded all the equipment to smart equipment and I'm diggin it! I haven't seen these machines since I was at an upscale gym in Houston a couple years ago! I love the price ($185 for all 6 of us, plus it as daycare vs $230/mo at equinox per person and no kids are welcome) I love the normalness of the Y too. I may make great income, but I don't want to be with the stiffs. I want to be where my roots are.

Let me count the ways how much I miss and love Equinox…read more Yes, I know--it's a high-end gym. But you truly get what you pay for. I was a member of this location for over a decade, and since moving to Charlotte, North Carolina, I can honestly say there is nothing quite like it. The nearest one to me now is in Atlanta, and I still miss the San Mateo club regularly. This location has everything you could possibly want in a fitness facility--and then some. The Fitness Floor Downstairs is a beautifully air-conditioned workout space designed for people who are serious about exercising. No distractions, no crowds hovering by the windows--just a clean, focused environment. You'll find: * Full weight training equipment * Recumbent bikes, ellipticals, and treadmills * Dedicated spin, Pilates, TRX, and group fitness studios * A large open stretching area with foam rollers * Cold, filtered water stations throughout * Staff available for spotting if you're training solo It's efficient, professional, and thoughtfully designed. Locker Rooms & Amenities The locker rooms feel more like a boutique hotel than a gym. They are consistently spotless and fully stocked with: * Plush towel service * Spacious showers with teak benches * Steam rooms infused with eucalyptus * Complimentary razors, Q-tips, and personal care items * Premium Kiehl's products It's luxurious, yes--but also incredibly practical. You can comfortably get ready for work, dinner, or travel without feeling rushed. The Rooftop Pool One of the standout features is the heated rooftop pool. It has multiple lap lanes, cabanas, and water aerobics equipment, and it truly feels like a mini country club in the middle of downtown San Mateo. The pool is heated year-round, which means you can swim in any season--something you quickly get spoiled by. They even provide sunscreen from Supergoop!, along with full towel service. It's those little details that make the experience feel elevated. Classes, Spa & Services The class offerings are extensive and easy to manage through the app. Signing in is seamless--just scan your phone and go. Highlights include: * Yoga in a beautiful bamboo studio with HEPA filtration and ceiling fans * Pilates (available as private, duo, or small-group sessions) * A full-service spa on the upper level * A juice bar and retail shop featuring premium fitness apparel Everything feels intentional, polished, and well-maintained. Location & Convenience The club is located right in the heart of downtown San Mateo, making it incredibly walkable. There are restaurants, grocery stores, and cafés nearby, including one of my favorite bakeries and specialty markets. Parking is also surprisingly easy for a downtown location: * Two-hour validation * Surface lot, garage, and rooftop parking options That convenience makes a big difference in daily use. Value & Membership Yes, membership can be expensive. However, many employers offer corporate discounts, which can make the cost more manageable. In my case, the value absolutely justified the price because I used the facility regularly and took advantage of the amenities. Even when I relocated, canceling my membership was straightforward and professional--no pressure, no hassle. Bottom Line Equinox San Mateo set the standard for what a fitness club should be: clean, thoughtfully designed, service-oriented, and genuinely enjoyable to use. If I ever move to another city with an Equinox, I will join again without hesitation. Because at the end of the day-- life is short, and you should live well.

Amazing space. From the rooftop heated pool with cabanas, yoga studio and spa, to the impeccably…read moreclean locker rooms, and a wonderful group exercise studio and open gym floor. But what makes the place extra special is the superb group exercise instructors and professional staff.

Love this local outdoor pool. Heated, separate deep end from kiddie pool. Usually not crowded…read moreduring fam swim for the bigger pool. When kids camp is there, it can be loud. Annoying that women's showers are freezing cold, but the hack is use the outside showers next to the men's locker room. $6 for adults. I love to get my swim in. Yes there are some annoying rules, but it still is a pleasant experience overall.

Lots of unreasonable rules like ONLY white reef shirts and NO goggles covering nose. Even For the…read moredeep end EACH child needs their OWN adult or you have to swim in a 2 FEET DEEP POOL. Showers are FREEZING COLD swimsuit dryer broken so we had to use the hand dryers which took AGES. TRASH IN POOL HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE. SAVE YOURSELF AND GO TO A BETTER POOL!!!

I cannot say enough amazing things about this swim school! My 3 year old started with zero swim…read moreexperience when she started this summer. In less than three months, she is able to swim underwater. Teacher Mike is so good with little ones. He sings while he teaches the whole time and makes her feel at ease in the water. In fact, every morning when we wake up on swim lesson days, my daughter jumps up and down saying how excited she is to go to swim. I would recommend this swim school to anyone!

Angel is a fantastic instructor who is terrific with small children. Our daughter started lessons…read morewith Angel just after turning 2, and she is already confident and knowledgeable about safety in the water after just a few months. Angel takes care to be friendly with our daughter but also emphasizes the importance of water safety. Angel teaches through examples, songs, and games and strikes a difficult balance between challenging our daughter and supporting her. Thank you Angel!

Informed staff Top notch facilities…read more Best pools in northern CA (excluding Novato) Extensive yoga Pilates y cycling classes

The strength and Balance class was resumed today with a different instructor . The old instructor…read morewas no,longer able to teach. The "temporary" instructor, according to her, was not familiar with what Sterling taught you would think she could spend 10 minutes with him so she would know what he was teaching. She obviously didn't. She didn't know he used music. The class did not start on time. There was no introduction. The first 20minutes were stretching. Sterling did that at the end. You can do better.

I've taken some time to process what happened before writing this, but I feel it's important to…read moreshare so others -- especially those with disabilities -- know what to expect. I'm a wheelchair user and had been a member at Primetime for a couple of years. The equipment suited my needs well enough. However, the elevator began malfunctioning with increasing frequency -- breaking down multiple times a month -- to the point where I was once stuck inside it. On other occasions, I made the trip to the gym only to be turned away because it was out of service. Since all the equipment I rely on is on the second floor, a broken elevator effectively meant no access for me. The real issue wasn't the maintenance failures -- it was how management handled them. After several days of trying to reach the club manager, I finally got him on the phone. I made a simple, reasonable request: could they notify me when the elevator was down so I wouldn't make an unnecessary trip? Without any hesitation, he told me this was a "liability" for them, cancelled my membership effective immediately, and hung up. No acknowledgment, no apology, no discussion. I understand that equipment breaks down. What I don't understand is treating a paying member's accessibility concern as something to be discarded rather than addressed. I'll let you draw your own conclusions -- I just wanted to make sure this experience was on the record.

Primetime is already expensive as it is, given how outdated the facility is. My issue is not with…read morethe staff or the quality of the equipment. It's the fact that management does not CARE! They do not offer extended notice if they will be renting out the gymnasium. This is an issue that a dozen or so regular gymnasium users have been experiencing. Today, the gym was closed from 5 pm to 7:30 pm, which is the most prime time to play basketball. The issue is not the fact that it was rented out, but that there was no notice other than what was posted at the front desk on the day of. Why am I driving 20 minutes to Primetime if I can't do the one thing I came to do that day? Note to management: Why not post it a week in advance? Why not add it to your classes section on the website? These are the appropriate steps to take if you have a competent management team. It's quite clear that they do not, and it's why this gym is falling behind others.

An awful place. We have enrolled for courses in the middle…read moreof June. First of all we were charged for the half of month. That sounds good. But the first lesson was cancelled. Then we were charged for the next month. And the second lesson on the June was cancelled. And first two lessons in July are cancelled. And they have no return. We'll receive "tokens" which we have to spend during the month. But I have no another time for lessons. So, they just took money and gave nothing back. Where good business.

We've been taking group lessons here for about 4 years. Progress at the beginning was honestly…read morepretty slow--it took around 2-3 years for my child to move from beginner to intermediate. Part of that was likely due to her being afraid of the water when she started at age 4, limited individual attention in a 30-minute group class, and not practicing much outside of the weekly lesson. Teacher turnover does seem a bit high. That said, once we switched to more experienced instructors who gave immediate feedback and corrections, my daughter's swimming improved a lot over the past year. Her age and increased confidence probably helped too. On the plus side, my child made the swim team this year, so overall the lessons have definitely been effective--it just took some time to get there.