My daughter spent quite a long time in this program and had little progress. The instructors were…read moreconstantly changed (frequently with little notice) so there was almost no consistency. In the group lessons the kids played and didn't pay attention and there seemed to be no order. In the private lessons, the instructors were often late, cutting the lesson short (sometimes up to a third the length of the lesson). Rescheduling lessons was a nightmare and simple questions like what the class schedule was was convoluted and shrouded in mystery as I could often not get any clear answers. I highly recommend against this program.

Amazing program. My kids are now terrific swimmers after starting as newbies. Program focuses on…read morewater safety and stroke technique. They break down the achievements into granular parts. Kids receive a sticker for each thing they achieve. It is very motivating and leads to mastery. I highly recommend.

I love this place my daughter and I have been coming here for 4 yrs now. She started afterschool…read moreand I started my health journey here. Everyone is great! My daughter has taken swim classes, karate and she's enjoyed them all. She also goes to camp there. Overall, the Y is kept clean and everyone that goes there are very nice and humbled.

Place isn't so bad. Its a little tight in the weights area so its all based on timing. Early in the…read moremorning there aren't as much people then it picks up around lunch and afternoon. Depending on the time of the year I feel like it gets more packed. When its summer time and kids don't have school most of them come and hang out here. Always keep track of the schedule for the coming months. They usually have it posted, it's always changing. For the most part they stick to the times of the schedules. I came here and played basketball a few times and its always the same people. It can get a little rowdy and competitive at times so if that isn't your thing, this might not be the place for you. As for the staff they have always been helpful with any questions I had. If you plan on discontinuing your membership just remember to give someone a heads up at the front desk. You have to give them notice 15 days or something before your next billing cycle to get your paper work done and on time. Just wish they had more room and courts. Everything was fairly clean and machines worked.

My husband and I were active, loyal members of Dedham Health for six years and during most of that…read moretime were very satisfied with the quality of classes and equipment. However, in November 2024 we had a bizarre experience. My husband was having a civilized conversation with a fellow member the day after the presidential election when suddenly the director of the fitness center broke in uninvited and launched into an unprovoked verbal attack based on false assumptions about his political views. After staying away for a year and a half, we recently considered rejoining because of a health need for specific classes that are not available elsewhwere. However, the management refused to speak to their employee about his bullying behavior or to mediate in any way. I would not recommend this club to anyone who expects to feel safe and respected.

Adult tennis program is impossible to figure out. Can't get anyone to return emails about programs…read moreand clinics. Terrible customer service. There are not many other indoor courts, so I guess they don't need to be consumer focused.

I love the Staff and the senior program on Thursday. They serve lunch at the program.. Bingo and…read moremovie Thursdays are a huge hit.

This place is amazing, and I just don't know what took me so long to check it out. ABSOLUTELY THE…read moreSAFEST AND MOST ENJOYABLE PLACE. The teens and other staff are so polite, respectful and just plain happy. It's infectious, the attitude and vibe of Kroc Center, infectious in such a great way. TRULY A MOST BENEFICIAL AND BEAUTIFUL ADDITION TO BOSTON!! Obviously I can't say enough good things, lol,

I like the hot tub, sauna, steam room and the gym is OK, but it is pretty run down and poorly…read moremanaged. Equipment is frequently broken, towels are often out (what prompted me to write today), drinking fountains broken (today), etc. It seems like a lot to pat for what you get. Outdoor pool is really lame (all very shallow) and my kids prefer to go to our local community pool.

In August, before my sister's wedding, I booked an appointment at this salon based on a friend's…read morerecommendation. I was very specific about the techniques and cut I wanted and was assured they could handle it. When I arrived, I was told my appointment had been switched to a "more experienced" stylist. Her previous client was unhappy with her color, so instead of focusing on my appointment, the stylist kept going back and forth, working on that client's color while also cutting my hair. She completely ignored me, barely consulted with me, and kept insisting the haircut I wanted "wasn't that hard," as if I was making a big deal over nothing. The result was a terrible haircut that was not what I asked for at all. At first I thought I might be overreacting and tried to give it time, but months later my hair is still completely messed up and uneven from that cut. This was an incredibly disappointing experience, especially before such an important event. Terrible customer service and I would not return or recommend this salon

Not safe for your child or your family. Not sanitary. Unacceptable administrative staff behavior…read more Stay away at all costs

When my son first joined Goldfish Needham, he spent two years stuck at the same level until I…read morerequested an assessment from management. Several friends of mine had similar experiences. We eventually left for another swim school. This summer, we decided to give Goldfish another try since it's close by and his current school is undergoing renovations. Unfortunately, we didn't see any improvements. I enrolled him in group lessons, but I noticed little progress and a lack of attention from the instructors. His final lesson this summer was supposed to be two private sessions scheduled back-to-back. Instead, each session started with about 10 minutes wasted as the instructors tried to figure out which lane he should be in, what level he belonged to, and who his private instructor was--even though all of that information was clearly available in my app. I had to step onto the pool deck to help resolve the confusion, and at one point an instructor even argued with me about my son's level because her clipboard didn't match what was in the app. Eventually, another staff member confirmed that I was correct. As a result, I paid $200, but my son only received about 40 minutes of actual instruction out of the 60 I paid for. That was the final straw. I voiced my concerns at the front desk in front of what appeared to be both the location manager and the pool deck supervisor, but neither acknowledged me or attempted to engage. I'm not sure if they truly didn't hear me, but given the small space, it felt dismissive. No one offered to make up for the lost lesson time caused by their disorganization. The whole experience felt like a rip-off and an example of very poor business practices. I had hoped that paying a premium for private lessons would lead to a better experience, but it was actually worse than the group classes. Last year, my son had a great private instructor who was highly experienced, so clearly the quality depends entirely on who you get. In my opinion, only experienced instructors should be assigned to private lessons, especially since the cost is more than double the group rate. Bottom line: If your goal is simply for your child to be comfortable in the water and play around, Goldfish might be fine. But if you care about steady progression, I would not recommend it. They do a poor job of tracking swimmer progress, largely because instructors rotate so frequently. And based on conversations with friends at other locations, this isn't just a Needham issue--it's a franchise-wide problem. One friend told me his daughter learned more in two weeks of summer camp than in two years at Goldfish. From my perspective, their strategy seems clear: keep students at the same level as long as possible to maximize revenue, rather than focusing on progress.

Terrible! Way overpriced for a lap pool. $75/month to swim laps for 20-45 minutes per day? No…read moregym, no access to anything else. It's a pool.

I've been meaning to write this review for many months but held back thinking maybe I was not being…read morefair. Well, I have had enough and finally came back this evening to write the review and saw the one written by Paul F. from Milton and thought "wow, I'm not alone after all." I have had the same exact experience as Paul and feel the same way. It's like a dictatorship. Payson does not really seem to care about the swimming, just the money. This club has been a huge and expensive disappointment. My son LOVED swimming but not so much here. I'm looking elsewhere ... even if we have to land at the Y.

Goldfish has been a constant in our family's weekly activities for 6+ years at this point. We have…read moreloved how our girls have progressed and seeing how proud they are with their swimming.

This review is based on the birthday party package which I booked to celebrate my kiddo's birthday…read more I must say that everything regarding information for booking was pretty straightforward (24 children guests for two hours ) and you can pay for an additional hour or additional children. I was allotted 15 minutes prior to my party to set up although I don't feel like 15 minutes is enough. The staff there did help with setting up the staff they were all pretty friendly and helpful children who were 6 and under needed to be accompanied with a parent in the pool. my kiddo and friends all had a blast.

My child was assaulted by another child with a rock, needed his wound glued shut and currently has…read morea concussion due to neglect and lack is supervision on their behalf! No one even bothered to call an ambulance my child was self diagnosed by a director who stated she checked him and he said his abcs Fine and he stated he was okay! I have been out of work, my child doesn't know his colors right now and has been in and out of doctor offices and the ER! And the same director stated only thing they did wrong was not have an incident report ready for me! And in our meeting brings up my Facebook post talking about the situation and how they failed my son. Beyond unprofessional!!!! The person above her also had to have a DCF report on themselves for neglect and place a staff member on leave!! ( I thought the only thing done wrong was the missing incident report!? ) My child was failed !! And they do not even care I have heard nothing but excuses ! I can not press charges on the little boy because of his age, the little boy also admitted to smacking my son in the head with the rock because my son said he had a girlfriend!! Dorchester YMCA only cares about the money and not these children and now my son is left to suffer and I'm stuck trying to find new locations for all my children !! They call themselves the best but yet are lying and trying to protect themselves !!

I really liked this location. The staff was super nice, facility was clean, bathroom was kept up…read morereally well.