Worn out place, new owners are very unfriendly for tennis closing courts and making it very difficult to play tennis.

This review is for Ms. Lou the swim instructor. My son is so petrified of learning to swim and she is so kind and patient. We were at goldfish for almost a year and he learned nothing, in just two classes she has taught him so much. THANK YOU! read more

Update: Jan 2025 New management has taken over now converting the existing three tennis courts to 12 Badminton courts. The remaining three tennis courts are the bubble are good enough for winter and other seasons. Club timings are extended now up to Midnight on weekdays + Saturday and up to 10pm on Sundays They have a handy app which makes it easy to book reservations. For swimming, you can book a lane and it is all yours for the time period. Same thing for tennis and other sports. This club has the following racket sports - Badminton, tennis, pickleball and racket ball (squash). The highlight of this club is the outdoor pool which is a heated 12ft deep pool and has two lap lanes. Plus they have a wading pool for toddlers. They have a promotion now for enrollment fees being waived until end of Jan31, at 3pm. If membership is paid in full then you get an additional 5% discount. Many healthcare plans provide fitness reimbursements for enrolling in a health club, so check your health insurance for this deal. The new management has plans to upgrade the gym and few other areas. The guest fees is $25. read more

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Just came here for the pool. The pool deck is small for competition. Facility looks like they have many options. Would like to try

Great athletic club. very customer service oriented and responsive to members any time we have a question they immediately respond. Club is clean and they keep everyone informed of everything going on. read more

New ownership...great classes and instructors...upgrading the facilities...really enjoyable!

They kept me on hold for 22' without once checking in. I won't waste anymore time. I wanted to get information about playing tennis oh well.

I had some tennis lessons from Ron Parlman here. He is the best tennis instructor I've ever had in my life. Without him, the club is fine but for me his lessons and teaching style were the main value proposition. My game improved so much in such a short time. I had taken lessons before and was thinking I'd just take up tennis casually again as an adult but I made such unexpected progress that I'm more serious about it now. read more

Tried two of the water aerobics classes and enjoyed the staff, teacher and facility so decided to join with a complete membership. Looking forward to using more of the club facilities. read more

Absolutely LOVE my experience over the past year!! I can swim year round between the indoor and outdoor pools. Swimming laps is so much fun and relaxing. The lifeguard staff are always very friendly and helpful. My absolute FAVORITE part of Wayside is taking Leslii's yoga classes. She is a yogi GENIUS!! My flexibility has increased significantly, my body feels like it is healing from COVID madness and my anxiety and depression have found new coping mechanisms thanks to Leslii's expertise and knowledge. read more

Very outdated, old and moldy smelling. The tennis courts have undulations on them that are quite dangerous. They have tried to re-surface them and get rid of the ridges over the years, but every year more pop up. After Covid they have done nothing to revive the tennis program or bring back social tennis. The Friday night Yoga class was always well attended and they haven't bothered bringing that back either. I have been a member at Wayside for 13 years having a contract tennis court with friends on Wednesday nights. When this current year ends in May, I am leaving Wayside and will join a tennis club with social tennis and professionals who are interested in teaching. read more

Really expensive membership for what you get. The building is outdated and smells like cigarette smoke and mold. The locker rooms are a mess. Also, there's no family locker room which means the women's locker room is regularly filled with screaming, unattended children running everywhere. The hours are also terrible and inconvenient, especially considering how much the membership costs. The only reason I joined was because I needed access to a pool for rehab reasons. Access to dedicated lap swim lanes in the summer is horrible, and children running all over and jumping into lanes actually makes it dangerous. As soon as I no longer need a pool for my rehab I'm terminating my membership. read more

Old and outdated facilities. Weights and machines are rusted over. Treadmills are at least 15 years old. Most members are retired and very few people younger than 50. Over priced and worse than big public gyms about cancellations. Would not recommend to anyone read more

Blech for old decor and even older front desk staff with bad attitudes. Go to Longfellow! read more

I would agree the place is outdated, regarding the decor, however I'm there to go work out. They have an indoor and outdoor pool and jacuzzi so I'm a happy camper. My two big complaints - the cleaning staff should be fired. They appear to be lazy and just go through the motions. A little elbow grease would go such a long way at this club. Complaint two is the outdoor pool in the summer. In an effort to be kid friendly they just don't set enough rules. I lost count of the number of times I would try to do laps in the lap lane and while coming up for a breath almost ending up with some kid jumping on me. Extremely annoying and dangerous. I would have to place the blame on the guards and parents who seem not to care what their kids are doing. Again, where was the cleaning crew for the outside bathrooms? I had to speak to the front desk about this as they were in gross condition on a few occasions. I was told they were straightening out "whose responsibility" it was. Quite frankly, that shouldn't take 3 days to figure out. To the management - hire a cleaning who staff who cares and can do a good job. In summer - PLEASE dedicate the lap lane. No entering from the side of the lap lane, no adults milling about keeping cool at the end wall, no throwing balls from the side to someone in the pool - a pure dedicated lap lane. Even on a busy day, this is a fair request. read more

It is so outdated and dirty its not funny. But the people are wonderful, and you can't beat Jorge for Zumba. I'd give it 5 stars for the people, but the facility is so run down, its a pity. read more

We've been members of Wayside for a little over a year. Other reviewers are right- the staff at the front desk are not always super friendly, but I'm not there to chat and whenever I've had a request or issue, they're responsive. I mostly go to use fitness machines and the indoor pool. The decor is slightly dated, but it's clean. The fitness center has all the equipment I would ever want to use and plenty of TVs. The pool is fine- too small and often over chlorinated. There are fitness classes and tennis and racquetball courts, which I haven't used so I can't speak for. The options for a gym with a pool in the area are limited, so there's not too much to compare it to. It's fine for what we're looking for. read more

I loved this club when I went there many years ago. They had everything - pool, tennis and all the usual weight equipment and classes. More like a tennis club than a gym. Much more of a friendly, social atmosphere than most health clubs. When I moved 15 miles out of the area, the management was more than cooperative terminating my membership. Good club for singles or families. Based on the reviews below, I wonder if the management changed? read more

They had me pay an increased membership fee with the understanding that it was non-committed. When I had to quit for health reasons, they insisted they had the right to continue charging me a monthly fee because the fine print had changed the wording to a yearly commitment. They should be ashamed. read more

I'm a new member, so far so good, place is pretty clean, the boot camp class instructor is awesome and so is her class!!! so far pretty satisfied...will see on the summer time with the outdoor pool read more

Pool is ok but don't ask the front desk ANY questions. They do not know and just answer what they think. They need training on the club and manners when there is an issue. read more

Pros: Locally owned business Gym & pool in Marlborough Reasonably good hours for working professionals Weekend & weekdays swim lessons Cons: Dated decor Poor parking lot situation Very expensive for amenities & current market. This isn't sounding like a 1 star review? Why we left Wayside: 1st off we weren't members, we did the free trial but couldn't justify the price vs what we would recieve. We did do the kids swim program. Every weekend for almost 3 years (5 if you include the program Wayside offered via the Cottage Children's Center, which wasn't worth the price.) Overall the coaches are above average: Bill, Cassy, Gwen (no longer there) all great. Others not so much, but they tend to fade away. However as previously mentioned, we aren't members so we get the "give us your money, keep your mouth shut we'll do the bare minimum we can." No suggested improvements ever been implemented. Kids are often held in the same level a session or 2 longer than needed aka Revenue stream. Note, please don't waste your money on the baby and me classes IF you're thinking you're going to help your child learn to swim. The parent gets trained not the child. Last straw, if you're a member your kid can do whatever they want. Teenagers playing pass with a tennis ball in a lane and almost hitting a special needs kid with your bad throw or throwing to your friends standing on the side throwing OVER little kids in their lessons not cool. The lifeguard not saying something, let alone stopping it, Not cool. The lifeguard Giving the ball to the girls to throw around Not Cool. The manager Michael being made aware of what's happening, and the first question asked was "are you members?" Forget you and your dying business. I'll go to: Goldfish, Bosse Sports, Teamworks, Atkinson's, or Memorial beach over the summer. Wayside is not worth the aggravation. Probably not Sudbury Swim & Tennis club due to a 6 year wait period instead of desperate 'membership drives' Wayside has weekly. read more

One of the worst front desk reception. Not friendly. Seems like they have some good number of people enrolled in the gym ; so dont care kind of attitude. read more

Just realize before you join that you're paying for 2 months once you decide to quit! Even though you're on a month-to-month plan. 12 years ago when I signed the contract the small print in the back -- they were very happy to show it to me this morning -- says you have to give 45 DAYS notice. Since I am telling them before Aug is over I didn't want to pay for September. Now I'll have to pay for September AND OCTOBER too! What a bloody rip-off. As far as the workout goes, 2 years they didn't fix the audio on the only two upright bikes. The men's locker room always feels 80 degrees and humid. I caught athelete's foot both times I forgot to wear flip-flops. Today it smelled like the Patriots offense line urinated in the gang shower. My wife quit after 1 month because the woman's locker room was so disgusting. read more

I used to be a member way back... Once again I continue to hound them for swimming info for my kids. ..and no one calls me back. I'm told to email the swim director .. Yup, been over a week now. I'm so disappointed in them. They must not need any new business. read more

Walking into the main club house is like stepping back in time. The entryway and front desk area has not changed much and reflects a time that dark wood and heavy chairs were the it thing. The tennis courts and racketball courts appears well maintained. The fitness room also appears well maintained. It just seems Wayside needs to step things up a bit to stay competitive in a heavily saturated fitness market despite reasonable costs. I do hope Wayside is able to succeed as members are friendly and the staff seem passionate about the services the club provides. Also, when parking why is there so much trash along the parking lot? It may be something that is overlooked but first impressions can be so important and parking and seeing trash scattered about is very off putting. read more

My children were enrolled in the group summer lessons last yr in Aug. 2012 and the class was one instructor for 5 children! It was a huge waste of money and dangerous because my daughter told me the instructor he let her go and she only told me later. I later enrolled them in private lessons, thinking the 1 on two would be a better idea, the instructor was very nice, but she up and left the club so instead of the club reassigning me she was telling me so I had to hunt down a new instructor. We only went for about 6 sessions and the biggest problem was another club member was incredibly rude to us because my 7 yr old son was in the locker room with us. I was never told or directed to use a family room. We ended up in a shouting match and the staff member later commented on my weight and was trying to encourage me to join the club????!!!! That same session was when the instructor had told us she was leaving. Needless to say we did not return. Also it took a couple months to even get the swim lessons because no one calls back!! We now go to the Atkinson Pool in Sudbury and it has been a much better experience. It is by far cleaner, the staff is excellent and my children are learning how to swim. Also the price is great!!! Wayside lost our membership and I will NEVER refer anyone here. In fact I deter families from joining based on our awful experience. Stay away!!! read more

Bunch of Liars. Get everything in writing or they will keep charging you even if you give notice of cancellation. Also, the facility is awesome, if it were 1972. read more

The club dose need a little updating but the tennis and racquetball courts are in excelent condition. The machinery in the work out rooms are clean and well kept. The 2 pools are always well maintained and the staff is very feiendly. Diane at the front desk is amazing and makes you feel welcome. Lastly, the members I have met are a great group of people that make it a very personal environment. I recommend this facility to anyone who wants a good place to work out without feeling like a number. read more

this place just doesn't get it. you teach kids swim classes... MANY kids show up... but yet you have only ONE yes 1 changing table. are you kidding me! nothing like seeing a line for the only room with the changing table while your little one's freezing their butt of. oh yes i could bring them into the ladies or men's room but frankly there's zero privacy. we had to miss one saturday class for a Bday party so asked arnie if we could make it up the next day as we knew that class didn't have nearly the attendance as the saturday one did... were told absolutely no make ups. again, sunday class had less kids that saturday one did. the pool is on the cold side. at first maybe i thought it was my kid but guess what... multiple parents made comments about it so there's something too it. the good thing is that they are soon going to have some new competition across the town so maybe they will start to listen to their customers when they go out of business. read more

I'm not sure what other reviewers are looking for in a front desk. Say hi, give them your membership #, say goodbye when you leave. They've always been very helpful when I've had a question. Many of the exercise machines are old, but they have everything you need. It's great place for families, especially in the summer. Their outdoor pool is the best in the area with a diving board, small water slide, and a snack shack with fried food, drinks and ice cream. Plus, it's right next door to Trombetta's ice cream and mini golf. read more

Professional management, up and coming under new ownership, great kids summer program Thank You !!

Save your money and your time by avoiding the Wayside Racquet and Swim Club in Marlborough, MA. I endured three months of constant dissatisfaction with Wayside Racquet and Swim Club before cancelling my membership. The customer service here is horrendous! A majority of the front desk staff was rude, ignorant, and unhelpful. I once asked a front desk employee which tennis court is Court C since they are not labeled and the front desk lady (who had previously told me she's been working there for nearly 7 years) replied that "she has no idea" before returning to her book not bothering to look up again. My main reason for joining the club was to meet people to play tennis with which was advertised at the club. After joining, it took nearly two weeks to get in contact with the tennis pro (who will usually help you find people to play tennis with) since he wouldn't return phone calls for 4 days. I've been part of two other tennis clubs and this is not normal for the staff to be so hands off on getting a new member involved with their tennis programs. I had emailed the general manager at one point during my three months stint only to receive no response from him. I think this example shows why customer service here is so atrocious. If the person who manages the club doesn't have any clue about customer service how can one expect for the employees working for said manager to have any customer service skills. The members at this club were quite "odd" to say it nicely. I brought 5 different guests to the club and every guest made a comment about either the incompetence of the front desk staff or the rude behavior of other members. Let's just say I'm quite glad it was only a month-to-month membership. I ignored the previous reviews that warned people about this club. I assumed that my interaction with the front desk staff would be minimum so no big deal. However, almost every interaction I had with the staff left me irritated and mad at myself for spending money to be part of such a horrible establishment. Please don't make the same mistake I did...Read the reviews and look for an alternative health club that will meet your needs because Wayside Racquet and Swim Club is sure to disappoint. read more

when we enrolled for swimming here 2 years ago, they were still better then now. over the last 2 years, everything has deteriorated. so we discontinued the membership recently. examples of poor followup:- I have left numerous voicemails to the Aquatics department to sign up my kid for swimming lessons, voicemails not returned. some showers in the bathrooms don't work. read more

We had a membership here for a little over a year but after giving swimming lessons a chance for the 4th time, I finally called it quits. The club is dark, dingy and extremely dated. For the money people pay for memberships, I am unsure of why this place has gone untouched for 30 years or better. The women's locker room always feels dirty. The showers leak into the dry changing areas. Last month I was walking my son into his swim lesson and it was pouring outside. And it was pouring inside, too! The hallway leading from the family changing room had water pouring in and this wasn't the first time I had seen something like this happen there and seem to go without proper repair. The tv's in the fitness center are so old and small, you can't see them well from the elliptical machines. As for swim lessons, this was my biggest area of concern. First we did parent and me classes and they were great. Wonderful instructor. Beginner class was the next session and the instructor was horrible. There were initially 5 kids in the class, 3 by the time it ended. I don't feel like my son learned anything different than what he already knew and there was no feedback from the instructor about what to sign him up for next so I signed him up for beginner again because I wanted to be sure he was really learning to become a safe swimmer. Different instructor and the class was great. 4 students and she incorporated new things all the time. Such a difference from the previous session that it actually made me a little upset that I had even paid for it the first time. We took the summer off and signed up for advanced beginner this past fall. While the teacher was very nice, she had absolutely no control over the class and there were only 2 students. On a couple of occasions she left my son unattended on the dock with no floatation devices on and he fell off. Two times in one class he almost drowned because she was not paying attention. Thank goodness the lifeguards were right there. After that we didn't return. Multiple inquiries throughout the session at the front desk to speak to Arnie about the way the class was run were completely ignored. I'm sorry but when safety is such a serious concern and there is absolutely no follow up from the club....membership cancelled. read more

Dirty and run down. Teachers of cardio sculpt and boot camp and daycare are great though. My biggest complaint is the pool in the summer. Would be great if the lifeguards acted like they were on duty. Repeatedly have to reprimand others' kids bc guards do not remind kids of rules. Their priority seems to be socializing or zoning out. And actually had to dive in and help a 7 year old boy b/c guard did not respond to him yell out for help at least three times. Bathrooms are disgusting too. read more

Kid friendly, family friendly - wish there were more places around here like Wayside. Outdoor pool in the summer is a great place to take the kids - workout room is huge - great classes. read more

The cardio equipment is from 1994. The fitness area is dirty and the equipment is just old. Whoever is running this place put his/her money into tennis and neglected everything else in the gym. You don't need 3-4 raquetball courts - It is 2012 not 1985. Upgrade your cardio equipment and put a little elbow grease on the vacuum and the cleaning part. This place is a great location but I'm going to drive further so I can be on equipment from this century. Plus the cost is a joke. Upgrade your gym!!! read more

I've been a member for years and have been incredibly embarrassed by the front desk staff. I don't recommend the place to friends because of the poor customer service. For us, we use it for the kid swimming lessons and the summer time pool. The bathrooms are filthy all summer long but fine the rest of the year. With just a little bit of encouragement from management, this place could be really good. Just waiting for something else similar to open up nearby....... read more

PreCor EFX 546 and 2 544's??? The cardio equipment is so old that it is just sad. Glad I only had to see it one time and moved right to another gym further away from my home. Location is great but they need to update ALL of the Cardio equipment. Rust on machines and all of them not running properly. Please answer this post and tell us when you plan on upgrading the Cardio equipment. The 546 and 544 came out in the 90's. You charge enough money to warrant an equipment upgrade every 20 years or so. What's the story?? read more