Orangetheory Fitness — Attraction in Cincinnati

AVOID THIS LOCATION LIKE THE PLAGUE (literally)

I started at OTF back in March and did enjoy my time working out. The HR band is cool, the coaches were nice and I came almost every day (I had the Premier membership) until they were forced to shut down about mid-month due to Covid-19. No one really knew what was going on and so I agreed to the 90 day freeze.

The freeze was about to end, and I still was not comfortable coming back seeing as infection rates were at an all time high and they literally just had a case of Covid-19 in the studio according to their Facebook page. I have an immune compromised parent and my fiancé is in the medical field - something about working out in a tight room filled with strangers (probably not wearing masks, or not wearing them correctly) didn't seem very responsible.

I let the manager know my situation and that I unfortunately would need to cancel with full intentions of coming back once things were back to normal. I was told that I would still be charged an additional 30 days after canceling since that is their policy (keep in mind I didn't even get to use half of my first month, and already accepted that loss) These memberships are expensive, about $150 a month, for something that I cannot even use. We went back and forth and although they say they "understand" they showed little regard for my situation and didn't even attempt to put my concerns at ease - probably because they know the safety precautions they have in place such as wiping equipment are bull when the virus is airborne. The manager just expected me to willfully pay them another month of membership without providing a service. I truly believe that this isn't right and if they are doing this to me, there are probably others forced to squander that money or put the lives of the ones they love at risk.

I really don't like giving bad reviews, especially now when so many businesses are struggling. I basically pleaded with OTF over email and on the phone, and so I don't know what else to do. Maybe this review will save you from making the same mistake I did. There are so many other ways to stay healthy or get in shape without spending so much and risking the health of you or the...

I have been member of Orangetheory fitness at this location since November 2018. I really like the classes and the coaches. However, this location has terrible management/customer service. In April this year, after attending one of the classes I asked the person at the front desk to change my membership from unlimited classes to 8-classes per month starting May. She looked up my account and said you are all set. In beginning of June, I realized I was charged for the unlimited classes and reached out to the front desk via phone and told them what had happened. The person said the manager will reach out to me in next couple of days. After a week or so the manager reached out to see why I wasn’t attending classes but not to update me about the extra charges. After explaining the whole situation, he said he can't find the paper trail so he can't do anything and instead offered that he can change my contract to basic (4-classes per month) for July month and then my contract can be terminated. If they can't find a paper trail then how is that my fault. How can they hold their customer responsible when its their own employee’s fault! I have never experienced such a horrible customer service before. Instead of offering refund for the extra charges he literally agreed to cancel my membership. I was their member for over 3 three years and this is how they treated me. This isn't the only situation, they charge you for missing any class even if you have an emergency. One time I was about to head out for my class when my dog started throwing up and I had to take him to the emergency. I called Orangetheory and told them about the situation and that I won't be able to attend. They refused to give me a free pass and charged me anyway. I even sent them a picture from Grady's hospital to show I wasn't lying. I have attended classes at other location as well (Springfield, IL) and I have to say I never encountered any issues in cancelling a class less than 8 hours before (you can cancel class 8 hours before for no cost) if you have health issue or...

This is one of many options for people looking to be more fit, and while it works for me it may not be for everyone. I have always been an athlete, and I love exercise. On the upside, I get a good workout twice a week for a reasonably priced package, and can add more workouts. You don't have to sign a lengthy contract because they bill month by month. The workouts are always different, and the instructors are very good at leading the classes through the three stations: treadmill, rowing machines, and floor/weight/TRX exercises. I find the heart rate monitoring and the display of previous workouts in the app to be very motivating. I also like that I can push myself as hard as I want, or work at a lower rate if I want a recovery / fat burning session. The instructors are very helpful in correcting my form, but don't try to get me to push harder than I want. So this may not be the right place for you if you need someone to motivate you through every workout.

The facility is always clean and well organized, the staff helpful and friendly, and the other members are a great crowd of people to exercise with.

On the downside, they play really loud uptempo music that can make it hard to hear the instructors. The heart rate monitors are expensive unless you happen to sign up during a promotion. The app works fine on my Android phone, but the app won't show my friend's workouts on her iPhone, and technical support hasn't been helpful. Finally, some of the workouts seem unnecessarily complicated and it can be difficult to establish a tempo because of constant switching between exercises and the three stations.

Overall, I love the workouts, and find it a good value. I am stronger and more fit and have certainly upped my aerobic capacity. Orangetheory would work great with a yoga practice because the strength and aerobic capacity complement the balance, focus, and...