Club Pilates — Attraction in Clifton

After almost two years and 500+ classes at this location, I can provide a well-informed and honest review of this studio. I will also explain why I chose to end my membership here.

Pro's: The reformers and equipment are always in great condition. The instructors are always helpful and I discovered that I really enjoyed Peter and Toni and Ashley's classes. You will find through trial and error which instructors' classes suit you best and which ones are just okay. Over the course of 500+ classes, my fitness and overall health improved significantly. It helped me get into the best shape of my life.

Cons: Management has proved to be consistently terrible over the course of my experience at CP Clifton. They have zero regard or care for loyal or long-term members. In September of this year I got into a terrible car crash that left me unable to exercise (at the beginning of that billing cycle). I called to explain and was told by the front desk that it was "too bad" and that "there was nothing that could be done since the payment was already processed." This left a terrible taste in my mouth. I had thankfully frozen my October membership ahead of time, but had to forcefully pay for the November month because of their policy that a membership must be cancelled 3 months in advance. My final payment was billed on 11/10, and I was told that I had 30 days of membership left from that day. This would mean that 12/10 would be the 30th day of the cycle, right? Wrong. I tried to book a class on 12/10 and was told the membership ended the previous day, which means it ended before a full 30 days. This is misleading. I won't even go into ridiculous cancellation fees, because I understand this is the nature of pilates studio scheduling. However, management does not show any fairness even in times where they can make a judgment call to do so.

Summary: The studio and instructors are great, but management gives the feel that they are trying to suck every penny and charge for everything they possibly can. There is zero sense of community or feeling of respect for being a long term member and giving the studio thousands of dollars in business. They are always searching for more ways to wrongfully keep your money. It is with a heavy heart that I have to leave this studio, but hopefully I can find a fair studio that cares about its members.

Update: I was contacted by Farrah, who apologized for the above. She offered to apply those payments towards additional monthly payments at several locations, which is a very nice gesture. Although I am choosing not to move forward with club Pilates altogether, it gave me hope that management will continue to improve and foster a more respectful and empathetic approach towards its members...

With Grit and determination - that is how I have been living my life as a working, married mother of 3 daughters as well as a Certified Life Coach..needless to say I have been all about the care of others. At 46 years old I have degenerative discs in my lower lumbar, straightening of my cervical spine, awful posture..joint aches in my ankle from a horrible break that left me with a plate and 9 screws. One morning I woke up and my 46 year old body felt way beyond its years. I felt defeated. I knew something had to change..i needed to do something. I had no idea of WHAT that was. Part of my mind screamed Peleton.. the realistic part of it reminded me of my lonely gym equipment in the basement. I needed something more..i just didn't know what it was. The next day I was driving home from the mall and like a beacon in the night I saw the "Sign" Club Pilates - it was just minutes from home so no excuses. As soon as I got home I went on their site and like Christmas - they were giving out gifts of a free introductory class!! Then a friend of mine raved to me about it.. I thought that this could be what i have been looking for! I signed up and took my intro class the very next day. I felt excited and hopeful. That day I committed to taking care of ME. The staff is so kind and welcoming . I felt a great vibe from all of them. That week I took my very first full class with their amazing instructor Catherine...her energy and words spoke to my soul. She said.. this is your time.. you are here for you..let go of looking at all that is outside and focus on you. Give yourself this. I get that this may sound odd but I was in tears for most of the class. Every motion, every move felt like I was giving myself love. Each class that I attend makes me feel as if I am shedding years of personal neglect. I have completed 7 classes so far and today I changed my limited membership to unlimited. My first instinct has always been to take care of others and if ever there was a need for sacrifice..i was always willing to - so that those I loved did not have to. As a budgeter I was very hesitant on spending the money to invest in self..a little voice whispered in my ear that I am worth it! Now for the good stuff. In 7 classes I have had compliments on physical changes in my body, I am standing straighter and mindful of my posture, I am coping with stress better, my back does not ache when I get up from a chair, I am holding in my core muscles, I feel stronger and I have discovered muscles that I didn't know i had. I am remembering to BREATHE... i am so excited to see what this journey brings. From hopeless to hopeful, from Grit and determination to grace and rejuvenation. I think in 20 years my 66 year old self...

I love the instructors at Club Pilates. My favorite instructors are Peter, Michele, and Deborah. Peter and Deborah are great teachers, especially for beginners; I definitely recommend them. Michele is fun, but I wouldn’t recommend her if you are just starting out. Once you get into the rhythm of things, you can definitely take her classes. Peter and Deborah will make sure you are doing the movements correctly and working the muscles you are supposed to be working and are more hands on. Peter and Deborah are phenomenal instructors in this regard. I love them! I’m sad that Deborah is no longer at the Clifton location, which I go to exclusively, even though I have an unlimited membership. I’ve been going to Club Pilates for almost 3 years now and have mostly worked out with these three instructors. I say it all the time: I am still a member because of the instructors; they are phenomenal!

However, to be honest, their policy sucks! I hate the 12-hour cancellation policy; it’s a bit excessive. I’ve always complained that maybe 4 hours is a better time frame because a lot can happen in 12 hours, and they are not flexible with this rule. You can have an emergency, and they will still charge your card, and you have to fight about what constitutes an emergency. That’s the only downside; other than that, the studio is clean, and everything else is fine.

Also, when you pause your membership, they charge you a fee for pausing, and you cannot pause for an extended period of time (I believe 6 months is the max). I had a bad case of a pinched nerve that required physical therapy. Even with a doctor’s note and after paying the pause fee for months, they wouldn’t let me continue to pause after a certain period. Once I was better and cleared by my doctor to start working out, they had canceled my membership, which was cheaper, and I had to reinstate and pay the newer price, which was very frustrating. If I wasn’t coming back, why would I pay the pause fee every month? Like I said, management is the only problem you’d encounter at club Pilates, but other than that, the instructors are great. I am still here because of them and also because there is no competition in the area. If there was, maybe they would be a little more flexible, but they’ve kind of monopolized all the neighborhoods around me. Lol. I definitely recommend it. You won’t run into any major problems if you follow the policies. The general Manager here Valentina is superb. I love her, she is super nice and friendly and...