Memorial Athletic Club and Aquatic Center — Attraction in Houston

(Skip to the end for the TL;DR version).

I've been a member for a couple of years but only now writing a review. Below are five points that warrant each of the five stars I give to the MAC.

People (staff) In a nutshell, the staff is extremely friendly and are always eager to help. No matter who you are, they will make you feel welcomed and comfortable. The owners have a strong presence and are very reachable - they will make things right shall anything go wrong. It feels like you're part of a family.

Equipment They essentially have anything you'll ever need, do a tour and see for yourself. I notice most of their machines are pretty new, and they're actively replacing older equipment. Costumers have good habits of cleaning up sweat after themselves.

Facility This is one of my favorite parts. Their massive, two-story, building is home of two temperature controlled pools - one indoors, warmer and one outdoors, cooler. The entire second floor is dedicated to most of the machines and equipments. In the first floor there's a really nice lobby with comfy chairs and TV, a racquetball court, many rooms for different classes and programs, and a basketball court that turns into a CrossFit-like training area. Oh, although not useful for me, they also have a "nursery" that you can drop your kids off while you work out!

Programs This is another part they excel. You cannot get bored in this place. In fact, quite the opposite - it's quite addicting. I think they offer over 150 classes a week, ranging from spinning, HIIT, yoga, pilates, Zumba, bogafit, TRX, Training for Warriors, personal training, etc. No matter what is your work schedule, you can find things to do. Also, the aquatic center is extremely impressive. I already mentioned the pools, but their programs are all Red Cross certified and offer swimming lessons for everyone, from babies to adults. I've gotten to know some of their instructors and watched lessons while I swam, and I can tell these guys care about their students. They limit the number of students to two per class I think (compared to 4-8 at other places). They also have a Masters swimming program for the athletes out there.

Community Lastly, I would say the sense of community is pretty awesome. But the club itself is always participating in events and contributing to the community. They often host blood drives, educational seminars, health fairs, etc. And there usually are some benefits you get outside the club for being a member, like discounts at Bicycle World, etc.

TL;DR: Family-oriented, dedicated staff, great equipment, well-rounded facility, exceptional programs and aquatic center, and...

Got a call today from Mr. Dave who was very nice and professional. Issue is now resolved and I am really appreciative of how the matter was handled. Back to being my favorite gym for sure:)

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I love the MAC, it was my favorite Gym and I have been a member there for years, it always felt like home to me and I know almost everyone there. I am also not one to write negative feedback because I know everyone has bills to pay and I don't like to talk bad. However, since last week, I am very disappointed and upset with the way accounts handled my frustration when I received a letter saying that I owe money because they do not have a copy of a void check! The frustrating part is that they do have a copy from my previous file (I froze my membership for a while and I returned) but they were too lazy to use it whenever I enrolled back at the gym. I received a letter in the mail saying that I owe them money for 3 months because they haven't been withdrawing the amount (because they do not have a void check from this time). When I called the account and I asked them why didn't they call me to tell me or why didn't they tell the reception team as I am at the gym on a regular basis, the accounting manager said "we do not call clients" and that it is my obligation to check my mail... I told her I do everything on line and the least they could do after all these years is to give me a courtesy call... the accounting manager said they don't have time to call and that I need to pay. I was very upset and told her that I have been a client for years and that I am disappointed that they didn't give me a courtesy call and that they do have a copy of a void check from before (which she confirmed). The upsetting part, I told the accounting lady that I am willing to meet her half way and pay half (seems I owe USD 170 for 3 months)... and that it is not my fault when they didn't follow up with members to let them know they are still missing one step to complete a billing process. I also told her I am a single mom and I assumed they are automatically taken out the money from my bank like they have done for years... she said she cannot help and that's the process.... My question is, how is this okay? And where is the courtesy call to spare a member from paying USD 170 for gym membership when it's not even their fault. I hope the owner is reading this because I truly love this gym however I am very hurt with this whole approach... being blunt with a member when it's truly not their fault that the accounting didn't apply the correct process is just beyond rude and disrespectful.... The least I could say is I feel very...

I have similar experience as Mr. Lamar. Yesterday, 6/10/24 I took my time to answer MAC’s survey and I gave my honest opinion based on my experience so far. They did reply, but the answer I got was to try to come over at other period of time which are not prime. The problem with this is that this suggestion is that it means coming over at work hours or when I should be preparing myself to go to sleep for an early start the following date. Even the hours that they are suggesting is occupy by classes. For example, I like to swim indoor because is heated all year around, and from my experience so the other users, so based only in the schedule, we can see that today, June/11/24 from 8:15 to 10:30 am lanes 3 to 6 are reserved for Aqua Surge, Aqua Tone+Stretch classes. From 10:30 to 11 am, lanes 4,5,6 by Stretch Your potential. From 8 am to 8 pm lanes 1,2,3 are reserved from Red Cross swimming lessons. From 6:30 to 7:30 pm lanes 4,5 and 6 for Free Style. From 6:30 to 8 pm lanes 3,4 by Master Swim Team. The club closes at 10 pm. So, when I am suppose to come to get an available lane? And even if there is one, please tale into account I would have to compete with other users like Lamar and myself that would like to use a lane for open swimming. Also, if it thunder, then the pool get’s close for 30 minutes and if within that time window it thunders again the clock re-starts and you are not allowed to wait in the swimming pool area! I am not saying inside the pool, I am saying you cannot wait in the chairs in the indoor which has a roof. I am showing today’s schedule so you can...