body + soul Center English Garden — Local services in Munich

I'm a member for over a year, and I have a lot to say. I'm really sorry that the fitness center market is so outdated in Munich. If these centers position themselves as premium and charge 105 euros (B&S raised the price for me), I empathize with all the residents of Munich.

I believe Munich critically needs truly new premium fitness centers, where external participants like Urban Sports are not allowed, and where there is modern equipment, a nice interior, classes in English, women's areas in the gym, and cleanliness. Because all of this is lacking at Body and Soul.

For some time now, I have found it simply disgusting to enter the women's shower area. It is really dirty and smells bad. In the women's sauna, there is a temperature problem; different parts of the sauna’s room are heated differently, making it impossible to warm up. The timer on the wall doesn’t work (it’s an hourglass). In the common steam sauna smells like rotten socks. I also sent a written inquiry about how exactly the pool is cleaned (modern cleaning methods involve not just chlorine but other types of purification, including nighttime filters and ultrasound), but a staff member evaded my question.

Some machines (like the Smith machine) are located in a too "male" area where men stare at women inappropriately. It’s very unpleasant. Men seem to be trying to meet women, perhaps some confuse this place with a night bar. Instead of a women's area where women could feel free from male gazes, they set up a stretching area that is unpopular and takes up a lot of space. So instead of showing solidarity for women's safety and comfort while doing some exercises, which can be seems like a sexual activity, they prefer to show off by placing equipment that 5 people use per hour. Unfortunately, there are no women's clubs nearby, I would buy a membership there.

There are no group programs in English at all, even though there are many expats in the club. Not all trainers speak English, and there are classes where it's impossible to combine both English and German simultaneously because the exercises are too fast: step, dance etc. English is an international language, expats pay government taxes too, and they also pay 100 euros a month for a stinky shower and have no opportunity to attend classes in English. It's madness.

I would also like to note that although the studio is in the business and comfort segment, that is, for the middle class and above, the interior inside is old fashioned, it does not look like a modern studio. the simulators are very modern, and there are many of them. The variety of group programs in German is impressive.

I'm starting to suspect that I can get a similar service in studios for 20-50 euro per month. I'm starting to look for a new studio. I don't understand why I should overpay.

I would also like to give advice to all internal members of the club. Do not stand in line with Urban Sport. Don’t wast your time (10-15 min!!). Go to the reception, apply your bracelet and go further. Do not agree to this chaos!

I'm not going to stand in line paying 105 euros a month because of terrible management and...

If you are a Wellpass or Urban Sports member, avoid this gym entirely. It is, without exaggeration, one of the most poorly managed and frustrating fitness facilities I have ever encountered. Every single visit begins with a queue that lasts anywhere from 20 to 40 minutes, regardless of the time of day. It is not a one-off issue—it is consistent and clearly systemic. One cannot help but feel that the delays are intentional, as if the aim is to discourage or punish members who access the facility through partner programmes. There is no other explanation for how unreasonably slow and inefficient the check-in process is.

Once inside—assuming you have the patience to wait that long—the disappointment only continues. The gym floor is overcrowded and badly organised. The free weights area is not only small, but also woefully under-equipped. Basic equipment such as quality bumper plates or properly functioning bars are either missing or in such poor condition that they are nearly unusable. Performing Olympic lifts or deadlifts is virtually impossible due to the lack of suitable plates, inadequate floor space, and the general disrepair of the equipment. It is clear that no meaningful investment has been made in maintaining or improving the facilities.

The atmosphere is equally disheartening. There is no sense of care, energy, or pride in the space. Staff are either overwhelmed, indifferent, or both—and there appears to be no effort to manage capacity or flow. The environment feels more chaotic than functional, more stressful than motivating.

In short, this is not a gym that supports training of any kind, let alone serious strength or performance-focused training. It is a place that actively makes your workout harder—not because of the physical challenge, but because of the sheer number of logistical and environmental obstacles in the way. It is inefficient, ill-equipped, and deeply unwelcoming. There are many other gyms in the area that provide a far better experience for the same or lower cost. Spend your time and...

The studio is overcrowded, especially during peak hours, and it often feels like it’s operating beyond capacity. Despite having available space, check-in via Wellpass is artificially limited, which regularly leads to long queues and unnecessary waiting times.

Many of the weight machines have damaged cables and have been out of order for several weeks or months. The gym's response usually blames the equipment manufacturer, but there seems to be little urgency or accountability in resolving these issues.

The wellness area is unfortunately not well-maintained. Several showers are out of order, and warm water has been unavailable for months. The steam room has also been out of service for an extended period — this seems to be the case across several Body & Soul branches, which raises questions about ongoing maintenance efforts.

Another concern is the lack of privacy for male members in the changing rooms. The cleaning staff, who are exclusively female, enter these areas without advance notice. Their presence often feels intrusive, and on several occasions, their behavior has come across as unprofessional and inattentive to members’ comfort. This situation would likely be handled differently if the roles were reversed.

All in all, the studio feels neglected. For context: while the gym has struggled for months to fix broken equipment and restore hot water, SpaceX has managed to launch five rockets. If someone says this is rocket science — it...