Movement Denton — Local services in Denton

When this was Summit it was fairly priced, when Movement purchased it from them they raised those prices significantly. Why? In their minds they justify it by “giving you access to workout areas, yoga, fitness classes, events, discounts on gear and free guest passes”.

$80 a month is a very reasonable price for a membership at a gym with top roping, this is why the other Movement gyms in the metroplex which do have top roping walls and all the same additional benefits cost $87 a month. $7 a month less does not account for a lack of top roping and a significantly smaller area than any of their other gyms. Especially when it also doesn’t have locker rooms or showers as other locations do. Your membership here would be fairly priced at $57 a month.

Basically, if you live in Denton you’re getting the short end of the stick.

Charging for rental gear to cover the costs of replacing over time would make perfect sense if they weren’t already price gouging customers. This is a chain, they can afford gear replacement, they should not be charging for rental gear at this monthly price.

They don’t pay their employees well, they disqualify applicants from student discounts (which are only $6 a month less anyways) if you aren’t taking 12 credit hours, and they don’t properly maintain the a/c or gym equipment in the building. They are not, as they claim, “reinvesting back into the gym”.

Where is the money going?

They are only able to maintain this charade of $80 being a fair price because they have no competition in Denton. If there was another gym with top roping in the area, Movement would be forced to lower their prices, or go out of business.

Movement, please reconsider your price for membership in Denton. What you did to paying Summit customers and any new climbers in Denton is greedy and deplorable and if you work there, you’d do the city of Denton a service if you would stop supporting this sham and all quit at the same time. As it stands, you’re contributing to an insult and an injustice to this local...

I’ve been climbing at the Denton location since 2019, back when it was still Summit. Back then it felt like a real community gym and I always looked forward to coming in. Since Movement took over, things just haven’t been the same, and not for the better.

The membership price has nearly doubled - from 40 dollars a month to 80 dollars. The only real upgrades have been HVAC and electrical work, which are fine but do not make the higher cost feel worth it. On top of that, some of the gym equipment was swapped out for treadmills and row machines that honestly feel cheaper than what was there before.

They also got rid of members-only climbing hours. I used to climb regularly between 7 and 8 in the morning, and I really enjoyed how quiet and accessible it was during that time. That is gone now. Even the vibe of the gym has changed. Before, employees would play their own playlists, and that gave the space character even if I did not love their music. Now it just feels like corporate-approved radio, and the gym feels less personal.

From what employees have told me, it also sounds like their hours have been cut so no one is full time anymore, and raises have not kept up with the higher membership costs. I cannot confirm every detail, but it does feel like both staff and members are getting less while paying more.

Then, not too long ago, a window was broken and never fixed. It was sealed off with cardboard and tape. It's not much, but coupled with everything else, feels like a slap in the face every time I visit.

Overall, the price is higher, the perks are gone, the equipment is worse, and the sense of community that made this place special has really faded. I cannot continue supporting this company in good faith.

If I really want to climb, then I'll find...

i loved my time at summit/movement over the years but since being bought out i can’t afford it anymore. i appreciated their old policy with student discounts, but since changing to movement the criteria is so strict and unnecessary and i was denied any sort of student discount since i take 11 hours of classes and not 12. almost $80 a month is just straight up unaffordable and i am sad to have to give up a form of exercise i actually enjoyed because the price raised so drastically. UNT’s bouldering wall doesn’t compare and i have had bad experiences with very unfriendly climbers there. i at least felt welcomed at movement but between the price and the size of the gym it isn’t worth it. it feels crowded a lot of them time and there are often groups of people sitting in front of routes for long periods and can be difficult to try and maneuver if you’re just a casual climber. the price also boasts about including gym equipment but there is only ever 1 functional treadmill. i even tried to get a job through movement to be able to still afford to go to the gym because i actually enjoy climbing so much but the pay is not as competitive as they say, even with raised prices, especially considering inflation. what really started turning me away was the fact that they started charging to rent shoes and chalk, EVEN if you have a membership. being able to borrow shoes and chalk and have a more affordable student membership made me and many other college students feel more included in the sport and now it’s just not as accessible. sad to have to leave, i feel like i invested so much money buying my own chalk and shoes and paying for so many months of membership, it’s...