Boost River Oaks — Local services in Houston

My friend and I reserved a class with Bethany Owens at 8pm. For context, my friend is a Houston native who has attended many classes at Boost. I am certified in Pilates and a physical therapist, so we’re nowhere near newbies, We arrived promptly at 8pm (see time stamp) only to met at the door by Bethany, who curtly asked us if we had been to Pilates before. We said yes, she looked us up and down with a hostile demeanor, and claimed that for “safety reasons” she couldn’t let us in and slammed the door in our face. Looking at the studio, there were at least 5 reformers open. It was empty. Again, we are NOT NEW to Pilates. Frankly, my friend and I (two Latinas) felt discriminated by this white Pilates instructor. Per your policy, clients can be no more than 5 min late. Why were we turned away when we arrived at 8pm? As someone who was visiting from out of state, I was looking forward to bonding with my friend over Pilates. Bethany ruined it for us and I will never return nor recommend this instructor.

UPDATE 5/16: Your response to my review was disappointing and unprofessional. My friend is a longtime participant of your studio. Why lie and claim she was new? She showed me her account, and in fact her preferred location is set to River Oaks. She even has a text exchange with your studio number discussing membership options.

Instead of addressing my concerns constructively, you chose to publicly reference my personal business and policies — something that had no relevance to the situation. This was clearly an attempt to discredit me rather than engage in a respectful dialogue. As a business owner yourself, I would hope you’d understand that customer feedback, even when critical, should be met with professionalism, not retaliation.

My review reflected my experience. Posting a photo may not have been ideal, but it was a response to how I felt I was treated — not just based on policy, but the way that policy was enforced and communicated. You’re entitled to uphold your rules, but I’m also entitled to share how those rules made me feel as a customer.

Instead of dismissing my perspective and using personal information to undermine me, I encourage you to focus on improving communication and client care going forward and not ad...

I've been a regular at Boost for about 2.5 years now, and my overall experience has been really positive. I also travel a lot for work and have greatly appreciated their flexibility in helping me find a membership that works for my schedule.

As with any studio, it takes some time to find the instructors who are the best fit for your personal preferences. My favorites are Wendy Traylor, Becky Flechsig, Annabelle Peek, Mallie Lange, and Valina Sefa. What makes them stand out isn't just their great instruction, but also their effort to connect with me. They've learned my name, which makes me feel like more than just another person in the class. I think many businesses forget that creating a community is key to their success, and I've been happy to see how Boost has expanded over the years by venturing into community events and partnerships.

I've seen some feedback suggesting that Boost needs to keep up with trends, but I actually prefer the current approach. The music isn't so loud that it's blowing up my ears, and I appreciate that each instructor can bring their unique style and music choices to their classes. Not everyone is looking for trendy; some of us are looking for a great studio that focuses on instruction over looks. And for the record, Boost has great aesthetics as well! It's also worth noting that this isn't classic reformer pilates—it's a workout that uses a reformer, much like other studios such as Control Studios or The good Space in town.

I have noticed some wear and tear on the equipment in the last few months. I'm hoping this is something that can be addressed soon, though it hasn't negatively impacted the quality of the classes so far. Finally, as a regular, I really value when instructors enforce the late policy. It's frustrating for everyone who arrived on time when a class is delayed for a latecomer, especially of its their first time since the instructor has to...

I was on ClassPass for a while trying to find studios I would like and kept coming back to Boost so often I dropped ClassPass in favor of a monthly autopay membership.

I enjoy their reformers, particularly the ones at the River Oaks and West U location, I like the interiors and the times offered on their schedule. I appreciate I can go to any studio. At times parking can get difficult at the River Oaks location, but the instructors are understanding and being slightly late doesn't materially change that you're going to get a good workout.

The instructors are excellent. Each one brings a different routine and challenge level. Just because one instructor uses lighter spring levels doesn't mean the workout will be easy. Sometimes those are the most difficult.

Some of my favorite instructors (I'm listing the ones in which I've attended at least 10+ classes are): Liz, Nancy, Morgan, Devon, Andrew, Ashley, Nicole, Nathan, Isabella (if...