Equinox Rainier Square — Local services in Seattle

I am extremely dissatisfied with my experience at Equinox Seattle.

I joined with the hope that I could do a variety of class formats all in one gym and avoid paying for multiple memberships, but this has not been the case. It was already a hard decision to leave my previous gyms, particularly Rowdy Box, which is a truly special place with incredible community, consistently challenging workouts, and amazing vibes.

At sign-up, I made it clear to Joseph that I travel three to four months a year and that freezing my account was important to me. I was told it would cost $50 to freeze and that I could do this multiple times per year. Now I am being told I can only freeze once per year, it costs $100 per month, and I cannot freeze at all during the first year. This feels dishonest and misleading.

The yoga program has been especially disappointing. The studio is often too bright, I have been scolded for entering the room early to warm up which is a completely normal part of yoga culture, and classes often run with ceiling fans on which destroys any sense of calm. The flows are basic and geared toward beginners, with little challenge for those with experience. They only just added Yoga Sculpt, and while I did enjoy the one time I was able to take it, it is not enough to make up for the lack of strong, consistent yoga offerings.

The workout studio setup is also poorly designed. The main room is overly bright, has bad echo, and requires you to walk to a separate back room to gather all your equipment before class. The floor is fake wood, slippery, shiny, and not at all appropriate for dropping heavier weights.

Another frustrating policy is around class sign-ups. You cannot sign up for double classes if they are considered too similar in one day. For example, I was not allowed to sign up for both Yoga Sculpt and a Vinyasa Flow on the same day. My classes are consistently pretty empty, and even if they were not, that rule is ridiculous. On top of that, you can only register for classes 10 hours before they start. This means you cannot plan out your week in advance. Instead, every single day you have to log in to the app 10 hours before class just to secure a spot.

The overall vibe is cold and sterile. Unlike other gyms where you feel part of a community, here I do not feel known, welcomed, or connected. In my opinion, even the trainers, many of whom come from other Seattle gyms with far better energy, do not seem to feel a sense of belonging.

When I have given feedback, the responses feel scripted and corporate, most likely from NYC, with no sense of accountability or willingness to address real concerns.

To be fair, there are a handful of excellent trainers who deliver strong, challenging workouts every time. I want to thank them sincerely. But I hope they eventually move on, because Equinox is not the place for the kind of energy and community they bring.

Bottom line: I feel misled, stuck in a membership I do not want, and disappointed by the overall experience. As soon as I am able, I will be canceling. Until then, Equinox can enjoy the money they are forcing me to pay.

If you are looking for a gym with real community, consistently strong workouts, and great vibes, do yourself a favor and check out Rowdy Box, Barry’s, or Studio 3 instead. Do not...

Will echo what others have already stated.

The gym itself is decent, fun to workout in downtown Seattle with generally good views. Could use some more squat racks and deadlift platforms though. Also, there’s not really a room to do any body weight exercises or abs. Makes it difficult doing it in the open with people constantly walking by.

Not sure if it’s because it’s still new but it’s pretty crowded even on off hours. A lot of these people working out appear to be the “coaches” who I see swap shirts and must be able to use the gym. Nothing wrong with this but it does tend to contribute to the overcrowding.

The whole parking situation is abysmal. The first few times I had no way of knowing that parking was validated so I was paying the full $13. I then discovered I could get it for $4. The frustrating part is when you drive all the way there on a Wednesday at 11 AM only to find that the garage is full and to be told I need to leave. Called the front desk and they didn’t have any alternate parking spots and also weren’t even aware that it was full. Having to pay $4 for a garage that isn’t always open and for a luxury gym seems super low of equinox.

It seems like they are alwayyyss cleaning the showers. Makes it awkward having to step over cords and steam cleaners after getting out of the shower.

As others have said, the people who recruit you to join are very responsive up until the time you send them your first payment. Then they turn into pumpkins. Good luck having any issues resolved.

They don’t sell physical gift cards here. Frustrating as I like to purchase as gifts for friends and family. Apparently they did but then magically sold out after a week?

Figured there’d be at least some sort of Spa that was included with the membership. Seems to be only the steam room which gets crowded. No massage chairs, no cold plunge, nothing.

Overall I’ll give it two stars but probably closer to one. Sydney the GM needs to quickly get this place under control or will lose out on what could’ve been...

Alright here’s my brutally honest review where I’ll try to be as objective as possible with pros, cons, and some caveats.Fair warning, I think the cons outweigh the pros. This is over a 2 day trial period where I did a class and 2 individual work outs. I’m a male that is very active in the gym.

Pros: -Its very clean It should have everything you need to get a good lifting sesh in (assuming machines are available) -The locker room is immaculate with plenty of amenities needed like soaps and razors. A TON of classes to choose from if that’s what you need for motivation. (Cycling, yoga, Pilates, etc…) Has a steam room in locker rooms -The equipment they have is high quality with good attachments to use. -Objectively, the staff is overall attractive. If that’s what you’re going for I guess. I’m scrapping the barrel here for Pros. -plenty of cardio equipment

Cons: -TOO EXPENSIVE FOR WHAT YOU GET! -No Pool Only 3 squat racks Not enough free weight plates. I was walking around the gym to find what I needed. Only about 1 of each machine with a few exceptions so you’re often waiting to use something especially during busy hours. They don’t cover parking, just a discount to $4/ 2 hrs. (If you go 20x a month that’s an extra $80 per month to an already expensive membership.) Wasn’t impressed from what I saw with the personal trainers and their trainees (a bit subjective, but I could have written better programs from what I saw. P.S. I have a kinesiology degree) Often out of disinfectant wipes to clean equipment.

Caveats: -obviously only had a 2 day trial so it’s a limited view. I didn’t get to try all classes but the yoga class seemed nice. -there are other amenities that I wasn’t super sure of and didn’t have time to try but also felt were unnecessary for me or most of your...