YMCA-YWCA Downtown

Negative experience: THE VICTORIA YMCA-YWCA....where customers come first...EXCEPT WHEN NETFLIX COMES TO TOWN !!!

Fantastic experience: I am not a gym go-er. However, having some back pain when in early pregnancy, I decided to join the YMCA and see if there is anything they can help me with. Honestly, I"m so glad I did. The equipment is always clean and plentiful. The staff have been so helpful, and the PT sessions I have been having with Sara have put an end to my achey back and given me so much confidence. I've also enjoyed going to some of the aqua-fit classes. I feel so supported, thank you all!

Positive experience: I never really have time to go because there hours don’t match my work schedule ‍♂️ oh well it’s still a great gym just wish it was more catered to everyone’s work life besides government workers.

Fantastic experience: Good for the price

Negative experience: I rarely complain or post negative reviews but after trying to connect with management or ANYONE who can address our concerns after 3.5 months of trying, deserves some feedback. The lack of customer service and accountability from this facility has been the worst my husband and I have ever encountered. My husband and I put our daughter into swimming lessons here that ended in May and her swim report card on how she did (so that she can progress to the next level) was never completed. My husband has gone in person and called close to 10 times for a resolution and no one can be bothered to even contact him back to resolve this. It’s very clear that there was no report card done for our daughter (and it would have been hard to do when every single class she had a different instructor), but to not even respond to your customers, who paid for a service and didn’t get a result from that service is incredibly disheartening. This may be a great facility for certain services but out of all the swimming lessons we have enrolled our daughter in, this has been the absolute worst experience. Now (after doing her best swimming yet), she has nothing to show for it and will likely have to repeat the same level since we haven’t received any results for her to move forward. I hope someone in management learns how to respond to problems and come up with solutions. My husband is a very mild mannered and patient person and this is unacceptable. Do better!

Fantastic experience: Another outstanding YMCA. Three large workout areas and a nice stretching area.

Positive experience: I really love this gym and the staff are wonderful! But…I have tried going to spin class a few times and although the instruction is awesome and it so much nice since moving the bikes back into the smaller room, the bikes themselves are old and hard to know what gear you are at. Plus they aren’t smooth so you don’t get a super enjoyable ride. There’s got to be a spin bike source that the Y could get secondhand that would be much better. If there were better bikes, I’d give this place a 5.

Fantastic experience: Conrad was super helpful! Helped us resolve some issues very quickly. All smiles and good vibes :)

Negative experience: I lost my credit card last month, and then I paid my monthly membership fees online, $54. After being their customer for almost two years, they told me in the gym a week later that my membership has canceled, and I MUST to start a new membership if I want to keep going! IT FELT LIKE A PUNISHMENT! Based on this treatment, I decided to leave and go to another gym and then realized later that I MUST to submit a cancellation form if I want leave too, which doesn’t make any sense and FELT LIKE A TRAP!! I don’t like this policy. I would appreciate it if they sent me an email to let me know about their complicated situation. Obviously profit is the highest priority for this “ non-profit organization”, and I don't see any respect by treating their customers this way.

Positive experience: Good prices, great if you are only going for cardio. Unfortunately, there is a lack of anything else, so you have to go at very specific times in order to get in a workout. The early closing times are a key component of this issue. Regardless, location is quite good and centrally located downtown.

Positive experience: Glad the Y has put their fitness and pool schedules on line that is easy to find. They have increased the hours that the building is open. Hopefully they will bring back all the evening programs that existed before the pandemic.

Negative experience: Really good gym nice workers good equipment it’s not to busy so it’s pretty chill but I don’t like the hours 6am-7:45pm there’s a lot of times that it’s like 1am and I wanna go but it’s closed

Fantastic experience: Great attitude, excellent customer service and a passion for community. Thanks YMCA!

Positive experience: Feel comfortable there.The staff is great and the choice of programs is big. Bob Wallace

Negative experience: The hours of operation for the Y are definitely confining. Because they close so early I feel like I'm just donating my membership fee. Anytime Fitness and Steve Nash Fitness World are competitively priced with the Y. Until the Greater Victoria YMCA/YWCA expands their holiday hours of operation I strongly suggest you take your hard earned money to those businesses. Also, it is way too difficult to find out if this business is closed due to inclement weather. Honestly, whoever is running their social media is putting in minimal effort. It's that or they are in over their head when it comes to making the necessary information available to their members. Honestly, coffee shops are better at letting their customers know that they are closed due to sudden snow conditions. It's as simple as changing the automated voicemail. Heck, there wasn't even any paper signage taped to the windows to let anyone know they were closed due to inclement weather. An Instagram story and website prompt is minimal effort.

Positive experience: Firstly I want to say all the staff are lovely , and there’s a really nice vibe in here . My only complaint is that the swimming pool is often closed due to them not having a lifeguard :( it’s frustrating when you are a swimmer like me and pay for the membership only to swim and use the pool & show up and the pool is closed due to no lifeguard . The lifeguards they have are awesome but they really need to hire more so people can access the pool reliably :(

Fantastic experience: one of the best gyms in victoria and affordable :) but one thing i dont like is parking :( and driving its too far but i love this gym other gyms charge more than 70 to 90 per month!!!

Fantastic experience: public health policies like the y's are designed for everyone's health and best interest. they are to be commended. if you don't wish to be vaccinated, that is your choice, but given the stats on hospital and icu admissions, it is a questionable one. thanks to the y for making their space a safer one during these covid times.

Positive experience: Been glad to see this YMCA get back on track after some post COVID issues. Pool hours are much better and far more reliable, overall hours are pretty reasonable, and gym equipment has good variety. Not too busy except after work hours. Morning swimmers are very friendly and same with the lifeguards. Squash courts are an underrated perk. Wish they didn't close each and every possible stat holiday but otherwise happy with it.

Negative experience: Basketball court is there, but they don't let anyone use it.

Negative experience: I recently joined the Y downtown since I was looking for a semi affordable option to do a spin class since I already have a membership at another very expensive gym that has other amazing workouts and frankly, I can't afford joining another expensive studio that only offers spin. Anyway, of the 5 spin classes I've booked, only 2 have happened. The classes keep getting cancelled. I had also signed up for a step class last week and the instructor did not show, or so it appeared that way but what really happened was, the staff member who took the call from the instructor did not update thier system to notify people the class was cancelled so all the class attendees showed up, we set up our steps and patiently waited... It took another class attendee to go downstairs and ask the front desk what was going on. The YMCA downtown Victoria is quickly proving to be completely unreliable when it comes to classes. Luckily, I signed up on a month to month basis so I can cancel if this is what I'll have to continue to put up with. Yes, thier month fee of $51 plus tax is cheaper than most gyms in Victoria but it's still not cheap enough to be ok with getting sub-par service. Overall, we pay way more than necessary to work out here in Victoria. When I lived in Vancouver (pre-pandemic), I belonged to Steve Nash for $26 per month with tons of reliable classes and access to thier gyms all over the mainland, plus... I paid $51 plus tax per month for ClassPass that got me credits to use at many different gyms across the lower mainland, so I could go to SpinCo, Lagree West, Oxygen, various dance studios, etc instead of what I am getting now for the same price. I'd like to know why is ClassPass not here in Victoria!! No one seems to be able to answer that. Anyway, to capture my main point, I find the Y downtown Victoria is a big disappointment.

Fantastic experience: 我看到一個黑人用黑騎士牌的羽毛球拍

Negative experience: I don't support any business that is acting in a discriminatory manner and is also encouraging a divided society. I used to be a member at the YMCA for many years and would never join the Y ever again.

Fantastic experience: Its good to be able to go back to the gym during this pandemic. You get your own bucket with spray and papertowels to clean after yourself. I do like the bucket to keep my stuff in one place

Fantastic experience: Let me use your gym to play basketball. Im willing to pay 50..60..maybe $70 a month for the court even if its just for limited hours. Maybe open from like noon - 8pm, mon - fri, limit of like 10-2 ppl, 18+, first come first serve drop in basis and ill be good! Bball leagues are being held all around the city at schools and other places so why not here? Make it happen Y! Take my hard earned money!!!

Fantastic experience: Great instructors. Thx

Positive experience: Convenient and well-stocked. Not too busy most of the times when I go, around my lunch hour

Fantastic experience: Young man, there's no need to feel down. I said, young man, pick yourself off the ground. I said, young man, 'cause you're in a new town There's no need to be unhappy. Young man, there's a place you can go. I said, young man, when you're short on your dough. You can stay there, and I'm sure you will find Many ways to have a good time. It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a. It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a. They have everything for you men to enjoy, You can hang out with all the boys ... It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a. It's fun to stay at the y-m-c-a. You can get yourself cleaned, you can have a good meal, You can do whatever you feel ... Young man, are you listening to me? I said, young man, what do you want to be? I said, young man, you can make real your dreams.…

Positive experience: Well organized for COVID-19.

Fantastic experience: Can’t beat this YMCA for price, up to date machines, super clean, friendly staff, change rooms for women’s side always clean and I appreciate that a lot

Fantastic experience: Great location at an affordable price! I highly recommend

Fantastic experience: Great value. Love the cycle classes and group fitness classes. People are so friendly!

Fantastic experience: It's exceeds my expectations. Great staff and lots of value for your membership.

Fantastic experience: Great for New comers to Vancouver

Fantastic experience: Great staff great people great workout.

Fantastic experience: Thank you for helping me with my knee injury

Positive experience: Serves my weight training purposes just fine, membership costs reasonable,the cycle room taken up with classes a bit of a hinder sometimes. Overall very good.

Positive experience: Good people. Old equipment. Raised there prices but still the stale old machines and less classes offered. Hard to get access to a machine when their busy also. It is what it is I guess.

Positive experience: Great service .

Negative experience: Cramped, old building and parking is a joke.

Positive experience: Spacious gym, usually busy. Parking spots are always taken up, not a very big lot. Membership is an expensive cost, good if you’re on a budget. Cleanliness = great!

Negative experience: Have been going to this location for a little over 2 years now and have seen a steep decline in the benefits of having a membership. They just raised the prices and at the same time have cut the hours... Open till only 8 on the weekends?! Also this location doesnt keep up very well with cleaning. The floors are always dusty and gross and the mens plus changeroom isnt worth the extra money. The hot tub/ steam room/ sauna are luke warm and never reach an acceptable temp. Ill bring my money else where in the new year.

Positive experience: We have been enjoying going to the gym several times a week at the YMCA. It's not fancy, but it gets the job done! There is always ample parking in the blocks surrounding the building, so don't be lazy waiting for a spot in their small parking lot. There are some older patrons who consistently hog machines or try to barge in on you while you are taking a 10 second break between sets. Other than that, everyone is really respectful.

Negative experience: The facilities and staff are good. Unfortunately the other patrons are not. People hog equipment like I've never seen in any other gym and, fifty percent of the time, asking them to work in creates a semi-hostile situation. It's kinda fun for me, but others might find it off-putting. Could use more benches and cable machines. Parking is dire. I enjoyed this gym 20 years ago, but much like the world itself, overpopulation has diminished it.

Positive experience: Fun gym full of interesting characters. But... After being 8 years at this location, the daily ritual of people blocking Broughton Street in a desperate attempt to snag a parking spot, continues to shock and amaze me. If you are not handicapped, park a block away in the free 2 hour parking and WALK the 2 minutes to the front door! No need for road rage, honking, stressing or hitting pedestrians with your car! Nobody owes you rockstar parking. If the rest of us can figure it out, you can too!

Negative experience: I spend more time sitting in the very limited parking waiting for someone to leave than I do in the facilities. I’m late for classes because I was sitting in the parking lot so long that I leave because I don’t want to walk in late to classes. If you want to sit in the parking lot and never work out, sign up here!

Fantastic experience: I'm been coming to the Y here for years. I used to work right across the street but even after my office moved I kept coming back. Great facility with even better staff.

Fantastic experience: Always helpful staff, safe environment and affordable. Been going there for over 12 years never any problems.

Fantastic experience: The YMCA is great! The staff are friendly and helpful, the gym is well equipped, the atmosphere is respectful and there's great drop in sports options.

Fantastic experience: Of the rec centers and gyms I have trained in on the island, the Y is the most conveniently located and easiest to accommodate into my schedule. The weight and cardio floors are competently stocked, though the age of several racks and machines is beginning to show. The staff are all friendly and helpful. Monthly membership is easy to cancel and probably the most affordable in town.

Fantastic experience: I joined different gyms, by far I found YMCA the best, when it comes to wanting to cancel my membership. The broken machines were repaired in a timely manner. NO extra hidden fee like other gyms. Free guest pass. They offer different programs.

Fantastic experience: Awesome staff. Really enjoyed my time there.

Fantastic experience: Staff are always so nice and friendly. They keep everything clean. Price for a pass is so reasonable!

Fantastic experience: Awesome staff. Really enjoyed my time there.

Fantastic experience: Best gym prices in town, and fantastic deals on personal training with membership. The plus change rooms are definitely worth it with sauna, steam room, and hot tub inside. Have Forbes classes, yoga, squash/racquetball courts and a pool plus much more. The only thing they don’t have is indoor tennis courts but for the prices they absolutely can’t be beat. Great community center that deserves support.

Fantastic experience: I love the Y!! They have an amazing and friendly staff, lots of volunteers who teach classes and help out in other ways! Personally I think it's a safe environment and everybody is super helpful! They offer a wide variety of classes which is awesome! And you can try out so many different things!

Fantastic experience: I love the Y! An accessible and welcoming place for all your fitness needs. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly. The space is clean and has a lot of equipment!

Fantastic experience: While the facility, especially the change rooms, could use an upgrade, staff our great and they have made the most of the space that's there. Great variety of equipment and even squash courts. My only suggestion is they need to crack down on the old guys who walk around shaving everywhere in the change room,

Fantastic experience: Great instructors and really enjoyable classes keep me coming back for more!

Fantastic experience: Amazing Gym! Great Variety of Equipment and Very Friendly Staff

Fantastic experience: I love the Y! An accessible and welcoming place for all your fitness needs. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly. The space is clean and has a lot of equipment!

Negative experience: Pool hours would often not be accurately advertised on the website. This resulted in me and my son getting changed, entering the pool and promptly being told to leave the pool as it was closed. Frustrated i opted to cancel my membership. I was then billed for months afterwards even though they claimed they had cancelled the membership. this potentially good facility is hamstrung by ineptitude staff unable to do their job.

Positive experience: Great place to go and exercise, swim, walk clubs etc

Negative experience: Dated, Insufficient Parking and in disrepair.

Fantastic experience: Great instructors and really enjoyable classes keep me coming back for more!

Fantastic experience: This is the first gym I decided deserved my money. The prices are affordable and the gym has various weight rooms, stretching/yoga rooms, cardio equipment, medicine balls, kettlebells, classes, as well as a pool, a cycling room, and gymnasiums for sports. My only complaint is that the men's room has a hot tub, but the women's does not.

Fantastic experience: Great price for monthly, people in the community are friendly and the service is fantastic! Lots of course available, there is a basketball court, squash, punching bags, swimming! Worth going for working out daily!

Fantastic experience: Great large facility, has anything you'd be looking for in a gym: kettlebells, dumbbells, benches, squat racks, foam rollers and bands, all sort of weight machines and cardio equipment. Lots of classes you can go to, included in membership! Please note that while there is free Wifi, I've never been able to connect to it. Seems like bad connection.

Fantastic experience: Very big and nice to do exercise and cardio

Negative experience: The cafe is highly overpriced. I got a regular without ham, and they made me pay a dollar for an additional veggie topping with no discount for excluding the ham. Ripoff artists.

Positive experience: Gets bust around 5 pm and tapers off at 730

Positive experience: Good service, great facility, tons of programs and courses available.

Fantastic experience: Awesome gym, has everything you need in a gym. Lots of cardio equipment, lots of weights, 3 squat racks (the previously only had 2, but got the third one in the past 6 months), decent amount of benches (thought sometimes I do have to wait for it), lots of equipment you can borrow (like basket balls), a HUGE variety of classes, pool, free lockers if you bring a lock and free tiny lockers for the wallet/phone (no lock required!). Parking can be tougher to find, but at least you get a 2 hour free parking.

Negative experience: Can't even follow their own policies

Negative experience: Incompetent staff. Horrible management. Clientele looks like an outdoor prison gym crew. Avoid at all costs.

Positive experience: This is a very good YMCA, which I have frequented many times over the years. The facility is very well maintained (with the slight exception of the main men's change room, which is a bit worn, and could use some refurbishment). The facility is kept very clean, and staff are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. The main downside is the limited parking available at this site, though ample bicycle parking is available, including a secure bike lockup.

Positive experience: Yeah, reasonably priced, very good service, lots of different machines, and fresh A/C upstairs. But if you have kids, not much available in terms of program variety, except swimming of course, which involves small classes and more individualized attention.

Positive experience: Clean, friendly & not too busy.