MOVATI Athletic Waterloo

Negative experience: Facility doesn’t care to update their business hours on Google. Dont waste your time coming here after 5pm on a Sunday like I did.

Negative experience: The facility is nice and well maintained, but the gym falsely advertises training prices at an incorrect rate in several places and they refuse to honor it (if needed I can share photos of the false rates). In addition to that, despite the prices being steep for personal training, there is little to no flexibility in working with the trainer for the schedule. Trying to give 12+ hours notice for not feeling well the night before a session is insufficient; with a rigid 24 hour rule or they will steal an entire session you have paid for. What a rip off. Other gyms are less rigid. There are other gyms in the region with equally as effective personal training for far lower prices and more flexible staff. Crunch Fitness offers at around a tenth of the price, and the staff is more understanding. I want to like this gym, but the corporate crap policies make it exceptionally hard.

Negative experience: What was previously perceived as a "premium membership price" was justifiable when gym rules were enforced ...back when the demographic that frequent the gym had enough decency to bathe prior to using the steam/dry sauna and pool. That's back before the tripods, before the 14 yr olds, before the crocs, before the no uniform policy. The gym changed from a premium health club to another goodlife-type gym and playground. The only real positive would be the free classes. There really isn't any justification for acting like they are above any other box gym at this point - management either missed the mark or are not paying attention to this particular facility.

Negative experience: I have spent the last hour sending emails to the contacts given BUT all were classified as no contact. I am requesting an answer regarding how there was an extreme high chlorine level in the women's pool this morning. Please explain

Positive experience: Group classes: five star. Thanks to the Group Fitness Manager, the gym offers a wide variety of group classes, including options for dance enthusiasts, led by professional instructors. Maintenance: no star. To name some issues: The floors at this Gym are frequently slippery, making it unsafe for activities like dancing. Ensuring member and instructor safety should be a top priority, but it seems neglected here. Additionally, the cleaning chemicals used in the hot tub appear excessively strong, as several individuals have reported skin-related issues. This raises concerns about whether standard cleaning protocols are being followed!!! Inside shower rooms is not clean at all most of the time, the same for steam room.

Fantastic experience: I had a great interaction with Aaron today, I’ve had had a shoulder issue for the past few years and in ten minutes he made it feel brand new would definitely recommend!

Fantastic experience: Stopped in to this location while travelling for work. Great equipment set up, super helpful front desk. Thank you for the hospitality.

Negative experience: wifi doesnt work. One of the most basic functions a gym can provide. Pathetic

Fantastic experience: Very friendly staff always at the front desk. Equipment is top notch and the place is always crazy clean. Shoutout to the one gentleman that often cleans the men's changeroom. That man works hard and is always cleaning every area. I wish there were more bikes without the screens upstairs in front of the windows. There's only 1 and it's often taken as it's the best one. Would be great to be 3 of those. The ones with the screen don't allow you to enjoy the view and not many people have an account for the bike subscription

Fantastic experience: Parking: Plenty. If you can’t find a parking spot, you’re doing it wrong. Front Desk: I don’t expect too much from front desk employees. Not a knock on them. They’re usually students and doing the best they can. For the most part, they’re friendly with their simple “hello and goodbyes”. Whenever I’ve had a question, they’ve tried their best to answer. It may not always be correct, but again, can’t expect too much. Change Rooms: Almost always kept very clean or as clean as a high-volume gym change room can be kept. I think some people expect to eat their breakfast, lunch, or dinner off the floor. News flash, that isn’t reality. The staff do a good job at keeping things decent. Classes: I’ve tried my fair share of classes here. From 20-20-20 to Hot Yoga, I’ve been very impressed. I use the classes as a rest from lifting weights. The instructors are super nice and energetic. I appreciate that. Cardio and Weights: As my comments state above, this is a high-volume gym, so yes, there are times where I feel as though I’m in a sardine case, but I can usually make it work. Rarely I find a piece of equipment is in poor condition or waiting for maintenance. Culture: Someone once described this gym to me as a place “where the beautiful people go”. I don’t exactly agree with that. This gym is open to anyone and everyone and I’ve enjoyed my year and a bit here as a member. It’s an inclusive space for all. Movati Forever.

Fantastic experience: I’ve been training at Movati for a year and a half, and while the gym’s equipment and environment are top-notch, it’s the people who truly make the difference. I want to express my gratitude to all the staff members who have made my experience such a positive one, helping me adopt a more active and healthy lifestyle. A special thanks goes to my personal trainer Mark. It has been an outstanding experience! He is incredibly professional, attentive, and genuinely cares about the progress of his clients. For example, when I struggled with form during certain exercises, he took the time to break them down step by step, ensuring I not only mastered the movement but also avoided injury. Knowing that I have a desk job and sit for long periods, he even provided me with personalized stretching tips to do at home, which have really improved my flexibility and posture. He’s also incredibly patient with me, especially since English isn’t my first language, always making sure I fully understand everything before moving forward. His technical knowledge is impressive—whether it’s suggesting recovery techniques or adapting exercises to my needs, he always has great advice. I highly recommend Mark Bothwell to anyone looking for a dedicated and skilled trainer who truly goes above and beyond!

Negative experience: I am beyond shocked by the disgraceful treatment my family and I received at this gym. Not only did the manager and staff behave with outright rudeness, but they treated us with such disrespect that we had no choice but to immediately cancel our memberships — myself, my daughter, and my son included. When I informed them of our decision to cancel, they rudely replied, “We don’t care.” The sauna , steam room are always full and it's hard to find a clean place to sit in there. There are always line in front of the gym tools. Too crowded. They already passed their capacity but they want more money and they don't care any customer. To make matters worse, when I mentioned I would leave a review to share my experience, they blatantly told me they didn’t care and arrogantly said, “Do whatever you want.” This type of behavior is completely unacceptable for a business that depends on customer satisfaction and loyalty. Their blatant disregard for their members speaks volumes about the lack of professionalism and the toxic culture within this facility. If you value being treated with basic respect and courtesy, I strongly urge you to stay away from this gym. The management clearly has no interest in fostering a positive environment for its members and couldn’t care less about their concerns. This place is an embarrassment to customer service, and I highly recommend you look elsewhere.

Positive experience: The gym is clean, machines are always good, It’s not too full depending on what times you go at. I personally love the women’s only section. I don’t care much for the pool or sauna.. ONLY ISSUE IS THE HOURS… and the only reason i’ve thought of leaving is because of the hours. 11pm close is so early when there is goodlife that’s open 24/7 for cheaper… If they were open till at least 12/1:00am i’d be happy but unfortunately the hours are kinda dookie and worse on the weekend with a 9pm close PLS FIX YOUR HOURS CAUSE I FEEL ROBBED PAYING $100 a month to not be able to go as late as I want.

Negative experience: I am a member of this gym not so long. And one of the reasons why I changed a gym and join to them was jacuzzi and a pool. The policy of the gym is if there is a class in the pool - you can’t use the jacuzzi. Awful! but ok, I changed my schedule and started to use it while they don’t have classes in the pool. Curious but they add more pool classes and again-I can’t use the jacuzzi while I have time for gym. Today (Sunday) when they don’t have any classes, I came to the gym for spending time on jacuzzi. How surprised I was that both of them were closed! I am not interested in the problems why, but hello, you have to email about it to your clients. Disappointed! It is really worth to travel 20 min from home and do not get any difference that nearest gym can suggest?

Fantastic experience: Great gym. Clean, bright, lots of machines to go around. Good price for everything you get.

Fantastic experience: Lost 80 lbs in one year. This gym was my home away from home. Very luxurious with lots of options of classes (included in membership) including cycling, hot yoga, dance, aerial fitness and weight lifting. They have a Hot Yoga room and after the sessions provide you with water and a moistened towel for cool down. Some of the best instructors. They also offer childcare for a decent price.

Negative experience: I showed up for a scheduled appointment through the website and the staff was full of "I can't" and "we close". They were not interested in discussing any club details with me and refused to let me look around when I was there 45 minutes ahead of closing. This is the least warm and professional service I have received walking into a gym. Even if they couldn't do a full tour I'd expect them to show me something...discuss anything... Be human and warm and receptive... Which they were not. They did not provide me any information. They said they "could rebook me for another day" and did not proceed to facilitate this. I do wonder about signing up at a facility that treats people this way as a first impression.

Negative experience: Bad customer service over the phone i called to asked to review my membership the first guy hang up on me and other time i called and explained other lady pro-tented like she cant hear me which i had the good internet connection i hope who ever reading my review just fix the customer service attitude i dont like their attitude so probably who ever was working between this hour might be one of them be careful for their attitude Wednesday, 28,2024 at 4:09 pm Thank you.

Negative experience: Danger: they will take money and make changes to your membership without communication. Zero loyalty to members.The desk people have no idea what is going on. Membership fees are up to over 80$ a month and that’s on the low end. The gym itself is over populated. It is unsanitary - the conditions of this gym. People do not wipe machines because there are never sanitizing wipes available it is always empty. Manager will never reply to your email complaint and will always ‘be in meetings’ when you go to the desk to inquire for more info. There is so much to say about this corporation - be careful if you sign a contract and good luck! *i went to this gym for 5+ years and recently had a terrible experience and will never go back and have cancelled my membership.

Fantastic experience: I wanted to give a huge thanks to Ehsan! A year ago I was convinced to have him as my personal trainer. A year later I lost 30 lbs and gained the knowledge to keep it going on my own! He recently moved up to Waterloo to train at Movati, if you're looking to transform, he's your guy!

Positive experience: This is unbelievable. I am coming on Saturday to training and seeing closed doors. The guys just decided to celebrate something. They don't care that people pay them to keep the place running.

Negative experience: The gym is horribly ran. A bunch of amenities and gym equipment are broken and aren’t getting fixed. So far: male sauna, hot tub, a bunch of bikes upstairs are all broken and aren’t getting fixed. The female section has two broken glass doors and the gym “fixed” the problem just by putting up curtains instead…. They can’t even buy new glass doors??? Several months ago a bunch of us have asked the management for them to buy us new rocks for the sauna furnace (should be no more than $150). The management refused. They wait until the very last minute for everything to break and then it takes over a month to fix a broken amenity. The gym is reaching 11,000 members which is the maximum capacity for the gym, so they should have the money to fix broken equipment. The management either doesn’t want to spend any money or they are completely disorganized and can’t run the gym properly.

Negative experience: On two occasions I’ve ordered shakes and both times it was horribly made . What is service ? I’ve sent an email to the gym and haven’t been able to speak with anyone. The culture seems extremely toxic. Friends first costumer last! They don’t care about costumers. Not me. They care about Money. I would rate 0 stars if I could.

Negative experience: So maybe if I flood your social media you might actually call me back, instead of dodging my calls and having your staff make up excuses. You can't reach anyone at corporate. So I will be going to the police station and filing a report and charging for theft. In February I transfered my membership to a third party and have the documentation to prove it. Yesterday I got an email from a collection agency stating I owed them 447$. I have been calling the manager of the Ira Needles Waterloo Ontario location with multiple promises of a return call. Never happens and then every time I call he's in a meeting. So movati never actually processsed the transfer. I finally got to speak to the manager Dan at the gym. Rudest most ignorant person you would ever speak to. I told him I would make a police report if this wasn't fixed and he said for what. I told him for theft. He said we didn't steal from you it was a mistake. Well Dan you made a mistake so apologize. Nope. Instead he interrupts me when I'm speaking and acted like a child and hung up on me, just to call me back 5 minutes later. I have read so many reviews of movati continuing to take money from customers long after they've ended their membership. They couldn't because I had changed my banking but for another reason. To screw with Someone livelihood and credit like that. You make me sick and I will meverdf anyone I even hate come to your gym. Worst part is not even an apology for everything. Customer service at its finest. Don't go to movati

Negative experience: This place doesn’t care about their members. They don’t allow you to put your membership on hold if you are injured AND have a doctor’s note. I was told by the front desk that I could get a doctors note and put my membership on hold so I provided them with a note and they tried to upsell me on my membership. They said I have to upgrade my membership to put my membership on hold - even with a doctors note. I asked them to show me the policy and contract where I signed and they wouldn’t. There is no customer loyalty or customer service. If you raise an issue or question you will be passed along to the general manager. The general manager will not offer any solutions. I’ve had my car keyed here in front of their building and management didn’t care to investigate. They claim to not have cameras. I wouldn’t recommend signing up for a membership here. I joined Movati over 4 years ago. I’ve brought 4 of my friends to sign up since then. People that were reluctant on joining, yet trusted my advice and joined. I’m embarrassed that I even had them come because of how they run this place. Ive met some really great members here that have also shared similar negative experiences. The staff like to pick and choose which policies to enforce depending on the mood they’re in that day. There are signs that state bags are not allowed on the gym floors yet I constantly see people with bags on the second floor weight training area. When working on the lifting platforms, I was told I couldn’t workout without foot wear. Fine. Even though I clean the platform before and after use, I don’t mind being picked out to follow policy. I also see so many people that come from the classes and walk around the carpeted and weight training area in bare feet. Never seen anyone stopped and told about this policy.

Positive experience: I'm thrilled to be a part of the best gym in Waterloo! Movati truly stands out. However, with the substantial revenue they generate each month, it's very surprising that they haven't invested in new sauna rocks, which cost just $120. Upgrading the sauna rocks would significantly enhance heat retention and distribution, leading to lower energy consumption and prolonged heater lifespan, ultimately saving on costs. There are perhaps 4-6 sad rocks on top of the heater leading to a lower temp sauna and the heater over working - Additionally, this small investment would improve the overall sauna experience, boosting member satisfaction and loyalty. I would personally pay the $120 cost myself..... Edit: They did reno the sauna BEAUTIFULLY! It's So hot and lovely. You will love the sauna experience here. Many members sad it took so long to convince them to get rocks and it took a heater breaking down to get new rocks but we are set moving forward for now.

Negative experience: Way too many members in the gym. Almost impossible to get your workout in unless you go at weird times.

Fantastic experience: If you can afford 40 bucks bi-weekly, I think this gym is worth it. Great pool, equipment, and classes. The facility is huge and pretty clean even on peak times. Highly recommend! Ignore the negative comments, I just switched from goodlife where I was paying the same but the difference between the two is huge. Go for it!

Negative experience: WARNING!!! Do NOT take a yoga class from Penyy P! I went to a class today. I was on time for the class. Right on time, but was ignorantly shewed away by the instructor Penny P. I couldn't believe the power tripping and disgusting attitude from the hot yoga instructor. It amazes me that a gym can charge such fees to be a member then treat you like garbage once you've signed up. This gym has horrible customer services and low level instructors trying to power trip the shred of authority they have. Management needs to look I to who they have representing their gyms.

Negative experience: Amazing facility but horrible customer service. Was continually charged after my contract termination. Also failed to provide contract services upon sign up.

Negative experience: I have been with this gym for 2 years, but I am very disappointed with what the staff treated me today. I took my girlfriend to visit to the club to finish a trial week pass. I did sign her up on Sunday for week pass but today the staff at the front desk didn’t allow us to get in although she got a week trial pass since Sunday. I can’t remember exactly the name of staff but maybe her name is Alexia. She asked my girlfriend to buy a day pass. Then I told her “ if you ask to pay day pass, could she sign up to become for a membership?” Then She told us “do you want a tour?” I said “Yes, could you guys give her a tour about the club?” Then she said “I don’t have time for it even though we came to the club at 8:30pm, your girlfriend must buy a day pass if she wants to get in today”. Wow, why she forces us to buy the day pass instead of allowing her to become membership? Does the club want to make more money lmao? She was trying to put us into so many difficult ways, I felt like she has discrimination with customer as well. I’m not sure that is the way the customer to be treated in club!! It is completely under expected and bad customer service ever! Should have better training for staffs.

Negative experience: The worst Customer Service ever it’s always too crowded. People are rude. Some instructors have absolutely no professionalism nor etiquette. The managers don’t really care. The smoothie bar is great. The only thing I like. Overall, it was a horrible experience and I canceled. I don’t recommend this gym whatsoever will be looking for other options.

Negative experience: They are extremely frustrating with their double standard rules. They expect you to arrive to class exactly on time. The front desk person would stand and argue for 5 minutes just because I’m 2 minutes late while the instructor is aware of my bus schedule delay and had previously communicated that she allows us in within 5 minutes of class starting. Yet the person at front desk wanted to practice higher authority. Meanwhile, their app constantly malfunctions and cancels bookings without notice and boots out reservations. Not only did the new app NOT fix these issues, it even added some more with a broken cancelation feature even when it’s well beyond 2 hours of class time. This is absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable. A waste of people’s time and money. Get your priorities straight!

Negative experience: The only positive thing about this branch is salt water pool. Old washrooms/showers, not super clean (steamed sauna stinks) old machines. Service is hit and miss. Some people are nice some have no idea what means working in service industry

Negative experience: My experience has been brief, but unfortunately, it has also been quite inconvenient. I received an email about a promotion at your gym and wanted to get more information. When I called to inquire, I was informed that I needed to book an appointment, which didn't work for me. The person on the phone then suggested I just come in. When I arrived to get the information, the front desk staff couldn't provide it, and nobody was available for the rest of the night. I was advised to come back another time. The front desk staff had a single sheet of prices but didn't have detailed information about the promotions, training packages, or other offerings. Additionally, there was nothing available on the website. While I am willing to pay a premium for good service, starting off with this level of inconvenience is disappointing and won't be back to sign up.

Positive experience: Women only section is great. I go at off peak times and its next to empty. I love the smoothie bar. Anytime I’ve gone during the busy hours is when things get a little gross in the gym and change room. (7am and 7pm) I haven’t had any real problems with this gym and it’s been a few years now

Fantastic experience: It's expensive but every penny is worth it. I dont think any other gym can compete with Movati. It's the best gym I have ever been to. Love it Respect

Negative experience: Their staff aren’t properly trainer in their own guidelines. If you call ahead and ask them a question they’ll give you a different answer at the front desk.

Positive experience: Gym is good but hours are narrow. Would give 5 star if they were open for a bit longer

Negative experience: I have experienced gyms that charge between $15 to $30 per month which offer superior equipment, better service, and much higher standards of cleanliness compared to this one. Unfortunately, some members of the staff here are rude, often responding with judgmental looks or a condescending tone when asked questions, which is very unwelcoming. Given the high monthly fee, this gym is not worth the cost, and I would strongly consider going elsewhere. If there was an option to give zero out of five stars for this review I would.

Negative experience: While I was working out a staff member, Scott came to me like a dictator without saying to me good morning and right away told me you are not allowed here in flip flops ! I told him my running shoes were stolen at this place and his reply was I DON'T CARE ! He should be more polite with the paying members! No respect

Negative experience: PROS - The smoothie bar is great, this earned the 1 star CONS - Worst customer experience you can ever experience at a gym. The staff here make you feel really uncomfortable. One of the staff members, a young female, was using a second squat rack to film her 'workout' and when asked if she can remove the device, she said that she's busy making a video. When citing that this is against the policy at the gym, she said that she was a 'personal trainer'. I asked if that makes her above the rules, and she said, "you are being difficult." She moved her camera, but now she is filming with me in the video as i'm doing my workout. I told her this is making me uncomfortable. She stormed off to the front desk and I can see her pointing at me with the rest of the Movati staff watching. Super comfortable witnessing this. If you can't feel comfortable in your own gym because the staff are snickering behind your back, trying to support the dreams of a failed instagram personal trainer, then I'm not sure how you can expect to get more than 1 star. The worst part is that management does not seem to care.

Negative experience: I freeze my account but still they cut money ! Regret registering in this gym! You cant cancel you membership , you cant freeze you membership! The worst gym ever

Negative experience: I have great experiences with this club over the past few years. But due to moving, I needed to cancel my membership. Unfortunately it’s been extremely difficult to get a hold of anyone to even process the cancellation. I called the club on March 20th, and they gave me an email to reach out to. I sent an email to start the cancellation process, didn’t hear back. Followed up on March 30th, still nothing. So I waited until I could go back to the club to speak to someone, and they gave me alot of misinformation, and offered little to no solution. I reached out to the General Manager as well, and very thoughtfully and politely wrote them an email explaining the situation. I can’t help but just be frustrated. I can’t see myself recommending this club to anyone in the near future, given how all of this has been handled. Working in customer service is hard and it’s impossible to please everyone, so I was hesitant to even write this. However, as someone that works with the public as well, I feel that this is a bit ridiculous.

Negative experience: Technically the gym building, equipment and classes are great, but it has become so busy now. Completely packed. Only time you can get a good workout in is during off times. They didn’t seem to care one bit that I was canceling. Not worth the money anymore. Going to a MMA studio where they also have a gym.

Negative experience: Had a bad experience at this gym. I was followed by workers to the women’s only Sauna and was told that I can’t wear my workout clothes in there. I wore leggings and a long sleeve light swim shirt. Their reasoning was it was not hygienic. How is wearing a towel with your sweaty skin touching the seat any hygienic? It doesn’t make any sense. The only thing I agree with is wearing flip flops and not gym shoes. I feel targeted because it was only when I came inside the sauna (I wear the hijab also) that I saw 2 female employees say I wasn’t allowed to wear my clothes. There was another girl seated next to me wearing a similar outfit but with a sweatsuit on, they told her the same thing but it was only after the saw me go in that they said something to her. It also makes me question if the women’s only space is really safe for other women , there are cameras around which violates our privacy. Furthermore, the women’s only gym is dirty, the showers are hardly clean and smell. Also, so many broken gym equipments. What’s the point of having us pay so much when they can’t do the bare minimum? To cancel my membership was the best decision.

Negative experience: Wish they were open later. 11pm is too early for someone who works late like I do and 9pm on weekends is ridiculous. For the price I'd expect later hours for the amount of people they have an how busy evenings are there. Cancelled my membership due to this. Will rejoin if they decide to open later.

Negative experience: Way too overcrowded always.. always waiting for machines. I even try and come off peak hours. They used to cap it from what I remember back in the day? Either way I wish there was a cap. I barely go anymore and might cancel my membership as I don't go.

Negative experience: I've been a member at Movati for many years. I recently started going again after an extended break. They made some minor improvements to the equipment since I was there last, but overall I am quite disappointed. It's quite crowded in the evenings, even up until closing-time on week nights. Locker room has been crowded most nights, empty soap/shampoo dispensers, equipment racks disorganized/unkept. Bro-culture vibes, foul language. I think there was even cum on the toilet seat last time I was there... I almost puked. Not what I expect for a premium price club. I'm seriously considering other options at this point.

Negative experience: They never stopped my membership when I asked them to do so. they never call me to asked me if I wanted to continue or anything, they just send an email saying that my account was sent to a “collection agency “ turned out I was owing them $500 since February 2024 that was when my account will renew but I told them I don’t want to renew and I want to stop it, Turns out they never did. When I talk to “the manager” BEN C. He told me “this is on you because my team members can’t make that mistake “ he told me “come and pay the balance right away or I will send your account to a collection agency “ Which I did immediately and because of that he dropped the $500 to $420 just because I came right away to pay the balance. Well if you threaten me to send me to a collection agency of course I will come pay, the only one that loses here is the client. I payed $420 for an account I did not even used for 4 months. They steal people's money and they know how to do it

Fantastic experience: The gym is a great facility. It’s always clean and there are so many classes! Lauren and Colleen are the best instructors, loveee love Rhythm and Beats with them both.

Fantastic experience: My favorite gym in the area. I love the variety of group classes, huge gym and cardio area. Saunas are available in changing rooms. Personnel is very friendly and helpful. Instructors are very engaging, motivating, experienced and come up with interesting workouts for all muscle groups. I highly recommend you to sign up and start your sport journey today!

Fantastic experience: Been using Movati for 4 years and I would not trade it for any other local gym. I love the classes and love the staff. Plus they have been getting new equipments and updating some areas.

Negative experience: My experience at the gym was quite unpleasant due to the high level of crowding. I constantly had to wait in line to access equipment, which significantly disrupted my workout routine. Moreover, as the gym became more crowded, hygiene and cleanliness standards plummeted; lockers and showers were consistently dirty and messy. Consequently, the excessive crowding greatly impacted my enjoyment of the gym, and I was left dissatisfied.

Fantastic experience: I would like to express my gratitude for Movati Athletic, not just for me, but my mom. Approaching her 70's now, she used to believe she could never improve her health and fitness due to aging. Since I brought her as a guest a few months ago, her mindset has completely changed. Seeing other members her age (and older!) inspired her, and she is now active in many group classes and has made lots of supportive friends. I've noticed a huge shift in her confidence, energy, and mood. I'm so glad she took a risk and joined me as a guest - it paid off!

Negative experience: So, i have been going to movati for a couple of months now and always get a towel before I start my workout. today, the girl at the front dest told me i am not allowed to get a towel, and I was told at the time of signing up my membership that towels were included. I will not recommend movati to anyone ever.

Positive experience: I’ve been a member of Movati for about 6 years. I am happy that there’s a women’s only section (although the variety of equipment pales in comparison to the co-ed area), and the number and quality of classes is fantastic. However, I’ve been VERY disappointed with their less than family-friendly decision making over the last couple of years. First they took away the daycare (but hey, now we have nicer soap in the showers! ) and more recently they’ve cancelled all family swim times. I feel like much of what initially drew me to Movati has been taken away, which is a real shame.

Fantastic experience: I have been going to Movati Waterloo for over 10 years now! The equipment, amenities, staff, personal trainers and instructors are second to none. You pay a but of a premium vs. other gyms but you definitely get what you pay for. A special call out to Lisbeth and Penny (Yoga Instructors). I never thought of being into yoga and now I can't get enough of it. Hot Yoga is now a part of my weekly workout routine and I absolutely love it and I owe it ti the instructors :) I must add that this gym is so popular now that the change rooms are getting a bit crowded. Nothing of concern for now but management will want to keep a pulse on this and renovate when needed. p.s. A plunge pool would be an awesome add to the amenities.

Negative experience: I was excited to try this place out, as my sister and her friends joined. When they inquired about guest passes, they were told members receive ZERO guest passes to hand out. What kind of gym doesn't give their paying members guest passes? I figured I'd just pay the $12 bucks or whatever it is to go for a few hours...nope...they want $30! Talk about a bad first impression. Needless to say, I'm not interested anymore.

Negative experience: A nicer gym that would be made better if it had better members who followed sanitation rules in regards to wiping down equipment after use and sweating all over. Asked multiple members to wipe down after use and they laughed and walked away. Tell staff and they say nothing they can do. Wipe machines down prior and after use. edit: continued 4 months later, nothing has/ is being done.

Positive experience: For $100/month I would expect the machines to be working. I pay extra to have the option of a woman’s only section, for the price you would think they would fix the machines in a timely manner. Out of 6 stair masters only 2 work, for such a high demand machine you would think they would get fixed sooner. Love it other than that!

Fantastic experience: I joined for the Hot Yoga classes and they exceeded my expectations. The amount of Yoga alone that they offer is worth the membership if you're a yoga lover....if you haven't tried it, go try it. The 200 + classes are booked in an app so you know you have a secure spot and they have a very fair cancelation policy. The rest of the gym is just a bonus for me.

Fantastic experience: I rejoined Movati recently after cancelling my membership due to moving. I have not been able to find a club that comes close to this one so I am back!! It is a wonderful club. I purchased 3 personal training sessions, which I would highly recommend. My trainer Mark B was amazing and helped me to create 3 workouts tailored to my age and needs. He identified some mobility issues and gave me specific exercises to address them. I’ve also enjoyed a few of the classes that I have tried. My favourites are yoga and the barre classes. The dressing rooms are immaculately clean with great amenities which I really appreciate. Very friendly and helpful staff as well.

Negative experience: This gym is not too bad but not worth the money I personally come here for woman’s only pool and I find some instructor super sweet and accommodating some super rude !!! Emily Aqua instructor she is very rude and not understanding at all I was late few minutes for the class due to traffic she didn’t let me in and I had to go back home because I made time to only come for that class , I understand that we need to come on time but things happens sometimes out of our control when the instructor is late few minutes non of us complain , you don’t lose anything if you show Some kindness and understanding , I will be never joining her class

Fantastic experience: Love this gym! I’ve been coming here for 7 years and it’s always been so clean and welcoming. One of the girls at the front desk (I think her name is Randa (sorry about the spelling)) is always so sweet and helped me with my account. Thank you!

Negative experience: I’ve been going to Movati for about 20 years ever since it opened in my area as the Athletic club. I’ve been to many gyms and this was my favourite gym by far. I referred many people to this gym because of how great it was. Friendly staff, great equipment, so many amenities to offer. I broke my toe about a year ago and had a hard time getting back into working out. I finally went back this week and I was so disappointed. Really really disappointed. They’ve completely changed the women’s only section to basically cater to just glute work outs. Granted, I understand the need but if you want to work out your arms or back, go upstairs to the co-ed. Oh wait… never mind. You can’t get a machine because it is so busy. They have 3 ellipticals in the women’s only and not many more in the co-ed. They no longer offer child care which was a huge benefit when my children were young. They have so many great memories from the child care centre as well. They’ve just permanently canceled their family swim as well. I don’t know what is going on with the management at the Waterloo location but someone from upper management has to really come down and take a look at what they’re doing because they are destroying a great gym. I’m thoroughly disappointed because I don’t want to go to a different gym but unfortunately I feel I don’t have a choice :(

Fantastic experience: I love this gym! Friendly staff, awesome classes. I wish they had a hot yoga class every weekday at 4 pm. I really enjoy working out at this gym.

Negative experience: Disappointing Experience Their 3.6-star rating reflects their unprofessionalism and prioritization of profit over customer satisfaction. During my tour appointment, despite my prior booking, they were disorganized and failed to locate my information. Instead of meeting Connor as arranged, I was directed to Mandy, who rushed through membership options, focusing solely on upselling without regard for my preferences. Despite clearly stating my desire for the classic membership at $36.95 biweekly, she enrolled me in the significantly pricier select membership at $53.05 biweekly. This demonstrates her sole interest in maximizing profits, disregarding my wishes. At the front desk, I calmly explained the situation and reassured them that mistakes happen. The staff member assured me he would update the membership and send me the revised agreement. I made sure to address this within the allotted 10-day timeframe and before any payments were deducted from my account. A few days later, I noticed a charge of $53.05 on my bank statement. When I called to inquire, they informed me that I had been enrolled in a classic no-commit membership, which I had not requested. It became evident that the front desk employee had made the decision to sign me up for a membership I did not want. Despite their promise to send a new agreement, I never received one. This experience left me extremely frustrated and reinforced the notion that their primary concern is financial gain rather than customer satisfaction. I strongly recommend seeking alternatives to save both time and money, as there are many other options available.

Negative experience: I started Movati membership at Movati Athletic Waterloo (405 The Boardwalk) on March 15/2016. In April 2020, I called Movati to cancel my membership and I was told that I need to go to the store to make it. Then I drove to Movati Athletic Waterloo, I explained my situation and finally cancelled my membership. I also returned my membership card on that date. I was told that Movati would not charge me anymore. However, when I went to the bank to renew my bank card. I found that I was charged from Movati all these years. After checking with their supervisor, they told me that they found out they accidentally set up a duplicated account for me without notifying me. The 2 accounts share the same phone number, same name, same driver’s license number and same bank card information. And they only cancelled one of those accounts for me, the other one still exists. Also, both membership cards automatically renews without any email or phone call notification. When i went to the store to cancel membership under my name and my phone number, they did not notify me there’s another one I need to cancel. I was only told that I’m good to go. They only refunded me the amount from 2014 to 2016 for the duplicated membership fee, but they refused to refund me the fee after cancellation for 2020-2023. Resolution very unsatisfactory. Strongly advise against joining Movati.

Fantastic experience: Hey guys just a last min 2023 observation at Movati Athletic Club on Ira Needles, a huge thank you to the entire staff there. THANK YOU FOR COMING TO WORK TODAY! its Dec 24th and I couldn't be more thankful for the gift of working out on Christmas eve. I am so thankful I was able to crush some cardio today, it helped my wellbeing so much! I have never had a bad experience with a staff member, not even when I got in trouble for taking pictures while training LOL. A staff member came over and politely told let me know the rules. Some of the comments on these reviews make me really question how happy, positive and understanding some of the members at Movati are.... I just don't understand ..... Other than that I'd like to point out how unbelievably kind hearted and wonderful of a young lady Rae is! She is above average especially when it comes to customer service. She is a pleasantly positive person who deals with questions and concerns in a professional but loving way. Human to human, she is such a good soul who takes clients feelings into consideration and that unfortunately is rare sometimes in a work environment. I like when people know how to follow the rules but I also appreciate when they are just a good hearted person who enjoys making someone's day better! On more than one occasion Rae made my day and my experience at Movati better and for that I truly appreciate her. I think all the staff deserve a raise but hey, that's just me!

Negative experience: Posting this here to let others know because the amount of staff I talked to who did not tell me is unreasonable. From the play room staff, front desk, mangers and the person who I canceled with. I joined the gym and loved it with child care. However they announced they were closing child care and it would no longer be available Nov 4. I talked to several staff members that I was sad to leave the gym but couldn't continue without the playroom being open. They posted in OCT, I said great I've got one month to use the facilities. . I am still making payments to this club Dec 7. It has ended up being the most expensive one month at the gym. I should mention the people signing up my membership knew specifically I only had one month and SHOULD have told me I needed to immediately cancel because the childcare was closing. IF YOU ARE THINKING OF QUITTING GIVE 30 days notice!

Negative experience: If you plan on sighing up for the gym for the new year, keep in mind they have a 1 year contract they don’t tell you about. So if you’re really going to stick to the gym do it. If not then you can’t cancel you’ll end up having to pay for the whole year which would be $$$ thousands of dollars. Just be aware.

Fantastic experience: I really enjoy this gym. The layout, equipments and the fact that is being periodically upgraded is very pleasant. The staff are super polite, friendly, and simply amazing. The club is clean and we are just lucky to have this amazing location in waterloo

Negative experience: Extremely unprofessional and rude staff. The Gym doesnot accept authorised email confirmation on cancellation of the annual contract. They want the member to come in-person even while the member is experiencing health issues. I’m unnecessarily penalised for an additional month membership fees which was not guided by the staff when I had first called for membership cancellation. I’ve been to various other gyms and haven’t had such frustrating experience. The policies of this gym definitely match the 80’s world where the technology was just booming.

Fantastic experience: Alexis has been extremely kind and helpful every time I need assistance or I have a question. I appreciate her a lot, she always makes my experience easy, positive and productive in a respectful and professional manner! Simply adore her.

Fantastic experience: I've tried other gyms (planet fitness, crunch, fit4less, goodlife etc.) and none of them compare to Movati in Waterloo. It is more expensive, but you get what you pay for.

Positive experience: I can confirm other reviews that state the membership office is not the best. When I signed up last December 26, there was a $50 gift card promotion. Despite following up several times I never received the gift card. Having to agree to a 12 month term is a huge red flag as well. However I like the hot yoga, spin and regular yoga studios and there are a few good instructors. Incredibly busy at times and yes, can be very difficult to book popular classes althought i like the booking app. I am not sarltisfied enough to continue my membership and I will cancel at end of 12 month term. If you like the location and the amenities/classes, book the membership but with caution. Also note with towel service they limit you to two towels (this limit not discussed when booking the enhanced membership of course...) and they keep the towels behind front desk so if there is no one immediately available to hand you your towels you have to wait, annoying.

Positive experience: My only complaint at this time...the balls we use for drums...several need "some air" and a few are almost completely flat. This is hard on someone's back. A few extra balls and raiders would be beneficial. This is often a full class so all the balls are needed.

Negative experience: Movati doesn't care about parents and mothers. This gym used to have a wonderful playroom with great staff, so that parents with young children and especially new moms could still take care of themselves. Rather than reduce the hours it was open, increase the price per child, or simply keep the playroom open on weekends when it was always busy, they just shut it down with 4 weeks notice. Apparently because it wasn't immediately improving the bottom line, and doesn't fit whatever bro-culture they're trying to cultivate. Totally garbage move from a company that boasts about self care, and how "everyone belongs here." Everyone, except parents and moms. Hopefully the executive level staff change their mind about this terrible decision. Or, better yet, another gym opens and hires the same playroom staff.

Fantastic experience: Staff are friendly ,nice ,clean gym with good parking and lot of classes Zack and mark have been great trainers Gym bags provided by Movati are of poor quality and zip always breaks in few weeks :-(

Negative experience: Movati is heartless and tone-deaf company. They closed the childcare program giving us a month to find alternative options. Anyone who has had children within the last decade knows that childcare options are scarce in the KW (Onelist anyone?) They are trying to figure out how to sign up new memberships to the gym but make it harder for a whole demographic to maintain or join the gym. How shortsighted. I truly hope they rescind this terrible decision as the playroom was the only reason I rejoined Movati.

Negative experience: I was about to join this gym with my wife (who became a member specifically for the daycare) but thankfully I didn't join because they are closing the playroom by Nov 3rd 2023. We are not able to go to the gym together now, as one of us will have to stay home to watch the children. I'm not happy that the playroom closing. Their excuse is inadequate and is leaving a lot of parents scrambling last minute for daycare. The team that work in the playroom are Movati's best employees, and I know my children are going to miss them. Hopefully they change their mind on this poor decision.

Negative experience: I joined this gym for the daycare in February with a one years membership. It’s the only local gym that offered daycare. There closing the daycare Nov 30th. So disappointed! The staff at the daycare were so friendly and amazing with the kids! My daughter absolutely loved it there. She will be super sad. It’s so sad to know there is no gym available for parents with children. For many, I’m sure it was there escape to have some “me” time. A crucial place for their mental, emotional and physical well being. Thanks Movati!

Negative experience: Predatory business that engages in bait and switch to extract money from clients. Was sold a membership with the assurance that childcare would be available at the location, within months they permanently closed their childcare, making my membership useless. Originally staff were very helpful and assured me there would be no issue canceling. However the next day they came back to say that they refuse to allow me to cancel my membership and instead I must find someone else to 'transfer' my membership to. The idea that I would be able to transfer my active membership is laughable as they always have promotions running, making my membership unmarketable even if I wanted to try and transfer it. Trash business run by trash owners. There is a reason the BBB rates it a D-. You'll be treated just the same (poorly) at gyms that cost half as much. Avoid at all costs.

Negative experience: I have been treated extremely unfairly by a staff. And the MOVATI leadership team is threaten to terminate my account if I mention her name . I bring 4 guests friend and relatives in total and 3 of them have got their membership. I bring one more friend last week, and a staff won’t let us in and made up some “policy” saying you can’t bring more than 4 guest. She couldn’t get the written policy to prove herself. Then she got mad at my friend because she was taking selfie aside, she requested to see my friend’s phone and she forced her to stop playing her phone. Even though she didn’t find any pictures about the gym or herself, she didn’t apologized at all. She is so unprofessional and disrespectfal to us. If you are opening your account with MOVATI, please ensure you ask carefully of all the member benefit and protection yourself. I feel really hopeless talking to their staff and management team.

Negative experience: I had a membership at this gym for less than four months, and I'm not relieved that I don't have the option to cancel it. In my experience, the prices seemed unreasonable, and the staff's attitude was consistently rude and entitled when I had questions or concerns. This created a gym environment that felt judgmental and unwelcoming. While the showers were decent, they were pretty much the only highlight. I believe the membership cost didn't align with the value I received, especially because there were limited areas for stretching and calisthenics, as well as no studio access. This deficiency was the primary reason I decided to quit. I strongly recommend avoiding this gym, and my friends who attended with me all left within a year f

Negative experience: I had a membership at this gym for less than four months, and I'm relieved that I had the option to cancel it. In my experience, the prices seemed unreasonable, and the staff's attitude was consistently rude and entitled when I had questions or concerns. This created a gym environment that felt judgmental and unwelcoming. While the showers were decent, they were pretty much the only highlight. I believe the membership cost didn't align with the value I received, especially because there were limited areas for stretching and calisthenics, as well as no studio access. This deficiency was the primary reason I decided to quit. I strongly recommend avoiding this gym, and my friends who attended with me all left within a year for similar reasons.

Negative experience: Extremely disappointed with Movati cancelling the Playroom. My wife & I have been using the gym for the past 7 months and loved it, but recently they discontinued the drop off service for kids. We are not only locked into a years contract but also have no way of working out together anymore.

Fantastic experience: I have been to this location a lot lately and am really impressed with the staff's friendliness and helpfulness. Front desk is so nice, club is not too busy usually and the basement area has great equipment

Negative experience: Even if there was a sign saying please take a shower before entering the sauna, jacuzzi or pool, many people would come out of the sauna sweaty and jump into the pool or go to the WC and then enter the jacuzzi. This is not very hygienic in my opinion. The employees are incredibly respectful and patient, they are 5 stars.

Negative experience: This is quite frankly the worst gym/ fitness establishment I have been to. I had my membership for less than 4 months and was thankful I got the membership plan that allowed me to opt out. The prices are a scam, the staff is incredibly rude and entitled when asking questions or voicing concerns. This promotes judgmental and unwelcoming gym culture. The showers are nice but thats about it! The cost of membership does not reflect what you get out of it. The lack of studio access or areas to stretch/do calisthenics was what pushed me out the door. Do yourself a favor and avoid this gym. I had a group of friends that all attended this gym with me and we all left in less than a year for these reasons.

Positive experience: I used to love my gym. Now it is almost impossible to get in a class (working people anyway). And after 5 years in this gym, my running shoes were stolen while I was showering. Never had an issue in 5 years. Even jewelry and else was left behind and returned. Guess the "gym goers" are changing. I am being very careful now and do not even leave my shoes out while I go shower. Everything in the locker!

Fantastic experience: I was only a short term member but loved this gym. Very clean, a huge variety of equipment & really nice environment. Highly recommended.

Positive experience: Great staff, services, amenities, and gym however their memberships are somewhat expensive, and really confusing/limiting. Lots of hidden fees and they'll try to hide information from you when signing up such as commitment and cancelling notice (those were the ones they tried hiding from me). Just make sure to know all the terms and conditions of your membership.

Positive experience: My gym closed down so I had to join a new gym. I landed at Movati. Why? They had the best promo price in town (basically), and it's the closest gym to my home so lots of gas $ savings. It ended up being the same or cheaper than majority of other gyms for me, and the value provided was equal or better than other gyms in the region. The Good: - Large facility and good selection of equipment. The FUEL workout area is a huge W. Without it, I don't think I would have joined. So kudos to management for deciding to add that area in - Opportunity to do more than just lift weights. They have pools, classes, a cafe/store, daycare, events, etc. - I've been at other gyms for years and never saw hardly any upgrades to equipment or the areas. I've been here for not even a month, and already have seen more upgraded equipment and maintenance being done to improve the gym. That's nice to see - Pretty friendly vibe among members - Very upscale and clean gym. You'll be working out on laminate flooring sometimes; it's pretty fancy - The staff; everyone has been quite friendlier than other gyms I've been to. Special shoutouts to Manolo my sales rep who was VERY knowledgeable, positive, and answered all my questions/emails for probably over an hour, and Personal Trainer Mike who was down to earth and seems to be VERY knowledgeable as well The Bad: - The stretch hallway area could be larger, however, you are open to use other areas to stretch too (FUEL, the calisthenics area, etc.) - The dumbbell area could be larger, however, again you have the FUEL area to help compensate for the upstairs dumbbell section - Not the best utilization of space/machines (just my opinion). Add more dumbbells, benches (for dumbbells) upstairs, and other equipment instead, and less cardio machines - Small thing, but the mirrors are not full wall mirrors, they are just a bunch of isolated larger mirrors in the upstairs area, so finding a mirror can be difficult sometimes especially around the dumbbell section - Gets busier than I'd like. Although, far from the busiest gyms I've been to in the region Overall, it's a great gym, and I'm pretty happy here!

Negative experience: Horrible membership system. I am here for the summer only and was mislead to believe that if I try the free guest pass, I could later sign up for a month-to-month plan ($45/biweekly). Only when I was ready to sign up did they think to mention that there is a $130 registration fee. Why not waive this fee unless someone is signing up for the year, and offer more incentive to short-term members? Or at least be up front and transparent? For such a "state-of-the-art" gym, their promotion strategies are awfully slimy.

Negative experience: Dont sign up for more than 30 dollars bi weekly otherwise you're being ripped off. Members pay rates of 30/35/40/50 bi weekly for the same services. Just depends on when you go to sign up and who you speak to.

Negative experience: Honestly trapped in this membership, trying to sell it. The only features they have that the other gyms don't is a pool which...who cares. It's 100$ a month, no real stretch area, you don't have access to any rooms unless you're in a class, no place to do yoga, or your own body weight exercises, no mirrors in the stretch area, so if you're trying to not mess up a pose or movement, you have no idea what you look like. No massage chairs or water beds. They have these membership appreciation events you have to PAY to go to LOL like for bad food and some drinks to appreciate the fact that they gouge you for money, and you have to pay to go. I don't know, I know myself and quite a few others have begged management to just unlock the one room that's a smaller version of crunch and good life's yoga area and they refuse for no reason or explanation. Once they have your money, their service falls. The saving grace are the few employees that are also fed up with lazy upper management and feel the same way the members do.

Negative experience: A bit of a scam gym. They could work on their policies to benefit the people more then themselves. I let them know when I signed up that I would be returning to work hours that conflicted with daycare times. Instead of encouraging me to try a one month pass I got talked into a contract. Then told by an employee I would sell my membership on Facebook market place, but it goes strictly against Facebook standards. Been paying $70 for a membership now that I can't even attend. I really did like it there but they should have encouraged me to try month by month until I knew if it was going to work for me or not. I feel totally scammed by this gym and it's employees.

Negative experience: The gym itself is great. But if you’re the type that needs to join classes, it’s pretty much impossible to sign up during half of the year because there are too many people and there are not enough classes. So if you’re okay with wasting 400$ plus for those months then I recommend but if you want to be consistently enrolled in classes then I would recommend actually joining specific classes elsewhere that guarantee you a spot. Also, you can’t really cancel. I guess you can but it’ll turn itself into a scam.