I love this gym for several reasons. The cleanliness is way above every other gym I visited (Crunch, New York Sports Club, New York Health and Racquet Club and Club H). The maintenance staff is constantly cleaning. I can understand how others might be annoyed by this, but I'd much rather have staff cleaning around me than wondering when the last time this shower/machine/whatever was cleaned. I've also found the front desk staff to be pleasant and professional.
The space is great. There are several specific stretch areas and its easy to find the equipment that you're looking for. Its below ground so there's no windows, but I think the lighting is fine. I also appreciate that it never feels overly crowded (even at peak hours). I've never waited for a treadmill or bike, nor have I ever waited for a shower/""getting ready station"" in the locker rooms.
The machines are well maintained - I can't remember seeing any ""out of order"" for more than a day or two. They're high quality machines (touch screens, ability to transfer workout summary via USB - for treadmills/bikes/etc)). The only thing they don't have is individual TV screens (which would definitely be nice!). There are plenty of flat screen hanging from the ceiling.
The class schedule is adequate. Plenty of staples - yoga, pilates, cardio, sculpt, etc... There's a few interesting/unique ones - parkour, zen combat. I like to take a lot of classes and would appreciate a bit more variety (ala Crunch), but am totally fine with the variety available. Also, instructors have all been top notch (obviously I haven't taken every single class available).
The pool is gorgeous, and one of the main reasons I joined. Actually long enough to swim laps (25 meters or close to that). Ironically I haven't actually used it to swim laps yet, so I can't comment on how busy it gets.
My favorite part of the gym is the locker room amenities - its the only gym that I visited that I would have felt comfortable using the steam room/sauna. The soap/conditioner/shampoo is great quality. They supply most other basics - razors, shaving cream, cotton swabs, cotton balls, hair spray, hair gel, lotion... might be more than I'm forgetting.
The down side is the price. Its definitely the most pricey gym that I checked out. It all depends on what you are looking for in a gym. Personally, working out is not all that ""fun"" for me. I go to the gym because I want to stay healthy/in-shape, not because I enjoy running on a treadmill/lifting weights/whatever. The luxuriousness and the amenities of this gym help get me there on the days that I just don't feel like going.
Pros: cleanliness, shower products, space, amount of equipment
Cons: price, no individual TVs on cardio machines
more