I've been a member at Bally's for quite some time. Honestly, if it wasn't for the convenient location (Ballys on 148 AVE NE, Bellevue) and the fact that there is no other sports club nearby, I would... More

I've been a member at Bally's for quite some time. Honestly, if it wasn't for the convenient location (Ballys on 148 AVE NE, Bellevue) and the fact that there is no other sports club nearby, I would have canceled my membership a long time ago. Bally's management couldn't care less about hygiene and keeping their equipment in excellent condition. Here are just a few of my observations: The locker room's carpet is filthy. The showers smell like an outhouse. The pool is not cleaned on a regular basis. Sometimes the water gets foggy. When you swim underwater, you encounter anything from dirt, band aides and paper. The wooden panels in the sauna are rotten (many Americans don't seem to know that you should put a towel underneath you when sitting in a sauna). I have to say that some of it can be attributed to its members. I've seen people not using the shower before entering the pool. I've even seen people that go straight from the sauna into the pool without taking a shower. But it should be up to Bally's management to reinforce tougher rules to make sure that the sports club is a healthy place to be at. If you are looking into a membership at a sports club, I would strongly suggest to look somewhere else. Ballys is dirty!!!
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the previous poster has it right on the money - this place needs a serious remodel/makeover. Unfortunately, i signed up for a full year membership and i am totally kicking myself now for it. I... More

the previous poster has it right on the money - this place needs a serious remodel/makeover. Unfortunately, i signed up for a full year membership and i am totally kicking myself now for it. I don't even know where to begin about how bad this place is, but i'll try. 1) the woman's locker room smells like a dirty diaper. it's horrible. the carpet is probably 30 years old, and it just soaks up all the gross pool water and sweat from people. I am afraid to touch anything in the place. 2) the showers NEVER have soap. However, i guess it doesn't matter since i'm too afraid to touch anything in the locker room. 3) the machines are usually never wiped down by the previous user. 4) they have a few TV's in the cardio area but they only play baseball and basketball. Don't you think they could at least put one TV on CNN or some news show? 5) they must not pay their instructors very well, because the classes are boring/lame/not intense/too crowded. The last step class i went to, the instructor had a piece of paper in her hands the whole time with her dance steps written on it. 6) The instructors don't change the routine up very often. So, as a regular, it gets very very boring. After about 4 classes, i feel like I could teach the class. 7) Apparently the instructors don't listen to the radio, or else they would know that their music selection is way out of date. If i hear C and C music factory one more time, i think i might stab myself in my ear. 8) after running through what i ate that day with one of their professional fitness trainers, he told me that i ate too many carbs. I didn't realize that eggs, veggie sausage, a salad with turkey, celery and cucumbers contained a lot of carbs. But, apparently they do and i need to cut them out of my diet. 9) the parking situation is a nightmare. So, if you want a cheap place to work out, and don't really care about any of these things, than it's probably fine, but come on - at least keep the place clean and free of germs so you don't catch a staff infection like the previous poster.
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I work in Bellevue and joined the closest gym to my work...regrettably that happened to be Bally Total Fitness. At first I was excited to get back into the habit of exercising and being active... More

I work in Bellevue and joined the closest gym to my work...regrettably that happened to be Bally Total Fitness. At first I was excited to get back into the habit of exercising and being active again, but my experience at Bally's ended that excitement. Previously my workout spot was the newly remodeled IMA at UW. I admit that this facility cannot be matched by any other gym in the area and I may have been a little bit spoiled having been there. I signed up with Bally's due to the proximity to work and the fact that I got an employee discount. The facilities at the Bellevue local were decent but many of the machines were old and worn out. They are not cleaned on a regular basis and many people who use the machines do not have the courtesy to wipe them down after they use them. Once I was doing bench press and the individual who worked out before left a big sweaty mess all over the bench. Needless to say I didn't really examine it before I laid down and soaked myself in their sweat. Gross! They also do not provide you with a towel, you have to bring your own. The locker room has a constant smell of mildew and you do not even want to look in the shower drain! I feel bad for the guy who has to clean it! The worst part about my experience there is the fact that I contracted a staph infection. After that happened I have not returned since and I am basically wasting money every month a gym that I will never go to again. Hope you never have an experience like this!
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