Peninsula Wellness Center

Beyond expensive and terrible, terrible terrible hours! I always felt rushed and the equipment is old. since I’m paying $ 75/​hr, I expect it to be open to at least midnight! Bad place to spend your money. Nice pool though…

I just recently join this club for $ 75 a month. It was my impression that all the group exercise classes were included. After joining, I am now told that some group exercise classes will cost you $ 20 each for each use.
The club is clean, has a lot of exercise machines, the pool is very nice; but I thought after you join the club all the classes would’ve been included.
So as a single person you pay $ 75 a month plus initiation fees and then only includes some group exercise classes. That was not pointed out when I joined. That you pay $ 20 for some group classes.
I’m not a happy camper. If you like group classes this is not the place. Not many group classes.
The Monterey sports center has a lot more group classes and they don’t charge for each individual class once your a member.

I have been a member for 2 years and I love, love, love this place. It isn’t like those jam packed meat factory gyms and its not a country club either. It is just right. I love the staff and the physical therapy staff. I started in physical therapy. I have met some really wonderful people there. The pools are perfect. Sometimes they do get crowded but its a matter of learning when the best time is to be there

I like the gym because there are always machines available, the swimming pools are not crowded, and is closed to my home. Plenty of parking, too. They also replaced the carpet once in the locker area even though the building is not old, so they try to keep the place clean. Month-​to-​month; no string attached. A little pricey but being close to home is a big merit for me.

I’ve been a member here for over a year now, and it is truly silly to see what people give low ratings for — really nothing to do with the facility itself, but some mishap that they encountered personally. Oh Unilocalers, how talented you are at making a mountain out of a molehill.
Any administrative hiccups which have earned a low rating for this place are far from my reality — I have only experienced smooth, courteous service and no discrepancies with accounting or missed phone calls.
This place is not supposed to be like CVAC or InShape — it’s a HEALTH CARE FACILITY which happens to have a gym. It’s like an added bonus, and the membership is expensive and limited so that the space isn’t congested for their patients (thank you, love that).
I used to work at a gym in college (a very nice one, actually, which many locals reading this probably used at some time) and to service that facility was disgusting beyond all reason. I can’t even tell you what I regularly encountered there without getting graphic.
I am extremely particular due to that experience, and really researched this facility before accepting the responsibility of a more-​than-​normal-​cost membership. I would have ADORED a membership at CVAC, don’t get me wrong — but that place is luxurious beyond my budget, which I’m sure is the case for many locals.
Rather than getting a low cost membership at some nasty place where I am sure to contract toe fungus, I paid the extra $ to enjoy a cleaner, less congested experience at PWC.
No, it isn’t as luxurious as what some of our Pebble Beach friends might be used to, but it is extremely functional and pragmatic, featuring above-​average workout space and equipment, a wonderful pool, and spacious, fully equipped locker rooms. In fact, the locker room is the biggest reason why I have a membership here — it’s much nicer than many places I’ve been.
The staff is unobtrusive (great for an introvert like me who keeps my head down at the gym), but very friendly and quick to give you a warm greeting or farewell on your way past them.
My only reason for 4 stars is that I wish the showers and sauna were just a smidge cleaner. Get in there with a wire brush and some bleach or something every now and then — but that could be me. I also worked in really high end hospitality for a very long time where our bathrooms were maintained like new… so I’m spoiled.
I would HIGHLY recommend this place to anyone who is looking for a NICE gym that doesn’t kill your bank account.

After reading some of the negative reviews about the Marina, Peninsula Wellness Center on this site I can not stay idle. It would seem that these one and two star raters are Perpetual Malcontents, for if the staff and the facility itself can not please them… Nothing, or No one can!
I’m particularly offended by a personal attack on one of the instructors, Hillary! First let me say that my wife and I have been members of this facility for over two years. We consider it to be a blessing that CHOMP decided to place a one stop Health facility such as this practically in our back yard as we’re residents of Marina. The entire staff of the wellness Center are some of the most kind, empathetic, courteous and professional people that we have encountered in any facility of this size and nature!
As for Hillary, who is the Instructor for our water aerobics class that we attend twice weekly, my mind is actually befuddled to understand what kind of of individual, or individuals could make such unfounded accusations against one of the sweetest, personable and caring individuals I ever met! My wife and I are 68 years old and I was a Corporate Customer Service Managers for One of the Nations Leading Grocery retailers for over 25 years! I have often commented to my wife about Hillary’s having so much professional customer service savvy and how kind and mature she is for a person in her early twenties. She is by far and exception to the purveyors of the type of customer service (or I should say Lack there of) typically received from the millennium generation these days.
If anything, Hillary’s great disposition, genuine human kindness and desire to help clients achieve good physical health habits is a draw for the wellness center and not the contrary as stated by one of the character assassins that belittled her because of their own error.
It is, not only Hillary’s, but the attitude and demeanor of the entire Management and staff at the Marina location of the Peninsula Wellness Center that not only keeps my wife and I coming back, but also all of the great folks that we have met there. To those who have negative attitudes in general, I would say…” I’m glad that you are happy going somewhere else because myself and numerous other clients would not be happy to have the positive energy and contentment flow that we experience there disturbed by Negativity!”

I recently had a question about a charge, and Hillary at Peninsula Wellness answered my phone call. She said someone else would help and transferred me to another extension, but all I got was a voice mail. I hung up and called back. Hillary answered again and got very snippy with me, accused me of raising my voice, and then she hung up on me. She didn’t realize my husband could hear the whole conversation! Next my husband called back and Hillary LIED and said I hung up on her. My husband disagreed with her because he heard the entire conversation and tried to say something and she talked over him, too… She refused to listen to what he was saying. On a trial basis, we had switched gyms. But after that ordeal, It’s not a trial any more! Hillary is a ticking time bomb that is causing them to lose customers.

This place is horrible! They are a big, big rip off. Workers Comp payed the membership for a time as part of my rehabilitation and when Workers Comp ended it (without contacting me), this place came after me with collections notices! Their billing practices are shady to say the least. Steer clear. They will make you pay a full month to cancel!

This place is beautiful! The staff is amazing, professional, organized, compassionate and they dress nice, all of them!
I had a tour of their gym and found out they are open to the public which is so perfect being that we live a mile away.
My PT is Jasmine, I have the upmost confidence in her ability to help me get back on track.

Oy vey.
Disorganized. Rude. Arrogant. Awful.
However, a terrific pool and wonderful view.
But don’t spend money on this place. Marina is seeing an increase in crime and murder. Carmel Valley is sunnier and more fun! Or try Refuge.
This is not a refuge.
Misery.

THINK TWICE about joining this gym. What is deceptively marketed as a month to month membership is in fact at the very minimum a two month membership as you must cancel one month in advance in addition to paying in advance for your next months service. From personal experience there is absolutely no flexibility in this policy and they will happily report you to the credit bureau’s and give you adverse credit reporting as a means of threatening you to force you into payment.

I like this gym but wow are the hours killing me. I really think that if this place was open longer more members would stay/​join. The staff is okay… And I only say that because some of the workers at the front desk don’t seem to have the best customer service. A comment like «don’t you have your card to scan» doesn’t make a good impression in my opinion. Especially since they scan my id using my thumb print… Well all in all the gym is big, nice, clean, and does have great classes but just the little things like the hours and the workers made my Unilocal review hold only 3 stars. Maybe next time wellness center.

BLUF: Decent, although super expensive. Privacy policies are severely lacking.
My wife and I have been members here for almost two years. The gym is really the only option that is reasonably close to Marina. The on-​site staff is, for the most part, polite, friendly and quite helpful. Lots of machines of all types, that are usually pretty clean and in good condition. The pool, locker rooms and other facilities have always been pretty well maintained and kept clean. There is even WiFi available at no extra charge, so you can get Pandora or whatever while doing your thing.
The personal trainers are kind of hit and miss, but I think that’s more of a personality issue than anything else. Quite a few of them are really quite awesome.
Although quite expensive, it is a month to month deal with no long term contract and a 30 day written cancellation policy. God help you if you do have billing issues though, the money people are nearly impossible to get in touch with, and will go to just about any length to ensure they get as much money as possible. As this is a CHOMP facility, no one who has ever dealt with CHOMP will be surprised at that.
However…
We have had a few friends quit due to issues with the locker’s, and we have experienced the same ourselves. Lockers getting broken into, theft, and outright negligence by the staff are quite common. And when brought to the staff’s attention, they repeatedly have shown that they really don’t care. My wife had her lock cut off a locker simply because someone else thought it was their locker, and only a used lock (missing a key) was offered as a replacement.
Their paranoia about users borders on the insane. When we first joined, just a bar code tag was required to enter. Later, pictures were demanded. When I offered to show picture ID on every visit, I was told that if I didn’t get a picture for their system I could be cancelled. My efforts to determine how well my personal information was protected were completely in vain, as no one I spoke with would really discuss the topic with me.
Now they are planning on implementing fingerprint scanning system that will be mandatory.
I have no issue showing a picture ID to enter. But with no idea of what they will use my personal data for, or how well it is protected, this just seems ridiculous. And to be told by a staff member that I don’t have to do it, I can cancel and go somewhere else? OK, I’ll do exactly that.

I sent an email inquiry, but did not receive a call or email in return. I called, but they refuse to discuss fees over the phone. I’ve joined too many things in my life and didn’t want to waste their time or mine if it is not in my budget. The take or leave it attitude led me to read these Unilocal reviews, which in turn led me to skip it.

The receptionist was rude and condescending. I called and ask for monthly membership price but was rudely told I had to set up an appointment with them just to know their price. This fitness center has a monopoly in the area and is cocky.

This is the best that I have found on the peninsula. It is clean and there is always someone wiping down all the exercise machines. The classes are fun but, sometimes crowded. The hot tub and sauna are relaxing. People just do their thing and no worries. The locker room is nice and somewhat roomy. The monthly fees are a bit much however, if you go at least 4 – 5 x a week, it is worth it.

Very Expensive $ 75 per month membership. Extremely limited hours. Better off going to gym with later hours and don’t close so early on the weekends

First off, the main gym area is great. They have a wide variety of machines and toys for it not being the biggest gym ever and I’ve never had an issue with having to wait for any of the said machines or toys.
I have a few issues, however:
1) The pool. I’ve recently gotten back into swimming and the pool here, while it is very clean, is very hit or miss when it comes to getting a lane. They have pool etiquette rules posted. When someone joins a lane, you are supposed to ask to share. If there are more than two people in a lane, everyone needs to come to a consensus on how to circle swim. I was swimming the other evening and someone jumped into a lane I was already splitting with a nice lady without asking and just started zig-​zagging all over the place. I just decided at that point that I’d had enough swimming for one day. While this is ultimately not the fault of the gym, perhaps they could do a little better at enforcing the pool rules.
2) The steam room smells off, perhaps a bit moldy? They need to do a much better job at cleaning it especially with that temp and all the humidity, it makes GREAT place for little germies to grow.
3) The side of the ladies locker room where swimmers tend to gather definitely has a moldy funk to it. Please tear up the carpet and put down tile or something that can be bleached/​mopped on a regular basis.
4) I was working out the other day on one of the cardio machines and a personal trainer comes up to me and pitches me on her group fitness class. Not cool and not a good time, for when I workout, I am a sweaty, panting mess. I just want to work out in peace.

Let me start by saying I love the facility! They have a good combination of classes, cardio equipment, free weights and weight machines. They have a 90 degree basking pool, lap pool, steam room, and hot tub. The locker rooms are clean and have good showers, both medium size complimentary, and larger lockers for rent. I find the comp ones to be just large enough for my street clothes, shoes, and gym bag.
I had a great tour of the facility with Hillary, she had great energy and was very upbeat. When we were discussing the membership fees, she said there was a December special going on, and they were offering a reduced sign up fee. Naturally, I jumped at the opportunity to save some bucks and joined right away. I had been planning on scoping things out a bit more, but I can never pass up a sale!
Now for the downsides…
It took a week for me to have my orientation and health risk assessment. I feel the orientation should be done faster. I worked out the first week on my own, without any guidance, and had a great time despite my ignorance.
When I reserved my appt. it was for a Saturday, at 12:30… fine and dandy. Then came the calls… first call was would I mind changing to a later time. No problem. Second call was two hours before my new appointment time, the trainer had a cancellation and do I want to come in early. No thanks, I’m busy.
I showed up for my new appointment and everything seemed good. The trainer was friendly and we seemed to be establishing good rapport, for a bit. I had spent some time filling out their health assessment questionnaire prior to arriving, but when I handed it to her, she seemed surprised and asked me if they had changed it, that the questions were different, and the survey normally was a larger packet.
I said I wasn’t sure, but that I had seen the same basic questionnaire in a larger print format at the front. Well, the survey got put aside and then I had to input much of the same data into the computer.
The «health risk assessment» seems questionable. There was a question about alcohol consumption (I haven’t had alcohol in nearly 18 years), but the survey only allowed input for 1 – 5 drinks per week, which shows up in the summary as «Moderate Alcohol Intake.» Kind of inaccurate would be an understatement, and it’s mildly offensive to one who does not drink at all! How about giving me a «No Alcohol Intake» option?
So while I am filling out this survey, my trainer and I are having some light conversation about general health, and fitness. Then the bomb drops… we’re talking about diabetes and the trainer suggests that people with diabetes and obesity issues are the ones at fault for their condition… oh hell no! The «blame the victim» mindset gets right-​the-​heck under my skin, and I flare up a little and start to lecture her about the genetic factors of Obesity and Diabetes, to which she seemed somewhat oblivious.
I questioned her about her qualifications, and how long it took to get her particular certifications. She took offense to my condescension (and who could blame her really), and she suggested that I find a new trainer if I was going to be rude. Naturally, being rude was not my intention, so I explained I was merely trying to educate, and correct her preconceived notions. We both apologized and agreed to start over. The rest of the session went pretty well until the summary, where she prescribed my workout schedule, partially consisting of 5 days of cardio, 150 – 200 hours a week… huh? I explained that I was confused about the 150 – 200 hour part. She looked at me like I was nuts, and asked me what I didn’t get. She seemed so certain that it was 150 – 200 hours, that it caused me an awkward moment or two of questioning my own sanity, and more than a little concern that I might be experiencing a serious bout of low blood sugar confusion! She suddenly face-​palmed and said «minutes… I meant minutes.» You can imagine my relief at finally having some verification that I wasn’t losing it!
While it basically ended well, and I found my trainer likeable despite our differences of opinion… I found the entire situation to be off putting, awkward, and demotivating. It left me questioning whether or not this is the right facility for me. It’s perfectly located, has great facilities, and is supposedly a wellness center (which one would conclude means a place to get well), so I’ll stay for the moment, mostly because I’m just getting started.
I simply expect a little more… sensitivity, I guess, from employees at a wellness facility than what I experienced. Am I a little touchy given my current state of health and lack of fitness? Perhaps, but I’m certain I’m not alone there. It’s not a regular gym after all, it’s a wellness center linked to a hospital.
I’ll follow up this review in a month or so, but for now 3 stars

The good: Nice, clean, and quiet facility. (Kids under 12 not allowed). The swimming pool, is very nice and unoccupied compared with other ones in the area.
The to be improved: Staff are mostly friendly but occasionally can show some attitude. For example, one day I smelled pee in the shower room. Went out to tell the manager that there is a pee smell in the shower room. She immediately got very defensive, and said «That is no possible! Our cleaning staff comes in at 4am to clean the shower room every day!» Well, it was at 6pm when I smelled pee in the shower and a lot of things could have happened between 4am and 6pm. That was not my point. I never said that the cleaning staff did a poor job. I was just trying to tell her that unfortunately someone probably decided to pee in the shower that day and I just wanted to notify them so they can do some extra cleaning to cover the smell at the end of day. I was not accusing the cleaning team for not doing their job. They do a fabulous job! I did not know why the manager got all worked-​up so quickly.
The other thing is that they tell you they welcome all suggestions but get pretty defensive pretty quick when you do give one, including the managers. And they are not really open for change or to even consider your comments. For example, I recently called to tell them that I was not very comfortable about the holiday market fair event because the event took away the warm-​up area and canceled the kids’ club. Also, it brought-​in a stream of non-​members watching people exercise in the center. I really would prefer to keep my privacy and not being watched by so many people when I was doing my workout. All I wanted was some sort of acknowledgement that they are sorry their promotional event inconvenienced some members. But I was cut off abruptly before I could even finish my comments and the manager I was talking to raised her voice and said «This is the event ALL the members love! And it is ONLY ONE WEEKEND a year! We also posted notice about this event long time ago!» (Basically it is YOUR OWN PROBLEM. If you do not feel comfortable, do not come that weekend!) I found this attitude very abrasive. First, I do not dislike the holiday fair. I just would like to know if it could be done slightly differently next time. Perhaps most of the members do love this event, but even if I am the only one who does not like it, I am still a member, and a service needs to be open and fair to all the members’ concerns and feelings. Second, I do not think it is good advertisement to take away the warm-​up area. It is a small area and it should not be that hard to setup a different warm-​up area if that space has to be used for exhibits. I think it is fair for a member to ask that the wellness center’s promotional event be done in the way which minimize the impact on the access and quality of any member’s workout.
There is also a lack of communication among themselves. One may say you can sign up for the kids’ swimming class at the front desk and the front desk would say no you have to sign up for this class with the aquatic manager only. Another example is recently I got a phone call from the billing office telling me that I forgot to sign my kid out from the kid’s club and I was almost charged for an entire week worth of babysitting service hourly fee if she did not catch it in time. I was reminded strongly to remember to sign my kid out. Even though I am thankful that she caught the «mistake» but the problem is I did tell the front desk to sign me out every time. How would I know that the front desk did not do so when they told me «it’s done!»? Isn’t that something the billing office and the front desk needs to figure out among themselves? There is also a pen and paper sign-​in and sign-​out sheet in the kid’s club. It is easy to check and verify when in doubt. (Who would keep their kids in the kid’s club for a whole week when the gym is closed at 9 pm every night anyway?)
The kid’s club is very nice indeed when it opens but the schedule is not really «working-​parents friendly». It is automatically closed on most of the major holidays or the eve of the major holidays, Friday nights and weekend afternoons. I would say that those times are more convenient for working parents to visit the gym. Also whenever there is a promotional event at the wellness center the kids’ club are also closed because the space is needed to be used for the promotional activity.
To sum up, the facility is really nice. It is hard to find a nice swimming pool in this area and this is by far the nicest. It is also very clean. I recommend it to people who does not mind to pay a little bit more to workout at a nicer, quieter place. Just do not believe them when they send you emails saying «please tell us what you think.» Just keep quiet and get your workout done.