Bettie Allard YMCA - Coquitlam, British Columbia

Marie J.

Endroit très accueillant pour les familles. La piscine est agréable et les vestiaires sont très bien organisés. Je recommande fortement.

Arjun T.

Overall the facility is clean and relatively new, gym/fitness equipment is still in great shape, sports equipment like basketballs in the gym seem to be heavily used and in really bad condition (literally balls with humps, massively under inflated and or no grip) so bring your own for the best experience, the facility itself being new makes up for the whole experience though.

I’m a premium (plus) member and 38 (the membership rates are based on your age, chart attached to this review) so I pay $50 bi-weekly and an additional $5 bi-weekly for the swim lessons + tax. Considering the swim lessons factored in this is a good value overall but as purely a gym membership $100+tax every month seems a bit much for what you get, regular membership around $35-$40/month and premium for $70-$75/month max would feel more appropriate.

While a great new facility it’s small overall for the community it’s serving and all the new condo’s still being built nearby likely mean it’s going to get even more packed than it is today.

The premium (plus) membership benefits which are great are the towel service and basic amenities in case you forget you own like shaving cream, disposable razors, aftershave, cotton swabs, and mouth wash. They also have a swimwear dryer and hair dryers. Finally you have access to the steam sauna and private locker/change rooms with the premium membership.

The pool area is nice but colder than other pools I’ve been to locally and unfortunately there is no hot tub at all but rather what they call a hydro therapy pool (really wish they would turn that into a hot tub instead and most members I talk to agree). The steam sauna could also use a digital clock inside to help time yourself in there. It’s the first sauna I’ve been to that doesn’t have either a clock or ⏳ sand timer.

Lots of free underground parking for members (though the entrance design to the building was poorly planned, it’s a bottle neck and creates blind corners for those coming in/out but a bit of extra caution entering/exiting will prevent issues here).

parastoo S.

Overall nice gym. But it can be improved.

The pool is freezing and there is no hot tube (there is one which is not hot)

It is a clean gym.

some of the equipment might sometimes be restricted to use due to their fitness classes which does not make sense as I expect to be able to use the gym at a convenience time during evenings.

I attended partner Salsa classes which was really nice.

Fernanda F.

Small pool for busy hours, nothing exciting. Gym is really decent, but when it’s full there’s very little space and all the machines are being used pretty much.
They have a mini running track on the second floor which is cool.
Very close to burquitlam station
Convenient that they have programs, classes and schedules for the gymnasium.

Bruno M. R.

My go-to gym, it has a lot of amenities nearby and it is close to the Skytrain. The staff inside is welcoming and ready to support you with registering or other questions/issues you may have.

The pool and the hot tub are really nice, and the showers next to the pool are also pretty nice for the non-premium members but there are times when it needs to be cleaned more.

The gym upstairs is well-equipped with lots of equipment for all parts of the body.

The studio for Pilates and other modalities is well-maintained, and with lots of equipment for all exercises you may do.

I usually go in the mornings or next to lunchtime, so the gym is not that packed or full. Overall 9/10 for this gym. Areas of improvement would be only for their app and the cleanness of the common showers next to the pool.

Alex

I’ve been a Plus member at the YMCA for two years and honestly, it’s been a huge disappointment. The management is absolutely terrible they’re dismissive, unresponsive, and seem to care more about collecting membership fees than actually providing a good experience for members.

The Plus Room bathrooms are consistently dirty, despite claims that they’re being cleaned, and there’s no hot water during rush hours. The pools are freezing, the jacuzzi is ridiculously cold, and teenagers run wild with no supervision. Instead of addressing these issues, management just shrugs it off like it’s not their problem.

The front desk staff are unhelpful they spend more time hanging out in the Plus Room than actually assisting members. If you forget your membership card (not lose it, just forget it), they won’t let you in unless you pay $5 for a new one. You’d think they could simply look up your account, but apparently, that’s too much effort.

And this isn’t just my experience you’ll hear the same complaints from other members. Meanwhile, almost all the fitness classes are run by volunteers, so it really makes you wonder where all the membership fees are actually going.

To make things worse, staff and managers have been seen bringing non members or future members into the bathrooms and steam rooms for tours, fully exposing paying members to strangers. It’s a complete invasion of privacy. Plus, during rush hours, the Plus Room bathrooms are packed, and lifeguards and staff just loiter around inside instead of managing the chaos.

And when you bring these concerns to the managers, their response is even worse. They’ll laugh in your face and say they don’t understand where you’re coming from, with one even saying, “I don’t get where you’re trying to go with all this.” Then they’ll brush you off with, “Excuse me, but I have a tour to do.” Wow. That’s the YMCA experience for you!

At this point, management has completely failed its members, and for what we’re paying, it’s just not worth it. If you’re looking for a gym that actually values its members, you’d be better off taking your money elsewhere. It’s a shame because the YMCA could be great.

Ron H.

Good Gym, But Dishonest Front Desk Staff

I had a disappointing experience with the front desk staff when signing up for my membership. While the gym itself has good facilities and a nice environment, one of the staff members was very unprofessional. I requested a change to my payment method, but instead of admitting they didn’t know how to do it, they lied and said it was done. They even pretended to send me a confirmation email showing the correct amount. However, when I received my actual bill the next month, I realized nothing had been changed. This kind of dishonesty is unacceptable. It really ruined my impression of the gym. Very disappointing.

Mohsen N.

This recreational complex is very new with lovely and great representatives in the front desk. They signed me up for a new account, and we enjoyed the free pool session. I watched lots of pro swimming trainers for kids that were interesting. Just jacuzzi needs to be a little warmer.