09/26/09

member for 17 years and won't go anywhere else!

by bigbeautifulworld

my husband and i have been members for 17 years. the club has consistently kept its programs, classes and facilities current with, or ahead of, other facilities in town - and for a reasonable monthly fee. anybody who says they are bored with their workout should come here. in any given week i swim, take a class, lift weights, get a pedicure. there are plenty of choices to keep my workout from getting boring. the members are generally friendly (i have met some of my best friends here over the years) and, unlike some clubs, it isn't just a social place, it is a workout place. the cell phone and TV policy is very much appreciated and keeps this club feeling more like a relaxing personal experience rather than one more part of a stressful day. also, the addition of a nice family changing room and the great kids pool facilities give space to the families and the singles.

on the down side, there is inconsistency with some of the member services - the guest policy, for example. it would also be great if there were an option to buy gift certificates for three month trial memberships, for example. these would be the perfect Christmas gift for family and friends. I have asked for this, but it has never materialized. i had some trouble with spa gift certificates a few years ago, and, although the current spa management seems more stable, I probably won't give any of those as gifts as a result.

• Pros: full service club w/ all the amenities. give it 4 1/2 stars
• Cons: the guest policy could use some clarification and some work.

08/08/09

After a year of membership, here are my thoughts...

by jtaylor379

I've been a member for a little over a year now. The new outdoor pool is simply fantastic. Their Kids Club is the best gym child care in the city - changing tables are in the public area and kids of different ages are separated. They do their best to handle my cloth-diapered baby and feed him for me as well. There isn't a lot of turnover in the Kids Club which I appreciate. However, it is expensive! $7-9 per visit for either a 90 or 120 minute stay. I really wish they had a 60 minute option for those days when I want to get in and out fast. It doesn't seem like a lot, but if you work out a considerable amount you can easily double your monthly membership fees. So, my membership is more like $225 a month including child care, and only I am a member - not my husband. Wow!!!

The family locker room is perfect, the class schedules are great with many options and wonderful instructors. The facility is beautiful and I very much appreciate how improvements are always being made. I also love the frequency of special classes/workshops at no additonal cost. However, I must say I was incredibly annoyed when they started charging $5 for stroller exercise class. I told the coordinator - so I have to PAY to watch my own child? Hardly makes sense... No worries, though, I prefer to pay for somebody else to watch him and relax in the steam room afterwards.

Since I've been a member they've redone the outdoor pool, added family locker rooms, redone the women's showers and are regrouting/tiling the steam room. It's impressive.

Some of the membership tactics are very frustrating, however. I was given a handful of guest passes that were begrudgingly accepted and then they were voided because they went "electronic." My husband's IBM corporate discount doesn't apply to me, and we had to talk to other IBMers to coordinate and see whether the discount was being given - which it WAS, but which we were told by membership "there aren't enough people for IBM right now." Ugh...

While I'm satisfied with CCAC I continue to look elsewhere to see if there's a better fit for our family. I'm investigating the Ritchie Center at DU for the moment ($135/mo for an entire family which INCLUDES child care), but I will likely stick with CCAC because of the outdoor pool for the kiddos in the summer and the fantastic (and expensive) child care.

• Pros: Outdoor Pools, Large Schedule of Classes
• Cons: Cost for Kids Club & Attitude

06/20/09

LOVE this place!

by flyingataslant

I was a member when I was single and now I'm a member as a parent. The new, separate locker room for families is great--thank you! I love going to the fabulous adult only locker room when I'm without kids to soak in the whirlpool in silence AND I appreciate having a raucous family dressing room with the kids so I don't have to worry about stressing any single gals out! The classes and staff are terrific and the facilities are top notch.

• Pros: Amazing classes, new separate changing rooms for families