Westcoast Hot Yoga

104 degrees (40c), full surround mirrors, and a very nice deep stretching class from Chrystal on Saturday morning. This was nicely complemented by ancient bathhouse themed changing rooms with bright and accommodating staff. The lounge is comfortable. Everything you may need is available for rent. Visiting from out of town this is a great option with $ 18 drop ins and $ 39 for 2 weeks dor new students.

I love this place!!! I have never had a bad workout here. Be prepared to sweat but you feel incredible after.

It was originally just a convenient location, but this studio has come to be my favourite in all those I’ve tried downtown. I find most places can be overcrowded, but that’s fairly rare in this large space. Some really nice little perks, like ice for your water and cold eucalyptus towels at the end of class — it really makes the difference. Not too corporate feeling, like some of the larger studio chains in the city. It can get a little cramped in the change room during the busiest classes, but there are several showers, and otherwise, no complaints!

FOUR STARS for their actual yoga practice. The instructors are great.
TWO STARS for their front of the house/​reception. I cancelled my membership 2 months ago. A 30 day notice is required to cancel their «Unlimited West Coast Honours» membership that I was on. I knew this, so I called a month ahead to cancel on the date I knew I wanted it to end. I confirmed the cancellation over the phone with the girl and thought that was that. After a month, I realized that I was still getting charged after I had cancelled, so I called them again to find out what was going on. The girl that answered the phone, was apparently really busy at the time, so she took my name down and was going to look into it. I didn’t hear back so I thought it was taken care of. After another month passes, I see ANOTHER monthly charge on my credit card. Today, I called back again, and the same girl I spoke with previously, answered and said she was so glad I called because she couldn’t find me in the system. I gave her my name again and she finds me (without a problem this time…) She then tells me that their policy is that they require email confirmation of cancellation! I argue with her that no one told me that the first time, and it’s not described anywhere on their website. On top of that, she kept trying to talk over me as I plead my case, it was quite frustrating. She finally agrees to refund me the two months they’ve charged me (pending). Get your sh*t together!

I’m two years late on this review but until this day I still remember my experience.
I started going to Westcoast Hot Yoga (Yaletown) when I came across a Groupon deal and it was so worth it!
The studio is very neat, tidy, and smelled very nice, receptionist was very helpful and welcoming, they offer complimentary ice and water, and the change-​room/​shower-​room was clean with lots of lockers to store your belongings.
I have tried every class they offered here and enjoyed the 60 min hot class the most with Will (he is freakin amazing, he made the class so fun that you wouldnt believe how fast time passed and the pounds just shed, however, I should mention that Will’s class is VERY popular and fills up fast, I would advise going early to claim your spot and be prepared for it to get cramped), my least favorable class would be the yin class, personally it was far too slow and was not as intense as I wanted it to be. Overall, the staff and yoga instructors are very nice and approachable.
I owe it to Westcoast Hot Yoga on helping me start my fitness journey although I’m unable to go as often as I did before due to my busy schedule.
I definitely recommend Westcoast Hot Yoga if you want to really shed pounds and get fit! Pricing is as reasonable as it can get for hot yoga.

This was the worst experience I have had at a professional establishment. I brought two people with me to WestCoast and it was our first time trying out Hot Yoga. We were expecting a 60 minute hot yoga session not engaging in a «place of healing». My friend and I were not expecting that component and found it a little comical. We were trying to be respectful and stifled the urge to laugh but let out a little chuckle. This was inappropriate but was not meant to be disrespectful in any matter. The instructor immediately said «if you have a problem with my class you need to leave immediately, you are disrespecting the class». I thought it was a little harsh but I could see where she is coming from. We immediately apologized and completed the rest of the lesson without incident and thought it was resolved. Once we came out of the changing room the instructor took it upon herself to tell the lady at the front desk and another instructor.
The lady at the front desk asked us our names, talking to us like children and proceeded to tell us how disrespect we are and how unacceptable it was. Another instructor decided to jump in as well and berate us in front of 10 plus people leaving the class. Then the head instructor comes out and also lashes out calling us disrespectful and telling us her class is a sacred place and we should not come back. I guess they decided public shaming was appropriate for a hint of amusement. They are absolutely fanatical there and egotistical about their practice the irony is unbelievable. Have never felt more unwelcome and will happily never go back there again.

This was a very bad experience. I decided to go to this place after a friend recommend me. As soon as i approached the receptionist i felt like i was being sold to. she tried to sign me up for the 2 week trial when all i wanted to do was to try the place out. but that was fine. They are a business and i understand.
If you decided to go there one of the things you might noticed is that ironically the people here give off a tense vibe. being it our first time, we were not use to the yoga etiquette so when the first part of the class started — you know, the part where the instructor talks about life and all its challenges — we found it a little funny and uncontrollably chuckled for a moment. the instructor immediately got upset (talk about being «balanced» and «calm») and threatened us. We understood, apologized, and moved on. for the rest of the class we stayed focused. i actually had a great session, even-​though it smelt kinda funky there.
So we leave the room thinking, «that was good with the exception of the minor indecent» I told my friend i wanted to find the instructor and apologize about the previous incident. When i approached the receptionist she immediately started passive aggressively interrogating me about what happened in the class and it became a public shaming exercise in front of their own customers. By the way, when did «spiritual enlightening» yogis become soo confrontational? talk about irony.
Any-​who long story short we felt very disrespected and i don’t plan to go here and; you guessed it; will not recommend it to anyone. You want to go to a place where people dont just preach zen-​fullness but actually live it in their day to day lives…
Namaste.

Will Blunderfield is inspirational. I commute one hour for his classes. They’re superior to all other yoga classes I’ve taken.

Great facility and love the classes, but they need to hire more friendly front staff. Second time here and she was very snobby and not friendly. Love the classes and teachers though!

Westcoast Yoga is the hottest studio! The class range is also great — classic 90 minute classes, power 60 minute classes, yin, hatha, Pilates and more. I thoroughly enjoy it and am happy to say I’m a regular. The instructors are great and provide excellent modifications for beginners or hard core yogis.

I started coming here in 2011. My friend persuaded to come, being that the only yoga I had every done in my life was Bikram (and I was a full on Bikram person). My first class sold me. I wish every yoga class everywhere was like that one.
My first class was with Will, of course. He had us moving, dancing, singing and having fun. Did I mention we were also doing yoga in extreme heat? It was amazing.
After that I was hooked. I didn’t even live downtown at the time, I lived in White Rock, so I was commuting downtown just for his classes. They also have a affiliated studio in White Rock as well, so I used that studio when I wanted to go classes on days he wasn’t teaching. There a lot of very good instructors and almost all classes are different depending on the instructor and their chosen focus for that particular day (and class type as well). So unlike Bikram, every class you take may have a different routine or set of poses that change every class or by instructor. They also offer instructor certification as well, if you are looking to teach Hot Yoga as well.
The studio itself is located on Mainland and is fairly easy to find (right across from Yaletown Brewing). Parking can be tricky as there is very limited spaces to park. There is an hourly parkade on Hamilton & Nelson if you are looking for one — that’s where I usually park.
I have found the staff to be always courteous, professional, and friendly. I used to enjoy the back room as a hangout (before the renovations), and now it’s in the front where you can help yourself to water and tea and chit chat with your instructors and fellow classmates.
The dressing room is huge, and clean. They have free lockers with keys, as well as benches, and hooks for your stuff. Lots of hot showers in individual stalls (with shower curtains) as well.
The yoga room itself is clean, spacious, and HOT. They have full length mirrors and an uncarpeted floor. What I love about this studio is that they generally play music in their classes. I guess its my own personal preference but I like that. And the lights are dimmed for an extra bit of ambiance.
All I can say is if you can get to a Will class I would highly recommend it. Its very worthwhile, and engaging! I wish I could get to more classes but I work outside of the GVRD, getting home for class times is difficult for me.

I’ve been coming to WCHY for a while, mainly because it’s near my office and classes are at convenient times for my schedule.
Positives:
— Great, knowledgeable teachers
— Friendly staff
Negatives:
— Wish the cleanliness was better, especially wiping the floors in between classes
— The temperatures are unpredictable, sometimes it’s way too hot and sometimes it’s not hot at all

**Please note, I cannot comment on the quality of the classes, as I couldn’t even get that far**
My friend and I purchased the «10 Drop in Classes» groupons and we went to use them… The experience was nothing but AWFUL… Horrible experience all around.
We walked in ready to sign up and the receptionist asked in a very rude tone if we could «come back another day» as she was about to go into a yoga class. We asked her if she was the receptionist and if she could help us with our groupon redemption. She said yes, then huffed and said «whatever, I will just miss my class then» and tossed her towel on the ground!
We were extremely uncomfortable and we were made to feel like we were inconveniencing her by trying to sign up. She then asked another associate in a frustrated tone «Can you just help them please?» The other associate seemed new or uncertain on how to take our groupons. The receptionist left and went into the class anyways.
Both my friend and I were extremely put off by this experience. The other associate struggled with us, didn’t give us a tour or any info that would be useful for our first class so we signed up and just left. I tried to keep a positive attitude about the whole thing, everyone has bad days right? Well things went from bad to worse.
Attempting to book our first classes was just as challenging and very off putting. First of all, our accounts were not set up properly and neither of us could book. We both attempted to call, multiple times. I was placed on hold for an unreasonable amount of time and then I was hung up on.
The same receptionist that dismissed us the previous day was helping me, and sounded very annoyed again when I mentioned that I was trying to get my account set up with a groupon. After several more back and forth phone calls, the issue has been resolved but the merchant has left such a horrible impression with me I do not want to attend their classes. Customers should always be first priority, groupon users or not. I was made to feel like I was a bother and a headache, not welcomed as a new client at the studio. Yoga is supposed to be a relaxing, calm experience — this was anything but relaxing or calm.
Unfortunately, I will never go to or recommend this studio to anyone.

I bought a month unlimited plan for hot yoga from Groupon. I wasn’t sure how it was going to be like here at West Coast, but it was closer to work and I could go before and after work if I wanted to.
I love it here. The reception staff are friendly and helpful. Very informative. The classes aren’t too full. The teachers are excellent! They are very respectful and helpful. They help correct your form so that you are actually working and stretching the correct muscles. And they don’t force you to go further until it hurts or feels uncomfortable.
My favorite classes were with Will. He is awesome! Such positive energy every time and I feel great after one of his classes. He really gets you moving and comfortable with your body.
I definitely would stay here at West Coast Hot Yoga. They’re easy to get to via public transit. Lots of parking around the area. The teachers and staff are great.

I was new to hot yoga last year, to be honest, I was completely dreading even trying! A friend recommended West Coast, so I thought I would give it a try. My first class was a 90 minute ‘Bikrams’ Style class — I really enjoyed it and I was surprised at how fast it flew by! I had previously heard quite a few negative things about Bikrams, but my experience was excellent and from what I understand, the classes at WCHY are more relaxed and welcoming.
Moving forward, I attended the other hot classes — Hatha, Vinyasa, and Ashtanga style, I now attend regularly and I am 100% percent a West Coast fan! All of the teachers have different styles and you really get to know each one, my mood usually dictates which one I am compelled to experience.
The class times are set up nicely and vary a bit — I can always make it to a class that I like at a time that works. Super early, mid day or last class at 8 pm.
The staff and volunteers are awesome and always make everyone feel so welcome. They are knowledgeable and so are the instructors. There is a wonderful community feel at WCHY. It is super clean and everything is taken care of nicely — no complaints.
I was a huge kickboxing enthusiast and still am a runner. Hot yoga has allowed me to open up and gain strength everywhere, totally recommend it for everyone!

After trying Bikram’s WCHY is a breathe of fresh air. Super friendly Tracy will greet you by name. Instructors and classes are varied. The facilities are clean and pleasing.
Been going for almost a year and I really like how each instructor has their own style. It makes it really easy to mix things up and keep it fresh.

I have been going to westcoast hot yoga yaletown location for over a year now.
This studio offers classes later in the evening than most other places in yaletown which was very convenient for me. Instructors are very friendly and involved, also open to chat after class. I love the tea lounge.
They usually have great deals if you are willing to sign up for a long time. I found the 50 or 100 classes per year is a great deal especially because you can share it with a friend.
There is only one studio and a change room that gets packed before and after class. There are 6 showers but at least one is usually not working :-S sometimes you end up waiting 10 min after class for a shower.
One more thing: the place is very hot. Apparently the hottest yoga studio in vancouver. Instructors however are not as pushy as at Bikram about not drinking water and not leaving the room.

I just started doing hot yoga here and have to say their staff is awesome, the place is super clean, the studio is big and nice, and for those like me who prefer the place to look good and have a nice decoration it got all of it!
It’s also close to skytrain and many coffee shops and restaurents in Yaletown, simply everything in one beautiful package! Love it! :)

Here’s the thing about yoga. Shmeh. I get why it’s good for me and stuff, but — it just doesn’t really get my exercise mojo going, you know? I always start with good intentions, go to a few classes a week, and then months go by before I get back to the studio.
On Monday I went to WCHY because lululemon told me so. No, really. I’m training for the SeaWheeze half marathon and my training app told me I had to do hot yoga that night. So off I went to WCHY, mostly because I’d been there before (pre-​renos). I booked myself in for a random class and found…
WILL!
OMG!
WILL!
This man in black eyeliner and peacock feathers made me sweat like I had never sweated before, except in a sweat lodge, but then — well, nevermind. I sweated alot. And he played Leonard Cohen before our class. And didn’t whisper. And made us sing «Row Row Row Your Boat» as our mantra as opposed to singing some words in Hindi I don’t know. And he talked about Lady Gaga. And made us hug each other. And do yoga in a line, like rockettes. And only do one goddamn downward dog, which I totally hate anyway. And he said so many life-​affirming things that I was literally yelling «Amen» along with him as he preached from his self-​styled «yoga church.» And then, when he sang us «Any Dream Will Do» from Joseph at the end of the class, Broadway Styles?! Well, this musical-​theatre-​nerd-​turned-​reluctant-​yogi found her Yogi Master.
Is $ 24 pricey for a drop-​in? Oh, probably. The studio’s nice, your admission gets you a towel, a mat rental, and tea afterwards, but really? You go for the people. And as long as Will’s there, I’ll be going to WCHY. Even if he makes me do downward dog.

I still give a four-​star but only because of the teachers. If it weren’t for the poor customer service and bad treatment I received, it would be 5 star hands down.
Here’s the scenario:
I signed up again recently for a monthly plan, and a few days later I wen to my first class… there was a note on the door with my name on it asking me to come to reception. I went to the front and they accused me of not paying for my class. I told them I just signed up for the monthly plan a few days ago. They were humming and hawing for a while (5 minutes at least as I was standing there), and they finally told me I just have to pay HST. Apparently the woman who took my void cheque forgot to add that in. So I paid cash. That was fine. They were nice ‘enough’.
Then, I see on my bank statement that I was charged almost $ 40 more than I should have been charged. I emailed the studio and conversed with a woman who was shockingly not nice and had very poor customer service. She told me I was charged for the pro-​rated classes of a week before the billing date, however, I paid that amount with my debit card at the time of giving the void cheque. She then asked me to give her proof and find the receipt because they have NO record. After sorting through my receipts for a few days (I have a LOT), I finally found the charge and sent her the info. After a few days I didn’t hear back so I emailed her again. She said she’d refund me in cash next time I’m in the studio. No sorry, or anything.
After all the nonsense they put me through, I was never even given an apology. I’m surprised.