March Wellness

This place should be at least 4 stars. However, the members bring it down to a two. This place is like stepford gym. Seriously, I’m not sure if some of the members are even human. It is the most cell phone addicted population of people I ever encountered in my life. Now I’m all for being left alone at the gym but the attitude at this place is down right creepy. On any given visit to the gym I will most likely be the only person in the place who doesn’t have my head buried in my device. People don’t talk to each other or even acknowledge other humans exist for that matter. Everywhere you look you see people just lounging on machines. Do you think I’m coming on a little strong? Decide for yourself, but until I became a member here I’d never witnessed someone using a phone in a pool or a hot tub. Last visit I witnessed both. Truly creepy… Besides all that it is one of the cleanest and most well equipped gym I’ve ever been to.

Love this place. Reasonably priced. Very skilled instructors for group exercise fitness classes. Can’t say enough good things about the staff and facilities.

I’ve been a «Community» member nearly 2 years and I really like it even though it’s twice as expensive as most others. There are a lot of people in my «older» demographic so I don’t feel uncomfortable in the classes. The instructors are mostly very good but they could use some more classes — most are just on Monday and Wednesday. The facility is kept up beautifully and the staff is friendly. I think it’s worth it — if you can afford it!

Whether or not March Wellness is worth the price (($ 100/​month when not affiliated with OHSU) depends on what you’re there for. If, like me, you need somewhere with really knowledgeable trainers that can put together a solid program for you that takes previous injury and/​or surgery into consideration, then the monthly dues are worth it.
On signing up, you get 2 free sessions with a trainer and then a quick check-​in one month later. The trainers are great, friendly and really experienced. I was nervous about going as I have a lot of issues from previous knee injuries, but I was quickly put at ease.
I go in the evenings after work, around 6pm, and I never have any trouble using the machines or equipment I need. It’s actually surprisingly quiet.
It’s also kept insanely clean, there’s a pool, sauna, steam room, equipment is well maintained.
One downside for me is that most of the classes fall within the 9−5pm working week. I wish they had more available on weekends or late evening on weekdays.

This place has some of the best fitness classes that I’ve been to in a long time! HIT and piyoga are fantastic, with great mats and quality studios that are clean. One of the studios actually looks over Mt. Hood. Great to do yoga in that one. The cleanliness of the locker rooms are such an improvement over the chain fitness centers.
The hot tub is spacious with a great view of the southwest waterfront. I really love the pool too. Saltwater, with a good length and temp.
The steam room is small and I can never get it to steam very well. The showers are a bit too water saving for my taste. Working out in the main weight room has an amazing view of the aerial tram and ship working facility.
As a student, this place is included in my fees. There is 3 hour validated parking but access from downtown is not easy.

I am sad to say this is a place stifled by its own regulations, poor customer service, and their own sense of superiority. They are inflexible with their rules. I have been shushed for responding a page, asked to leave because I had scrub bottoms on (Not from the operating room, but my office bottoms on), and they are inflexible with their holding membership dates. Their low weight dumbbells are very limited, which makes five pm workouts more about waiting in line than anything else. Their front desk service is unfriendly. A word of advice, ease up with your regulations, these are responsible adults working out here. Place more attention on a friendly environment and better hospitality.

Incredible gym facilities and great staff! Ann Wallace is amazing to work with and always very helpful with any needs I might have with my membership. Jason has been fantastic with setting me up with the Medical Exercise Program. My trainer Sam has been the most incredible trainer I’ve had in 20 yrs. Very knowledgable in all aspects of exercise and physiology and preventing injuries. You can tell the love and passion that Sam has for helping clients obtain their fitness goals. It is very impressive to me that all of the trainers have degrees. Prior to joining March Wellness I had experienced numerous injuries due to lack of knowledge of trainers and poor instruction. Most trainers only have 9 – 12 month certification. The facilities are spotless and just a great spa-​like environment. Beautiful décor and fabulous views from all widows to PDX skyline. Worth every bit of monthly dues they charge to get this kind of professionalism.

Really this price for what they offer? The yoga classes aren’t that great and there aren’t that many classes.

After reading some of the other reviews I felt compelled to write my own.
Everyone was complaining about the price of the gym. I feel it is an investment in my health. You get what you pay for people. I’ve belonged to every type of gym there is in Portland from 24 hour to LA fitness to all of the Oregon Athletic Clubs to private training studios.
In my opinion March Wellness is the best of the lot. It is by far and away the cleanest gym I’ve been to which is very important to me, and all of the equipment was well maintained. They had a good variety of equipment although I don’t use any of the machines. It doesn’t have a hospital feel to it like some wrote although they do have medical programs they don’t dominate the space and are hardly noticable. The staff has been very helpful and the trainers seemed busy and knowledgeable when asked questions. Always a good sign. The only thing I wish they had were kettlebells, but they do have TRX’s always set up.
Bottom line is either you want to work out at a gym with cologned up guys hitting on girls and flexing their muscles, girls putting on make up to work out, and sacrifice cleanliness. Or work out here where people are actually here to become healthier, you can get your work done, and the place is clean. You get what you pay for.

Nice facilities, helpful staff. Very nice pool.

Nice facility but the problem is, it’s so expensive if you aren’t affiliated with OHSU. But due to the price, you don’t get the typical young gym rat crowd that is at other health facilities.
For this reason, and because I live in the neighborhood I am a member here. However, over $ 100 per month for a gym membership is quite expensive when it doesn’t even have a basketball court (but does have a lap pool). The gym can get quite crowded in the evening hours (and I try to avoid it then).
Every month I question if the cost is worth it. I basically only continue because I can walk to the facility.

March Wellness is kind of a strange place. Is it a health club or a rehabilitation center? I still don’t know the answer to that one. Since, it has ties to OHSU everyone that works at OHSU, and or is a student get’s a great deal while everybody else get’s screwed with double the price. Well, to this Unilocalster that just doesn’t seem fair especially since the funds that go to OHSU are tax dollars. It felt like being in a hospital, and grant you when you need a hospital that’s great, but I don’t want to go to a hospital for working out.

The parking situation feels like your driving 3 miles underground, and I was told on Sundays I would have to park in a separate lot further away. I asked a member what he thought about the club, and he told me that he had his hearing aids turned off. Another member told me that there are a lot of cancer patients, and heart attack patients. Well, that’s great but when I want a fitness club I want a fitness club not something that’s both. The front desk staff didn’t seem too friendly. To talk to membership I had to make an appointment, and it seemed very hard to be fit in. I guess it’s like trying to make an appointment to see a doctor. LOL
I was very excited about the saline pool as I have a sensitivity to chlorine after years of swimming every day. I found out that a saline pool still uses chlorine but in a different method. So, that’s a big lie, and I still had a break out rash occur.:(There are true salt water pools which are in Hawaii, Australia and New Zealand. The equipment is new, but it’s a very small space and everything is packed mostly in one room. A good place if you have ties to OHSU otherwise I thinks it’s a rip. Oh you have to bring your own combination lock. I think for $ 102 a month you shouldn’t have to bring your own lock that feels really ghetto to me.

Small space, prices are too steep.

This place charges A TON for membership if you’re not affiliated with OHSU (staff, student, etc) so the average community member will probably have a near heart attack in the lobby when they see the non-​OHSU membership price (about $ 120/​month).
However it is a really nice gym. Large floor to ceiling glass windows in the main gym and pool area. The main gym overlooks a warehouse, the streetcar, and the tram but the pool area has a gorgeous view of the evening sunset over the hillside. Very relaxing to enjoy while hanging out in the large Jacuzzi (you can fit like 10+people in it) or the large heated therapy pool. Lap pool is a little on the smaller side so you might have to wait for a lane. The locker rooms have some of the best showers in town as well as a sauna and a steam room. Housekeeping is always going through there and emptying the used towel bin and cleaning the locker room. I have never seen a gym clean as much as they do! There is also a spa connected to the gym so if you need a massage it’s all in one place which is really great.
I really liked this place but I don’t know if it’s worth the price if you aren’t connected to OHSU or live in the immediate area. I suspect OHSU is keeping them financially afloat because I can’t imagine many other people are willing to pay the full price to use this gym. Lovely but expensive.

Can’t beat the convenience, facilities are nice, clean, well maintained.

Great gym and facilities, but the price is through the roof. If not for the convenience of the location, I would go elsewhere.
The equipment is top notch and well maintained. The facility is kept clean and not jam packed other than the after work crowd. Most of the staff (not all) are very friendly and welcoming.
The biggest drawback is the price. I almost miss 24 Hour Fitness now that I pay 3 times as much.
If your workout routine requires convenient location and you live in the neighborhood, March Wellness is great.

Pluses:
LEED Certified building constructed well. Gym is kept pretty clean, fair amount of classes, and a decent mix of equipment.
Minuses:
Cost, location (unless you LIVE So. Waterfront, it is a PITA to get to)
I ended up joining NECC (
) which has way fewer pluses, but at $ 90/​mo savings! That’s how crazy overpriced March Wellness is :|

It’s clean and close to the house. Otherwise just way too expensive for what you get. Not enough classes, and the ones they do no one goes to. That is just my taste, I love it when classes are full and have alit if energy but the poor instructors lead classes with like 3 – 5 people. You can go to 24 hr fitness and pay 60% less and get more offered including visiting other locations. Am considering switching.

The gym is nice and the machines are great. The prices are extremely high, though: $ 120/​mo for the community. The gym became a lot smaller after we joined (½ the size, no more basketball court, fewer classes) when the South waterfront business model broke down.
I find it irritating that their website and marketing materials still claim they have a basketball court – but they got rid of it over a year ago!
We weren’t happy with the service when my wife couldn’t exercise for 2 months before/​after her pregnancy. They were not flexible. And when we cancelled, they insisted on us paying for 40 more days of gym use. It was frustrating.
But overall the machines are nice and it’s worth taking a look.

I would consider March Wellness a good gym if the prices weren’t through the roof & they weren’t eliminating the basketball court. As an OHSU affiliate, you will pay $ 60/​month, but community members shell out a whopping $ 120/​month. March Wellness, if you are are going to charge as much as elite gyms, you better be able to compete.
Let me break it down for you:
–Exercise machines: I’d say a dozen treadmills & elipticals, and only FOUR stationary bikes. During rush hours (after work), the machines fill up pretty quickly. Also, the machines face a lovely view of: the warehouse across the street.
–Weight machines: I don’t do freeweights, but the other weight machines are well maintained, but there is not enough space for them.
–Locker rooms: I have no complaints here, always clean.
–Pool area: the lap pool is on the small side, but there is a really nice therapy pool & a jacuzzi. All indoors.
–Classes: I haven’t taken any yet, but there are your usual offerings, including nutrition classes in their teaching kitchen.
For the most part, not bad. I don’t like that they are moving the exercise machines up to the basketball court, which makes the already small space even more tight. I honestly think that if OHSU students weren’t required to pay into this gym, it would struggle.