DC Ranch Village Health Club & Spa

Attention MOMS! Okay, I had to write a review after joining because I really want to help other moms out there make this decision.
First off, I have a 2 year old and a 4 month old and the main reason I chose this gym/​health club opposed to others was solely because of their child care program. They could have had stones and ropes for workout equipment for all I care, I just wanted to be sure that my children were going to be safe and I could feel comfortable dropping them off. And oh my yes! The DC Village has totally met and exceeded my expectations 1000%. I should mention that I visited just about every other gym in the area including the JCC and none of them come close to what the Village offers.
1. First of all they have about a 1 to 1.5 ratio of children vs. staff. You have to let them know 24 hours in advance that you’re coming so that they can make sure they have enough staff to cover all the babies and kids. This is awesome and they really do stick to their ratios.
2. They will change and feed your baby. You can have them use their diapers or bring your own. For the toddlers they are allowed food pouches. Other food is not allowed for possible food allergies (although you can take your kid to the café and feed them whatever you want).
3. Most of the staff are mothers themselves. If you listen carefully, their talk among each other sounds like if you’re having a conversation with your own mom or spouse when handing off the kids. eg. «when did he last eat? last sleep? did he finish the bottle? did you change him? etc.)
4. It does not feel at all like a gym day care. I visited some gyms where you check in the kid and they just make sure they don’t die basically. Some of the other gyms left the kids in swings for hours. NOT here. They play and read and talk and smile with your kids! My two year old literally ran into the play area today and didn’t look back!
5. There’s plenty of space to play. When they have more kids they open up an attached basketball court (completely for kids only) where they can ride around in cars, go in play houses, or just run free in the large indoor space.
6. They really truly seem like they care about your child’s well being. They know their names and get to know their likes and dislikes pretty quickly.
Okay, that’s just the benefit for the kids. Now for you!
I’m not going to go into as much detail here, but let me tell you there are more benefits than just a «gym.»
You can take uninterrupted showers, sit in the women’s only jacuzzi, use the sauna, the steam room, relax in the lounge, enjoy free coffee on the patio, sit by the fireplace, read a book, take a class, have a workout, do some yoga. Basically, you can do WHATEVER YOU WANT because once you drop the kids off that is your time.
Before finishing, let me just say that the locker room/​shower situation is awesome. All you need to do is come clothed and they have everything else (shampoo, conditioner, razors, towels, hair dryer, curling iron, etc etc).
Okay, now go in, take a tour, try it out free for a couple days and join! If my review helps you decide to make the decision, message me for my name. They give a free month of dues if you get a friend to join. But that’s not my purpose in writing this. You can simply like my review so that I know I helped someone else out.
It is seriously more awesome than you can imagine!

Starting to go downhill fast. Machines and equipment not very clean and not being wiped down after use! Locker room also not being very well maintained. Towels and empty styrofoam cups left throughout the area and sauna not well cared for as in the past.

I am glad the village has a track to run on and a pool. The bathrooms smell nice and fresh and the food is good in the café most of the time. Also it has towels provided so we don’t have to always bring ours. Well we could do that because we shouldn’t always rely on others or things to work for us. Well but that’s sometimes nice once in awhile. It is nice and air conditioned inside and I find it cool that the locker room has a hot tub, sauna, and steam room and for sure the bathrooms have showers, of course

I don’t love being at the gym, but if I’m going to be at a gym, this is it for me. Absolutely top notch. Very clean, beautiful, and such a friendly atmosphere. I have been going here since I moved to Scottsdale 2 years ago. I love that there isn’t much turn over. I see the same friendly faces all the time. There is definitely a family feel to this facility. The kids facility has so much to offer, the locker rooms are great, the yoga classes are offered often with a nice variety of teachers, the personal trainers are excellent, the spa is so pleasant and peaceful. There are an abundance of cardio machines and there is quite a variety of weight equipment. There is a also a good variety of group classes with fun and well trained instructors. Lastly, I think the café actually has some pretty good food.

When I first moved to Scottsdale, it seriously blew my mind that a place as expensive as The Village (and don’t kid yourself — it is expensive) could possible have as many members as it does. But now, as a work-​at-​home-​mom, I understand that it is worth every single penny. Finding time to work out when you are the primary caretaker for your child is HARD! I checked out the facilities and (most importantly) childcare at several different spots, but I just was never 100% comfortable leaving my son at any of them while I got a workout in. This meant that my only available time to work out was after about 6:00 each night, when my husband got home and could watch our son, and effectively ate up any «family time» we had before our son went to bed. Enter The Village DC Ranch. You make childcare «reservations» 24 hours in advance, which equates to adequate staffing for the childcare center every. single. day. The ladies in the center are all SO nice and my son has been completely comfortable being left with them every single time (almost too comfortable… I mean, hello?! You could care just a tiny little bit that I’m leaving…). The workout facilities are beyond reproach — there’s always a machine available, super clean, fresh towels fully stocked. But if I’m being honest, my favorite part would probably have to be the locker rooms. I’m sorry, but after 16 months of trying to sneak in a shower during my son’s (few and far between) naps, this place is HEAVEN — complete with heated spa, sauna, and steam room. There’s just nothing like being able to get in a good workout then head down for a steam and an unhurried shower. I feel like I’ve just left a spa day every time I head back up to pick up my happy little munchkin. Alright, Village… You got me.

Beautiful health club and excellent service! If you want to join a Country Club type establishment then you found a great hybrid. It has something for everyone except… GOLF. But, great setup for tennis and squash or racket enthusiast. The pools are nice but, not exactly huge. The spa has a great selection of services and the spa type restaurant is heavily concentrated on breakfast. It has a great caliber of people and great wellness center to join if you want to meet people and make deals on the court. Overall I’m pretty impressed and enjoy it.

I was a member at the DC Ranch Village for six years. During our time there the general manager was more like a high school principle and the employees seemed like the main attraction. Most of the time you could find the managers playing squash or doing anything but providing service. The court manager would not let us use the courts or club equipment to play volleyball even when the courts were not scheduled. It’s bad enough that we live in the most pretentious area in Scottsdale let alone being treated like second class citizens by the management and staff that are suppose to be there to provide an excellent club environment. Not to mention I never think a paying member should have to wait for club employees that would dominate courts and equipment.
We paid way to much money to be treated like we were at 24 hour fitness.

So, joined this year, recommended by a friend. I never expected to so enjoy the Village as much as I have. It is equally a spa as well as gym… with a staff that makes you feel as family (especially Chris and Rebecca at the front desk).

«Life’s better at the Village»
I’ve been a member for 6 years now and nothing comes close to offering you what the village does!
This spacious gym has everything you need, all wrapped into one. You’re immediately greeted by friendly staff when you walk in the door and then pass by an open café which serves everything from protein shakes to salmon and steamed veggies, and at a fair price! There are three stories to this baby! The main floor houses the café, meeting rooms, the Spa (mani’s, and pedi’s, and massages, oh my!) a seating area with plush couches, child care center, a huge basketball court, weight room, and squash/​racket ball courts.
If you head downstairs, you’ll find a shoe shine and laundry counter (yes, for a fee of $ 35 a month, they’ll do your laundry and give you a beautiful dark wood locker with a name plate), lockers rooms are clean and spacious. You’ll find pockets of locker and changing areas, as well as multiple vanities and showers. No need to worry if you forgot your toiletries, because The Village has it all, towels, shampoo/​conditioner, body wash, deodorant, hair spray, gel, hair styling utensils, sunscreen… The locker rooms also house a hot tub, sauna, and a eucalyptus steam room with ice towels. The perfect place to lay back and melt the stresses of the day away. You’ll also find access to the pools from the locker room. They have a full lap pool, kiddie pool (which looks like a water park), and sunny lounging areas.
Upstairs on the top floor, you will find the cardio room, with pretty much every cardio machine you can think of x20. In all the years I’ve been there, I’ve never had to wait for a machine. Most of them are up to date machines and have individual TVs. There is a kinesis wall, multiple stretching areas, TRX and cable areas, and a track.
In addition to equipment, they have multiple group fitness rooms, an awesome cycling studio, a regular yoga studio and it’s very own hot yoga studio. Did I mention that all classes are included in your membership fee? Say goodbye to separate memberships for yoga, spin and gym! To boot, they also offer (for an additional fee) Crossfit, Pilates and Kinesis classes.
Lastly, they have a robust offering of programs and events… Everything from kids night outs, dive in movies, hiking programs, trips abroad and one of the best casino nights around. They offer blood drives, a weekly farmers market… Heck you can get your car washed in the parking lot on some days. This place isn’t just a place to work out, it’s a lifestyle! They are about connecting the community and healthy living.

Do yourself a favor and try for a week… stay forever! Love this place… it’s my happy place every morning. Group classes (Zumba, dance, barre, weights, cardio, step, spin, yoga hot or normal, etc) and 5 group rooms are my fav, so many choices anytime of day/​night in this incredible facility and the best instructors. Trainers and weight room and boot camps on 1^st floor/​basketball floor. Rball and Squash! Reformer Pilates room! Lots of workout machines on 2^nd floor. Staff is awesome everywhere. Spa de da if that is your thing, which it is mine! Extra events like trips, hikes, happy hours, cruises, etc. I bring friends here for a day of working out and relaxing, and most join. It’s equivalent to a day at Camelback Spa but better. Food at café is better than I can cook! Parties here are a blast — Casino Night, Halloween costume pool party, Holiday Party in Dec, not to mention the pool and tennis courts and tennis parties. View is to die for… walking in or leaving… namaste! Friends made here are friends for life… do yourself a favor… Life is better at the Village! ;)

Love this gym. Great classes and great environment!
The staff is super friendly. The childcare is amazing my children love it! There is no better gym in Scottsdale.

Customer Service is extremely poor. They are all about collecting the fees when you sign up but when you have a problem you can’t even get a call back. While the facility is nice, in my mind gyms are a service business. Happy customers should be first and foremost. Not here. They could honestly care less. I’ll be canceling my membership. What a shame that they can’t put the same effort into helping customers that they do in signing you up.

I’ve been a member of the Village at Gainey Ranch for five years and love!!! Today I decided to attend a glass at the DC Ranch location And was incredibly surprised. I enjoyed my workout very much. The instructor was engaging and friendly. This location was much busier then Gainey but equally as enjoyable. The pool is amazing. I felt like I was at a resort.

Facials are fabulous. Barb is a master of her craft. I would not go to anybody else now that I’ve found MY miracle worker for my skin! Thanks Barb!

I’ve been a member for a few years now and I must admit, I LOVE this Club! The staff is lovely, the instructors are truly exceptional, and the facilities are on a luxury level, yet not stuffy. The spin room is awesome and get’s one pumped up, the yoga room has twinkling stars on the ceiling and is quite beautiful. The hot yoga is simply… amazing. Also, they have spectacular events enabling members to socialize. Everything from the locker rooms, the fresh towels, and the incredible steam room, to the wonderful spa, the never ending complimentary ice/​water, and the super café, makes one never want to leave! Member for Life.

I first learned about this wonderful Village Club in 2009. I loved the pools, the atmosphere, and how nice the locker rooms were. It was a few months later that I learned about the awesome Sauna, Steam, Jacuzzi. I didn’t know that a health club could have that until that moment.
Unfortunately, I was only a guest of a member. When that friend moved away, I didn’t go inside that village again, except in my dreams. I dreamed that the Village was renovated almost every night. When I drove past the Village, I imagined I smelled that sauna. Every sauna I went in was not up to my standards. The Village was as heavenly as Earth gets. The niceness of the village ruins you for life. NO gym will EVER be the same!
Fast forward 5 years later. My swim team was practicing there, and even though I was not yet a member, they treated me like royalty. Evan as a non-​member, they let you use all of the facilities like you’re a member.
The day came when I became a Gold Member. A Gold Member is a VIP Member that lets you go to all the Village Clubs in one membership. The Village was officially mine! As a member, I could go there, with the card on an app on my phone, (it’s called My Village, and it’s free!) whenever I wanted, without saying I was there for Swim Neptune!
5 years later, the locker rooms were indeed renovated, I even asked to make sure. The village looked brand new. They yoga room had the «Sky Full Of Stars», a ceiling that had a blue and starry-​night-​sky design that lights up like the night sky with a blue ring of light around it! (HINT: Listen to the «A Sky Full Of Stars» by Coldplay. It represents the Village by: The starry «sky» in the yoga room, the echo in the song that sounds like when you talk and your voice echos in the Sauna, Steam, Jacuzzi, The «Such a heavenly few» in the lyrics, representing that the Village clubs are a heavenly few. And the «I think I saw you» is when you see the village, but you can;t go in, and the «I don’t care if you tear me apart», it means you will do anything to be a member there.)
The food in the café is AMAZING, with Coca-​Cola products, and a GREAT Mixed Berry Smoothie, with no preservatives and its freshly made. It’s so fresh that you still have pieces of berries when you drink it!
The steam room smells like eucalyptus, and the sauna smells like cedar wood. You can control the tempurature in the sauna, and control when the LOUD generator comes on in the steam room by a button on the wall. The jacuzzi is nice and hot, and you can control when the bubbles go on.
The locker rooms have warm showers, shavers, shaving cream, shampoo, conditioner, body wash, towels, hairbrushes, flat-​irons, hair dryers, curling irons, deodorant, lotion, hairspray, a swimsuit dryer, and everything you need to get ready! They have lockers that you don’t have to bring a lock for. They provide a key for your locker, and you can ask for a card to make the locker key work at the front desk. They look like a card with holes in them. Just ask for a card for the locker. The locker rooms have private bathrooms, not stalls, but rooms, and automatic-​flushing toilets so you don’t have to walk in to an unflushed toilet. The pools have just been redone. The pools are heated year-​round!
Yes the membership is pricey, bit it is SO worth it!
:)

While I’m not a huge fan of the massages. The facials are hands down the best around! I love that they use organic products, explain without trying to sell, and allow you to relax and enjoy! Of course the steam room is amazing as well! Great facility with a lot to offer!

There is NOTHING else I could ever ask for in a gym. I’m sitting here trying to rack my brain for something that would make this place better and am drawing a blank. Maybe if they paid me to work out? That’s basically the only thing that could make it better.
The space is stunning. And CLEAN. The locker room is like I’m getting ready in my own home. There are tons of showers (with soap, shampoo, conditioner, shaving gel, razors), several rows of mirrors and sink space, blow dryers and curling irons, hair accessories, bzillions of towels, a little area to sit and watch TV, etc. I’ve not worked out here before work, but I can only imagine it’s not much harder than getting ready at home.
The workout space itself is practically perfect. Rows of every type of elliptical and treadmill and any other workout machine you could think of. There are tons of TVs either in front of your machine or on the wall. All the weights (both free weights and machines) are on the first floor, along with any type of accessory you could need.
The «mind body» studio where the yoga classes are held is simply gorgeous with it’s starry-​night lit-​up ceiling and calming, warm atmosphere. Protip: when you want to attend a class that is marked as reservation only, call a day ahead and make sure to pick up your number at the front desk when you arrive. If you attend barre class, you will have to fight me to a good spot ;) Come early!
Every staff members I’ve come into contact with is polite and courteous and very willing to go out of their way for every member. Every detail, down to the ice and water machines and free coffee shows that members are the focus here. I really love being a member here.

An absolutely beautiful gym with pretty much everything you can ask for in one spot.
Nestled within DC Ranch, walking up to the Village is like entering a luxury resort. The professional staff greets you cheerfully as they scan you in.
You descend to the luxurious locker room areas where your membership card serves as a key for your daily locker. The locker room is stocked with everything you need to get ready for the day post-​workout — showers feature shampoo, conditioner, lotion, shaving cream, and even razors. Fluffy white towels and washcloths are plentiful, and there are vanity stations complete with hairdryers, flatirons, curling irons, q-​tips, cottonballs, mouthwash, and makeup mirrors.
Stop by the water station on the main level to fill your cup with ice and water to take with you while you work out.
Once you hit the gym-​floor, the options are endless. Upstairs is an extensive cardio area with ellipticals, stairmasters, and treadmills. There is also jogging track, a Kinesis area and TRX area on the upper level. The main floor has a basketball court, racquetball courts, and a weight training area with a few hidden surprises like a Curve treadmill (not electronic and VERY challenging) and Jacob’s Ladder.
I’ve attended several group classes including Pilates mat classes, Interval Training, Kinesis, and Core, all of which have been challenging and fun. The trainers are friendly and helpful, providing good instructions. The equipment is in good condition and is plentiful.
The café has some great healthy options for a post-​work out meal, although they also offer some pretty tempting non-​healthy options as well (Pizza, chili fries, cookies) which are tricky when you’re trying to burn off those calories :)
Features I haven’t yet used are their childcare (which I hear is wonderful), the salon and spa, and the pool.
The gym can get a bit crowded during peak hours and I’ve had a few workouts that were derailed from my original plan because there were group classes taking place in the area I planned to use (ie. the weight area) but the nice thing is that there are so many options that it’s not too tough to readjust.
The Village is one of the few places I can say it is a pleasure to work out :)

I love, love, love this place! First class staff and amenities. The locker room is incredibly comfortable and complete. They offer several different kinds of group exercise– yoga, pilates, bootcamp, stretching, zumba, kinesis, and more! My favorite teacher is Suzy. Go get your youth back in her Athletic Stretch.
It’s a very family friendly place, but I didn’t find the children camps going on to be any sort of bother. Plenty of space for everyone!
It is a newer, luxury facility, and the cost reflects that. However, it’s not like there’s a limit on how often you can go or what you can use, and they have so much to offer, that it’s not unreasonable. Besides the leisure and lap pools (with mountain views), there’s racquetball and squash, plenty of cardio and weight machines, free weights, stretching devices, basketball court, pilates machines, a boutique, a café, and of course, the Spa. I couldn’t believe they let you rent out mountain bikes too!
Truly a health club, and a very fine one at that.