Loyola Center For Health and Fitness

This place is incredible. It’s just as nice as Lifetime Fitness but for half the cost and sometimes no enrollment fees. If you join with your partner/​spouse, it’s a good deal at about $ 60/​per person. Individual is $ 70 I think. They have everything you could imagine here. And it’s never that crowded (at least compared to bigger gyms). I never felt intimidated by the amount of people (except maybe all the guys in the weights area on the first floor). Locker rooms are clean and safe. Just a great facility all around. The only reason I don’t have a membership anymore though is because of the parking. There is one very small lot in the back that seems to be always full (and you have to be buzzed in sometimes). The other parking is in the parking garage in the back, which is fine but can be very crowded and a pain to get in/​out. Too bad!

After over two years at a mediocre-​at-​best gym (XSport Fitness), I finally followed through with my dream to join Loyola Center for Fitness and I have had a fantastic experience so far. Everyone at the front desk is SO helpful and I have never felt like I was being pressured to pay extra for personal training, something that made me uncomfortable at previous gyms.
The women’s locker room is fabulous. There are keypads to enter a four-​digit code each time you use a locker, so you don’t need to bring a lock. There is also locker rental (so you can keep your stuff there indefinitely) and laundry service (so you don’t need to bring your dirty gym clothes home) available for an extra cost. The women’s locker room has everything you can think of needing from hair dryers and curling irons to feminine hygiene products, q-​tips, cotton swabs, organic deodorant, hairspray, hair gel, etc. There are also plastic bags available above the machine that drys your swimsuit for you. As a triathlete, I find this extremely helpful. There are also plenty of towels available and sanitizing wipes for the machines.
At Loyola Center for Fitness, you can enjoy two pools (one for laps, one smaller warm pool), sauna, hot tub, running track, basketball court, cardio machines, weights, mats, exercise balls, etc. If you can think of it, they probably have it!
There are plenty of classes available and they all come with your monthly rate of membership, which is great! I haven’t made my way to any classes yet, but they seem to be pretty well-​attended.
The only disappointing factor for me so far has been that it’s only open until 5 PM on weekends. However, I usually try to get my workout done in the mornings anyway, so this isn’t too big of a deal.

My mission was to find a gym that could be great for my parents i have worked out xsports and la fitness and all those other chains and i know first hand the horror storys they can tell. So i went on Unilocal and searched for gyms near la grange where my parents live now and i spoke to several different companys via there phone numbers and mostly noticed the same thing a very cocky salesman asking me questions and bashing other gyms and it just gave me this immature vibe for the health club itself so i kept searching and i decided to call up Loyola fitness center and when i called i got this spunky full of life women who answered the phone and was not pushy with me or negative in any way shape or form so i actually did compliment her on her customer service and i did walk in and sign them up for a membership The customer service did not stop there though i had a personal trainer there who was tall named chris i think who literally knew exactly what kind of workouts my parents needed to do and showed them how to stretch before an exercise and why. Overall this is and was the best choice for my parents and i wanted to let other people know youre in good hands over there.

I needed a new place to swim laps because we moved to the near west burbs. I was surprised there were no gyms with pools in the area. The YMCA in LaGrange Park had their members use the Elmhurst YMCA pool. Too far for me. So I saw Loyola had a pool and checked it out. Just started, but so far the facility has been great. It’s a full service fitness center that offers classes and have a semi robust aquatics program. I go for the pool, but I see tons of machines and a great running track. The facility is very clean, bright and modern. The staff is very helpful and friendly. I did not get any orientation but I was able to figure out the ins and outs myself. The limited but free outdoor parking is a small hike to the center and when the weather isn’t great you are better off using the free parking garage. The parking can be a hassle if u want to get in and out. I hate having to factor in an additional 15 mins in the morning for parking when I am going before work. But other than that I have no negatives thus far. Will write more after I have gone longer.

Clean and friendly staff. The indoor track sold me. Reasonable monthly rates.

I love going here. It is worth the monthly fee because the gym has everything — tons of machines, classes taught by fun instructors, trainers, a warm pool and a lap pool. There is a café for healthy drinks, salads and sandwiches. They also provide massages by appt and extra cost) and have nutrition coaches. The staff is friendly and knowledgable. The center is clean and updated. I love that there are two levels, with the too level being a little more private. I love that they have later hours and different classes throughout the day. I couldn’t ask for a better gym!

great facility

I have nothing to compare it to since this is the first gym I’ve ever been to and because of that I was very hesitant about joining a gym for the longest time. I now regret waiting so long because I love it here! First of all the staff is very friendly and I felt at ease from the moment I started asking questions before I even joined. I do personal training with Blair and I recommend her as well, she’s lovely but she really makes me sweat! The locker rooms are fantastic and very clean. I’ve never had to wait long for equipment to become available (when I’m on my own without Blair), in fact I think I’ve only waited once. As someone else mentioned my paranoid self was thrilled about the fact that the hospital is right there in case something ever did happen. I’m very pleased with my experience so far and would recommend this gym to anyone.

Short and sweet review —- a great facility that is well-​equipped, tons of activities, and a great time overall. Look on the bright side too — if you ever get sick or have an injury, its just a short hop to the ER. Cheers!

I’ve been a member for a few weeks and in comparison to Galter Life Center (Swedish Hospital) — the machines aren’t as modern (some are just old and not all the machines have tv’s), and the layout is weird. But it’s not crowded at all so that makes it nice. The staff seems friendly and they definitely don’t push personal training. My big concern are the showers, they are extremely dirty (so much hair on the drain — I could make a wig). It was disgusting!
If you live by Galter, I would prefer that fitness center.

Don’t go here this place is cheap, spacious, lots of equipment, three hot tubs, two steam room, two saunas, two basketball courts, warm water pool, lap pool. Are you kidding me this is far and away best health club in the area.
Ok I haven’t been a member in awhile due tommy quasi basement gym, but an equivalent gym in Chicago would cost close to $ 200/​mo. I still want it to be affordable when my basement gym gets shut down. Don’t go here.

I am a fitness FREAK and this place is awesome. They have a SUPER FRIENDLY staff who do not push personal training like some other gyms.
They facility is super clean and they have enough equipment to keep any person who gets bored easily (like me) entertained and trying something new. I haven’t tried many of their classes but the rooms are usually comfortably full which (not crowded but showing interest). I the layout makes it feel like the gym is seldom crowded.
The locker rooms are awesome and super friendly for those who workout in the morning and then need to get ready for work. The steam room, whirlpool and sauna in the women’s locker room is brand new and FEELS AMAZING after a long workout.
I HIGHLY recommend and I have tried SEVERAL gyms in the city and in the suburbs, this one is worth every penny.

My review is more nuanced than most so I decided to break it down into pros and cons.
Pros
Clean-​This place has been open for 2 years and still looks brand new. It also smells nice. A lot of locker rooms smell like dick fungus, but this one smells pleasant.
Hours-​They open at 5 am, which is perfect because I am an early riser.
Staff-​Everyone is nice and they go out of their way to learn your name. You can also take a free fitness assesment without having to worry about getting badgered into signing up for personal training sessions.
Price-​For 60 bucks a month it’s cheaper than lifetime, FFC, David Barton and the other upscale fitness centers in the area.
Classes-​I take the spin class in the morning and it kicks my ass. They offer a ton of classes and they are all free.
Cons
Equipment-​The equipment is new and in great shape, but it just doesn’t seem like there is a ton of it for the price you pay. Their free weight area isn’t that much larger than gyms that cost a lot less, like 24 hour fitness and Snap. I have been there early in the morning and even with just a few other people working out, it seems a little cramped. They have about half of the number of treadmills you would find at a lifetime or Ballys.
Parking-​I know it seems asinine to complain about having a long walk to the gym, but for the price you would think you could park a little closer.
The layout-​There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to the layout. In fairness, the fitness center was built after the hospital so they kind of had to work with the space they were given, but it seems like there could have been some more thought given to the layout.
THE STUPID ORIENTATION-​The main reason I didn’t give this gym five stars is the mandatory orientation they make you attend prior to being able to use the equipment. You have to come back at a time that has been pre-​designated by the fitness staff, and they don’t cover anything that an adult with a normal mental capacity doesn’t all ready know. Yet, there I was at 8 AM on a Sunday, being told where the basketball court is. I am not saying that a tour of the gym isn’t a nice touch, but it shouldn’t be compulsory to use the equipment.
In sum, this is a decent gym for a decent price in the near western suburbs. If you live in Oak Park, Forest Park, or Maywood you should check it out.

Love this place… but only 4 stars because it took forever to fix the women’s hot tub. Although they do have three hot tubs… so I guess I should give them 4.5 stars.

I’m spoiled and I like it. I’ve been a member of this gym for years, not that you’d know by looking at me but I blame beer for that.
I adore it here. It is super clean, has a lap pool and a workout pool, tons of equipment, almost all of the elliptical machines have TV’s, they have a huge free weights area, basketball courts, and racquetball courts. They also offer tons of free classes as well as paid classes. They provide ample clean towels, the lockers come with locks, the showers are mostly clean (hey, women have a lot of hair… not much can be done about the strays), they also have a private whirlpool, sauna and steam room in the women’s locker room.
There is private parking that requires a key card which I like. One is in a covered garage; the other is a small lot (which I actually prefer). This is on the Loyola hospital campus so it’s usually well lit and has security trucks around, which I like for those nights when I stay a bit late. Keep in mind there is a state run mental hospital on the same campus so that should help explain my concern for safety.
I’m taking a star off because they’ve been doing repairs on the private women’s whirlpool for over a month now and I don’t like using the one in the pool area. It makes me feel as if it might turn into a bad 70’s porn at any moment. What can I say, I have an overactive imagination. They also don’t have late night hours, which can suck for those random weekend nights when I’m in the mood for a midnight workout.
Overall I’d recommend this place although I warn you that it is on the expensive side. I’m lucky that my job pays for half of all gym fees or I might consider somewhere cheaper. If a cheaper gym could measure up to this place is another story though.

Ok I’ve been a member at a few gyms, women’s workout world, world gym, xtream, and ballys.
This gym is far better than any of those gyms. There are plenty of machines, the treadmills and elipticals have tv’s on them. I have to admit they do have all sorts of different weight machines. It is nice airy, clean and open. They have 2 swimming pools, one heated and one not, there is also a co-​ed hot tub. The locker rooms are awsome they have good size lockers, nice showers, and all the amenities of an up scale gym. The steamroom and sauna are cool there is also hot tub in the locker rooms.
The member ship is about $ 60 a month, which is not bad considering what your getting. There is a $ 300 registration fee, but there are a few days a year when they wave that fee, if you call they’ll gladly tell you the next avail date.
Also with your membership you get a trainer that helps you set up a work out program, they do a pretty good fitness evaluation, and they’ll follow up with you. It’s a nice benefit as your trainer will call you if you skip a week or so.
Also parking is free.

As gyms go, this one is pretty good. Big, bright, and pretty clean. They have a very friendly staff and their equipment is kept up. If you live in Oak Park/​River Forest/​Forest Park/​Riverside, etc., then this is it. I have tried a couple of other gyms and this is the nicest in the area.
Its a tad pricey at about $ 60ish a month plus a hefty sign up fee.
They also have a mandatory tour that you had to take before they let you work out which was silly. It could have been done right when I signed up, but instead I had to come to a silly scheduled time. When I took off work early to get there in time, I was the only one on my tour. I really thought someone could have shown me around when I signed up, since it wasn’t busy and the tour basically consisted of a walk through that explained nothing but common sense things like, «please wipe your equipment of your sweat.»
ALSO, they occasionally close for odd reasons like parties, and even though they post signs, its inconvenient. They also have bad hours on weekends. Most pricey health clubs have much better hours.
Anyway, I am generally pleased but we have a love/​hate relationship.