The Downtown Club at The Met

I joined The Met a few months ago to try it out and overall it was an ok option for a downtown gym. I will say that for the price point, I didn’t find value in the amenities. Lockers are not included and require an additional charge. I haven’t been part of a gym before that required a fee for a day use locker. I joined strictly for the gym access. This review is not reflective of the tennis membership. Pros: they have some Rogue and techno gym equipment and I never needed to wait for a machine. I would lift after work on weekdays and never saw more than 10 people around. Cons: need to pay for a locker, locker room is carpet which I found kind of gross, also found several roaches in the locker room the one time I used the sauna in the woman’s locker room, cardio equipment is nothing special but they have a lot of it and it gets the job done. There is a recovery room which I was told when you book it, you’re the only person who has access to it. That wasn’t true either. One time I was in there with the front door locked and someone, assuming the massage therapist, came in and proceeded to leave the door unlocked. When it was time for me to leave my recovery session, the door was unlocked and anyone could’ve walked in. It left me feeling uneasy because from what I was told when I joined, you have complete privacy in that area. The recovery room is an additional charge and although it’s a good price compared to places like Sudor, you’re better off joining Lifetime Downtown since the cold plunge is included and their locker rooms are much nicer. After I joined I found it difficult to get in touch with people for cancellation/billing issues. I’m still trying to get my final month’s statement corrected. Everyone that works at The Met is very nice but it just takes a while to get answers/responses and I catch myself having to follow up many times. I could never get the parking garage system set up to allow for easy entry and had to get a ticket validated every time. They can either give you a 2 hour or 4 hour ticket validation. One time I was at the gym for more than 2 hours, was only given a 2 hour validation ticket and when I left, I was prompted to pay the difference. When you call for help on the intercom system, they won’t help you because the garage management is separate from the gym so I had to reverse, park again, and go up to the gym to get the 4 hour validation. Now that I finished writing this review I remembered how frustrating being a member here was. The parking situation was really a hassle.

I have been a member of the Downtown Club for over 40 years. I have seen a lot of positive changes over the years. The staff is amazing and the group fitness classes offer a wide range of choices with amazing instructors. Plenty of cardio machines as well as weight machines and free weights. The food is amazing right down to the smoothies. Highly recommend you go by and take a tour of the facilities.

If you're considering joining The Downtown Met in Houston, do yourself a favor and don’t. This place is a complete disaster, hiding behind a nice location and slick marketing while delivering some of the worst customer service and member experience you’ll find in the city. The communication is abysmal — particularly from Sarah and Alicia, who are repeatedly unresponsive and unhelpful. Emails go ignored, questions are dodged, and if you do finally get a reply, it’s vague and often inaccurate. They don’t follow up, they don’t follow through, and unless you ask five or six times, you will not get any clear answers or confirmations. You are constantly left chasing them down just to get the most basic information. To make matters worse, they will charge you whatever they want, whenever they want — without warning, explanation, or approval. You won’t be notified of fees or changes unless you hunt them down to ask. If you’re offered a credit, promo, or adjustment — take a screenshot and save every email, because they certainly won’t help you figure anything out after the fact. Once you’ve signed up, you’re on your own. Facility-wise, it's barely above average. Courts are often overbooked, the gym space is mediocre, and amenities are inconsistently maintained. You're paying premium rates for a second-rate experience across the board. Bottom line: The Downtown Met is a textbook case of mismanagement and indifference. For a place that calls itself a “premier fitness and tennis club,” it operates more like a poorly run pop-up gym with no structure or respect for its members. Look elsewhere — literally anywhere else would be a better use of your time and money.