Claremont Club Experience?
Hello, I've been fantasizing about joining the Claremont Club. The Kids' Club sounds like it could be great (childcare while parents go relax or workout?), and spending the weekends there sounds like it could be a dream. It is pricey, to say the least. Anybody have experience with it to share? Is there a sense of community? Is it a good way to make family friends? Is it snooty? Are the services worth it? How's the food?
I went down a wormhole looking for a saltwater pool for my chlorine sensitive kid to swim in and ended up contemplating this huge membership! There haven't been any BPN comments about it in years.
Mar 19, 2019
Parent Replies
This is not about Claremont but Mills has an ozone/saline pool that is open to the public for a fee.
My family recently signed up so we don't have a ton of experience, but here's what I have so far...
The service at the gym/club is top notch, they're friendly and everything is kept super clean.
I think whether or not you sense snooty depends on where you're coming from, i.e., your own "station" in life. I sense a bit of snooty when I'm in the locker room and there are ladies who looked like they belong in a fancy country club. I don't really look like I belong, at all, and my partner and I joke about the Club towing my 20 year old car from the parking lot...
I've been to Limewood twice. First time with my partner and son, and the food was really good and service impeccable. So I decided to take my Mother there for brunch as a special treat the weekend after. I kept telling her how great the food was, but on the day we went, the menu had changed and her dish and mine were rubbish, and service was non-existent. I was really bummed because I seriously doubt I'll take her there again.
We're not rich by Bay Area standards, but we decided to join because we view this as an investment in our health and sanity. This is the closest gym to our house with generous opening hours (4:30am - 10pm?), ample free parking, onsite childcare, and kid friendly areas and swimming pools. I am a swimmer and I appreciate that they have dedicated lap swimming and family rec swimming separated. We've tried other cheaper gyms but driving there, looking for street parking, navigating the crowds, trying to go before work or after the kid goes to bed... just really difficult to fit into our busy work-filled lives. I still feel a tinge of panic every time I think about how much we paid in membership fee, but I'm guessing that will go away with time. Lol.