Growing up, my family always had a membership to the local YMCA during the summer months.
And I loved it because it meant that I could go swimming whenever I wanted.
My mom loved it cause she used their gym equipment, and my brother loved playing basketball there.
As I got older, having a pool in the gym near me became more of a priority because there’s nothing like a nice dip in the pool after a workout.
And on those really hard workout days, the hot tub or sauna became a lifesaver for those sore muscles.
If you’re like, then these are also a priority when choosing a local gym or fitness center.
So what are the best gyms with a pool, sauna, or hot tub near me?
Your local YMCA offers the most budget-friendly pool option. If you want a gym with a really nice, big pool, then look for an Equinox or Life Time Fitness location near you.
And if you happen to be in the Las Vegas area, then visit a Las Vegas Athletic Club location for really nice lap pools and spa areas.
If you’re curious about what to expect from each fitness center chain, then let’s take a closer look at what type of aquatic benefits you get for your membership money.
Which Big Box Gyms Have Pools, Hot Tubs, And Saunas At Most Locations?
Before we dig in here, keep in mind that specific amenities at gyms vary from one location to the next.
So, if you’re considering a specific gym in your area, then don’t take our word for it – give them a call to inquire about their aquatic offerings.
But as a general rule, the information below is a good guide to help you find a gym or fitness center near you with pool, hot tub, and sauna facilities.
1. YMCA
My old childhood favorite is a great place to start your quest for a gym with a pool. But what’s available does vary quite a bit by facility location.
Since the Y is known for offering swimming lessons, you can count a on decent size indoor pool being available for use.
At all the locations I’ve used, part of the pool has lap lanes and the other part is for lessons and general swimming.
If you go to a larger YMCA, then you’ll probably also have an outdoor lap pool that you can use with your membership.
Hot tubs and saunas also seem to be the norm at the locations that I’ve visited.
Based on my own personal experience using a few different YMCA locations, they always have a pool and the newer locations tend to have nicer ones, likes pools with slides.
The sauna facilities also tend to be nicer in the newer locations, especially if it’s in the “rich” part of town.
But regardless of what part of town your local YMCA is in, the best part is monthly membership cost is cheap. That makes the Y your best bet for cheap access to a pool, spa, and hot tub on the regular.
2. LA Fitness
This is another good option that’s budget-friendly if you want access to a pool and sauna without having to spend a bunch of money on membership.
Though, most of the time I think you get more bang for your buck at the local Y.
When I moved out of my home state, I ended up visiting a local LA Fitness gym to see what sort of facilities they offer.
Based on my experience, the LA Fitness locations all have a hot tub, sauna, and indoor pool.
Though, that pool might be really small.
But hey, you’re not going to the gym to frolic in the pool, right? You’re there to do some laps, or maybe to cool off after a hard workout.
So, a small lap pool does the trick.
3. 24 Hour Fitness
I’ve been in a couple of these, and honestly I’m not really a fan, but they’re okay for people who are on a budget.
The locations tend to be small, which means that the aquatic offerings are minimal. Usually a small lap pool and a hot tub.
Not all locations have saunas, at least in my experience.
But if you’re looking for something that’s no frills where you can just pop in and do a few laps, or maybe soak in the hot tub after a workout, then this will probably work for you.
It certainly not the best choice for people who are prioritizing a pool, but it works for people who are on a budget need a facility with pool.
4. Equinox Sports Club
If you’re looking for the gym with the best pools, then look no further than Equinox. Man, they truly have the nicest facilities of any of the big box gyms that I’ve used.
Of course, they also have a higher membership cost than lot of other options listed on this page.
But you truly get what you pay for.
What I really love is the indoor salt water pool – so much better for your skin than chlorine!
Their indoor lap pools are large and really nice. They usually have nice outdoor pools as well.
And the spa facilities are the best you can get outside of a standalone spa – really nice saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs, legit spa treatment rooms, etc.
Of course, you can’t find these gyms in all cities cause they don’t have many locations.
But when I lived in both NYC and Los Angeles, there were tons of locations – and often I saw actors in the gym at the same time!
5. Life Time Fitness
If you don’t want the high cost of Equinox, but you aren’t on a tight budget, then Life Time offers a good value for the money.
You end up getting a bit more for your money than say your local Y, but not quite as awesome as Equinox. I think it’s a good happy medium.
Honestly, based on my experience, the pool facilities are a lot like what I got at my old YMCA (but it was in the rich part of town!).
So, big lap pool inside and outside, plus cool pool slides for the kiddos.
And I really like their saunas. But I think what really sets them apart from other big box gyms is that their outdoor pools are HUGE.
The location closest to my house, in Summerlin, NV, has just this massive outdoor pool with slides (image above) and it seems like all of their locations have large outdoor pool areas.
They also seem to have a lot of locations through out the USA, which is nice.
6. Gold’s Gym
If you grew up in the late 80’s like me, then you’re super familiar with this name.
I feel like Gold’s Gym locations where all the rage when I was a kid, but you don’t hear much about them these days.
However, they are still in existence, though it’s easy to see why you don’t hear much about them.
Not all Gold’s Gym locations even have a pool, not to mention hot tubs and saunas.
And if you do find a location with a pool, it’s probably going to be a small one with a couple of lap lanes. And probably a simple hot tub, too.
The only location I’ve actually been to was in Los Angeles, so I suspect it was a bit nicer than most, but at the end of this day this is a budget gym that focuses more on workouts than aquatics.
But if you just want to do laps in the pool on workout days, then this is probably a good cheap option for you.
Tip: A few Crunch gym locations have aquatic facilities. Look for the Crunch Signature locations to find them.
Big Box Gyms That Don’t Have Pools
If having access to a swimming pool is your number one priority, then there are a few big box gym chains that you can definitely cross off your list. Because you won’t find a gym at any of their locations across the USA.
- Planet Fitness
- Pure Gym
- Anytime Fitness
- Crunch
In case you’re wondering why you don’t get a pool at these gyms, Planet Fitness spells it out like this:
[…] able to provide extremely affordable prices by offering key amenities such as brand name equipment, unlimited fitness training, full size locker rooms, flat screen TVs and more, which cater to occasional or first-time gym users, rather than high end amenities such as pools and juice bars that typically drive up membership fees.
So, their focus is to offer cheaper membership costs and focus on basic fitness amenities.
Though, I’d argue that a pool isn’t a high end amenity for a gym since the YMCA offer it.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, there are several box box gyms with locations throughout the USA that have pools, hot tubs, and sauna facilities. So, it’s easy to find a gym with a pool near you.
If you want a gym with the biggest outdoor pools, then look for a Life Time Fitness location near you.
If you want a gym with good facilities at the most affordable cost, then look for a YMCA location near you.
If you want a gym with luxury facilities at a higher cost, then look for an Equinox Sports Club location near you.
You may even discover that a local gym chain has good aquatic facilities, so take a look at what’s available in your local area before committing to one of these big box gyms.
