Grand Court Lifestyles Inc

Pros

• They loved the Lifetime location and could not wait to return.
• The facility is clean, well-organized, and equipped with a wide variety of machines and free weights for all fitness levels.
• The group classes are motivating, with skilled instructors who make workouts challenging and enjoyable.
• The staff are welcoming and attentive, greeting members by name, answering questions quickly, and creating a supportive environment.
• The basketball court is more than a court - it's a community that helps members build friendships and find therapy through basketball.
• At the PGB location, cardio workouts benefit from a solid gym layout and plenty of TVs.

Cons

• They decided to remove the basketball court and replace it with indoor turf, which is described as ridiculous and shows they don't care about members.
• They are described as the worst managed Lifetime, with members saying they don't care about members and keep raising prices while adding no value.
• Removing the full-size court would trigger mass membership cancellations.
• The renovations are seen as prioritizing indoor turf over the basketball community that defines this gym.
• The plan to remodel the court into a smaller half-court, despite an existing huge outdoor turf, makes no sense.
• The Boca location is criticized for turning an NBA regulation basketball court into a mini court and eliminating the men's league; it's seen as a sign of disregard for members.
• The changes are a terrible downgrade that suggests Lifetime doesn't listen to or value its members.
• Ongoing construction and lack of basic amenities like showers create a frustrating, overpriced experience.
• The facility is perceived as outdated, with a poor vibe and awkward layout that diminishes the workout experience.
• A revolving door of staff and managers undermines member service and accountability.
• Members feel the membership cost is too high for the value received and expect cancellation or switching to competitors.

Review

Across a range of Lifetime locations, longtime members and recent visitors alike describe a club that once felt like a second home but now stirs a strong sense of disappointment and frustration. The common thread is the central role the full-size basketball court played in the club's identity. For many, this wasn't just a court for workouts; it was a community hub where friendships formed, routines were built, and a form of therapy and camaraderie thrived. Now, with talk of replacing that court with indoor turf, members feel that the core value of the gym is at stake and fear a growing exodus as loyalty meets renovations and price changes.

A recurring focus of concern is the Boca Raton location in particular, where the decision to eliminate the majority of the basketball court in favor of a smaller indoor turf has provoked a wave of backlash. One member emphasizes that the full, regulation-size NBA court was the defining attraction of this specific club, used by a rotating group of at least 70 members for full-court games weekly. The sense of loss isn't merely about space; it's about the social fabric - the daily games, the chance meetings, the men's league - that many believe would vanish or shrink dramatically. Several reviews warn that removing the court could trigger widespread membership cancellations, with comparisons drawn to a broader industry shift toward competing luxury gyms like Equinox. The fear is that this isn't a thoughtful enhancement but a pivot that disregards what keeps members engaged.

This tension dovetails with a broader dissatisfaction over pricing and value. A few longtime members recount paying premium rates - some noting family plans at hundreds of dollars per month - and perceive a disconnect between the money they invest and the value they receive as facilities undergo renovations or limitations during construction. The sentiment is that management's priorities are misaligned: renovations appear to come at the expense of the features that originally justified the expense, while members worry about ongoing price increases with little apparent added benefit. Comments about corporate-level decisions, and the sense that leadership isn't truly listening to the member base, recur across reviews. In some cases, people even point to specific dollar amounts and dates, underscoring a feeling of being overcharged for services not fully accessible or reliable during renovations.

Yet the story isn't pure grievance. Several reviews acknowledge the gym's strengths outside the courtroom debate. When not lamenting the court changes, members often praise the Boca club for its other amenities, the cleanliness and organization of the facility, and the quality of group classes led by skilled instructors. A number of voices commend staff for their warmth and attentiveness, noting that staff greet members by name, answer questions quickly, and contribute to a welcoming atmosphere. Flexibility in hours and a broad array of machines and free weights are cited as solid positives that still make the gym a worthwhile place to train for many people - at least when the renovations aren't causing more friction than they're worth.

The renovation experience itself has been a major pain point, turning what should be a routine upkeep into a season of disruption. Members describe construction timelines that drag on far longer than expected, with weekday routines disrupted and access to key areas restricted. Some report a lack of clear leadership on the premises - instances of rotating staff and a general sense that management at the local level hasn't been as responsive as members would like. The Boca location, in particular, is described as having periods with no general manager and even questions about essential facilities - such as the absence of male locker rooms or showers during certain phases of work - creating significant inconveniences for those who rely on the club as their daily hub. The overall mood is that the disruption has become a defining feature of the member experience in the near term.

Against this backdrop, members weigh their loyalty against practical alternatives. The fear of losing a cherished community has led some to threaten cancellation and to consider moving to other gyms, including nearby peers like Equinox or LA Fitness. For those who value the social ecosystem built around basketball, the concern isn't simply losing a court - it's losing the culture that grew from regular interactions, leagues, and shared workouts. A few reviews explicitly reference the Palm Beach Gardens location as a contrast - describing it as a more favorable experience relative to the Boca club, which adds to the sense that different branches are delivering markedly different member experiences even within the same brand.

In sum, the prevailing mood is a mix of heartbreak and guarded hope. Members who have invested years in Lifetime - some more than a decade - feel that the decision to downsize or remove the basketball court for indoor turf signals a broader shift away from what made the club special. They acknowledge the gym's strengths in other areas but worry that the heart of the community has been sidelined in service of renovations and strategic changes that aren't delivering commensurate value. As management weighs the turf versus court debate, the question remains whether the club can salvage its legacy and continue to attract new members while preserving the relationships and culture that current members fear will be lost. For many, the next steps depend on whether leadership can listen, offer meaningful compensation or alternatives during construction, and, crucially, reaffirm that member experience remains the top priority.

Parks

• Mizner Bark Dog Park (0.3 miles)
• Boca Tierra Park (1.6 miles)
• Spanish River Park (3.7 miles)
• Powderhorn Park (6.8 miles)

Theaters

• Cinemark Premier (0.4 miles)
• Regal Shadowood (5.1 miles)

Restaurants

• Farmer's Table (0.6 miles)
• Laspada's Original Hoagies (0.8 miles)
• The Cheesecake Factory (0.8 miles)
• Shake Shack (0.9 miles)
• The Capital Grille (1 miles)
• Denny's (1.7 miles)
• Calaveras Cantina (2.5 miles)

Cafes

• Starbucks (0.7 miles)
• Starbucks (1 miles)
• The Seed (1.4 miles)
• Starbucks (1.6 miles)
• Starbucks (2.6 miles)
• Starbucks (4.3 miles)
• The Original Brooklyn Water Bagel Co. (6 miles)

Physicians

• Retina Group of Florida (1.2 miles)
• Boca General & Family Medicine (1.2 miles)
• Baptist Health Marcus Neuroscience Institute | Boca Raton (1.6 miles)
• Aker Kasten Eye Center (2 miles)
• Steiger Facial Plastic Surgery: Dr. Jacob D. Steiger (2.4 miles)
• RevaMed Primary Care Associates (2.8 miles)
• Dermatology of Boca (2.9 miles)

Pharmacies

• CVS Pharmacy (1.4 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (1.5 miles)
• Walgreens (1.5 miles)
• Walgreens (2.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.3 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.5 miles)
• CVS Pharmacy (2.7 miles)

Places of Worship

• Congregation B'nai Israel (1.4 miles)
• B'nai Torah Congregation (3.2 miles)

Hospitals

• Christine E. Lynn Womens Health Center (1.6 miles)
• West Boca Medical Center (5.1 miles)