Centara/duangtawan Hotel Fitness Center ...

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup, TV Chiang Mai Friends,

Dragged my human's bag-o'-bones to the gym today while waiting for a brake job to be finished on the car.

Amazing how three ten-minute sessions of super-hot sauna, followed by cold showers lasting three minutes each, followed by a five minute cooling off under a fan, can revive a somewhat heat-exhausted (and full of bad-air) old human body (particularly when accompanied by near constant hydration).

Khun Bui, the manager at the gym, told us that tomorrow they are having a "members' party" (a once a year event), and tomorrow only a year's membership will be 8k baht instead of 8500.

Gym is open seven days a week 6am - 10PM. In men's dressing room two saunas (one of which is usually red-hot), jacuzzi (never hot enough for me), steam room: we assume the women's dressing room has similar accoutrements.

From my human's point of view equipment quite good now, lots of treadmills, lots of machines that help you get even resistance as you isolate a certain muscle group and exercise it through its full range of motion without the possible "ballistic" effect and joint-damage an older body can get easily using free weights.

Before my human had belonged to the Orchid health club years ago (had to quit: couldn't stand the loud music they played); belonged to the fitness center in Hillside 4, also, for a while, but find Centara much better.

best, ~o:37;

Edited March 17, 2010 by orang37

[JohnQ]

Sounds good. Have they got personal training services?

[alfieconn]

Why advertise something that is full most days

[NancyL]

Orang37, thank you for bringing this to everyone's attention.

I don't understand why the topic of health clubs causes so many people to say something like "I love the place I go, but I'm not telling you the name. I don't want it to be too busy." That's like saying "stop telling people to go to my favorite bookstore because I want to save all the good books for myself." Don't you want your favorite businesses to be successful?

In a previous thread about health clubs, I reported on my experience at Centara and noted that I've never had to wait more than 4 minutes for their most popular cardio machines -- treadmills. It's been very busy there lately (probably because people don't want to exercise outdoors in this air.), yet four minutes is my longest wait. Yesterday I did have to ask someone if he was done with a certain weight bench when he was just sitting there talking on his mobile phone, not using any weights. Oh, almost forgot -- I had to wait two minutes for a shower room on Monday. Hardly "full most days".

Come on, folks! Health clubs are businesses. Don't you want to see a business you like succeed? If they're consistently busy, then perhaps some other hotels in the area will realize the money to be made in opening their health clubs to public membership. I've been told that Centara has much more equipment than they used to have. They're responding to their success in a way that's positive for their customers.

[venturalaw]

Orang37, thank you for bringing this to everyone's attention.

I don't understand why the topic of health clubs causes so many people to say something like "I love the place I go, but I'm not telling you the name. I don't want it to be too busy." That's like saying "stop telling people to go to my favorite bookstore because I want to save all the good books for myself." Don't you want your favorite businesses to be successful?

In a previous thread about health clubs, I reported on my experience at Centara and noted that I've never had to wait more than 4 minutes for their most popular cardio machines -- treadmills. It's been very busy there lately (probably because people don't want to exercise outdoors in this air.), yet four minutes is my longest wait. Yesterday I did have to ask someone if he was done with a certain weight bench when he was just sitting there talking on his mobile phone, not using any weights. Oh, almost forgot -- I had to wait two minutes for a shower room on Monday. Hardly "full most days".

Come on, folks! Health clubs are businesses. Don't you want to see a business you like succeed? If they're consistently busy, then perhaps some other hotels in the area will realize the money to be made in opening their health clubs to public membership. I've been told that Centara has much more equipment than they used to have. They're responding to their success in a way that's positive for their customers.

You are comparing apples and oranges. Having a busy fitness facility is a pain. Re: the Centara, in the men's locker room, which is very small (no more than 5 - 8 men can stand in the locker area at a time), there is not just one, but two sauna rooms (IN THE LOCKER ROOM WHERE YOU CHANGE). Plus, just outside from the locker area (10 feet away) is a steam room. It's why I left and went to Fitness Thailand. I could never get dry after a shower.

If I were going to, say a bookstore, I wouldn't mind it being crowded for that is indicative of the store having an amazing selection. I'm not trying to get dry so that I can dress in a bookstore. Understand the difference?

Re: waiting for machines or weights at the Centara, for me it was hit or miss. Sometimes no machines, sometimes a few available. But that was a year ago, so who knows what it's like now. But I did find out that the men's locker room is the same - crowded and hot.

Regarding more equipment, that's because their other location went out of business, so the used equipment was brought over to the hotel - along with a lot of younger boys using said equipment (and getting in the way).

Edited March 18, 2010 by venturalaw

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup, TV CM Friends,

We are not here to "sell you" on any health club: and the health club you choose may not be the right health club for us. Until the Orchid Hotel (years ago) started playing music that literally damaged our ears, we were fairly happy there, even though the maintenance of the facility was going downhill every year.

In any case, if you are looking for a heath club: we trust you will go and look for yourself at the alternatives.

But we do feel a need to correct a very misleading report on the men's facilities at the Centara by Khun VenturaLaw.

The entire men's dressing room is a very large affair. Khun Venturalaw's comments can be "stretched" at most to apply only to one part of it, an "innermost" part which is probably less than 25% of the entire area.

And there sometimes is a crowded condition in the area of that innermost part where the lockers are (and off of which open the two saunas). There is a wall-mounted rotary fan in that area. The steam room opens off a large area that is in another "outer" part of men's dressing room.

Yes, it can get hot, and somewhat crowded in the area immediately next to the lockers. And you may have to patiently wait a few minutes to get to your locker if you are there in the most crowded hours.

The Centara gives patrons two farang-large size blue terry-cloth towels to use.

My human usually takes one towel to wipe his sweat off machines as he works out, and to sit on in the sauna, and saves the other for the final drying off. On rare occasions (because when my human sweats it takes a long time for him to stop sweating), we've asked at the desk for another fresh towel: the staff has always given us one if asked).

There are areas outside the innermost locker-room area where there are benches, and these areas are not hot, as the innermost area sometimes gets. You can easily take your things out of your locker, move to one of the outer areas (or go in a whole seperate area where there is the jacuzzi and showers), and perform your final drying off, and dressing there.

We usually go around 2-4PM in the afternoon, or at 6AM in the mornings rarely, and often from 8PM-10PM at night: during those hours we have not generally experienced the club as being crowded, nor have we observed a bunch of young boys there.

We deliberately don't go from 5-7PM, particularly on Friday and Saturdays, because that's when we've experienced it as most crowded.

If we are arriving at a time when we think it might be crowded, we usually arrive ready to work out, and go straight to work-out, using the lockers later, sometimes leaving our change of clothes locked in the trunk of the car. For fifty baht three years ago I got a parking sticker and have used it with no problem for three years: having a place to park at Songkraan time near the Night Bazaar can be handy.

We like the fact they have two saunas because usually the red-hot is such a preview of hel_l that it has only one or two people and us in it, at most.

In general we have not had a problem with having to wait too long for machines or treadmills, partly because there are so many of them.

In any case, do go and look for yourself. As is said too often: "caveat emptor."

best, ~o:37;

Edited March 18, 2010 by orang37

[venturalaw]

Sawasdee Khrup, TV CM Friends,

We are not here to "sell you" on any health club: and the health club you choose may not be the right health club for us. Until the Orchid Hotel (years ago) started playing music that literally damaged our ears, we were fairly happy there, even though the maintenance of the facility was going downhill every year.

In any case, if you are looking for a heath club: we trust you will go and look for yourself at the alternatives.

But we do feel a need to correct a very misleading report on the men's facilities at the Centara by Khun VenturaLaw.

The entire men's dressing room is a very large affair. Khun Venturalaw's comments can be "stretched" at most to apply only to one part of it, an "innermost" part which is probably less than 25% of the entire area.

And there sometimes is a crowded condition in the area of that innermost part where the lockers are (and off of which open the two saunas). There is a wall-mounted rotary fan in that area. The steam room opens off a large area that is in another "outer" part of men's dressing room.

Yes, it can get hot, and somewhat crowded in the area immediately next to the lockers. And you may have to patiently wait a few minutes to get to your locker if you are there in the most crowded hours.

The Centara gives patrons two farang-large size blue terry-cloth towels to use.

My human usually takes one towel to wipe his sweat off machines as he works out, and to sit on in the sauna, and saves the other for the final drying off. On rare occasions (because when my human sweats it takes a long time for him to stop sweating), we've asked at the desk for another fresh towel: the staff has always given us one if asked).

There are areas outside the innermost locker-room area where there are benches, and these areas are not hot, as the innermost area sometimes gets. You can easily take your things out of your locker, move to one of the outer areas (or go in a whole seperate area where there is the jacuzzi and showers), and perform your final drying off, and dressing there.

We usually go around 2-4PM in the afternoon, or at 6AM in the mornings rarely, and often from 8PM-10PM at night: during those hours we have not generally experienced the club as being crowded, nor have we observed a bunch of young boys there.

We deliberately don't go from 5-7PM, particularly on Friday and Saturdays, because that's when we've experienced it as most crowded.

If we are arriving at a time when we think it might be crowded, we usually arrive ready to work out, and go straight to work-out, using the lockers later, sometimes leaving our change of clothes locked in the trunk of the car. For fifty baht three years ago I got a parking sticker and have used it with no problem for three years: having a place to park at Songkraan time near the Night Bazaar can be handy.

We like the fact they have two saunas because usually the red-hot is such a preview of hel_l that it has only one or two people and us in it, at most.

In general we have not had a problem with having to wait too long for machines or treadmills, partly because there are so many of them.

In any case, do go and look for yourself. As is said too often: "caveat emptor."

best, ~o:37;

Nothing that I said was misleading. There are lockers located in two areas for the men to change. One area has no showers available at all and the use of those lockers cost an additional annual sum. Said locker area is on the other side of the fitness center with the front desk in between (so NO WAY to shower, and then go get dressed in this larger locker room area.

The second area of lockers which has showers in the vacinity) is what I was talking about - and if you chose to change where your clothes are located - next to your locker, there is room for 5 - 8 men to stand. That same area has 2 saunas. Now, as K'Orang noted, one can take one's clothes and change in another area where there is a jacuzzi (no benches in this room by the way, just showers and a jacuzzi). So you can stand there holding your clothes (or put them on the wet floor) and get dressed. True, there is no sauna there, just a jacuzzi - a nice hot one. Or you can change where the sinks are located by the other showers, or where the sinks are located in another room which houses the steam room. In other words, there is no place to comfortably change where the temperature is less than 35 - 40 degrees. Not misleading, no exaggeration. Check it out.

For the record, I would have preferred to stay at the Centara because of the pool (Fitness Thailand does not have a pool). But, often following a workout, I have appointments and it is preferable that I appear dry when in attendance.

Edited March 18, 2010 by venturalaw

[NancyL]

Sounds like the mens' and ladies' locker rooms have the same layout. It's not ideal, but I've made it work. There is the second locker room (which venturalaw finally mentioned) that contains benches and lockers that are rented by the year -- for something less than 1400 baht per year as I recall. This locker room is wonderfully cold, but doesn't have any shower or sink facilities. It does have a mirror, hair dryer and aircon, so it's a big part of my grooming ritual at Centara.

Here's how I make it work. I keep my stuff in what I call the permanent locker in the cold room. When I arrive, I change and load whatever I'll need for a shower into a plastic basket. Then I take the plastic basket into the "public" locker room and store my stuff in one of the lockers located in the crowded area next to Hades. After I exercise, I return to Hades, get my stuff out of the public locker, take a shower, get into my underwear, wrap one of those huge Centara towels around me and head back to the "private" locker room to cool off and get myself looking presentable.

I would think a guy could do much the same thing, wrapping the Centara towel around his waist as he dashes from the steamy public locker room into the private locker room where (presumably) he has the same quiet and aircon as we have in the ladies private locker room.

It's not an ideal situation, but short of paying big baht and joining the health club at the Chedi, I haven't found anything better within a reasonable distance of my home.

[Ulysses G.]

I am guessing that the women's aircon changing room, that you pay extra for, is very close to the hotter free changing room.

Men have to walk all the way through the lobby after taking a shower in the original room and I would guess that most people would not feel comfortable doing it without being dressed.

I stick with the sweatbox changing room even though I often have to wait in line to get to my locker and change clothes.

How much is the Chedi? It might be worth it to those who don't like crowds.

Edited March 18, 2010 by Ulysses G.

[Bill97]

Sounds like the mens' and ladies' locker rooms have the same layout. It's not ideal, but I've made it work. There is the second locker room (which venturalaw finally mentioned) that contains benches and lockers that are rented by the year -- for something less than 1400 baht per year as I recall. This locker room is wonderfully cold, but doesn't have any shower or sink facilities. It does have a mirror, hair dryer and aircon, so it's a big part of my grooming ritual at Centara.

Here's how I make it work. I keep my stuff in what I call the permanent locker in the cold room. When I arrive, I change and load whatever I'll need for a shower into a plastic basket. Then I take the plastic basket into the "public" locker room and store my stuff in one of the lockers located in the crowded area next to Hades. After I exercise, I return to Hades, get my stuff out of the public locker, take a shower, get into my underwear, wrap one of those huge Centara towels around me and head back to the "private" locker room to cool off and get myself looking presentable.

I would think a guy could do much the same thing, wrapping the Centara towel around his waist as he dashes from the steamy public locker room into the private locker room where (presumably) he has the same quiet and aircon as we have in the ladies private locker room.

It's not an ideal situation, but short of paying big baht and joining the health club at the Chedi, I haven't found anything better within a reasonable distance of my home.

It is really great to know exactly where and when you get into your underwear. Do you dry off after the shower or put the underwear on wet ? I really do want to try your recommended routine next time I go to the gym and when I get the 1400 baht for the second locker room.

[NancyL]

UG - you're right, the 1400 baht/yr ladies locker room is right across the hall from the steamy public locker room, so a lady can dash across the hall wrapped in a towel and avoid a male gaze 99% of the time. The rest of the time I hope they think I've wrapped a towel around a swimsuit. Many of the hotel guests wear swimsuits much more revealing than my underwear!

Yes, guys do have to cross the lobby to go from the steamy locker room to the cool one. But, the Centara towels are large and quite often men leave the pool area with towels wrapped around their waist to head back to their hotel rooms. I think if you headed from the steamy locker room to the cool one wearing just a towel everyone would figure you just got out of the pool.

I checked out the fitness facilities at the Chedi a few months ago. As I recall, an annual membership was something like 34,000 baht per year. Over three times the cost of the Centara and way outside our budget. But, ahh, it looked wonderful.

Bill97, well if you must know, I dry off after the shower and liberally apply body powder (the 12 hr brand in the purple bottle) before I slip on the underwear and wrap myself in the towel. No I'm not posting any pictures.

[Ulysses G.]

I am hoping that the Shangrila or Le Meridian will make their fitness center available for a somewhat reasonable price. I don't like having to plan what time I go workout to avoid overcrowding.

[Bill97]

Bill97, well if you must know, I dry off after the shower and liberally apply body powder (the 12 hr brand in the purple bottle) before I slip on the underwear and wrap myself in the towel. No I'm not posting any pictures.

Oh, thank you Nancy. That 12 hour brand in the purple bottle must be marvy, wonderful tip, I am going to run out now to get some.

[orang37]

Sawasdee Khrup, TV Friends,

Learn something every day: we had no idea there was another changing room. And, dam_n, haven't seen any steamy towel-wrapped ladies either.

A final comment: when my human meat-form had cancer, and got too weak to work out for about six months following chemo and radiation, the Centara "suspended" our membership without charge, and renewed it without charge, so we did not lose any of the year membership paid for.

The friendliness of the staff there has always impressed me.

To your health, wherever you choose to find it

best, ~o:37;

[Donnyboy]

Bill97, well if you must know, I dry off after the shower and liberally apply body powder (the 12 hr brand in the purple bottle) before I slip on the underwear and wrap myself in the towel. No I'm not posting any pictures.

Oh, thank you Nancy. That 12 hour brand in the purple bottle must be marvy, wonderful tip, I am going to run out now to get some.

but please, dont post any pics!

[venturalaw]

Sounds like the mens' and ladies' locker rooms have the same layout. It's not ideal, but I've made it work. There is the second locker room (which venturalaw finally mentioned) that contains benches and lockers that are rented by the year -- for something less than 1400 baht per year as I recall. This locker room is wonderfully cold, but doesn't have any shower or sink facilities. It does have a mirror, hair dryer and aircon, so it's a big part of my grooming ritual at Centara.

Here's how I make it work. I keep my stuff in what I call the permanent locker in the cold room. When I arrive, I change and load whatever I'll need for a shower into a plastic basket. Then I take the plastic basket into the "public" locker room and store my stuff in one of the lockers located in the crowded area next to Hades. After I exercise, I return to Hades, get my stuff out of the public locker, take a shower, get into my underwear, wrap one of those huge Centara towels around me and head back to the "private" locker room to cool off and get myself looking presentable

For the men, traversing from one locker room to the other would be doable if the two men's locker rooms were as close to each other as are the women's. BTW, my appologies for failing to provide information regarding the entire layout in my initial post. I did not purchase access to the cooler locker room and therefore had not used it.

Edited March 19, 2010 by venturalaw

[orang37]

... snip ... The second area of lockers which has showers in the vacinity) is what I was talking about - and if you chose to change where your clothes are located - next to your locker, there is room for 5 - 8 men to stand. That same area has 2 saunas. Now, as K'Orang noted, one can take one's clothes and change in another area where there is a jacuzzi (no benches in this room by the way, just showers and a jacuzzi). So you can stand there holding your clothes (or put them on the wet floor) and get dressed. True, there is no sauna there, just a jacuzzi - a nice hot one. Or you can change where the sinks are located by the other showers, or where the sinks are located in another room which houses the steam room. In other words, there is no place to comfortably change where the temperature is less than 35 - 40 degrees. Not misleading, no exaggeration. Check it out.

For the record, I would have preferred to stay at the Centara because of the pool (Fitness Thailand does not have a pool). But, often following a workout, I have appointments and it is preferable that I appear dry when in attendance.

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun VenturaLaw,

We apolgize if using the word "mis-leading" insulted you in any way; using the words "incomplete description" would have been better. And, obviously, when we made our comments we had no idea there was an additional locker area (which we wouldn't use anyway since we don't have a problem with the club as is, and are far too cheap to pay another 1400 baht).

But even in this revised description of the men's changing area ... in which the lockers are located in an "innermost" part ... you have left out two places with benches which, in our experience, are always cooler than the "innermost" area, and are quite suitable for changing once you have your things outside of the locker.

One bench is located just to the left of the steam-room. Another bench is located next to the water cooler across from a long marble-topped row of multiple sinks.

In our experience even the innermost changing area (off which the two saunas open) next to the lockers, is never "static" : it's full of (or empty of) people busy changing to work-out or dressing to leave; it's "in motion" : the fact we sometimes (rarely) have to wait a few minutes to get to our locker just doesn't phase us. I've found a little direct eye contact, and a smile, and a "korthut, Khrup," if we are asking a Thai person to move over a little bit: usually works fine. And depending on the farang either a grunt, a roar, or a bellow may have the same effect

Again, please go, look for yourself, and assess with your own eyeballs. If we were shopping for a health club in Chiang Mai, we'd visit them all both at some off-peak time, and some other time of possibly peak usage, and at the time we were most likely to want to work out.

To your health !

best, ~o:37;

Edited March 20, 2010 by orang37

[venturalaw]

... snip ... The second area of lockers which has showers in the vacinity) is what I was talking about - and if you chose to change where your clothes are located - next to your locker, there is room for 5 - 8 men to stand. That same area has 2 saunas. Now, as K'Orang noted, one can take one's clothes and change in another area where there is a jacuzzi (no benches in this room by the way, just showers and a jacuzzi). So you can stand there holding your clothes (or put them on the wet floor) and get dressed. True, there is no sauna there, just a jacuzzi - a nice hot one. Or you can change where the sinks are located by the other showers, or where the sinks are located in another room which houses the steam room. In other words, there is no place to comfortably change where the temperature is less than 35 - 40 degrees. Not misleading, no exaggeration. Check it out.

For the record, I would have preferred to stay at the Centara because of the pool (Fitness Thailand does not have a pool). But, often following a workout, I have appointments and it is preferable that I appear dry when in attendance.

Sawasdee Khrup, Khun VenturaLaw,

We apolgize if using the word "mis-leading" insulted you in any way; using the words "incomplete description" would have been better. And, obviously, when we made our comments we had no idea there was an additional locker area (which we wouldn't use anyway since we don't have a problem with the club as is, and are far too cheap to pay another 1400 baht).

But even in this revised description of the men's changing area ... in which the lockers are located in an "innermost" part ... you have left out two places with benches which, in our experience, are always cooler than the "innermost" area, and are quite suitable for changing once you have your things outside of the locker.

One bench is located just to the left of the steam-room. Another bench is located next to the water cooler across from a long marble-topped row of multiple sinks.

In our experience even the innermost changing area (off which the two saunas open) next to the lockers, is never "static" : it's full of (or empty of) people busy changing to work-out or dressing to leave; it's "in motion" : the fact we sometimes (rarely) have to wait a few minutes to get to our locker just doesn't phase us. I've found a little direct eye contact, and a smile, and a "korthut, Khrup," if we are asking a Thai person to move over a little bit: usually works fine. And depending on the farang either a grunt, a roar, or a bellow may have the same effect

Again, please go, look for yourself, and assess with your own eyeballs. If we were shopping for a health club in Chiang Mai, we'd visit them all both at some off-peak time, and some other time of possibly peak usage, and at the time we were most likely to want to work out.

To your health !

best, ~o:37;

I concur that there is a bench next to the water cooler to the right of the steam room. It's the cooler area in the men's main locker room. The bench comfortably seats 2 men. That is where I would change if I were able to secure a spot and leave relatively dry provided that people were not using a hairdryer(s) at the counter approximately 2 feet away from the bench.

Regarding your statement that we "are far too cheap to pay another 1400 baht" is puzzling. When I met you I did not perceive that you, or for that matter, anyone with whom you may associate, would be 'cheap'.

Edited March 20, 2010 by venturalaw