Equinox Domino

Equinox markets itself as a luxury gym, but my experience has been anything but. The price point is exorbitant for what they’re offering. The facility is cramped, class schedules are poorly timed, and the equipment technology frequently malfunctions. Worst of all, the gym opened prematurely and clearly wasn’t ready to host members. It feels like a construction zone—paint jobs are incomplete, the stairs aren’t finished, and the steam room doesn’t work. There are only two functioning water stations for the entire facility. Despite all this, they’re charging full price for the month, which is unacceptable. The lack of readiness and disregard for member experience is truly appalling. For a brand that promises excellence, Equinox has completely missed the mark. I highly recommend looking elsewhere for a gym that delivers what it advertises.

Now that the pool and spa are open, I’m reposting my review after 45+ workouts at Domino. It’s packed with gimmicks that sell memberships but has a lot of problems and missed opportunities for people who regularly workout. I’ve stopped going, now take the subway to Flatiron and other EQ locations, and am considering canceling for a better Brooklyn gym. Here’s why: 1. Facility – Repurposing the Domino building is a cool concept, but inside, the views are 95% blocked. You’d never know you're next to some of the best Manhattan views in Brooklyn. Meanwhile, the neighboring apartment gym has floor-to-ceiling windows and an outdoor pool. Huge miss. 2. Pool – Indoors, three floors down. Think Equinox Hudson Yards—outdoor, social, a destination. Instead, we get a small lap pool with a giant fishbowl sauna for people to stare at swimmers. 3. Locker Room – Cramped, like Bedford’s, even though this gym is bigger. Gets dirty fast. The dry sauna is across from the pool, requiring a swimsuit and a trip out of the locker room, while the steam room is inside. No easy sauna/steam rotation. And being in the basement means it's always musky. 4. Location – Impractical to get to unless you live nearby. Far from the Bedford L, bike stations always full, no parking. It’ll get weekend traffic in summer, but unlike other destination Equinox locations, it's remote except for neighbors. 5. Workout Area – Bigger than Bedford but not on par with Flatiron or Greenwich. Cardio is crammed up against weights—bikers are staring at someone’s crotch doing bench press. Free weights are a bottleneck with the cable machines, yet the leg area is oddly empty. I'd move the smith machine. Preacher curl and leg extension machines are strange. Mirrors? Barely any. But the workout floor bathrooms? Stunning—finally, someone cared. Lighting, though? Airport runway vibes. 6. The Crowd – Least "Brooklyn vibe" I’ve ever felt in Brooklyn. No energy, no diversity. Just blah. 7. Other Notes – The front door is unnecessarily brutal. The rushed opening was a trainwreck. 8. Positives – It’s Equinox. Premium (not luxury) amenities, standard experience. But as membership fees skyrocket, we should expect more. I was more wowed by the Greenwhich and Flatiron renovation than this whole new gym.

I’m always looking for a reason to critique Equinox - but ignore the comments. It’s a great space with plenty of equipment and space. It’s not destination (reminds me if Orchard and Dumbo collaborated) There’s plenty of equipment and a chill vibe. I think they underwhelmed members because the pool area is not open yet and they are finishing some work and touchups. First impressions are everything aren’t they. There’s a nice lounge area and a huge conference table so you can basically work from here if you want. One bit of feedback is that the bench press are in the walkway and should be moved - generally feel they are not utilizing the space as well as they could be. They tend to adjust in time. Can’t wait for the pool that’s going to be chic.

Still unfinished and broken. Locker rooms smell terrible from lack of ventilation, aren't cleaned regularly, and the floors are wet when it rains or snows as a result. Pool, hot tub, and cold plunge opened the weekend after Valentine's Day, but the cold plunge and hot tub were broken by Sunday. Water was grey/brown. The towels in the locker room weren't removed so the bin just overfilled. It is a nice facility if they can only fix everything, but the management has to get a grip on staffing and cleaning properly.

Been here since day one. Was hoping these issues would resolve when the New Year’s Eve crowd petered out, but they stayed. The people who go to this location are entitled slobs. Locker room is filled with people leaving their personal shit everywhere. Towels all over the place. Poor staff running around like mad trying to clean up after people. Loud conversations in the steam room and locker room with no consideration of others. People piling up weights and hogging them. Gym is filled with first time gym goers. All the usual equinox gym etiquette we pay so much for does not exist at this location. A planet fitness with an unfinished designer mask on.