tldr; over-crowded, dated facility with elitist at...

tldr; over-crowded, dated facility with elitist attitude. Nothing special about the place except the pool. Worth it for the summer, but wouldn't recommend beyond that.

I tried this gym for five days on a guest pass. I give Bel Air Athletic Club credit for that--they give potential members a very fair trial period. Things I liked about the gym: they have a great aquatic facility outside if you have kiddos. It has two family pools, a baby pool, a "splash pad" play fountain (which my daughter LOVES, it's very nice, cushioned, and a lot of fun), and an adults-only pool for the childless among us (or the parent who takes advantage of the on-site childcare). I thought the childcare was decent, however, my daughter is still in the separate "nursery" category since she isn't fully walking yet. The main play area for the kids is a bit of a zoo if you're there in the mornings (and I've heard the same about after work hours, though I've never seen it for myself). The childcare is very quiet around 1:00-3:30, which is when I like to go since I don't care for crowds. That being said, this gym is Crowded with a capital "C." Even off-peak hours are very busy in the aquatic facility I mentioned earlier. It is rare to find a chair or table at any time of day. The fitness facility itself is, in a word, dated. Same goes for all the locker rooms and bathrooms. None of these negatives would be enough to really turn me totally off the gym, but this next one put me off majorly: the staff member who gave me a tour of the gym spoke disparagingly about the gym I currently use, the Y in Abingdon, which in my opinion is an excellent facility compared to most other options in the area and is actually much more up-to-date, and cleaner than BAAC. The staff member's exact wording was: "we are more expensive than the Y because we want to keep out the riff raff." I was shocked to hear something so elitist coming from the mouth of a blue-collar worker, and I found it to be offensive and distasteful. Although I may purchase a membership for the summer only so my daughter can have access to the splash pad, I plan on going straight back to the Y, where they are friendly and welcoming to all patrons, and wouldn't ever say something like that. Also, their membership is only $10 cheaper than BAAC, just as an FYI for anyone comparison shopping.