MINT Dupont

I love my gym! The facilities are gorgeous and rarely too crowded, and I love the variety of classes. Be sure to check out Yoga classes with Monica, barre classes with Rebecca, and the «Tour de Mint» with Colleen.
My only gripes– and they are minor– is that the PIQ system for monitoring your heart rate is super buggy, and I would appreciate more late morning classes during the week.

Fantastic experience. We are thinking of moving to DC and they let us use the gym. Everything I look for in a gym, great atmosphere, and friendly people. A special thanks to Debra Samuel for making us feel so comfortable and welcomed. Will definitely join if we decide to move! I was an elite level coach for 37 years. If looking for a great workout experience, this is it.

I was a member for 8 months until I had to move and I miss it! The mintensity, boot camp, and playground classes are fantastic. Great schedule — early mornings and evenings — and challenging, fun, and ever changing workouts in the classes. Awesome instructors who remember you and get to know you motivated me even further. Great gym.

Great gym! Don’t be fooled by the price, because almost all of the classes (spin, yoga, bootcamp, TRx, etc.) are free with the membership!

Friendly staff, always clean locker rooms, and great classes offered at a variety of times. One of my favorite aspects of Mint Dupont is its natural light and excellent air circulation. This helps motivate and energize me, even on the days when I don’t feel up to a workout!

I love working out at Mint! People keep talking about how other gyms are better with «the price», I couldn’t disagree more. You can’t put a price tag on feelings and the Mint makes you feel at home. The staff are friendly, the other members are nice and approachable and the instructors are encouraging and extremely knowledgeable.
Other gyms at the same price range are always crowded and sprawling, full of people who are more interested in looking in the mirror than breaking a sweat — and they just feel so… sterile, no character whatsoever. And what’s worse… other gyms have cameras in their locker rooms!!!
In short, Mint is a warm, welcoming gym with strong ties to the community but still maintains an air of exclusivity. Do your self a favor and check it out for your self!

Love this gym! I started as a member of the downtown location but now go to Dupont almost everyday.
It’s a great neighborhood gym, upscale yet down to earth, with a nice community vibe.
Pros:
Fantastic trainers
high caliber and great variety of classes (spin, yoga, power playground/​bootcamp, kickboxing, pilates, and more …)
Excellent amenities from a fully stacked locker room, to towels (gotta love the minty fresh cool towels), a sauna, mint and lemon water, and even a coffee station
I go in the evening which I would consider peak time and never have to wait to use any machine
Clean and welcoming
Cons:
Honestly none that I can think of except some of the popular classes do a get a bit crowded but that has never stopped me from going or getting a solid workout!

I wanted to join Mint last summer so sent an email to them about membership but never got a reply. I had first called and was told to send an email. I tried again a few weeks ago — I walked in at midday when the gym was very quiet and the woman at the reception desk said the membership guy was with a client so she took all of my info and said someone would contact me but no one ever did. What kind of business ignores someone who has tried to join 3 times? Vida’s membership director, Alex, followed up with me without being at all pushy, he offered a free trial class, let me know when a special deal was coming up etc.

I am not a member of Mint so I can’t speak to the gym as a whole, however, I took a Mint Barre class for the first time last night and was really disappointed. The studio space was in need of updating. The mats were old and dirty. There were 2 buckets of random hand weights, old and mismatched and not enough of each (most barre classes utilize 2 or 3lbs weights). The instructor seemed perfectly nice however she came rushing in a minute after the class was supposed to have started and just began teaching-​no introducing herself, no asking any injuries or first time attendees. There was barely enough space at the unsteady barre for everyone so people had to keep readjusting so as not to bump into neighbors. I’ll stop… but will say that with options like Barre3, Flybarre, B Fit, etc out there-​this doesn’t cut it.

Realistically, for the price VIDA is better. I tried out a number of gyms and this came up far short of my expectations for the city. Don’t get me wrong, it’s a nice gym in a great location, it just doesn’t quite meat my expectations compared to the rest of the gyms available. Why?
— With the price, you essentially get the same thing for a better price at WSC and a better deal at VIDA
— With emails, I went to check out and try the gym and ended up getting on average one email a day from the gym, constantly offering me various offers. I realize all gyms do this, but really this was manipulative and genuinely annoying, even after I emailed back and said I had found another gym.
— The space is seriously limited compared to the other gyms. In the few day trial I had, I went at times that were not considered popular (like 9 PM?!) and yet the one machine I could use I had to wait for. I just had knee surgery so I’m only allowed to use the bike and there are something like ¾ of that machine, so even in downtime I had a long wait.
— The machines are too close. Way to close. No one wants to acquire the sweat of their fellow peers.

Best trainers in DC. Mint is a gym not a night club. I like it because they give you customized feedback and really try to help you improve your overall health. The trainer we use is fantastic — he knows what he is doing, he pushes you but is not a drill sergeant. The gym, locker rooms, etc. are nice for really working out. Its not glitzy, or a night club with loud music and weird LED lights, its a great place to exercise.
Has daycare for kids while you work out which is a major plus for working parents!

I was a member at MINT for about a year and a half with my wife on a family plan. The only reason we left is because we moved to another part of town, otherwise we’d still be members.
While MINT can be a bit pricy for the individual, the family plan was a great value for including unlimited classes. Targeted at women, my wife really liked the aesthetic of the inside with the huge windows and bright lights. Keeping with the warm feel, the music played is inoffensive dance music from 10 – 20 years ago. But I was still sold on it because there was plenty in the way of free weights, including a squat rack for when I transitioned in powerlifting.
The staff is mostly quite friendly. I was known by name to a few of the members of management and they even knew what routines I was doing and showed me new equipment they were getting that would benefit me, which made me feel really well liked. My wife liked most of the teachers for the classes and often attended yoga, including the prenatal yoga.
Had we be able to continue with our membership, we were looking to take advantage of the included childcare in our membership. This is a huge boon over almost every other gym in the city, where the childcare is extra, usually an hourly charge.
The FLEXGuest package the gym has for members is really great. For $ 20 a person, any member can bring a guest with them as often as they would like. This meant my brother, and exercise partner, came with me to most of my workouts and cut down on our bill.
The FLEXGuest, however, does bring up my only complaint. When they first announced it, I was assured over the phone that the policy worked a certain way, however one employee was very adamant that it did not, while other check in reps were certain it worked the way we were told. This lead to literal weeks of confrontations over how the program actually worked. It became clear that management had not properly prepared their employees for how to handle this feature. Today, I’m sure they have it ironed out, and hopefully it’s taught them to have thought of better training when new policies come up.

This review about Mint in general, and especially about personal training. I like Mint as it provides an energizing environment to work out without being loud. Even classes in the spinning studio cannot be heard in the cardio equipment area or the weight lifting area.
I have not taken advantage of the many free classes that one gets as part of the monthly membership but I have bought several personal training packages. Personal training is fabulous! I’ve been working out with Mary Dorsch for about a year. She’s a fantastic trainer! She is competent, attentive, and she pushes you when she knows you can train harder. She had given me lots of advice on eating well and, generally, living in a healthy way. Personal training is expensive but the 16-​session packages bring down the hourly rate substantially. They also have regular offers on packages, which allow you to save even more. Overall, 5 stars!

I really, really wanted to like Mint, but several months into my membership, I’m realizing that getting locked into this yearly thing was probably not the best idea. When you first go to Mint, it’s easy to get caught up in the trendy setting, the little amenities like the eucalyptus-​scented washcloths and the mint-​infused water. I thought it was a nice spot with good offerings/​class selection/​equipment.
Overall, it’s fine and the amenities ARE thoughtful. I like the access to keyless lockers, the saunas, steam room at the downtown location (which for Dupont, however, was strike one — I thought there would be one there too but it was taken out shortly after I joined), and access to hygiene products such as spray deodorant, lotion, etc. There is a good selection of equipment, and access to a lot of classes.
The general cons are that the cardio equipment seems to break down quite a bit and not all the classes are reliably good (I’ve been to more than one that was pretty disappointing, but some are very good — so you just have to try a few and find which instructors are best.) The Dupont location could use better sanitation in some senses, for example, the stretching mats are often really dirty and smell pretty bad. Nothing really terrible, but for a mixed-​bag experience, you pay a high-​end price.
So, that brings me to the money part of the «cons» list. It is definitely overpriced for what it is, but the real kicker is the fees. ~$ 12 extra per month if you use a credit card to pay your membership fee, annual «service» fee of $ 35 (for what exactly??), cancellation fees for classes if you don’t cancel in a certain time frame, and no-​show fees for classes if you forget to cancel. It’s already such an expensive membership and these fees make it get out of control pretty quickly. Apparently, they sent out an e-​mail about the (by the way, newly instated — e.g. non-​existent at the time of my signing up for membership) class cancellation fees/​no-​show fees, but I missed that e-​mail and was not aware. Due to this, I was charged a fee in the past month. I inquired about it and asked for it to be reversed (very politely, and assuring I’d be more cognizant of it in the future, but that I had not been aware of this policy at the time it was incurred.) I was completely denied my request by management and I felt this was unfair. For me, that really tipped the scales further to the side of negative opinion on Mint.
It’s an alright place, but I think there are better deals out there and it’s probably good to do your research before committing to a year here.

I haven’t checked in here as many times as I probably should have, but that’s certainly not MINT’s fault (more a commentary on my physical state/​priorities). The thing that describes MINT more than anything else to me is their never-​ending supply of amenities. Girls — they have straighteners, toothbrushes, razors, deodorant, etc. etc. etc. Basically anything you could ever want and more.
Periodically throughout their facility, they have water options that are above and beyond a regular gym. These include room temp water, ice cold water, fresh lemon water, and fresh mint water. They even have cold minty towels that feel incredible after a particularly long cardio sesh.
Their trainers are always nice and available to give advice, whether your budget allows for a real-​time session or not. I also appreciate how their lockers don’t require keys or locks, just your ability to remember a 4-​digit pin number throughout the duration of your workout.
Only downside? Not enough mirrors in the abs/​weights area to check out your form.
I recently had to take a medical leave of absence from the gym, and they were incredibly understanding. That was just the icing on the cake.

I just moved to the area and was interested in joining a gym. I decided to get a tour and start my trial at MINT. After several emails, we set up a meeting in the morning. Gabe, the representative at MINT, never showed up. I don’t think that is the way to treat potential members and clearly not professional. MINT you lost my business and now looking elsewhere for a membership. The only reason I gave it one star is to the staff who gave me a quick tour because of the absent sales rep.

This is a review only for the spa. I’ve been to Mint twice now for their «Tranquil Tuesdays» which offer a discounted massage. The staff in the spa are fantastic and the masseuses are very talented. You can bring your own sandals or use theirs, and they give you a robe and let you use their sauna/​showers before you go in. The facilities are clean and inviting. If you need a midweek pick-​me-​up, this is one of the best secrets in town.

Thanks for your response Patrick. I appreciate you taking the time to write.
As an update for all, my wife had been a current member, and as a result the Membership Manager did reimburse us the enrollment fee.
It was a bit of a process, and it took a while to get a response (not sure if this review impacted that or not), but eventually it was fixed.
As I said previously in my review, the gym itself is good. It’s small, but never that busy, and the staff and instructors are all very friendly.

This review is for the spa services only.
I got a massage and express facial recently. The facial was amazing and the aesthetician was great about explaining to me what she was doing and how to improve my skin care regimen. She and the experience were great.
In contrast, the massage was pretty terrible. The music cut off and was never turned back on. The massages were imbalanced with drastically different things occurring on each side of the body, and he also just did weird random stuff like pull my fingers apart and at strange angles until they were in serious pain. It was bizarre and not at all relaxing.
I had a discount to receive these services so I didn’t put up too much of a fuss (you get what you pay for) but I won’t be coming back for the massages but would absolutely for the facials.

ABSOLUTELY WORST CANCELLATION PROCESS
Here is a warning to all Mint Gym members and future members. I joined Mint Gym in 2011 and had a very positive experience. I blogged about my experiences and promoted the gym via social media on a regular basis. My monthly payments were always made on time. When I experienced financial challenges, I put my membership on hold for three months. During this period, I realized I could no longer afford the membership. I tried to cancel my membership before the three-​month period expired. I explained to the staff I could not afford the payment. The Gym was not to able to address my concern. After being a member for four years, I thought we could work something out, but was sadly mistaken. Be careful with Mint. You may want to join a gym like Washington Sports that allows you to pay monthly without any strings attached. I will NEVER use Mint again.

I had a great experience with Mint. I attended a spin class instructed by Krista. I am fairly new to spin and I have been bouncing around to different gyms and instructors to figure out what I like. Krista was by far the best instructor I’ve had so far. The content of her class was great. It was engaging and never felt repetitive and she did an excellent job of explaining which muscles to engage and correcting our form. I got a much better and more efficient workout as a result. She also took time to set up my bike before class. I’d also add that compared to other classes I’ve attended, the equipment was noticeably superior. The bikes were much smoother, quieter, and more comfortable than any I have tried so far.
I did not see the entire gym, but the parts I saw were very clean, and not unpleasantly crowded. The staff I encountered were friendly, helpful and professional.

Recently joined Mint in early May. I’ve tried other gyms and have been disappointed. I used a free one week trial and this is why I decided to join after the trial.
Although it is small there are a lot of options. Whether it be free weights, cardio machines, TRX, or various group fitness classes they have something for you. Despite the size it is never too full and I rarely have to wait for a machine or weights.
The facility is clean. The locker rooms have self locking locks, showers, a sauna, and a variety of toiletries if you forget your own. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. If they don’t know the answer they direct you to someone who does.
I was impressed that after my trial a staff member reached out with me to follow up with my experience. They also gave me their email if I ever had an issue.
Overall i have been very happy with my membership

I did Plyofit and the instructor was horrible. Didn’t introduce herself, didn’t tell us about the class, didn’t ask who was knew and didn’t explain the exercises very well. She wasn’t enthused and was unfriendly. It really didn’t seem like she knew what she was doing, or that she wanted to be there.

Update: Mint allows you to use both their Downtown and Dupont locations with a single fee. I no longer work downtown, but since I live in Dupont, the Dupont location works perfectly. And my gosh, I.LOVE.THIS.GYM. So nice, so many windows and lots of light, this makes me excited to get up at the crack of dawn and work out. I never thought I could love a gym so much. Best investment I make each month! :D :D :D

Worst airbrush tan ever. The bronzer was super runny. She used a towel to blot the access but assured me I would love it and that it would be even once it set in. I look awful. It’s so dark in places and then there are spots she completely missed. Vacation somewhat ruined.

Fantastic gym! Really great teachers with a spa twist. Yoga, pure barre, spinning, kickboxing, group training, etc., you want it, they have it, and if they don’t, they’d probably start a class for you.
Sparkling clean and worth the cost!

I love Mint so much!!! If you want to feel like a part of a happy environment and loved you have to go to MINT. I live in the neighborhood and just feel like I have a second home. Not to mention ANDRE at the front desk is the best!!! He makes me feel so loved and special every time I come!!!

I did a week-​long free trial of Mint when I lived close by. Being the type of person who takes advantage of a deal when one is presented to me, I went to Mint every day of that free week.
At first, I was impressed. Mint flavored water? Extremely refreshing. Cleanliness? A+. Lockers that allow you to program your own custom combination? Probably the most useful feature I’ve seen in any gym.
But after going a few times, I realized Mint was definitely not for me. First of all, it was way too small. Not cramped with people like lots of other gyms in the area — but just too small of a space. No room for enough treadmills, ellipticals, etc.; not enough space to comfortably stretch or lift weights without getting in someone else’s way. To me, the lack of people was also a downside. I don’t like people to take notice of me when I’m exercising — I’m typically not looking my greatest during that part of my day! I prefer to blend in. I also like to people-​watch while I’m running on the treadmill, and there were just very few people to watch.
I could have possibly dealt with all of that (before I learned the price of membership, that is) until I attended my first spin class at Mint. While I very much appreciate when instructors are focused on form, and make an effort to ensure everyone is doing the exercise correctly, this particular instructor took it too far. She stood next to me for practically the entire class, barking at me whenever I did something wrong. It was a good workout, but I felt singled out and embarrassed — and certainly not motivated (which I assume was her intention).
After that, and after I spoke with someone there about their pricing, I never went back. This was during the Christmas/​New Years season and they were selling what they claimed to be a «deal.» Mint membership is ridiculously expensive, even compared to Vida, a similarly boutique-​feeling gym (of which I now am a member).
If a super small gym with lots of amenities (and very determined spin instructors) is your thing, Mint is probably a good fit. Otherwise, I’d check out Vida down the street, or even WSC if you’re looking for something with fewer frills.

My review is for the Spa only, i had a massage today with Allison Gregg and it was amazing! I loved that I got to choose the aromatherapy oils used. And the massage was just on point. I had a gilt city deal that make the massage super affordable but I’ll have to keep this spa in mind in the future – worth it. As for the gym, I checked the place out when I was choosing a new DC gym and found it to be a bit small and just average for how much they were charging. I’m a big fan of Vida for the gym… this spa though… loves it

Most of our favorite teachers left and sadly so did most of the regulars in the classes I attended. It was great while it lasted, but I’ve moved on.

If only all gyms were like this.
Quiet, clean, no cell phone policy, helpful people, cute trainers, and one of the best juice shops I’ve seen in San Francisco, LA, DC, San Diego… the list goes on.
If you prefer your gyms to be less like a club (ahem… Vida… I love you, but I feel like I need to do my hair for an hour before I walk in), come to Mint.