The Place is widely believed to be the best gym in Phnom Penh (except for the few dissenters who favor the Sofitel), and it’s certainly the most expensive. They’re doing another rate hike on June 1st, so if you are thinking of joining, go now. I reluctantly joined last year and after six months of membership, offer you this unbiased review.
Laps or lounging, your choice.
The Place is huge–there’s an outdoor pool, a floor of mostly free weights and other weight equipment, another floor of mostly cardio, including at least twenty treadmills and half a dozen crosstrainers, plus a room of weight machines. On the top floor are studios for classes, which are included in the membership prices. Some of the current offerings are: spinning, yoga, pilates, body pump, zumba, stretching, Khmer dancing, and karate.
Pumpin’ iron Phnom Penh
The Place is an undeniably nice fitness center–air-conditioning throughout, everything is super clean and all of the machines have been recently replaced with Technogym equipment, which is apparently very expensive and high tech. The cardio equipment all have television on them that also, to my great pleasure and dismay, have solitaire and other card games. This slows one’s pace down considerably, but can keep me on the machine for an hour.
Personal training fees are $20 for most of the trainers, and the friends I have who use the trainers are happy with the training.
Playing solitaire while running–not easy, but well worth it.
Lest it seem that I am completely happy with the Place, let me enumerate its lesser qualities. They’re clearly doing everything they can to make the place more expensive–immediately after adding the Technogym equipment they put up signs saying that if you wanted to learn how to use it, you should pay a $20 training fee. Much of the equipment is confusing, and the staff aren’t proactive in helping you figure out how to use it. Members don’t get to bring guests, ever. I tried to bring a friend who was willing to pay the exorbitant daily rate, and because we wanted to go for a class, leave for lunch and come back and use the weights, we were told he would have to pay for two day passes, for a total of $30. It’s a ridiculous policy and goes a long way towards alienating their members.
Despite going there five times a week, I feel no affection for the place, which is a shame. Nonetheless, I will continue to go there. If you’re looking for a high-end gym in Phnom Penh, this or the Sofitel are your best options, and The Place is the most central.
The Place to be.
The new rates starting on June 1st are: 1 session, $15, 10 sessions (in one month) $130, 1 month $180, 3 months $380, 6 months $600, 1 year $880, 2 years $1,450. Around the big Cambodian holidays they usually have promotions that give about $100 off for a year-long membership, but the promotions seem to be getting smaller and smaller.
The Place
11 Pasteur St (Street 51), across from Wat Lanka, BKK1, Phnom Penh
T: 069 876 777
www.theplace-gym.com
what happened to my posts that i sent last week?it said content moderation. but still does not appear. why?
I came to Place Gym several times(all the 3 branches) by paying on a daily basis. the gym is fantastic. I am planning to become a member. I agree with the comments made on the yoga instructors. Few weeks back Abhishek, one of the yoga instructors, approached me, recommended alternative cheaper gyms and also offered home or gym based yoga at a cheaper price without management knowing. I was surprised that he was bad mouthing the group class and other yoga instructors and weight trainers.
I have been gym member of the Place, Phnom Penh, since last 12years. All the branches are very good and the BKK 1 is the best. The equipment is good and are comparable to any high class gym in Australia. Sometimes. ACs malfunction but are repaired quickly.
The group classes are fantastic and guys like Ian, Win, Marco, and Sugi are fabuluos.
I also attend yoga classes twice a week, The yoga instructors like Chetra, Nguyen, Win, and Sipov are very good. However, as seen in the previous comments, I have negative opinion of Abhishek and Umesh. these guys want to finish their class well before the time and are unprofessional . Why don’t the Place gym hire local yoga instructors and encourage them, They are excellent.
very true
Yes. I fully agree with postings made earlier The yoga trainees, Abhishek and Umesh, are very bothersome and creepy. I do not know where they learnt yoga. Their techniques are poor and causes body pain after the yoga. May be their yoga certificates are fake. One guy, I think Abhishek, smokes and then comes to train. We could feel the cigarette smell. I find other yoga teachers in the gym far better.
There were lot of requests from the Place Gym community on the identities of these 2 guys asking for money form the clients. Their names are Abhisheek and Umesh. More people confirmed that they ask for money outright or ask for private classes at US$ 15 per session without Place Management knowing it.
Place gym at BKK 1 IS great. Although expensive, facilities are great. Equipment are good, group classes are excellent. Sometimes keys in the locker room do not work .
One caution. The 2 expatriate yoga teachers start asking for money after few classes. This is very annoying and spoils the image of the gym.
Visited The Place in 2014 and was amazed. I think single entry was $18 back then but not sure how much it is now. Better than just about any gym in a western country, on par with some of the very nice Fitness First gyms that have pools. Staff were friendly enough but seemed disinterested.
Still have great memories of the place and made me remember it nearly 10 years later and try to find it online. I was on holiday at the time and split up from the rest of the group to head here while they did a home visit (didn’t want to lose gains lol).
I spent 5 hours and did all muscle groups in one session. Was absolutely exhausted afterwards but loved the place.
For everyone talking about the price being to high: Yes for what it is and compared to western gyms, it is very expensive but… that is not the point. You aren’t paying for the gym or swimming pool or how nice it is, you are paying to go to an exclusive venue that only pretty wealthy people can afford. You are paying to be part of a club for the Cambodian elite. The price is hiked up because people who can afford it will pay to go to a place that poor(er) people cannot access. How much are you willing to pay for status? It’s a statement saying that you can afford to spend money on a gym that costs more than the majority of people even earn. If you want to talk about great value, go down to a 1000r a session gym that has everything you could possibly need to do a good training session. No one needs to pay 45x this to do the same workout but it’s just a matter of showing your face in the right place :-)
I’d argue that it’s more about supply and demand. There’s huge demand for air-conditioned gyms in Cambodia, but limited supply. At home it’s exactly the opposite, so they have to offer low prices to get people in the door. In Siem Reap, where there are even fewer gyms, you pay more than in Phnom Penh for significantly less ($50-60 a month for a gym with two old treadmills, for example).
Have to agree with Lina here. It’s simply the local market.
I’ve been going to The Place since June, and while I somewhat resent paying through the nose (my university union gym back in London was less than $300 for a year) for possibly excessive service (Do I need a doorman? A sauna…in Phnom Penh?), this is not really comparing like-with-like. Labour is cheap, Phnom Penh is not Europe or America economically, socially, or in terms of service-culture, and The Place (by absence of competition) finds itself at the top of the heap by default.
Any issues I have with the place are minor with the biggest annoyance being an absence of guest policies. Is this still the case even?
On the other hand, it is one of the few well equipped, well air-conditioned, gyms around. Even at peak times it isn’t overly crowded, the staff are friendly enough (I like being left to it with no interruption) and the overall facilities good. Yes, there are oddities, and there is a prevalence of Lexuses and their drivers picking up the well-appointed after their work-outs. But the visibility of hi-soc patrons is more a symptom of ordinary Khmer not being in a position to pay these sorts of prices. From those I have spoken to there, it’s abundantly clear they aren’t looking for “exclusivity” or to escape from the general population. Quite the opposite. But if you want a good gym, in what can be an unhealthy city to live in, and are willing to pay for it, you will likely find yourself at a place like The Place.
I get lots of comments on the blog by people who are really surprised and/or outraged about gym prices in Cambodia. While I share their unhappiness, it’s completely understandable due to the reasons that you listed above. So I suck it up and pay it.
I just wanted to swim! And $11 for use of pool just ridiculous ….. I was told I had access to any part of the gym but I am not interested in gyms. I just wanted to swim.