Review: Barre3 at The Spa is Barred from my List

Ballet + Yoga + Pilates = the ultimate workout experience. I have such high expectations for this workout so when I had a blah experience t I was doubly disappointed.

After seeing the huge tarpaulin of the free trial on Barre3 offered by The Spa I made a mental note to try it out. When I called the number posted on their website the lady who answered the phone couldn’t really give me a responsive answer, she then told me that I should talk instead to the information desk at Barre3 studio and she gave me a number. I asked if it would be possible for her to just transfer me to the Barre3 studio but she said it’s not possible. So I had to dial again and call the number she gave. While I know it is not such a tedious task to call again another number but individuals who are in sales and/or marketing know that the key is not to let the customer wait on the phone i.e. if you can, do use a trunk line and make it possible to transfer a call within your building, surely that can’t be expensive and well worth the investment . Nevertheless, I called again and the receptionist got my name, contact number and confirmed my appointment. Before putting down the phone I asked her if I need to bring anything like yoga mat etc. she said ‘no’, however; she said they require students who will attend to use ‘sticky socks’. I was like what are sticky socks…and she can’t even give me a straight answer nor a suggestion of where I can get it. So anyway, I had to google again and use my powers of deduction to conclude that sticky socks meant those non-slip socks. Now the next task: where to find it?

So off I go to my quest for sticky socks, I had to drop by Shangrila to check out the yoga shop if they have those. Fortunately, they did. Unfortunately, it’s Php795 pesos! Okay, I didn’t buy it and at that point I was bent on not taking the free session. Thankfully I found an alternative: Darlington socks at Php189 per three pack. So now not only do I have one non-slip socks I have three!

I got to High Street at 7:05pm, I thought I was still early because I thought my session was 7:30, but it was 7:00pm. So they were already doing some dumbbell stretches when I joined in. The class was packed so I had to stay at the annex. One of the ladies outside gave me a caveat that the instructor would be a bit hard to hear from the annex, I said it’s okay and took my place at the barre. I was very disappointed when I stepped inside the studio as I looked into some of my ‘classmates’ – clad in socks which does not at all remotely resemble the sticky socks! And the lady I first spoke with on the phone was adamant that it was a requirement. Well, so far so good… Nevertheless, I still tried my damnedest not to be pissed off and do well in imitating the teacher and following her instruction.

I have previously taken yoga sessions – from power yoga to the death defying bikram – and I had always been told that posture and doing the poses in the proper way is key to getting results, not to mention key to not getting injured. All throughout the class there were some pilates workout which I feel I’m not doing correctly and which the instructor is not correcting. I feel my alignment was bad, at one point I was even facing the wrong way, but this was not corrected or even commented on by the instructor. I know it was a full class, but if it’s way beyond the capacity of the instructor they should start turning students away.

After 50 minutes barre3 ends.

After changing I approached the front desk to give my locker key. The lady on the front desk only asked me to write my name on a logbook for first timers and sign. Just that! She didn’t ask me ‘how was my workout’ nor offered for me to sign up for the regular class. When I wrote on the logbook there was already a long list of people who wrote it. Apparently, I was not the only one who joined the class as a first timer under free trial. Looking at the long list of names, I’d say probably most of those in the class were first timers i.e. nonpaying but possible customers. If the ‘sales pitch’ I got will be a gauge though, I doubt if 3 of those in the list would actually enroll.

Verdict: You’re better off going to regular yoga. You can try the classes at Pulse Yoga or if you’re more hardcore you can do Bikram.

The studio of Barre3 is probably the best one I have seen -- the mirrors, the cork floor, the temperature was just right and oh the smell of lemongrass. If only the class and their sales efforts are half as good.
Oh, and if anyone wants some sticky socks, I have two extra! 