Gym One Ho Chi Minh City: Looks Good, But Didn’t Deliver

Gym One Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Gym Review 

Gym One in District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, makes a pretty good first impression.

It’s big, modern, clean and spread across two levels, with plenty of equipment and designated training areas.

The staff were friendly and welcoming, providing a gym towel and locker key on arrival. English was limited, but checking in was easy enough.

At 200,000 VND for a day pass, it’s definitely on the expensive side compared with other local gyms in Vietnam.

And for that price, I had pretty high expectations.

Unfortunately, Gym One didn’t quite deliver.

First Impressions

Walking into Gym One, I was impressed by the size and layout.

Everything looked clean, modern and well organised, with plenty of space to train.

The gym has two levels, with free weights and strength equipment downstairs, and more machines, cardio and group fitness areas upstairs.

There’s also a yoga studio, Muay Thai boxing ring and functional training space.

It certainly looks like a gym that has everything covered.

But looking good and training well aren’t always the same thing.

The Space & Equipment

Gym One has a huge range of equipment, although I found the actual quality a little disappointing.

Most of the machines looked relatively new and were custom-branded to the gym.

But once I started using them, I struggled to get a good feel for the movements.

Some felt clunky and awkward, making it difficult to get the muscle connection and range of motion I wanted.

Equipment-wise, there’s certainly plenty to choose from.

Downstairs you’ll find squat racks, a deadlift platform, Smith machine, leg press, cables, benches and dumbbells up to 42.5 kg.

Upstairs there’s more strength equipment, including a hip thrust machine, single-leg extension, calf press and back machines, along with cardio and functional training areas.

So equipment variety isn’t the problem. It’s how some of that equipment actually feels to train on and it was poor biomechanics here. 

The gym was spotless, but I was surprised there were no cleaning sprays or wipes available for members to sanitise equipment after use.

The air-conditioning also struggled to keep the space cool once we started training and it was still early morning. 

Bathrooms & Facilities

This is where Gym One really shines.

The bathrooms and changing facilities were excellent, with toilets, showers, basins, lockers, steam rooms and saunas.

Men’s facilities were downstairs, while the women’s were upstairs.

A towel and locker key were included with the day pass, which was a nice touch.

There’s also a café on-site, although there wasn’t much available when we visited.

No coffee. Just bottled water.

If you needed a Red Bull before your workout, there was a street stall outside selling them.

What It Felt Like to Train Here

I trained at Gym One around 8am on a weekday.

There were only six other people on the gym floor, although the upstairs yoga class was completely full.

So it was quiet, and I had no trouble getting onto equipment.

But despite the impressive space, I left feeling pretty underwhelmed.

The machines just didn’t feel right to me.

I struggled to get the intensity I wanted from my workout because the movements felt awkward and unnatural.

Add the warm air-conditioning and no cleaning equipment to wipe down sweaty machines, and it wasn’t the experience I expected from a gym charging 200,000 VND.

I wanted to like it more than I did.

Pricing

A day pass was 200,000 VND when we visited.

Compared with other local gyms in Ho Chi Minh City, that’s expensive.

Yes, you’re getting a big, modern gym with excellent bathrooms, sauna, steam room and towel service.

But personally, I’d rather have equipment that feels good to train on.

And that’s where Gym One lost me.

Pros

• Large, modern gym across two floors
• Clean and well organised
• Plenty of equipment and training areas
• Dedicated squat rack and deadlift platform
• Dumbbells up to 42.5 kg
• Excellent bathrooms and changing facilities
• Sauna and steam room
• Towel and locker service included
• Yoga studio and Muay Thai boxing ring
• Friendly staff

Cons

• Expensive 200,000 VND day pass
• Some machines felt clunky and awkward
• Poor muscle connection on equipment I used
• Air-conditioning struggled to keep the space cool
• No cleaning sprays or wipes available
• Limited café options during our visit

Gym One HCMC Scorecard Rating

Just for the record… 5 stars don’t come lightly!

My Final Thoughts

Gym One looks impressive, but for me, it didn’t live up to expectations.

The facilities are excellent, and if you’re looking for a modern gym with cardio equipment, group classes and great changing rooms, it might suit you perfectly.

But I go to the gym to train.

And when the machines don’t feel right, it doesn’t matter how nice the bathrooms are.

For 200,000 VND, I expected better.

I actually preferred training at C’Gym Huyền Trân Công Chúa in District 1. It was smaller, more basic and considerably cheaper, but I enjoyed my workout there much more.

You can also read my C’Gym Ho Chi Minh City Gym Review and decide which one suits your training style best.

Stay strong, stay travelling, and keep the adventure alive 🏋️‍♀️✈️🌏

Message me if you have any questions or want to know more!

Travel, move, repeat.

Mi-Ree 🧡