Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Bedbugs Getting Ripped At Fancy Reebok Sports Club
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 11, 2011
Modified Apr 11, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Apr 11, 2011
Modified Apr 11, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Last week bedbugs were found at the upscale Reebok Sports Club on the Upper West Side, where Taye Diggs, Chris Cuomo, and PR big shot Ronn Torossian all work out (it's also where Jerry Seinfeld met his future wife, who was married to someone else at the time!). The club admitted it had a problem, but not to its members, most of whom found out about it by reading a gossip item in the NY Post. Now members are lashing out at the management for allegedly trying to hush up the whole thing, with "Marketing and Brand Strategy Consultant" Ashley Hart leading the charge on Facebook. Hart writes on Reebok's wall:
I just saw on the news that Reebok has bed bugs?! Seriously, was the club not going to tell it's members that you guys have had bed bugs in the locker rooms and not tell any of us. What is the club doing to take care of this? It's a pretty bad way to find out your club has bed bugs, on the news. The club have at least notified all of us...
What bothers me most, is that you say that you have posted on Facebook, but if it was not for me posting about the bed bugs issue, you would have never said anything to the members and there are only a small amount of members that use your Facebook page, as we can see from how many people have 'liked' the page. We pay a lot of money to work out at this club and expect top service in all respects to the club. I think management has failed to deliver that top service that I was so sold on, when I first became a member 4 years ago.
The club management insists bedbugs "there were only 3 lockers identified: 2 in the men's executive locker room and 1 in the women's executive locker room. Since they are executive members, we were able to notify the owners of the lockers effected and even doubled the recommended perimeter on either side of them during the clean up process. It was handled by Stern Environmental and they assured us that we were bed-bug free the next night.... We certainly weren't hiding anything. Since this particular instance was so isolated and addressed so quickly, we decided not to bother anyone else that was not affected."
Heh, that isn't really cutting it with Hart—she spins stuff like this for a living. The whole exchange is pretty enjoyable for the way Hart refuses to let them off the hook, and why should she? She pays at least $209 a month to use this gym, and bedbugs are notorious for traveling in the folds of clothes to find new hosts. Bedbug expert Gil Bloom tells Brick Underground that we should all start carrying around bedbug pouches to store our belongings inside when using lockers, especially if you're keeping anything there overnight. The way we live now: like fastidious drifters with portable pouches for everything.
Tagged
bedbug
bedbugs
reebok sports club
Upper West Side
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC Council to consider earlier Legionella reporting after deadly outbreaks
A bill facing a hearing Monday would require cooling tower owners to notify city health officials when bacteria levels reach a much lower threshold.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 18, 2026 at 7:36 p.m. ET
Staten Island fire injures 2, but spares historic 'Godfather' church
Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in a vacant warehouse. It was contained within three hours.
By
Giulia Heyward
News
Staten Island fire injures 2, but spares historic 'Godfather' church
Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in a vacant warehouse. It was contained within three hours.
By
Giulia Heyward
Bail reform remains major issue in NY governor's race, 7 years after it became law
By
Gino Fanelli
NYPD identifies Bronx man, 26, killed in Midtown subway shooting
By
Ryan Kost
,
Elizabeth Kim
and
Phil Corso
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
By
Ryan Kost
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .