I consider myself spoiled, in that Ohio State has just opened one of the largest recreational complexes in the nation. But before the facility was complete, I belonged to a few local gyms, even though my intent (at the time) was not to 'get big,' but just to 'stay fit.' I think your goals or intentions are crucial in selecting a gym.
Why pay more money to join a gym that has equipment you will never use (say, an endless supply of machines, when you only use free weights), or not enough variety of equipment to meet your goals (you want to do a variety of cardio, yet the gym only has treadmills and a bike)?
Our campus complex offers a bit of everything that I would be looking for in gym - food court (healthy food, of course), a juice bar, swimming pools and saunas, a plethera of different equipment, entertainment, etc. (no MILFS, but definitely some good-lookin college chicas). What it is short in, is fitness professionals.
In hindsight, I would have made up my goals and had clear intentions as to what I was looking to become and what it would take to get there. From there, I would look at the gyms and determine, "Will this facility contribute to my success, or hold me up from reaching my full potential?"