Forest Hill Pools

Fantastic experience: One of my favourite places to be

Positive experience: Receptionists this week rather rude normally staff are friendly have been quite a few times with my small granddaughter. Shame the cafe is not open when we go

Fantastic experience: Lovely pool, water fine for temperature although if I was in charge it would be at least 1 degree cooler, it would save so much money as well as making me happy. Truly lovely pool. I book for lane swimming and obviously I would prefer it if the whole pool was in lanes and those lanes wider. This is however the nearest pool to me so I shouldnt be so whiney. The changing room is very strange as it's all ages all genders individual cubicles which is very victorian, they liked a poolside changing cubicle. I have no problem with it. Its quite a novelty watching the dads struggling with the kids. I do like the no outdoor shoes rule, again no problem I have some smart new pool slippers. The front desk staff have been lovely everytime I've been. I would say this is a great pool. I only hope the management don't ruin it by increasing the pool water temperature to bath like as Southwark did to Peckham Pool. I have emailed them now 3 times to ask why they did this. If they ever answer I will post on my review of that pool. Ruined it is now totally ruined.

Negative experience: Absolutely shocking handling of swimming. Swim for all is an absolute joke. They have reduced the size of the swim for all pool to the size of a postage stamp. And then they decided midway through the session to reduce the size of it even further. Staff are rude and I would trust them to save me if I was drowning in a puddle.

Fantastic experience: After going to this gym for 9 months I felt i should give a review, this is an extremely well managed gym/pool, the staff have been excellent, professional, friendly and clearly know their roles, the place has a lovely atmosphere, I see smiles and hear laughter regularly, clearly its a place people enjoying being in and that has to be down to the management. Well done Better gym for giving such a wonderful place to spend a few hours trying to be healthier.

Fantastic experience: What an amazing facility! It's a really lovely gym space and a beautiful swimming pool. It's very well maintained and lovely staff.

Negative experience: I don't like that children just can't come and have fun but have to know how to swim I know it's for safety but it's very frustrating besides it is a clean place and very beautiful

Positive experience: Nice sports activities, just no parking nearby

Fantastic experience: Staff and facilities always lovely x

Negative experience: Kids section in the main pool is limited to 10x5m which is way overcrowded. kids can only go to the deeper pool area age 8+ regardless of adult supervision, how are they supposed to learn swimming? Ridiculously stupid.

Positive experience: Good and clean

Negative experience: A frustrating gym! Been a member for a year or so. The people who take the classes are lovely, but many of the classes get booked up very quickly. Then, if you can't attend the class, but cancel within 3 hours of it starting (e.g. you wake up on the morning unwell), they charge you £3 and lock your account until it's paid. Most classes are always busy so I don't see why they need to do that - maybe one or two hours, but three seems harsh. Amenities aren't great, especially pool changing/showers. Seems like a high monthly cost for what it is, especially if they charge you extra for cancelling classes 3 hours before.

Positive experience: The welcome is warm and the water is wet

Negative experience: The membership payments are structured in blocks; 20 days notice is required to cancel the following month's membership, which runs in a four weekly cycle. This means that to cancel payment a child's swimming lesson the 17th August, I needed to have given notice before the first lesson, by the 1st July, which is insane. Better didn't send proper account information on sign up, making it difficult to manage your account online. The central phone lines simply hangs up. This gym may seem superficially good value, but you pay for it in other ways!

Fantastic experience: Very nice pools for children's to learn

Positive experience: It's a great pool but the water is normally cold.

Fantastic experience: Great customer services, facilities and free swim and gym for those with a pip award...finally bipolar disorder paying off lol

Positive experience: Quite a modern establishment, the pool and facilities are clean, there's two wide lanes for each ability level, the only thing that's missing is a sauna but you can't expect much more from a pool unless you're paying a lot for it. The gym equipment variety isn't the best.

Negative experience: The atmosphere in the centre has nose dived with the new management. They don’t listen and are riding roughshod over customers views. The ridiculous decision to have lane swimming at the same time as aqua has caused such uproar and upset it’s ridiculous. Swimmers are unhappy and aqua class are furious. The management style is very confrontational bordering on rude. Such a shame this has happened.

Fantastic experience: Very suitable clean & local

Positive experience: Good pool for swimming. Generally very clean. Staff quality is very variable.

Fantastic experience: Nice pool, pretty basic but good for swimming in

Fantastic experience: Superb . Very clean and happy place

Negative experience: Really enjoyed coming swimming from back in February (as they do a women’s only swim) . About a few weeks later and ever since, they have a group of girls that come. Swimming isn’t the problem, it’s because they don’t swim and treat it like a social gathering, thrash about and get in your way, practically taken the whole lane so you have to weave in and out or swim towards them hoping they will move. Lifeguards whoever is on duty, see it and don’t say anything, they’ve spotted myself and others being splashed at, and no one bothers to say a thing. It’s frustrating, especially when you try not making a scene over it! I have complained to the reception desk and lifeguards about this problem. I complained to one lifeguard warning him before they entered and Thankfully the lifeguard on duty 2nd may 24’ from 9.30pm, see the problem and approached them, stating it’s “clockwise” swim. I’m not one to moan about things, but it is aggravating, when it’s the one form of exercise you can do (knee problems) and you ain’t even getting the exercise needed due to this problem! I’ve seen plenty people having to leave their swoon earlier than needing to, including me, for this reason, it’s off putting! Hopefully, lifeguards can take note of this! I enjoy swimming here as it is nice but having to look elsewhere otherwise

Fantastic experience: Excellent pool and changing facilties..no compliants from me

Fantastic experience: Ah! What can I say! Forrest Hill Pools, is definitely my A1 in the Better Gym branches. A breathe of fresh air! Not only are the staff lovely, but the gym itself is alway spotless! Cleaners regularly cleaning and keeping the place hygienic, customers respecting the facilities by also keeping it clean and putting equipment away. Classes are always great! Darren is a fantastic trainer, always attentive of everyone in the group and always encourages you. Caroline who is on reception always has a wonderful smile on her face when you enter and greets you warmly, just a great start to your day especially if you’re like me who will wake up at 5am get washed and dressed and drive 30-40 mins to get here, you’re drained as it is, then you step in and are welcomed by lovely staff! It’s worth your travels! I haven’t been to this branch in a while, not fault of there own just circumstantial, but I will be returning shortly as they are thus far my favourite!!! Other than going to the gym and classes I haven’t used the pool, so I can’t comment on it, but will soon. They do junior gym which is great too, my son gets to come along with me at times before our home school hours which he enjoys. I also enjoy the virtual spin class. My only wish is that there was parking facilities but unfortunately there isn’t any but one disabled parking bay. Other than this there is nothing I can say against this Better branch. Well done to all the staff in this branch for keeping up good standards that is expect from your customers. Thank you because it makes the experience a good one.

Positive experience: Great swimming classes

Positive experience: Pleasent enthusiastic staff. Very clean interior. They are always cleaning, mopping the wet area and Showers, in the pool changing area. Great place clean pool, and not too busy Gym. Classes are very good although over subscribed! subsequently that's why they have a waiting list for some classes. Overall we are blessed to have a fitness centre so nearby. Would recommend. Swim Coaches are very in touch with each individuals swimming level. Swim Coaches set realistic progression stages for all levels of swimmers. Would recommend getting Membership for this place.

Fantastic experience: First time visiting today and was impressed! Pool and changing rooms were clean and warm and it wasn’t too busy. Friendly, welcoming staff.

Fantastic experience: Very friendly and helpful staff. Great facilities.

Negative experience: I booked junior gym for my son Friday 2nd February at 4pm and I paid £15.90, we attended at that time and they then said it’s been cancelled, no notification of cancellation beforehand and no apology just them saying we will re book it. I asked for my money back politely as it’s a waste of my time and money to show up. They just said oh that’s fine. My money has been taken from my account and just now my son received an email to say that he didn’t attend or cancel a booking and he has an overdue debt? What is this a joke?

Fantastic experience: Clean, tidy lockers changing rooms and showers. Different from before COVID because now we have to book slots via the 'Better' app. Lane swimming probably easier in the week. We went on a Sunday to do lengths and the pool was mostly for family leisure swimmers.

Fantastic experience: Great pool and great community gym.

Positive experience: Local rec centre. Lots of classes for members and non-members, kids and adults.

Positive experience: Great for the kids swimming lessons

Fantastic experience: Staff usually lovely though one cleaner was rather rude!

Positive experience: I liked the idea about family swimming with all toys and accessories My daughter was delighted

Fantastic experience: New fence looks beautiful

Negative experience: Used to enjoy swimming but now can never get a slot as consistently booked up, and when there is space it's just for lane swimming! What's happened to family fun?? Are we not a wound this any more?

Fantastic experience: Friendly staff, the pools are great fun for parents and children.

Negative experience: The staff is friendly, however the pool is always very dirty. When you are swimming, you see sand, napkin pieces, and hair :(

Negative experience: It used to be a good place for swimming lessons. Nowadays the lessons are crowdy and a bit chaotic. The toilets always stinks. We've never used the gym facilty so it's might be good.

Positive experience: Swimming pool

Positive experience: This gym is fantastic has all the necessary facilities! The only thing I would change about it is the price. It's a little expensive. But it's worth it since it has a swimming pool

Fantastic experience: Beautiful old buildings

Negative experience: Kept on complaining of how i was swimming and they was watching me threw out the hole swimming and we finish early because of that. They was 3 swimming instructors just looking on how i was swimming i felt really uncomfortable

Positive experience: We use for kids swimming lessons and activities. Nice to have a separated family pool for younger children. Main change room is unisex.

Positive experience: Since introducing a board with lane rules on the swimming experience has been much better. I still wish the lifeguards would be a bit more pro active with moving people to the correct lane but in general it's ok.

Fantastic experience: Pool is nice and easy to get to and the changing rooms are spacious

Fantastic experience: Really helpful staff at the centre. Haven't been swimming for some time but really happy with the experience. The one thing that I was very impressed with was how clean the place is! I will be joining for sure!

Positive experience: Alright so…. The pools are good. Very good security assistance by professionals always watching and ready to help. Can’t talk about the gym yet. The changing rooms, omg the changing rooms!!! They are very very very badly managed. They have a no shoes policy in the changing room which is not enforced. People walk bare feet next to people with shoes and then go on to enter the pools without having a chance to wash their feet. Nobody seems to care btw, so you may not care too. I really hate that. Even cleaners use shoes around the pools and through the changing areas which they use outside the “clean” areas. Tried to address this and I’ve been told “that’s what it is”. I’d place at least a mandatory feet cleaning/disinfection area at the entrance of the pool side… But that’s just me. Book in advance. The app works fine.

Positive experience: Clean and friendly. Gym is very basic - more of a place for swimming. Look forward to trying out the pool

Negative experience: Made several complaints here alongside other women. Women’s changing rooms often closed or reserved for schools. No women’s only swim. Often angry or aggressive men in the pool - when I got pushed the lifeguard was uninterested. Often the pool was so hot I’d break into a sweat immediately. I emailed a complaint as well but nothing was done so haven’t been back since. It did not feel like a safe environment. Furthermore they close half the pool unannounced for schools - fine but it should tell you when you book - and they have to keep a lane empty between you and the school? Often the lanes are set up incorrectly so that you’re swimming towards the oncoming person the other side.

Fantastic experience: We swim here and attend the gym and classes. Great staff, it's warm and clean. Very easy to get to on trains and buses

Positive experience: I like it when I go swimming there It's very relaxing but it would be a five but the changing rooms are not that good.

Positive experience: Baby swimming lessons were great but the pool facilities are inadequate. There’s only two baby changing facility rooms which are usually occupied therefore providing no safe space to change your baby when a single parent. The pool temperature was always extremely cold, so much so that we had to stop our swimming lessons. The pool should be heated to 32 degrees and the pool felt more like 24 degrees, the babies always looked frozen. The changing rooms were unhygienic and dirty and appeared rarely cleaned. Swimming lessons were often cancelled and at short notice when we had already arrived at the pool.

Positive experience: Really nice clean pools, just wish they had more adult only evening swims.

Fantastic experience: Our favourite learner pool for our 4 year old. Warmish, good weekend availability, clean facilities.

Fantastic experience: Good place for a swim

Positive experience: Helpful staff. I still find the Better UK app very confusing when booking classes

Fantastic experience: I wanted to leave a review for the lifeguards/receptionist named Lahcen and Jaden for the help and the outstanding customer service received they were very understanding and also able to give us various informations about all the sevices better provide.

Fantastic experience: No pool table

Fantastic experience: Great place to swim! Gym recently renovated to a high standard too!

Negative experience: Reception staff unhelpful

Negative experience: A first experience was terrible; website is minimal and doesn’t explain much at all. The session finished earlier than scheduled, the pool length (the reason I went) was reduced, staff say one thing at reception and another poolside (and poolside are quite rude). Changing rooms are chaos (packed). When I explained website inaccuracy, I was met with s shrug. You have to join some kind of membership just for a one-off swim……won’t be returning

Fantastic experience: Big fan of our local pools and gym.. both my kids learned to swim here and we are happy to continue supporting by way of membership. So far so good with the new management Better Health.

Fantastic experience: Lovely clean pool and friendly staff. Good system for booking, and never too busy at the times I go. You need the App though.

Negative experience: Tried to call Forest Hill pools to find out if their boiler issue has been resolved. Unfortunately all phone numbers took me straight to their "call center". The operator told me that Forest Hill pools are not taking direct calls from the customers anymore (so called business decision) . She couldn't get through to them herself as their lines were "busy". Very poor customer service.

Negative experience: Online booking system is terrible. We can barely ever get booked in, then if you do the place is virtually empty. Easier just to go further afield to a different place.

Fantastic experience: User friendly. Showers often not working.

Fantastic experience: Very good friendly staff and very good equipment level with knowledge friendly staff.

Fantastic experience: Struttura sportiva moderna, ben attrezzata con personale gentile e competente. Posso solo valutare la piscina per bimbi, pulita e ben organizzata, dotata di sedute per accogliere gli accompagnatori che assistono alla lezione. Zona cambio e docce molto pulite. Ottimo ambiente per bimbi che vogliano crescere nello sport

Negative experience: Nice pool area, but rude staff and dirty changing rooms.

Negative experience: REALLY Gross facilities ; dirty lockers, sticky equipment, vending machines take your money and don't work but staff say “we are not trained to operate them; you have to call customer services to get you £1 back” I mean... you get what you pay for

Fantastic experience: Lovely pool

Negative experience: The pool has become much harder to use since they have gone to online booking. You now have to book days in advance and go when it suits them.

Fantastic experience: Come and enjoy with your kids

Fantastic experience: Revamped ultra modern leisure facilities with impeccable cleanliness and attention to detail

Negative experience: Great pool, but why on earth is there still a booking system in place? Other than a faff, what benefit is that to users at all? What about people who are not great with the internet, like the elderly? We never used to have to book to go swimming - why now with no covid restrictions in place?

Positive experience: Took the children swimming here today and was slightly surprised how things had improved a little bit. I hadn’t been here for a while, in the days when it was awful! However, today was almost organised for a change and even all the hairdryers worked! Shock!!! We booked a swimming session on the app (which is a complete nightmare btw. Keeps crashing!) On arrival we was told we was a bit early but could go get changed and wait by the pool for our time slot. The changing rooms were tidy but the floor needed a good clean. Unfortunately for us the changing cubicle we went in couldn’t lock as the handle had been snapped off, so I had to lean on the door as I was getting changed! (It was the cubicle opposite locker 150). The pool itself was clean and all the children had lots of fun which is the main thing. The only thing I would add is the showers was quite hot and my son had to quickly jump out of it! Overall though we will probably return as now we know what cubicle and showers to avoid!

Fantastic experience: Very polite very clean lovely staff And most of all lovely drinking chocolate

Positive experience: The swim doctors are very good and the pool is moderately clean

Fantastic experience: Lovely leisure centre. Friendly atmosphere

Positive experience: not to long ago had new equipment have to book nowadays and have the Better gym app, but a perfectly serviceable small gym hold about a dozen or more thanks to new smaller gym/warm up area that's been added .

Fantastic experience: our favourite local swimming pool. friendly staff

Negative experience: Don’t subscribe to any swimming pool or leisure centres managed by Better. We have been waiting 6 months and they still haven’t refund the 3 monthly direct debit charged after having cancelled. They even asked us for evidence of the cancellation!!! We provided it and still waiting. We had to cancel the direct debit with the bank as they won’t stop charging us for cancelled classes. Lewisham Council, please read all the reviews, get rid of Better.

Fantastic experience: Amazing facilities and very friendly staff. (ALSO A LOT OF CLUBS)

Fantastic experience: Not done swimming since lady COVID19 started so it was good getting back into the pool

Fantastic experience: I am having GP referral training at present with Danielle Ohene. I have osteoarthritis in all joints, but attending gym regularly and with great encouragement from Danielle, I am able to improve my mobility. Thank you for your continued support and great training. The machines at the gym are modern and varied. Can highly recommend this friendly, well run leisure centre.

Negative experience: My son was drowning today during at swimming lesson. There were 4 swimming instructors and nobody was noticing what was going on. I run from the viewing chair and shouted to the instructor to pull my son from the water because he is drowning, he was under water struggling to come up. The instructor pulled my son out. DO NOT SEND YOUR CHILDREN TO FOREST HILL SWIMMING LESSONS!!!

Positive experience: Haven't been able to visit here a while so glad am now able to take up swimming again. Only visited pool, not overcrowded.

Positive experience: Les dues piscines estan bastant bé. Els vestidors són mixtes i oberts. Hi han taquilles per deixar les coses. Canviadors individual. Hi va anar amb un bebé i molt incòmode pq el vam tenir que canviar a la banqueta delcanviador d' adults. Ja que fan cursos per a bebès haurien d' adaptar un espai per a ells.

Negative experience: The staff here are friendly and have always been really helpful. The facilities, however, are always dirty and despite having reported it on several occasions, nothing has changed. Some photos are just not appropriate to be shared.

Fantastic experience: Good place

Positive experience: Equpments are out of date and constantly breaking down

Fantastic experience: This is a lovely place to workout; be it in the gym or the pool, you will be satisfied. The staff are friendly, accommodating and understanding, and it is not expensive. Try it if you can.

Fantastic experience: Very good swimming lessons

Fantastic experience: Excellent and helpful staff, great facilities, I detest having to use my phone to book a session, though I'll get used to it.

Fantastic experience: Excellent

Fantastic experience: Brilliant facilities, very helpful and friendly staff.