The Hive Leisure Centre

Negative experience: Right. Listen up - Hive management as this concerns you. I went for my Monday afternoon swim as usual and enjoyed a fabulous swim in a very quiet and near empty pool, getting some lengths and a great chance to burn off the remaining New Year calories. However I was sickened and absolutely disgusted to hear from two of my fellow swimming partners who have filled me in on just how absolutely lazy your colleagues really are from yesterday's swim You really need to stop letting people use the pool who haven't booked their slots as it isn't fair on those who have booked their slots and want to enjoy their swim without being potentially seriously injured - I've also heard complaints fall on deaf ears and gone unnoticed. Also start being far more stricter and enforcing the rules, looking after the paying customers who are keeping this place going. Until you've had a meeting, sorted the issues out and took all the complaints on board as well as doing something about it. You're getting a 1 star for that. Embarrassing

Positive experience: Used a PT here (Josh) and booked first session of the day, more than once he turned up late and insisted that it couldn't be rescheduled even though he was 10-15 minutes late and not able to extend the session due to the next client arriving immediately after. Meaning I paid for an hour and got 45 mins, multiple times. During the sessions he's talking to regular gym goers rather than instructing or monitoring. Awful PT. Otherwise, nice enough gym. Amble parking including chargers. Easy to book classes on App. Reasonable size and options of fitness including pool and courts.

Positive experience: My kid has swimming lessons and I go to the gym here multiple times a week. The staff are friendly and helpful. The changing rooms and showers are usually clean. Though cleaning equipment is sometimes left lying around for hours which I find off putting. The teaching pool is warm and we have a lot of fun even when it's busier. The main pool is colder but you soon warm up, harder for toddlers though. The gym is good, a wide range of machines and workout spaces. It feels like they could make better use of space though - the mat area is tiny and often people are crowding each other during stretches. If people want to use the trolley or the ropes you feel a bit like you shouldn't be there, which is wrong, the gym is for everyone to do all kinds of physical activity. They could maybe take out a few of the cardio machines and make more mat space or open up the studios at times for this kind of thing - seems like a waste not having them available for free training when classes aren't on. There could be more of a community feel in the gym. As a woman I often feel a bit intimidated by all of the men standing around the benches and stuff (not working out just chatting), people leaving big weights on things when they're not using them. I don't think they realise it's off putting but it doesn't feel very inclusive sometimes. I'd like to see more informal challenges or accountability style activities to help maintain the motivation, without having to pay for a personal trainer. Although I often stick my headphones in it would be nice to get to know people but you need icebreaker opportunities. [This review has been updated because the quality of machine coverings has been improved] There doesn't seem to be much of a culture of wiping things down after you're done using a piece of equipment. There could be more of the cleaning wipes dotted around the place to encourage people to wipe things down, maybe a sign saying how to be a responsible gym member? The culture side is lacking and it's something I think management should have a think about, because it is easy to implement changes particularly when you have good engaged staff like there seems to be at the Hive. I'm giving it a 4 because it's a good community resource, but for the price I expect more. Also, there's no crèche but you get 1 hour of crèche in membership? That sucks. Maybe I should take my three year old to the gym and see what happens...

Fantastic experience: Very good.

Fantastic experience: The Hive has made a really positive impact on my physical and mental health over the past year. I was referred with Healthwise and so only really used the gym but there is also a big pool and loads of fitness classes. The Gym has a really wide range of equipment and loads of cardio machines so there's room even at busy periods. The staff have always been friendly and helpful, and big thanks to Jack who helped me build a fitness plan and provided positive encouragement, support and accountability - which has lead to huge health improvements and weight loss. The facility isn't perfect - the opening times could be wider, and there have been times when some equipment is out of order - but membership costs have stayed fairly static at a time of huge supply cost increases. At the end of the day the results are what matters and so I think great value for money is being provided for a very wide range of facilities

Fantastic experience: This is a brilliant gym with a wide range of facilities and a cafe at the entrance. It’s a shame they close so early at the weekends, but other than that I have no issues

Negative experience: Absolutely horrified by the public display of racism and verbal abuse towards a boy with autism. He didn't know how the electric gates worked, so the staff hurled abuse at him instead of helping. He asked for a refund and they laughed at him. I will be a witness to testify in any court case against Raj and his abusive crew.

Fantastic experience: Clean friendly helpful

Positive experience: Helpful staff, clean changing area.

Fantastic experience: Great sports complex.

Negative experience: Poor. There is a £10 charge for assistance with joining yet no one can help you join it’s all done on the app. Feels like a con. The staff are very friendly and yet their best to be helpful but seem poorly trained and informed. The app is a UX nightmare. I’ve had to call several times for info as the app is unclear. Most often than not the question remainders unanswered. Fine for a first time beginner gym but don’t expect and frills, or information

Fantastic experience: Friendly local gym with everything you need

Negative experience: Sad to see the decline of this Centre since 2022. Dirty facilities in the changing room, gym and studios, staff who are ineffective and indifferent to requests and feedback, drop in standard of exercise classes with all the good instructors having left and poor senior management. Also a refusal to switch on air con, use fans and no use of microphones in exercise classes. This could be a really excellent leisure centre if there was better management, proper cleaning schedule, air conditioning that is switched on and a focus on delivering for the users (better staff training and staff that help). The swimming pool is a great size but cold and not kept clean and the changing room facilities are dirty with showers often not working. Save your money and go elsewhere until The Hive is under new management and improved.

Fantastic experience: Always friendly, clean and with great facilities... what more do you need?

Negative experience: Some great swimming teachers but the cleanliness of the pool side, changing and toilets is dreadful. Always awful smell and never a cleaner in sight. Considering the revenue from busy lessons it's not too much to ask for regular cleaning. The pictures do not capture the issues very well.

Positive experience: Quiet could get in all the equipment I wanted to. Good times!

Negative experience: Probably good facilities bit staff can't organise or take control of a situation

Negative experience: Went "swimming for all" on Saturday and got aggressively shouted and whistled at by the rude "lifeguard" for the heinous crime of my daughter daring to use a noodle just outside the "non-swimmers" half of the pool. I assured the guy it was ok, she can swim just fine. He then called me a liar and demanded she prove it! Hope you feel good, big guy, you must get off on upsetting autistic girls who have worked very hard on their swimming.

Fantastic experience: My son loves their soft play and my word does it make him tired after, it's always nap time after yay.

Fantastic experience: Member of The Hive Ely for over a year now. My absolute favorite classes are Strength runs by Steven and Power Pump runs by Miki. They are first class instructors. Facilities here are brilliant! There are poeple of all ages so you dont feel out of place. Staff are friendly and helpful and alway open to constructive feedbacks.

Negative experience: Bad news, the pipe in the men's changing rooms, which has been hanging off for the last few years has finally given way. Flooding the upper floor. Good news, due to the flooding the men's changing rooms are now the cleanest they've ever been

Positive experience: Went to kids soft play during the school holidays. It was very well organised and something for all the kids that were there. Not too busy so didn't feel over crowded. Cheap enough and a great energy burner for our son. Would be nice to have a bit more of a cafe though to get some proper food whilst there.

Fantastic experience: Great pool, nice gym, absolutely lovely staff! Ample parking and lots of other facilities nearby.

Fantastic experience: Very well equipped sports centre with helpful staff.

Negative experience: Staff very unhelpful and very rude will not be returning.

Fantastic experience: Nice place for your kids. You can rent this place up.

Fantastic experience: I teach Zumba fitness and aqua Zumba, lovely team, I feel welcomed

Fantastic experience: Such a nice gym. Plenty of space and lots of good machines to choose from, as well as weights etc.

Fantastic experience: Good gym with nice facilities. I wish they focused more of free weight equipment as it's high in demand during peak hours while they have many cardio machines that are rarely at capacity.

Positive experience: good gym , can get very busy at times

Negative experience: Have just cancelled my membership. They appear to have turned the swimming pool into a nightclub at 11am. Ultra loud music and the worlds most irritating man whooping loudly every twenty seconds. The staffs attitude to a sound sensitive autistic adult was disgraceful. No empathy or understanding of autism at all.

Fantastic experience: Definitely recommend! Spin sessions are soo good! Stevens are the hardest and the best

Fantastic experience: Definitely recommend! Stevens spin sessions are the best

Positive experience: We regularly use the pool at The Hive. They always have a good selection of floats out for the kids. Staff are polite and respectful. I sometimes feel it could be a little cleaner in the changing area, but accept it is a very busy facility.

Negative experience: Gym is very warm, the air conditioning has been broken for months and they won’t get it fixed, along with a fight for 2 fans that the gym now owns means classes are uncomfortable. Prices went up this year and since then, no working air conditioning or fans for classes (there use to be at least 4/5 in a spin class) - many people reporting it and they don’t care enough to fix it. Every spin class you get the same apologies - it’s been going on for months, sort it out.

Positive experience: It's OK. A bit pricey if you just want to use the gym. Seemingly random which cardio machines actually work, and some weight machines/cables need some tlc. Toilets can be a bit grim.

Negative experience: Studio is too warm, there are no windows and the AC doesn’t work properly. Fans are no longer allowed either.

Positive experience: Really great i would recommend it and would take the kids again too xxx

Fantastic experience: amazing experience with the hive - ely. thoroughly enjoyed my week there using their facilities for our summer sports camps. staff were incredibly kind and often went that extra step. nate and liam were standouts, always greeting me in the early morning with a smile. great work guys, kyle from premier.

Fantastic experience: Bee Bop A Birthday were booked here to host a kids party. The conference room was great but they need to find a room downstairs as we had to make several trips with equipment to the furthest end of the building. A downstairs hire room would be more practical.

Fantastic experience: Excellent swimming pools with great, clean, changing facilities. Separate pool for younger children (called training pool). Book in advance on the website. Lockers require £1 coin

Positive experience: Lovely modern Leisure centre. Went for swimming, which is a few degrees lower than comfortable, especially as a parent who is there to watch children rather than being able to swim to keep warm.

Positive experience: Not too impressed that swim for all is in just a fraction of the pool and you have to reserve your place!!

Fantastic experience: 10£ per person for one time. I was there with my girlfriend for few days

Negative experience: Soulless and zero atmosphere. Gym feels like the equipment was just chucked in there with no thought. Spin classes held in the gym which is just odd. Not particularly clean. If u time it wrong expect kids to be Charing round the pool changing rooms. Men’s changing rooms remind me of being at school. Poor choice of classes. I joined online without viewing, more fool me

Fantastic experience: The gym is a very friendly place, a member of staff is always happy to help. Especially Adele. Always a good atmosphere.

Positive experience: Good options for gym, fitness class and swim class for a monthly membership.. you need to cancel 30days in advance.. And we also saw a double rainbow after the first swim class

Fantastic experience: Nice place for losing weight, workouts and gymnastics

Positive experience: It would be perfect if the pool wasn't so cold.

Negative experience: Really not worth the membership fees! Classes have massively gone down hill, not as many options, only a handful of decent instructors left and although they work really hard, they can’t possibly run enough classes to keep up with the demand so it is really difficult to book a space on popular classes. The 4 hour cancellation policy is unrealistic! 2 hours I can understand but a lot can happen in a day! I work in Cambridge, sometimes things come up at work and I have to stay later than anticipated, I then get charged and banned from booking until I’ve paid. I feel like all I do is pay that place, but the gym are too tight to even put the air conditioning on for most classes let alone look after their loyal members. With exception of the general manager, the staff are lovely, friendly and do their best but I feel like many of the big decisions are out of their hands. After 4 years of being a loyal member, I’m disappointed in the quality of the service I get at the Hive now and am looking to join a new gym.

Positive experience: The swimming pool is nice but so cold

Fantastic experience: Amazing place everything you need and lovely staff

Fantastic experience: Fantastic staff and very clean throughout facility. Also tons of room to relax, change for swimming, and just feel comfortable throughout the building. All they are missing is steam & sauna.

Negative experience: Awful. Ely Hive centre is over expensive, £34 a month compared to £10-25 for Puregym which is open 24/7. They have a festive timetable which means some days, they are shut completely yet we still have to pay for the normal price. You have to give a 20 day notice if you wish to cancel, fail to this and they still take the direct debit. Why do you need 20 days? So if you are called away for work with short notice, you end up paying for a month and not using it. The only way to stop them taking the money is to cancel your bank card or direct debit, an added hassle. The gym has little equipment, one of everything. There is often an entire football team in the gym along with PTs and their clients just to add further strain to limited equipment. Customer service is non existent. Emails are never answered (not an exaggeration). Phoning is the only method and even then you are put through to the most un-personable people imaginable.

Negative experience: Is a good pool however prices seem to be going up with opening times decreasing. Only having swim for fitness sessions on 2 evenings per week across 1 or 2 Lanes is just not good enough for what they are charging for monthly memberships. Used to be open until 10 and was perfect.. Now only good if you can make it during the day!

Negative experience: Pool changing room stinks of urine. Suspiciously right near where there is a leak out of a pipe on the wall over the floor. Hope that isn't leaking waste onto the floor for us to walk on!

Fantastic experience: Loads of activities to do, staff are really helpful and friendly

Fantastic experience: Very friendly vibe, people of all ages and fitness levels come to use the gym so I didn't feel judged at all whilst exercising. Definitely recommend as a gym to join for beginners!

Fantastic experience: Visited the learners pool today and absolutely loved it. Loads of toys for the little one to play with & a lovely atmosphere. The centre is clean, quiet and all the staff we spoke to were helpful and friendly. We'll definitely be back.

Fantastic experience: Took my 2 year old swimming here for the first time today. Whole facility lovely and clean, hot showers, and kids pool good temperature with lots of toys to play with. Will definitely come again!

Positive experience: My son has lessons here. He always has a lot of fun and looks forward to getting in the pool. Generally the staff are friendly, but at times very limited to what they can do to help as the website is a minefield and there's no one to chat to about it.

Fantastic experience: By far the best facility around!

Positive experience: A good family facility for learning to swim for children, such a necessary skill. Classes available for all swimmers at different levels.

Positive experience: Only used the swimming pool, smeed well organized

Fantastic experience: I practically live here! There is a variety of classes to keep me entertained, in addition to the pool and gym which are excellent. However, for my membership fee this is expected. The reason for the 5 stars is the staff. From the second I arrive at reception I feel welcome. The receptionists are amazing, the lifeguards and gym staff are amazing and the class instructors are amazing. My fitness journey is important but the social aspect is important too and I enjoy the interactions when I am there. 100% recommend!

Negative experience: Absolutely expensive not worth. If you calculate on average people use 3-4 days per week however this gym do not offer customised packages that means they make profit out of your weakness- you’re stuck <>Extremely poor mannerisms, they are ready to leash.Misuse of bank direct debit and faulty IT applications. Would prefer elsewhere where there’s respect in exchange.

Positive experience: Modern facilities. Light and airy. Well supervised main pool. Small pool for infants. Limited refreshments but McD and others a short walk with free parking.

Negative experience: Been here few times and each time received absolutely awful treatment so it's not like it was accidental unfortunate incident but a part of deliberate culture of how this place is run and who they don't want there. They are rude to me for not booking online even though this is completely unnecessary in settings like that. They always force me to pay by card even though I hate that. Then they humiliate me by very long and unnecessary wait even though swimming pool is practically empty. Bring back Paradise pool! Been there endless amount of times and never received even fraction of such nasty treatment.

Fantastic experience: Beautiful community recreation centre in the heart of Ely. Great staff and well kept facilities, from the swimming pools to the games hall.

Negative experience: Horrible place run by terrible people. Comparing to old Paradise pool its absolute disgrace. Movable floor is pointless gimmick that forces parents of small children to continuously carry them as water is too deep. You need normal permanent sloping floor so children of all ages can walk in water and enjoy their time. Staff is incapable of using basic logic and maths. Every time they treat us like idiots making us wait telling pool is too full while there's only something like six people in it!!! They don't know how to take cash payments!?! Obviously their aim is to cater only for childfree people who pay hefty membership online by card while excluding and mistreating everyone else

Positive experience: Staff are friendly, swimming lessons are good here and the pool is usually relatively quiet.

Positive experience: Ego level wasn't too bad

Fantastic experience: Good classes, Gym well equipped, Staff excellent. My gym induction was particularly well presented and friendly.

Fantastic experience: Actually we stopped at this site in order to get a rapid top up for our electric car. The charger is in the car park close to the leisure centre which looked impressive. We got a takeaway drink from Costa and after a successful top up we resumed our journey to Hunstanton.

Fantastic experience: Huge, spacious, clean, quiet. Love it to bits. Gym, swimming & more.

Fantastic experience: I really enjoy this place, the staff are always friendly.

Positive experience: The weights area is ok-ish, I feel there isn't enough space to exercise as it's all cramped in one corner. Swimming pool, don't bother as it's full from the moment the doors open - puts me off when someone is swimming on your back in a queue of 6-7 people on one lane. Free classes I never attend. I feel that you're not getting enough for the money you're paying and I've been a member of very well established leisure centres where you'd pay £50 but in return had a jacuzzi, sauna, indoors and outdoors swimming pools, squash and tennis courts, rock-climbing areas and so on. I don't feel that you're getting a lot for £40+ here.

Negative experience: Dreadful customer service. There is no way to get through to a member of staff at the centre with a specific question and the information on the website is poorly organised. When you do find something regarding your question on the website it is generic and vague. To "Better": Please improve your service, because the facilities and staff at the leisure centre are excellent, you are letting them down!

Positive experience: I wish they had a ladies only swimming session

Fantastic experience: Clean and well organised. Good sized pool and facilities

Fantastic experience: Really nice pool with friendly staff. Always clean, I wouldn't use anywhere else.

Fantastic experience: UPDATE..I assume somebody does read these reviews as the changing rooms / toilets are generally spotless now and so is the gym. Credit to the management team in responding to these points and improving the cleanliness of the facilities. UPDATE...same issue has arisen again some 8 months later so I spoke to a member of staff and mentioned about the mens toilets should be cleaned everyday, the response was for me to fill in a form at the front desk I have NO other issue with this gym just prefer to use clean facilities..not much to ask! The gym facilities and equipment are great but I noticed over the last 3 weeks the same piece of chewing gum has been left in the mens urinals..not a major health hazzard but for £45 + a month I would expect a better standard of hygiene. I even called the duty manager to make them aware but no change..polite suggestion would be to employ a new cleaner!

Fantastic experience: Really clean and fresh. The changing rooms floors and clean. And the staff are very helpfull. And i whould come back agine. Nad don’t listen to the negative revues because they whant you to feel up set. And i am giving you all a 5stars rating.

Fantastic experience: A lovely leisure Centre swimming pool free parking and disabled parking and facilities also on the complex is a range of restaurants a cinema and a pub and a Costa coffee

Positive experience: I've only used the pool so can't comment on the gym. Pool is nice and big, good temperature and nice changing facilities with plenty of lockers. Lots of parking spaces for both cars and cycles. Staff are friendly and helpful. Only thing I'd criticise is on some days there is no public swimming available at all - notably Tuesday's, if you want to swim anytime after 3pm you're out of luck. This is despite there being a main pool and a learning pool.

Positive experience: I've only used the swimming facilities and the kids love it. They have a small heated pool for babies, toddlers and kids in general and there is a main pool as well. The gym area looks amazing although I've not used it but it looked quiet, new and clean when I walked past it. You can also do other activities like badminton and even hire studios for kids birthday parties.

Positive experience: I take my grandson for swimming lessons here. I wanted to just go swimming with him after school but they don't cater for that now. Shame really. We pay £35 a month but £85 for the first month £10 admin fee and that covers 2 months. He enjoyed his first lesson but said the water was cold when he first jumped in! He asked if there was any heating on!

Positive experience: I've been using this gym for a few weeks now and I have to say it's great. The staff are incredibly friendly and helpful and the facilities are fantastic. The building has a lot of natural light and plenty of space in all areas which makes the whole place feel very light and airy. The gym is nice and big with lots of up to date equipment. The free weights area could be a bit bigger in my opinion as it always seems busy but there are always cardio machines available and plenty of resistance machines to use as well. When I went for my induction they tested my blood pressure and unfortunately it was too high to get started immediately but Jack informed me that I could speak to my doctor to get a referral and in doing so he'd be able to set me up with a personalised 12 week training program. I am very glad I took his advice, it was definitely a blessing in disguise. Jack has been brilliant with me and has set me up with my own plan that will be tweaked every four weeks. He's incredibly friendly, easy going, knowledgeable, and is helping me ease into things nicely. We also get on really well; during our sessions we haven't stopped talking which has made it even more enjoyable. I honestly look forward to every workout. I know that with Jack's help I'll reach my goals and it won't feel a chore getting there. The swimming pool is also great. The changing rooms are always clean and there are plenty of cubicles and lockers to use. The pool itself can feel a bit chilly when you first enter the water but after a length or two you'll be glad of it as it keeps your body temperature to a nice level. Overall I can't recommend this gym enough. The modern building, facilities, and equipment alone are enough to make you want to go here but the staff, who can't do enough to help you, are the icing on the cake that keeps you coming back for more. Edit: I've knocked a star off as although the gym is still great and the staff are fantastic, they don't turn the air conditioning units on in the gym anymore and so it can often get uncomfortably warm in there when it starts to get busy. Other than that it's still a great place to go.

Negative experience: Really bad experience with amending swimming lessons schedule for our two sons. The front desk staff were supportive, but the management were inflexible and lacked customer obsession (especially during this challenging time). Will be cancelling our lesson membership.

Negative experience: The gym itself is fine but the company’s customer service is awful. Hard work to get them to show any sense of human life

Fantastic experience: A great gym - full of friendly people

Negative experience: Was enjoying going to the gym, until they updated the App and I can no longer booked anything! Called customer services, they cut you off, asked at the facility I get told to wait 24 hours, emails don't get replied to, nor does Facebook! 4 days later..... still waiting!

Fantastic experience: We had a fantastic time swimming with a 1 year old in the teaching pool. Nice warm pool, not crowded, and nice clean changing rooms.

Positive experience: Reasonable gymn, but they don't use industry standard equipment (for example, they don't use Concept 2 ergos)

Negative experience: No signs for those walkin or biking from Ely town to find swimming pool etc anywhere on route . No seating anywhere awaiting apps in park before or at centre. Changing in a used toilet grim.pool steps 3 corners built into the wall so that if you have knees and legs all but impossible to use.never seen such steps to a pool anywhere else ever.prefered the old paradise leisure centre normal steps easy to access in town and signage.

Fantastic experience: Our son has swimming lessons here. It's very well set up with one-way system and safe seating.

Positive experience: Very Covid safe, visited for kids swimming lessons.

Fantastic experience: Lovely, clean,, spacious, leisure centre with a brilliant pool and great changing rooms

Fantastic experience: Good quiet length swimming session. Unfortunately session is not available in school holidays.

Positive experience: A swimming pool, it does swimming lessons for children.