Virgin Active

Positive experience: Great facilities love the padel ball courts gym is good but always very busy especially at this time of year. My only gripes are the fact they’ve lowered the swimming pool temp by 2 degrees to 27 and the hot tub by 2 degrees to 32 it’s a Luke warm tub now, over the last 2 weeks ,even though the sign at the hot tub says it’s maintained at 36. After a 20% increase in price why lower the temps by 10%? Also disappointed that the outdoor pool has been closed after being told it’s open all year round, not a reason was given to us why they closed it

Positive experience: Excellent equipment, if the connection to the Technogym app worked

Fantastic experience: Such an incredible reception after returning to gym recently; so friendly and efficient and speedy. Well done team. Upgraded beautiful facilties. Fantastic food at restaurant too.

Fantastic experience: Great Gym, classes, equipment, cleanliness. And now with Padel!!!

Fantastic experience: Amazing club - huge range of activities and classes included in the membership. All coaches are top class and really show their knowledge and consideration of your individual needs and goals during classes. 100% recommend Clearview I've no regrets since joining & still haven't sampled everything on offer. Really looking forward to the brand new Padel courts coming soon that will be the icing on the cake. Well done everyone

Positive experience: Great gym and facilities but can get busy …

Positive experience: Well equipped gym with clean facilities. New food menu ok but rather expensive for such small portions.

Positive experience: A good gym with friendly people. Just wish Virgin would re in state original music. Epidemic is just supermarket music.

Fantastic experience: Great indoors tennis courts

Positive experience: Pretty decent gym overall. Had a recent gym floor refurb & one of few gyms with an outdoor pool & jacuzzi operational all year round. Only real downsides are the changing room is a little tired & the sauna is tiny. Staff are really good & friendly however. Dec 2024 Update: I’ve downgraded from 4 stars to 3 stars as they actually decided to close the outdoor pool from Nov to Jan contrary to what I was told when I first joined. As a result I’ve left them to join Nuffield for the next few months. Will reconsider joining over the summer most likely now.

Negative experience: Loved this gym, not for the facilities, but the people and the tennis, I attend around 5 days a week They have recently bought in a new cafe, you would get the impression it’s a franchise, but virgin own most of it, it’s massively over priced. A standard size coffee is £4.25. If you want anything to eat, in excess of £10. How does virgin expect young family’s to afford that. It’s absolute greed, David Lloyd of which my partner is a member of is around £3 for a coffee, and as a member you get a discount on top As I said, Iv been a member for 3 years, I on a rolling monthly contract. They recently emailed all members to say that unless you Sign into a 12 month contract my membership was going to quadrupole in price. The tennis courts are hard enough to book as it is, I had heard a rumour that paddle courts might be bought in and they might take away a few of the indoor courts, so I said I was fine to sign into a contract as long as a I can break it if they make any fundamental changes that would be detrimental to my use of the club, the manager basically laughed at me and completely dismissed my concerns, a few month later and I see the padel courts have been delivered, so unless they are taking away the outside courts which would be so bad as they are terrible, my query isn’t so ridicules after all, the club communicates nothing, also, please can you invest in some new tennis balls. It’s ridiculous.

Negative experience: The newly renovated café is a very "adults only" vegan concept. The children's menu is limited to sourdough toast and wholewheat wraps. The location of the club is very rural so my three children 8, 6, and 1 can no longer be fed on site. Unfortunately, this marks the end of my 20 year relationship with Virgin Active but my children deserve to be valued by the club that they spend their time in for swimming lessons, tennis lessons, and creche. I don't need a patronising lecture about your no preservatives food philosophy. I need to feed my kids on site.

Negative experience: Subject: Feedback on Customer Service at Virgin Active Gym Dear Virgin Active Team, I am writing to express my concerns regarding the customer service and communication skills of the staff at your facility. As a member of Virgin Active and a patron of a premium gym, I had high expectations for the level of service provided. However, I have encountered several instances of poor customer service and inadequate communication from the staff. These experiences have been disappointing and fall short of the standards I anticipated from a gym of Virgin Active's reputation. I believe that effective communication and courteous service are fundamental to a positive gym experience, and I hope these areas can be improved upon to better serve your members. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to seeing improvements in the customer service at Virgin Active.

Fantastic experience: Lovely gym and staff. Great classes and instructors too.

Negative experience: This was generally a great gym, clean with great facilities and friendly staff. I was ready to continue with the gym until virgin active changed the terms and conditions. I joined a year ago in the understanding that I committed for a year and then it would be a rolling month to month contract thereafter. Now that my one year commitment is nearly up Virgin Active have emailed me this week to say that if I want to continue with my membership which has increased from £84.99 a month to £89.99 which in itself is a substantial increase of £5 extra month, and an annual increase of £60 I have to now commit for another year. They are now saying that if I want a month to month rolling contract after having already committed for a year as agreed, I will now have to pay £121 a month for the luxury of having flexibility. That’s a massive increase of £36.01 a month or an extra £432.12 a year!!!! I think this move by virgin active is tone deaf when we are in a cost of living crisis as well a greedy and unfair. In this current unpredictable economic climate I cannot predict whether I can afford to commit for another year. If I do commit and then can’t pay, they have me over a barrel with a legally binding contract where I can be chased for the outstanding money. If I want flexibility after already being loyal to them for a year they will repay my loyalty with a hike of £432.12 a year. It is for this reason that I will be terminating my contact. Yet another example of big corporate business squeezing people for more and more money rather than looking after thier current customer base. In addition to this I purchased some get into PT sessions at the start of my contract. I was told that these had no expiry date. At no point was I told they were non refundable. Having decided to quit the gym and currently being signed off with a trapped nerve until the expiry date of my membership, I asked for a refund. Now virgin active say the vouchers were only valid for ninety days & they won’t refund. Very shady practices indeed virgin active. For these reasons I won’t be back. New customers think very carefully before joining as virgin active constantly change the goal posts! I have emailed Jonny Glass and Courtney Porter at Virgin Active to ask for an explanation. Both have ignored me.

Fantastic experience: A great place for sports and relaxation.

Positive experience: Be nice if you could get into a class and be able to park. Really stressful at the moment think they need to think about the members they have rather than taking on so many new ones that it's like some sort of lottery trying to get in

Fantastic experience: I’ve been coming here for 3 years Sam at the restaurant is so kind and can’t do enough to help u thank you Sam

Negative experience: The gym is undergoing renovations at the moment and the facilities have been reduced to such a degree that 10% full on the app translates as actually 100% full in practice. The management are not even offering a discount during these times especially as they have just put up their fees

Fantastic experience: Good place to spend time for your activities, a lot of classes, perfect inside and outside swimming pools. Friendly professional staff. Cafe with fresh food, very good location. Always happy to comeback! Recommended for adults, and families!

Fantastic experience: Front of house staff are always friendly, the gym has room for everyone and the classes are high quality - particularly the yoga with Natalie. I appreciate that the pool, sauna, steam and changing rooms are always clean and it's a lovely third space to be able to come to regularly.

Fantastic experience: Very friendly staff, and all new equipments and swimming pool excellent.

Fantastic experience: My son and I recently joined and everyone has been so friendly. Sam did my son’s gym induction yesterday and he was brilliant. Have already signed up for some PT sessions with Sam. Thanks to everyone for making us feel so welcome.

Positive experience: Facilities are Ok and all staff are very helpful and friendly. Always find it to be clean as well. A few suggestions though 1) The layout of the gym floor is pretty weird. You can certainly accommodate more people/equipment if the layout is improved. I still sometimes can't believe you only have 1 Lat pulldown machine in the whole gym. 2) Please think of making your changing rooms a bit nicer. Some lotion/moisturiser will go a long way. Also, what is with the dishwash soap you have for hands, hair, body and everything? It doesn't even smell nice.

Fantastic experience: Love it

Positive experience: Not a bad virgin. Not quite as nice as Repton Park or Bromley but has all the facilities.

Negative experience: The layout of this gym is one of the worst I have seen. Why are all the machines in a circle facing each other? For people who are starting out or anxious this is a hell hole. I can't imagine even those of the highest confidence/fitness levels want to run on a machine directly facing someone else. Its super awkward and puts you off your workou.

Positive experience: Out-dated and needs a refurbishment ASAP! Gym equipment are old and the changing rooms are quite dirty. I pay a membership of £137 per month and get access to most virgin gyms and this has to be the worst one I have attended. Definitely not worth the money. There are lots of potential, so once refurbished, I do think it will be a lovely gym to attend.

Fantastic experience: Great gym. We have a family membership and plenty to do for all.

Fantastic experience: Well equipped gym with spa-level jacuzzi in a great setting

Fantastic experience: Decent place to play tennis with several indoor tennis courts.

Fantastic experience: Excellent facilities all the way round and excellent staff

Positive experience: Was a very busy and vibrant centre with some excellent facilities and some lovely staff. The majority of the exoeriance was great, just wish the spa staff was a bit more happy rather than making us feel like a number but that aside. Did enjoy the whole day. Plenty of parking and food choices and sporting activities

Fantastic experience: We have just visited for the first time today and have been thoroughly impressed from start to finish. In particular we would like to say a huge thank you to Natalie & Victoria who did the massages for us, their professionalism and courtesy was to an exemplary standard and we will not hesitate to visit again - even though we live 90 minutes away. Thanks for a great experience, would not hesitate to recommend.

Fantastic experience: Pool is amazing during a hot day and staff are friendly

Fantastic experience: Great club with helpful, friendly staff & new manager is refurbishing some areas.

Negative experience: I called 4 days in a row to try and get through to Health and Beauty to book a Virgin Experience Spa Day. No one answers the phone and it goes to a messaging service. I have left countless voicemail messages and have not received a reply at all. This place is an absolute joke!

Fantastic experience: Lovely place and staff! Good selection of equipment

Negative experience: I’m giving it such a low review purely because of its poor value for money, given that they haven’t updated the gym equipment for what seems over a decade. If you enjoy tennis this might be more of a gym for you, but for gym goers only you pay a heavy premium for gym equipment that is scarce and outdated. The staff are mostly teenage unhelpful and unfriendly people.

Fantastic experience: Indoor tennis facilities are excellent. Staff were welcoming and pay attention to detail. Signing in was a little tricky but the courts were first class. Enjoyed a tasty coffee after too.

Fantastic experience: Cool

Positive experience: Wasn’t able to reach them for several days for some reason, trying to book a spa experience- ended up booking elsewhere

Negative experience: Good luck trying to book a spa day! Absolutely appalling experience, no one answers the phone and they mess you around by email! Ridiculous!

Negative experience: The gym is very dated. The whole place could do with a massive refresh. Preacher curl bench gone never to be seen again, same goes for another leg machine. No stair-master machine. The showers are functional at best with rusted pipes, missing tiles and mould everywhere. I’m surprised there isn’t a risk of legionella. The steam room barley works and the hot tub has a very strong smell of chlorine. For the price they charge I would say it’s reasonable and the facilities are good along with great friendly staff but this place seriously needs a full top to bottom renovation.

Positive experience: It is ok but not worth the price. Bad smell in the men’s shower area and whilst I was a member for a month or so outside pool was closed on a number occasions and hydro pool on one occasion. No hot water for a few days too but no offer of any reimbursements. The amount they charge is an embarrassment considering they don’t provide towels and even if you pay for that option the towels are child sized.

Fantastic experience: Got a day pass to use the facilities. Very clean and a wide range of equipment

Negative experience: Yesterday I felt the worst behaviour from the staff member( Daizy). She was so rude. I’m glad I made my decision to leave this gym. I’ll post it to all my social media as well. When I said I’ll put review online and Reception lady took my club card and now I can’t give feedback in the gym app. All of them are useless members.

Negative experience: I have been a member at the gym around 10 months and although the space and equipment are always good the customer service and communication is pretty much always awful. Firstly I had a voucher for the spa (not connected with my membership) which I tried to redeem, when I spoke to someone in person they told me I had to email, which I did and the email literally said 'sorry, fully booked' with no options or resolutions on when I could try and redeem my voucher, when I did eventually speak to someone they said I had to pay a further £15 to use it? Even though voucher was already paid for AND I am a member. Honestly I think the voucher was an actual scam its been over a year and I haven't being able to redeem it. My most recent problem, I referred someone to the gym back in July who was keen to sign up as he is new to the area - he started training with me immediately and I was told I would get my 'recommend a friend' free month in August. I was then charged so when I queried it they told me not to worry it would be the following month it is 'free' I've ended up having to check this 3 times in person and have being emailing since 5th of September to try and resolve for them now to say, for me to be entitle to the free month I have to pay another month ahead? One email explained - very confidently that if they signed up in August I would get October free - I am now trying to be charged for November and they're going to add on a penalty of £50 for 'unpaid fees'. I had a member of staff call me while at work earlier this week I asked if she would call me back at 4pm to resolve, she never did and each time I have emailed I have asked for a contact number at head office so I no longer have to continue repeating myself in person and writing emails and each time they avoid responding to me with that information. Honestly its a nice gym but I wouldn't say worth the money or the headache of the staff and lack of communication.

Negative experience: I'm very disappointed that the club I pay £70 a month membership for has discontinued my weekly yoga class, closed the outside pool for 2 months and not even offered me a guest pass in compensation. And I have contacted membership and mentioned this and they weren't interested.

Fantastic experience: I was bought a voucher and booked a spa for two. I was a bit apprehensive about my visit after reading the reviews but was pleasantly surprised. I want to say a big thank you to the lady on reception who showed me and my friend around. Also Michelle in the coffee shop- very attentive and finally a thank you to Jess and Victoria who gave us a lovely treatment.

Negative experience: One department doesn’t know the others pricing and vice versa. Trying to get an overview of the pricing to see if I can join but people don’t know and keep asking to get email address and phone numbers to then get back to me. Sigh.

Negative experience: Not nice. Initially looked okay compared to DL but we was mis sold our membership by the sales guy first to have towels included and then charged when we went to get one and when we tried to cancel within the 7 day cool off, we was ignored and charged anyway. Really unhappy with this place, wouldn’t of minded if gym members actually cleaned their equipment after sweating all over it or being able to get a space in the sun bed outside - cafe is only open until 14.00 and doesn’t cater for gluten intolerance nor helpful for that matter either. After 5 emails to info @ Virginactive and NO replies at all, this one star review is totally warranted. Avoid.

Fantastic experience: Had a lovely spa day here, spa staff were professional and we really enjoyed our treatment. Love the heated outdoor pool and the lifeguards were friendly and helpful. Had no problems booking, even when had to initially re-arrange due to covid. Plenty of parking.

Negative experience: Went as a spa day ...I've done many spa days ...this is not a spa it's a gym with sauna and steam .......the gym is seriously dated its really rough round the edges the only highlight was the lady who did my facial...was a beautiful facial ...that's the only thing that would bring me back here ...at spas you have a lovely healthy lunch ....not the case here ...bread bread bread that's it ....children birthday party screaming kids everywhere .....NOT A SPA BY FAR!!! sooooooooo disappointed

Negative experience: Equipment is old, clunky and often broken. Fitness area way too small for nowadays standards and under equipped. Investment and updating is urgently needed in this gym. Pay premium but you get a below average gym If you are serious about training go somewhere else.

Negative experience: Awful costumer service! I have a spa day voucher for 2 people and tried to book this nearly 3 months in advance. I was told they could only take provisional bookings at this time as they weren’t sure if they’d have 2 therapists working that day, and that it would be confirmed at a later date. I just received an email 1 month prior to the date saying the times we asked for are now taken, by apparent other previous reservations and we can have our treatments 3 hours apart or in the afternoon at 3pm! If this is the case how come the apparent reason our booking couldn’t be booked in at the time was due to not knowing if you had 2 therapist in! If that was the case why would you take numerous provisional bookings for the same time slot! I am not at all happy as we have a toddler which we have arranged morning childcare for and our vouchers expire very soon giving us very little leg room to look for an alternative date and time.

Negative experience: The whole club is dirty. Thick dust on skirting boards and equipment. First noticed the floor in the picture on Friday. It is now Tuesday and the floor is the same which means the floor hasn’t been cleaned. Have complained repeatedly through the club feedback on the app and nothing is done. Never use the pool as the floors around it and in the changing room/ showers are grim Young staff more focussed on chatting to each other than doing their job. Seems they need constant supervision Equipment is out of date and in a bad condition Will not be renewing when contract ends as it is not worth the membership fee.

Negative experience: If you're 17 and want to hang around with your friends whilst you check your phone - BINGO! You've come to the right place. In all fairness there's a good range of equipment + plenty of parking but the gym air con is nowhere near adequate and the gangs of late teens hording equipment is a joke.

Negative experience: Virgin Active Clearview Pros: -They offer a range of fitness classes and facilities like the pool, sauna, steamroom etc -They have a spacious car park -Nice studio rooms -Once in a while you get offered a free guest pass -I had a friendly PT though there are areas of improvement for training Cons: -The cleanliness could be improved. The gym itself needs a thorough deep clean, likewise with the steam room. It seems grimy. I feel uncomfortable stepping on the changing room floors barefoot and constantly having to touch door handles as theirs manual doors before stepping into every room. -They overcharged me twice consecutively which I had to follow up constantly for my refund. Very stressful process, lack of communication between the staff and no compensation for wasting my time and taking my money. I eventually got refunded nearly a month later. -Most of the equipment is old and needs to be updated especially with the amount of money members are being charged for -There is little space on the gym floor, the layout is crammed, not that much equipment compared to other gyms that charge less, and barely any floor space for stretching or exercises that requires a mat. -The jacuzzi takes ages to turn back on after it’s finished bubbling and there’s barely any space in the sauna and steam room for a large group. -When things break down such as equipment or sauna, it takes months to get fixed which is terrible especially if you come gym specifically for a certain facility/equipment. Would have given a 3 star but with the way I’ve been messed around and the lack of respect for my time with no compensation, it gets a 2 at best.

Negative experience: I have been a member of this gym for nearly 20 years, (since when it was Esporta). I have always enjoyed it, up until recently. I stopped personal training several months ago and am billed each and every month for PT sessions I don’t have. I have asked reception 3/4 times to attend to it and each time I do, they promise that someone will call me and they never do. I have tried phoning and the same happens. They appear to have zero respect for long-standing customers and my advice to anyone thinking of joining would be to look elsewhere.

Negative experience: Cant get through to reception. Bought a virgin experience spa day many weeks ago, and no branch including this one will answer. Upon looking at reviews it seems to be common

Positive experience: Good gym, clean, tidy, friendly staff

Positive experience: Very professional looking and staff seem friendly and knowledgeable but nothing to make it stand out

Fantastic experience: Please note that at the time of writing I have been a member here for 22 days (with 13 days in attendance) and I am very often present between 0600 to 1000, with only one attendance between 1730 to 1910. I have been pretty surprised with how clean the facilities are and the etiquette of other gym members while attending this facility. Being very Covid 19 conciseness and being somewhat put off going to gyms previously, I can't stress how comfortable I am while I am here. I can very easily get on any exercise equipment I want and one of the pools are usually are empty enough for me to get a good swim in. I've been enjoying the Steam and Sauna rooms after a work out and the shower / changing room areas are all clean. All areas within Clearview also have cleaning wipes and alcohol hand sanitizers from the gym floor to the changing rooms. Pricing is higher than other places, but I do recommend giving this place a look if you are looking for a place to get fit at.

Positive experience: Sauna steam massage Jacuzzi heated out door pool..

Fantastic experience: I visited very early for a quick swim which I enjoyed.

Fantastic experience: Lovely atmosphere very enjoyable.

Negative experience: Trying to book a spa treatment for two for the late 4 days. Left a voicemail, but unfortunately didnt receive a call back. Very unprofessional, and after this experience wouldn't recommend to anyone.

Negative experience: This is no longer a gym. It is a children's activity center! If you like swimming and view it as an actual form of exercise, then this place is definitely not for you. Have been coming to this gym for a long time and used to be able to swim whenever I felt like it, but now they have introduced a ton of activities which literally stop me from being able to swim lengths properly. The Aqua sessions take up most of the pool and you can't swim in the lanes because with all those biddies jumping up and down, it's too choppy. Today I checked the timetable and made notes on which were now the best times for me swim and when I turned up there was another section of the pool roped off for kids on floats! Kids all over the main party of the pool and kids messing about with floats in the 'fast' lane! I started swimming in the one free lane and 2 old women got in and started just chatting there! Kids all over the outside pool too. It's a joke! Family swim sessions used to be much more sedate and people were still respectful of those that actually wanted to swim (even during school holidays!). Now it's a zoo! Might as well go to my local leisure center, where it's cheaper and at least they have some adult session during the day. Yeah there are adult only times here, but only at the end of the day, just before it closes. This is not how a gym should be run. Have frozen my account until September but pretty sure I won't be coming back.

Negative experience: Constant power cuts since June with no out come on how to fix it.Takes me 20 minutes to get to the gym just to be told sorry it’s closed due to power cut which I understand does happen but not for 4 months

Positive experience: Great outdoor pool, good sized indoor pool also, great for kids! large, Clean changing facilities! Sauna, great indoor tennis courts! Cafe selling alcohol /coffee and snacks! Vending machine with protein shakes

Positive experience: Nice outdoor pool

Positive experience: Great place with inside and outdoor tennis courts and swimming pools, sadly, no air con on the tennis courts, so it got very hot in the summer.

Fantastic experience: Love this place everything you could need under one roof

Fantastic experience: Wonderful escape

Positive experience: I've seen better facilities at council run gyms and swimming pools for a fraction to the money. Nothing really special about this place.

Negative experience: the club is very very tired ( worn out tbh) , the previous comments about booking courts is spot on , the coaches and their clients come first , club members second , everything is failing in this club now and needs a massive investment to bring it back to the `good old days ` if you are wanting to join a `tennis club` avoid at all cost , david lloyd , cranston park offer so much more

Positive experience: Good facilities polite staff

Positive experience: Good facilities but now looks somewhat dated. Staff are efficient but at times can be curt. Geney over priced for the condition of the premises but it does have everything you'd need.

Negative experience: As a paid fitness centre it’s frustrating to see that the pool is used like that of a public leisure centre, particularly the outside pool. Kids shouldn’t be playing in these pools with blow up toys.

Positive experience: Good facilities but a bit dated. Staff is very friendly. Tennis court booking system must be reviewed.

Fantastic experience: Nice

Fantastic experience: Very good gym, great staff. I can't wish more.

Fantastic experience: Visited the spa most amazing massage

Negative experience: Too expensive.

Fantastic experience: Great family gym. Nice indoor & outdoor pools and tennis courts. Charley was fantastic as always, friendly, helpful.

Positive experience: Dated facilities,however staff are pleasant and professional, but this place feels like it has been time warped back to the 80’s. Shame as it has some great potential as a great health club.

Fantastic experience: Amazing Facilities and great staff. parking is always fast and easy. the classes and courts are a must for anyone in to fitness. the gym is a perfect size and the trainers are amazingly friendly

Positive experience: One of the best tennis coaches in the world.

Positive experience: Really enjoyed our 55 minute full body massage experience which included back, shoulder, arms and legs, this morning. Very relaxing indeed. Had bought the package before covid started so kept extending it until finally we got to experience it. Did not make use of any of the indulgence package facilities like sauna, jacuzzi, swimming pool etc as still not quite comfortable with remenants of covid. We followed this with a lovely lunch at the Clearview Blend 2 restaurant where I had a freshly made to order Build YO Noodles bowl with Sriracha sauce with crispy fries & my wife had perfectly done poached eggs and avocados on toast. We accompanied this with Mocha and a Latte respectively. Overall a very satisfying few hours. I am sure we will do this again. Thank you.

Fantastic experience: Great place

Fantastic experience: Good massage

Fantastic experience: Nice place...

Fantastic experience: Love it

Fantastic experience: Love being a member here

Positive experience: One of the cleanest and friendliest gyms I've been to

Negative experience: I expected more from virgin and certainly from the price. Gym is small and although it has two pools these are shallow and nothing special

Fantastic experience: A superb gym , with superb staff . Can’t reccomend enough . All the team are super helpful and friendly . The sales manger in particular was amazing , Kerrie I believe . Classes are amazing and all the equipment you need . Love the fact it’s so child friendly aswell as I have a 6 month old ....who loves it ! Crèche is amazing. Thanks guys keep up the good work .

Fantastic experience: Gym, tennis, 2x 25m pools, cafe. What more can you ask for? Oh a kids creche! A must have for overwhelmed parents looking to escape even if its just for a coffee. Expensive to use if not a member and no kids pool lets it down a bit.

Fantastic experience: Good facility available