Bicester Leisure Centre

Fantastic experience: Friendly staff, great selection of classes as well as a well equipped Gym.

Fantastic experience: I go here every single day

Negative experience: Well what can I say? I have been a member of the leisure centre for awhile now was in the middle of changing my bank details unfortunately I was late with my payment which I understand there was a £20 fee which I paid and also my £26 for my swimming membership, now they’re saying I still owe £20 which would make it £66 for one month I’m not going to pay it, when you can never get hold of reception, no one picks up staff are rude and not very helpful this was a genuine mistake, I would rather drive to Brackley or join David Lloyd‘s I am very disappointed with the leisure centre, specially with Richard and Sam disgusting

Positive experience: Great place, but life guards are so unhappy looking, I heard one of them saying he really didn’t want to be at pool side and he had no enthusiasm for the job, very said, you have to force a hello out of them, kids get a grip and be thankful you have a nice easy job like this, way over staffed

Fantastic experience: Excellent leisure centre, good facilities and helpful staff.

Negative experience: I tried a trial, whilst currently a member at Anytime Fitness to compare the two, as for the added facilities i was tempted to swap. The facilities are top notch, this place has endless possibility. The main let down was the lack of interest to help in regard to staff. I am sure lots of staff there are hardworking and great, unfortunately the few i interacted with had little to no interest in assisting any issues, or just helping. Asked a couple times where things were located, and they'd just point in a vague direction. Ask about lockers, they'd respond idk. Seems like a huge lack of motivation with the staff. A shame as the Sauna, Steam room, and Jakoozi were great. The staff made accessing the pool impossible on 3 different occasions so can't comment on that. The gym seems very packed, with lots of children just loitering around. Equipment, facilities top notch, disinterested staff really ruin it.

Fantastic experience: Great kids pool with a small slide, water fountain and bubbles.

Negative experience: Disgusted by the way I was just spoken too by the leisure centre. Male, approx 45 years old. Dark hair. I’m a disabled customer who dropped my 14 year old son off to gym by the front door. He had forgotten his water so I went to call him to come back out and collect it. I had been pulled over on the side of the road for ONE minute, the time it had taken for my son to walk in and me to pick up my phone. In this time the horrible man came to my car and very aggressively told me I couldn’t park there. Fair enough, but cars had passed me and I was not causing an obstruction. I explained I was on the phone and just waiting for my son, but he was not backing down. He was so incredibly rude and I’m feeling quite upset by the whole thing. Why would you aggressively approach a lone, disabled female in that way? Blue badge quite clearly displayed. If all the disabled bays weren’t taken up by cars that didn’t have blue badges, I would have been able to park up and take the water in myself. A really unpleasant character. And I also have Addisons disease and have been quite shaken up by the whole thing. It’s not what you say it’s how you say it and he was aggressive, unkind and nasty. There was no pleasantries, politeness or manners. It could have been said in a much nicer way and been a much more pleasant exchange. I’m a nurse and words are only 1% of communication. 99% is tone and body language and 99% of this gentleman’s communication was negative, pushy and scary. Completely unnecessary. Very sad.

Fantastic experience: Very nice couple of girls on Sunday morning helped me out, very friendly and welcoming, ty!

Negative experience: Lane swimming is hard to enjoy, no one respects pool etiquette. People keep overbooking the slow lane when they are more than suited for the middle or fast lane. Like what is the point in joining the slow lane and constantly overtake and annoy people when the faster lanes are almost empty. Staff doesn't do anything about it. It also takes ages for kids to leave the pool and sometimes sessions are delayed. Annoying to have to be stuck paying a 12 month subscription when this is the norm.

Fantastic experience: Nice gym lots of weights and 3 separate rooms for your traning. Swimming pool is fantastic always clean and nicely headed,swimming lessons are ok in timely manner.Membersip price is fair value Plus you can have a access to badminton and squash in certain hours during day.Thete is lots of parking . Staff is very efficient and helpful never have a problem . Bad point is, some members use a outdoor shoes so carpet could get a bit dirty during day . When I train at morning was always clean. Overally is a nice place for relax and training.

Fantastic experience: Went swimming, water was wet. Exactly as I anticipated

Positive experience: Can’t speak for other facilities but the baby pool is amazing!

Fantastic experience: My daughter is learning to swim, very good she loves it

Fantastic experience: Super clean, friendly staff and warm changing rooms. We've used the little pool and larger pool and the kids loved both

Fantastic experience: Best swimming pool in the local area

Negative experience: Called over 15 times in a 2 hour period this morning and not once got a response.

Negative experience: Ringing the phone all morning and no one ever picks up.

Negative experience: Booked online for a Tuesday to take our little girl swimming for the first time, as it was recommended for being warm ! drove 40 minutes there to be told that we can’t swim as it’s only lessons. Even though there were slots all day for a family swim! Not impressed, there was no care there or empathy and when we asked if we can join the baby lesson we were told bluntly it was full. Thinking with kind gesture for THEIR mistake they could fit us in. We were issued a refund but nothing gifted for inconvenience. Kindness doesn’t cost a thing.

Positive experience: good range of equipment in the gym, always clean and in good condition . could use a few other machines like a seated calf raise and hack squat, however its still good nonetheless

Fantastic experience: My son is having swimming lessons here and I can not fault anything about the leisure centre.

Positive experience: The recent upgrades to the gym equipment have truly enhanced the workout experience. I highly recommend taking advantage of these improvements.

Positive experience: I was a member here for a few months, it started off well enough - the gym had been refurbed. But then they closed the changing rooms for months to refurb. No concessions were made on the membership price. Found some staff were just disinterested - I mentioned to one that the wipes had run out and got a shrug. The place is OK - nothing special. I left and train near where I work now, and don't miss this place.

Fantastic experience: My daughter has attended stage 1 lessons at Bicester leisure centre and we have been very happy with her progress. The facilities are great and the teachers are brilliant. My daughter is very anxious and the kindness shown to her has helped her in confidence too. There are lots of sessions available and although there is a waiting list the children move up and on quickly so lessons soon become available and this is very well organised. I would highly recommend.

Negative experience: Good gym if you’re smaller than 6 foot 2 none of the gym machines including the squat rack fit. It might be my fault for being so tall but me and my brother (16) don’t fit anything

Negative experience: Customer service wasent great - I took my children swimming here for lessons - lessons were soo slow too many in the class not enough progression and the changing rooms always stank of urine and parents never listens to shows off sign so always dirty

Positive experience: Can be lovely place. But staff aren’t very helpful. Need big upgrades and also they should been trained how to speak with customers. I used swimming pool and squash court. But now prefer to use same company but in Banbury. Much better.

Fantastic experience: Good place

Positive experience: Great place but still don't understand why the cafe upstairs is closed when the area is full of parents waiting.... and no food-drinks dispensers. A missed opportunity

Fantastic experience: First time swimming in over 10 years, also friendly and helpful staff never had a problem in all the years I've been going

Negative experience: Bicester Rollers, a local family that run a session at the same time in Cooper School were were rejected, yet they are happy to accept a company from Midlands!!! We are asked to be campaigning for SUPPORT THE LOCALS, surely this applies to businesses as well! Their attitude to anyone leaving a negative review is to block you. That’s a coward attitude to running a business, the least they could have responded with an empty apology.

Negative experience: I am appalled that this business snatches the idea off a great local family company telling them their flooring is not suitable for roller skating as they’re looking to broaden their roller sessions and then starts their own skating sessions on the same day as them! Not ethical do not support!!!!

Negative experience: Shocked at the way they have callously treated a local business - shamelessly ripping off their business idea and driving out their business from the area while over charging the general public in the process. Have no care for the community in which they operate. Will not be using in the future and hope others will vote with their feet (or roller boots) too.

Positive experience: Unfortunately, it's not as good as it used to be. The cafe used to be great after activity and you could get a bite to eat and drink, and used to serve hot and cold food. Sadly gone. Showers are poor pressure, and it's looking as if it could do with a face lift generally.

Negative experience: Terrible place. No empathy or understanding towards children with extra needs. Completely destroyed our 4 year old daughter's confidence in her swimming lessons. Absolutely shocking place, with awful people skills. Also wouldn't help to give the place a clean once in a while. Gets a 1 star because it won't let me score 0.

Negative experience: Definitely exemplifies a company that’s had a monopoly on a city for too long, to its own detriment. They provide very low value for money and think they can treat people however they want without fear of customers going elsewhere. Luckily they’re no longer the only option so I go to PureGym now instead. Would recommend doing to same if you don’t want the poorest customer service of any gym in the UK.

Negative experience: They never answer the phone. Website makes it very hard to book

Negative experience: Why does it say closes at 6.30pm Saturday if they close at 6!? Waste of time

Positive experience: Love the play & teach kids pool! Fab for kids and warm water. You need a £1 coin for the locker. Plenty of parking. People on reception could be friendlier. I would have given 5 stars if there had been refreshment facilities.

Fantastic experience: Very nice gym. Helps me get stronger after my stroke. Very friendly place.

Negative experience: No bowling alley anymore which was my favourite part.

Positive experience: We go for the teaching pool. It's a really nice little pool where the floor is at a gradient which makes it easily accessible for all kids. It's 8years old and under which is great if you have small babies there isn't too much roudyness. There is a lovely little slide and things spraying water, my daughter and son love it. It also doesn't get too busy as they have booked slots and time limits. It's also very calm and nice and warm for the little ones. A minor gripe is there is a ledge around the pool so if your little one wants to jump in it's a bit hard without them hitting their toes and the changing rooms are a bit small if you have more than one child.

Fantastic experience: Kool

Positive experience: It’s what you expect off a leisure centre tbh.

Positive experience: it is a nice, well-equipped place with everything needed for people who love sports. the only thing that bothers me is the dryer in the men's toilet has been broken for over a year and has not been repaired.

Fantastic experience: Clean, well organized, i love the experience

Fantastic experience: Gym is good and also the swimming pool as I’m a regular here.

Positive experience: Ok

Negative experience: Pool changing room always needed looked at, dirty Nappies left in shower cubicle and and used tampons in fitting room, floor always dirty looking and outdoor mud brought in from peoples shoes

Fantastic experience: This is a straightforward public gym, which is more affordable than private facilities that include swimming and health suite. Generally speaking, I could not fault what was on offer. This is mainly due to the excellent staff team and most of all Laurence Bourne-Francis, who is the most extraordinary teacher. I would start my week with one of his dance classes. OMG - how much fun can you have first thing on a Monday, full of guilt for skiving off? The facilities broke from time to time, which could be annoying, but the quality of the team made up for any other lack. The other positive is that the gym hosts a lot of additional classes such as gymnastics. There is a lot under one roof!

Negative experience: The most dangerous slippery sports hall courts ever! I will never return back here to play badminton is just dangerous! Someone needs to learn how to use a mop!

Fantastic experience: Been a member here a few years now i can highly recommend the sports centre most of all the gym Give it a try

Positive experience: My self and my partner visited this lovely place yesterday ,it’s so different from any other pubs/restaurants that I visited it was so cute and cozy,it made us so nice and relax ,the owner jo-jo was lovely was so the other staff ,it’s such a shame we didn’t have time for meal ,but we saw the food looks lovely ,it’s very clean place and nice setting too ,had a lovely time meeting them all yesterday,this was one nicest place we visited for work ,keep up the good work team

Negative experience: Way to much to play on the astro.

Negative experience: Can't book children swim online as it's not listed and won't answer phone to book either... Wasted too many trip to to give more than 1 star... Just teach your staff to answer the phone

Fantastic experience: It was lovely! A smiling pleasant receptionist greeted us upon our arrival and directed us to where we could get changed and into the small childrens pool. It was very clean and my nearly one year old grandaughter loved it! So did me and her Mummy. I can definitely recommend going there.

Fantastic experience: Decided to go swimming again after a long break, have found the pool great, nice and clean, changing rooms are clean to, staff have been extremely helpful and friendly will definitely be going again

Fantastic experience: Very helpful

Negative experience: Dirty no place to lay down and phones not allowed i need my phone for work if fire starts i need to go I been there 3 times filst, last, and never again

Fantastic experience: A great leisure centre with excellent helpful staff, extremely good value for money

Positive experience: Your website sucks! For payments and for seeing the swimming timetable clearly! Staff seem nice. My 4 year old boy loves the kids training pool (the main reason we come and what keeps us coming) - nice and warm, lots to play (slide, water spout, bubbles, etc.) with, shallow (deepest part being 0.9m, which allows him to have his chin above water and feet on the bottom). Your changing area is great. It's a real shame you don't allow floats and toys out - your lifeguards say it's only for swimming lessons. What harm would it be to get them out for the kids to play with?

Fantastic experience: Very helpful staff on each visit.

Positive experience: Good gym, great down to earth and friendly staff... If you notice that the gym staff look stressed it's because the manager expects them to be able to draw blood out of a stone.. He wants a team full of yes men who would jump through hoops at his beck and call and if anyone should challenge him about anything he'll make their life hell until they quit.. Failing that he'll go as far as to extort or blackmail them into resigning.. Nice gym though, would definitely recommend training there and doing some of their classes

Fantastic experience: Staff friendly and changing rooms always clean, nice little children's pool.

Positive experience: Good local centre with internal cafe and a host of activities

Negative experience: I can only review the gym as that's all I've used- Not a bad layout however can get very busy at the obvious times (1500-1800). A great deal of "flexing", "posing", "cameras-out-lets-take-a-tensed-selfie-in-the-mirror"....to the point a guy was topless in the gym- if that's what you're into then by all means you'll love it. 2 stars as it's now been mentioned on 3 separate occasions to just my knowledge that a piece of kit is broken and still it remains. The two non-Watt bikes seats both collapse causing the user to fall into the handlebars- quite dangerous but the staff (including gym manager) have told me "an equipment engineer is coming tomorrow" or "we've stress tested it and it's fine" or "we can't find nothing wrong". Frankly that's absolute B as it's *literally just happened to someone next to me.....and yet they still remain. Save some money and move to PureGym on the 31st March. I'm open to changing this review, if the matter is dealt with.

Fantastic experience: Nice and clean teaching pool. It has a slide in there too which was good. Spacious changing area for babies

Fantastic experience: Bicester leisure centre. Play and teach pool. Excellent, very clean.

Fantastic experience: Great leisure centre. Staff are good obviously well managed and....very clean !! Rare nowadays

Fantastic experience: Great leisure facilities everything you need

Fantastic experience: Great place to go for adults , kids and families check it out you will not be disappointed, plenty to do. I personally love swimming and will be seeing if it is available again have been missing it.

Fantastic experience: Great small pool for my little one. He enjoyed the fountains and the slide. The staff were super helpful as it was our first time here.

Negative experience: I joined as a member when i moved to Bicester. Nobody seems to ever answer the phone. Their app doesnt work and i have to call them to book via phone. Never answered. Swimming pool acess very restricted or no acvess at all. No sauna open (all other gyms in Uk opened). Keep blaming everything on COVID. If it happens that someone ever answer the phone, they just want to get rid of you. Poor customer service. Waste of money.

Fantastic experience: Good value for money Friendly staff Generally good class availability

Negative experience: Just wanted to go to the pool, you don't have to be a member for that, because it's just pool, you pay and go but NO! You have to give all possible details just to go for a swim. Email address, ok, why not. Phone, date of birth, home address, do you need my favourite ice cream flavour, who I voted for and what my political views are too? They can ask for that because it's the only public pool in Bicester. Monopoly isn't good.

Fantastic experience: Great staff, equipment and facilities.

Negative experience: Go to Buckingham it’s much much better.

Fantastic experience: Was able to do a swim

Positive experience: Just started joined online. Only thing is I not jad a welcome call or someone to do induction. However I am happy to just go and do my own thing.

Positive experience: Ok, some social distancing, fairly clean, poor use of the car park by patrons who use the one way system as their own personal road. Currently there's building work but the staff are nice and polite.

Positive experience: Lovely pool & timed Lane swim sessions with Covid situation. As a recent member joining after sometime away I was a bit confused with how the new app system worked. I feel the reception staff could have been more helpful about this & ask if customers who were not familiar if they needed assistance instead of just sitting at reception. An acknowledgement would have been nice. On my first visit I went to the wrong changing area & had to get go back to reception to ask which direction I should be heading. Reception was apologetic but feel this could have been avoided. Only on subsequent visits did I realise you could check in on the app when a receptionist took the time to explain & show me. I realise there are regular visitors who were familiar but some like me were not. However its all fine now after 5 or 6 regular visits.

Positive experience: Went on Saturday 19th with my daughter and granddaughter. Loved it apart from leaving shoes and walking through to changing rooms where my 3yr fell over because it was wet no signs out very dangerous. Slight accident in the pool, not there fault, mum or dad should have kept an eye on there little one, came out early so cleanse and clean could take place. First time with my granddaughter in pool she loved it.

Fantastic experience: Really brilliant little leisure centre. Always friendly and helpful staff and good facilities. It's a highlight of my day whenever I visit.

Positive experience: Pool is ok for young kids and main pool is as you expect. Gym and hall facilities are fairly average. All round not a bad council run gym and leisure facilities

Fantastic experience: Amazing staff, facilities and friendly atmosphere

Positive experience: Car park used as a covid-19 test location.

Fantastic experience: Very well covid organised, they are doing a great job.

Fantastic experience: The gym is really good. If you get the times when there’s barely any people it’s just pure pleasure. Very well managed,clean and organised. I would definitely recommend

Fantastic experience: Doing great at this tricky time..

Fantastic experience: Absolutely brilliant today as able to return to the gym after 4 very long arduous months. Well done to all at the LeisureCentre and the gym for taking all the necessary steps to make for a safe environment but also for extending a warm welcome back. It’s great to see you all back and thanks so much !

Negative experience: Another community spirited individual. Came to the gym to keep fit but it's a bit off a walk from the car park.

Positive experience: They have been amazing for my daughters swim lessons, very patient staff! Also superb for pool private hire. Can’t fault them.

Fantastic experience: Lots of space, Pleny of facilities.

Positive experience: Friendly staff and good selection of facilities with good viewing area from cafe. Central in town with free parking whilst at the sports centre. Bowling alley around the back of the building too.

Positive experience: Gym recently revamped and is well equipped and generally not too busy. Changing rooms and showers for the gym/health suite need some attention/modernising, pool area ones are better but other side of the centre from the gym. Pool getting on a bit but perfectly functional and a good temperature. Staff have always been helpful when needed.

Fantastic experience: Came here to indulge in my childhood pastime of bowling! Nowhere near as good as I used to be in my 20's but the staff and the facility is as good as ever with great amenities. Nice lights on the lanes and a great variety of music too! The hotdogs are divine and the coffee is of the good stuff!

Positive experience: Learners pool is very good here. Lots for little ones to do and very nice warm water. Limited to only 1 hour though which isn't ideal if you need to travel to get there. Would recommend but need to arrive early as pool fills up quickly

Fantastic experience: I just want to say a huge thank you to Matthew and his amazing team today. We held our Son’s 9th Birthday party here today and had 18 kids in total. From start to finish Matthew and his team has been amazing. We have phoned up on a few occasions in the lead up to the party and the staff were always happy to answer any questions we may have had. The bowling alley itself is excellent. The place is clean and tidy and the facilities are just perfect. On this occasion we booked to use 4 of the bowling lanes and then stay afterwards for food. The selection of food available was spot on for the kids. More than other places we have had in the past. The staff were very accommodating as some people didn’t give me their choices until the last minute, past the desired cut off time, and Matthew and the team were only too happy to try and accommodate the changes. Upon arrival, the table was set ready and a table had been put aside for the presents. Very organised indeed. The staff working the shift were so kind and attentive. After our bowling session the food arrived and the kids ate up everything ! They loved it. Lee and I are so glad we booked to come to you and James had the best party with his friends. 5* from us!

Positive experience: Went bowling here. Very efficient and not expensive. Plenty of seating for us 'oldies.' There is a small bar with crisps etc. When booking they did not require a deposit. Checked out gym prices- very reasonable. Plenty of free parking.

Negative experience: What's the point of marking out spaces for coach parking if you can't be bothered to enforce them?