Bangor Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex

Negative experience: Cheaply made building, every time there's a storm it falls to bits! Never been able to use diving boards due to broken movable floor. Usually only a couple of lanes open for general public use anytime I've been! Seems to prioritise club and school use over paying public. Our old leisure centre may have been smaller but it was alot better. On first glance the building looks impressive due to it's size and modern construction but once the initial awe passes you realise it's actually very underwhelming!

Negative experience: Very good leisure center, just one problem. The roof isn't on.

Negative experience: My experience has been very unpleasant. I hate the place. You are not sure about going to the gym and you want to try .it is not a good place to do it. I'm chained to this place for a year and I'm not going to go because i don't like it. It's very noisy and crowded, you have to queue for the machines. The classes that fit offers are a screen with a video with no teacher or any control. I went to a class to try HORRIBLE I had back pain for three days i made some movement wrong and I couldn't even bend over. My mother says that you have to try things to see if you like them or not, but this is not a good place to do it. RUN AWAY

Fantastic experience: Nice am modern facility. Big car park, big swimming pool, football field, coffee shop inside, party rooms and multiple others I could probably not notice. Nice and helpful reception staff.

Fantastic experience: Used the soft play area with a 3 year old, not a bad size and fairly good activity area

Negative experience: I started a new rolling direct debit with this gym initially costing £21.29 then it would be £39.99 taken out of my account each month, which is obviously fine. I then received an email 3 days later saying I have a £54.90 outstanding balance I need to pay and “unfortunately as my account is now in debt”, these money grabbing scum have HAD to apply a £15 admin fee in addition to the outstanding balance. Never in my whole life have I ever seen anything like this and I have been a member of plenty of gyms in my time. The treatment I’m receiving here already is absolutely repugnant and whoever runs the admin of this place should be utterly ashamed of not only themselves but of who they are and what they represent. Disgusting treatment, horrific fees. Cancelling direct debit and telling everyone I know about this, I hope this place is closed down… as they don’t deserve to be open.

Positive experience: Jacuzzi not on.

Fantastic experience: i love this gym it’s perfect all facilities are great and staff are amazing to you get to fill your water bottle up for free and showers are lovely and warm

Negative experience: Jacuzzi main water slide and dryers not working. Leisure water is getting worse.

Fantastic experience: Great facilities - gym, family swimming, swimming lessons and cafe.

Fantastic experience: Great pool facilities, gym good and parking excellent

Positive experience: A fantastic facility for both sports and leisure

Fantastic experience: Great family outing with friendly and professional staff

Fantastic experience: Organised, clean , no complaints. The best

Positive experience: Pros: good cafe, inflatables ‘aqua challenge course’, hot showers, 50m pool ( when it’s open). Cons: During swimming classes, parents gather around the entrance/exit of the pool in their outdoor shoes, blocking the passage to changing rooms for swimmers. It’s really inconsiderate and intimidating. At times I have counted 30+ people which makes the area very congested and dirty. Best to avoid between the hours of 3pm- close. Also, due to this, the changing facilities can get VERY dirty! Beware! This is a shame because the facilities themselves, when open, are good! Perhaps management will consider directing parents to another area to wait on their children and make non swimmers remove shoes/wear covers in changing areas like they do in Ards!!!

Fantastic experience: Brilliant facilities from the pools to leisure waters and children’s soft play. We have held a couple of birthday parties here and they have been first class. They have been very accommodating with our son’s gluten and egg allergies too.

Fantastic experience: Well stocked gym. Good pools. Leisure waters. Café bit expensive but offers hot food and snacks. Outdoor football and hockey pitches and indoor courts. Typical leisure centre.

Fantastic experience: Good place for active persons! Your monthly price included: gym, 26 sports class, swimming, sauna and steam room! I recommend!!!

Negative experience: £7.10 for a local 13 year old from North Down to use the gym for an hour. Make your own mind up if it's worth it! No wonder the teenagers are hanging round the streets!

Positive experience: Good gym and facilities, however I get quite annoyed that their swimming pool is always 90% cordoned off for kids when I go around 5 pm. I find it a bit ridiculous that there are only 3 swimming lanes for the entire gym (and public) at this time, hence only the 3 stars. If they would have more room for adult swimming, then i would give a better rating. Apart from that, its a decent centre and staff are nice.

Positive experience: Is a good place to go, however the cleaning of the facilities lets it down. And there is not a fair use of the pool between adults and children. For example in the evening they are only three swimming lanes for the entire gym and public, as the rest of the areas are taken up by children (classes, etc.)

Positive experience: Would be great place if you could get Into the set down to drop people off, cars abandoned everywhere

Fantastic experience: Great centre fantastic facilities

Positive experience: A lot of facilities, good classes for fitness. It could be improved in the swimming area and I think is too expensive for badminton classes. I would like to be a monthly payment.

Fantastic experience: Excellent facilities...every class was busy and the place was buzzing..but best of all were the staff...everyone I dealt with from the Excellent receptionist the guy in the cafeteria to the lifeguards were polite, professional, and friendly....I'm not sure the local folk appreciate what an Excellent place this is....will visit again

Fantastic experience: Was very good

Fantastic experience: Great place, good food, etc. Aqua Challenge is great to take your 9-13 year old sons/daughters. Leisure Waters have fun, huge slides and a great pool with a wave machine. Amazing place.

Positive experience: Expensive for what they provide

Positive experience: I do wish they would fix the pools and fund a way to cool the air in the pool viewing areas (2 out of 5 for the pool and area) but the rest of centre more than brings the score back up. Staff always super helpful as well

Negative experience: Not worth the money. Very disappointing. Travelled from Belfast to be told the slide pools were closed during term times even though all of the schools are not back yet. Please update your website! Took the kids to the pool instead and wished I hadn’t as only the small pool is open and there are three lanes of the small pool roped off. Very disappointing experience!

Positive experience: Booked the leisure waters. One of the big slides wasn’t open and didn’t look like it had been for a while. Wasn’t mentioned on the booking page that this wasn’t open. Had 2 teenagers and the only thing they could do was the tube slide for an hour. Hot tubs were cold as well. Not worth it, head to Leisureplex in Lisburn instead.

Positive experience: fresh

Fantastic experience: Conan was very caring and helpful, as I'm a disabled lady.

Fantastic experience: I haven't been here in several years but the spot still looks great. Friendly staff and clean changing facilities. The food after swimming was delicious and overall the venue still lives up to the standard it was the last time I visited.

Negative experience: Told of for not doing anything , then got kicked of for five minutes , then my friend got kick of for the rest of the session because someone fell into him. Would not recommend

Negative experience: Aqua park terrible too many people not enough park all staff horrible screaming at us for having abit of fun. Would not recommend to come here.

Negative experience: I got kicked off the aqua park for doing absolutely nothing. Not impressed and won’t be coming back.

Fantastic experience: Gym is perfect, cafe is nice, but I think what Aurora could do next time is that they make homemade pizza than Chicago Town pizzas

Positive experience: Used softplay and it was great for the kids. Time allowed was good and great value.

Fantastic experience: Every adult was impressed, and the children from 5 to 13 enjoyed themselves. The changing rooms were dry and clean, and the staff vigilant and helpful. We all had a great time.

Fantastic experience: Great for a family day out . Especially this year with all the rain

Fantastic experience: always friendly and welcoming

Fantastic experience: I really only use the gym in the Aurora but the staff are helpful and friendly. The equipment selection is very good (though it was better before the recent refurb)

Positive experience: Great facilities

Fantastic experience: I love it here we visit the leisure pool, it has slides and a pool with waves and hottubs what more cld you want.

Negative experience: Awful run down place. Changing room was dirty and in need of some upgrades like getting rid of the broken dirty drying machine or even just giving the place a good clean. Swimming pool is a disaster with the dirty offices with boxes and stuff lying about visable for all to see, it actually looks like they have a thrift store on their pool side. slides section never open, vending machine don't take any cash and charge your card and give you no products. I have to say its so disapointing going here, I remember going here when it first opened and it was amazing, clean and looked so good compared to other council leisure centres across the country, now its just dirty and dingy can't believe how the council messed this place up and let it run down so bad. I honestly will never go back here it was an awful experience!

Positive experience: Staff are extremely rude unpleasant wouldn't hurt to crack a smile and less attitude

Positive experience: Cold changing rooms,not everything working,over priced .

Fantastic experience: Fantastic facilities here They have a little cafe too in reception area and the food is really nice x

Fantastic experience: Fast pool

Fantastic experience: Love the yoga classes - also the swimming pool

Fantastic experience: Good gym facilities

Positive experience: Watch out for the potholes on the way in, there are a lot better places to play football and the Bangor weather didn't help unfortunately.

Fantastic experience: Safe place for kids and very clean . Well kept

Fantastic experience: Aurora Borealis? At this time of year, at this time of day, in this part of the country, localized entirely within Bangor Town? I'm happy with the gym facilities and cafe. The pool seems to always be closed for events and I found the floor of the pool to be very slippery. If possible, I suggest offering an option for a gym-only membership.

Fantastic experience: Was there for a karate class. Staff have always been great. Happy and pleasant. Will def be booking this place for a big karate course.

Fantastic experience: Friendly staff good gym equipment , nice cafe.

Fantastic experience: Play badminton here every week, facilities are brilliant

Fantastic experience: I happened to be there as a result of needing to change my electric car. Went inside for a coffee, and I was surprised at what a wonderful facility it is. Well done, Northern Ireland The coffee was good and car charged. Will be back.

Fantastic experience: Great place in every way

Fantastic experience: The guys in reception and the membership team (especially Daniel) are so helpful. Had a minor mishap with a membership but Daniel worked it out to suit us as best he could and completely changed the whole situation with one phone call. Top class care.

Negative experience: We have had a terrible experience with the kids swimming lessons. Classes not being marked for 8 weeks due to no Apple I pads available. Classes over subscribed so potentially classes not being marked due to no room in the next level so kids trying their best with no recognition. My eldest has not swam for 4 weeks now due to no space in the next level. Payment must be made or loose your place, we have asked to be contacted by the guy who runs it but obviously now contact or attempt has been made. We have request to cancel his subscription but have been told we need to give 4 weeks notice. That’s 2 months payments with now lessons. We have been told of another parent who just stopped payment but was threatened with legal action for non payment. Please look at other comments before choosing Bangor aurora for your kids swimming lessons.

Negative experience: This place is so dirty, such a shame. I have tried pool, walls are slimy and you can wipe dirt with a finger. Steam room has mould and red in colour growing bacteria, smells very badly. Unfortunately floors in the shower area are slippery too because of the dirt. Place that should help us to be fit can cause us really bad bacterial infection that would need treatment of good dose of antibiotics. Also I have noticed that lifeguard was more interested in reading a leaflet instead of scanning a pool side and caring for the people in the water. I have waited a while to write this review. When I see improvement, I would be happy to change it but unfortunately it’s getting worse every time I go there.

Negative experience: Went to sauna just recently. It looks like hasn’t been cleaned since it was built. Very stinky 6 by 6 feet, only 2 people can sit there comfortably if they can manage the odour. Wet sauna is even worse. And horribly overpriced. After one visit would not go back there even if I was paid.

Negative experience: To bring my 6 year old in to practice swimming I have to wait until 4pm , this is the pool at 3:30 . Although there was 3 people using a third pool , staff commented empty most of the day . Wreck less parents and children blamed for closing of pools all day everyday why not police it properly and throw the idiots out and let the normal people enjoy .

Positive experience: Been my local gym for years. Staff are always approachable and friendly. Some I remember from 10+ years ago (which speaks for itself). Equipment is great! Two bits of beef with the place. 1.) Too many wee kids, a solid portion of the day is cluttered with after schoolers spending 20 minutes on a machine. 2.) The health suite is notorious for being broken. Other than that I would recommend it!

Negative experience: We paid a whole month for my daughter's soft zone. My husband and me paid a whole month for the gym. Why the hell don't receptionists do their jobs well? I was just in the Aurora center a couple of minutes ago and asked the older lady if the password for the soft play area had changed. She told me no, and then she wanted to charge me for the entrance. I told her that I had paid for the entire month for the soft play and she responded that the membership does not include Saturday and Sunday. Well it's a lie! Because my husband was last weekend with my daughter and the receptionist gave the password to the play area to my husband. On Monday I will present a complaint form for lack of information provision to the client. And definitely, if you are not friendly enough, do not work in front of the public.

Positive experience: Can't remember the last time the pool was at 50m. Barrier broken? Seems to be fixed, miraculously, for the swim meets. Dive pool no longer able to accommodate divers as floor can't be raised and lowered. Most often, three lanes only for the general public to swim laps, and that's across all pools. Accurate swimming timetables for the general public have been abandoned. Paying members are now shoved into the worst section of the pool, while the main pool (with 12 lanes+.) is unused for long periods of time. Nothing said to slow swimmers in the fast and medium lanes. On the plus side, the café has been given a facelift. Priorities, people.

Negative experience: I cannot just ignore how I felt watching my grandchilds gymnastics class on Tuesday 10th October . I could not believe the two girls taking the class There was no interaction with the children at one point just sat talking to each other

Negative experience: Swimming pool isn’t open to children all the time, I tried to tried to take my toddler swimming and it wasn’t until we were fully changed and getting in the pool that we were told she wasn’t allowed in. Very difficult to plan any family trips when the website gives absolutely no information on when the pool is open or closed to children.

Positive experience: Really enjoyable first time, I'd give 5 stars but because of lack of family shower rooms it was hard but this is a fantastic place

Fantastic experience: Great leisure pool for the kids. Highly recommended.

Negative experience: Place needs updating. Place is filthy,cold,rude staff, half the facilities not working, over priced. £22.50 for 2 adults and toddler. Infant free. Andersonstown leisure centre blows this place out off the water. Clean,great staff,warm and £11 for 2 adults, toddler and infant.

Positive experience: My partner and I are thrilled with the equipment provided to make swimming more accessible for people with disabilities. All the staff are so friendly and helpful, Alison at the front desk was especially informative and the smiley male lifeguard with the sleeve tattoos is always great. No hesitations from any of the staff. All worth it to travel the extra 40 minutes to. As a suggestion we would really love to see another pool wheelchair and a hoist in the second disabled room so we aren't waiting on people and vice versa because getting changed can take nearly an hour or more and we're aware others might need to use the equipment. Leaving our own clothes and items in the room to make it easier can also not be done right now because we're always worried about if anyone else would need access to a hoist. Will also echo what another person said on here and what friends have said too - the only area my partner and I can use to swim can sometimes be filled with kids jumping in, crowding the area and splashing us which isn't pleasant when we've travelled all the way due to better accessibility to try and practice swimming Very grateful for what can access currently however, we will be back and we hope the suggestions are taken on board!

Negative experience: An absolute cesspool of a gym / “health suite”. Poorly run facility, management are apathetic or downright rude when faced with any legitimate concerns or complaints. Thank goodness my 12 month membership is over soon. You’re very lucky if you ever get a call back from the membership office, or indeed if they make themselves available to chat to you face to face if you’re ever into the facility. Aurora is extremely expensive at £40 per month vs other local gyms and leisure centres in north down, East Belfast and Holywood. I have no idea how the council could possibly ever do a worse job than the current owners. Sauna and steam room still look like something nightmarish from 1970s Russia, “health suite” is anything but healthy. The gym is still packed with under 16s midweek, usually running about in groups of 4-6 misusing the equipment which makes for a terrible workout mostly. It is disgustingly dirty and machines / facilities including water fountains are broken almost every week. The water fountains have to my knowledge not been replaced or fixed once in the past 5 years… permanently broken, and dirty.

Negative experience: Everytime I go for a swin it's the small pool at diving boards only open with a quarter of it closed can't even get a good swim as kids use it to play. And sauna is the threw the gym so you have to get dried changed only to get changed all over again bad design.

Negative experience: Soft play was too busy and full of kids far too old for it. My 3 year old didn’t enjoy as too many older ones nearly knocking him over constantly. Wouldn’t go back, no staff in it even when really busy and toilet was dirty. There’s much better ones elsewhere.

Fantastic experience: Listen don’t get me wrong,the aqua challenge is boring but the staff! My card declined so Toby and Alisha put there hard worked money to pay for it.

Negative experience: Marketing/ external comms team needs to move out of the 1990s and into modern day. Posters communicating pool closure are not sufficient. It’s fine to use them, but not in isolation. Please enter the 2020s and communicate to your customers the way every other business manages to do. Whilst on the topic of archaic marketing methods, using dozens and dozens of plastic balloons to promote an event is irresponsible. We should all lift our game when it comes to single-use plastics and a community-focussed business like this should be demonstrating best practice. Management needs to lift their game.

Negative experience: Manager hasn't a clue what he is doing rules for one family don't apply to others

Negative experience: horrendous facilities with extremely poor sauna for the size and money that was put into the build. rude staff. pure gym much more clean, functional and pleasant.

Negative experience: Very disappointing, how the standards have fallen in Aurora. We booked in to go to the slides. Came all the way from Lisburn just to find out that the main attraction ramp slide is closed. One of the jakuzzies also closed and the other one is full to the rim with kids at all times. Yet they charge you a full charge when they obviously not providing full service. At no point the customers are informed about reduced service so they could have a choice to pay a full price for half service or choose not to go. Shouldn't it say on their website that the main attraction is out of function.. When approached , staff on the slides could only come up with , 'aw-i don't know why it's closed, it will re-open sometime , but aw- i don't know when'..Would not recommend this place. There are better places to go for slides in NI am afraid.

Positive experience: Needs a good clean

Negative experience: Good facilities but full of children, hard to get a good workout in when there are so many kids in the gym. The kids tend to walk around a lot get in the way, not respect space, hold up equipment so a long time while each little boy has a turn. Have moved to another gym where kids aren’t allowed in the gym.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic facilities, staff members and a comforting environment for swimming and using gym equipment.

Negative experience: Not feel good to go swimming try to go in bank hoilday Monday there get get told there was 10 min wait to get into pool then we went back after 10 min to get told 30 wait when you have 7 year old that want to go into pool all there seem to is filled the pool up with swimming lessons

Negative experience: Terribly run. Swimming lessons a mess. Repairs take literally years.

Negative experience: Shocking experience with the membership team, canceled the membership and told there was a months notice period, which was fine. After this month passed I received a call saying I was in arrears explained what had previously been done but the lady on the phone was dry, bland and overall very rude. Basically forced into paying another months membership. Very Disappointed and ruined the experience.

Fantastic experience: Excellent facilities and friendly staff. Well equipped gym, good variety of classes offered and most importantly brilliant swimming pool with experienced swimming coaches. Also if you are a parent of a child in swimming classes you are actually welcome to sit and watch yout kids training. 5 stars

Fantastic experience: Kids (14 & 13 years of age) spent nearly 3 hours on a pool with flumes and a water obstacle course having a great time. There is a nice cafeteria with a view on the pool where I could chill out seeing my kids. There are also a good supervisors and facilities like changing rooms, showers and toilets, which are important for me as a mother. Definitely go there again.

Fantastic experience: I play squash here. Two excellent courts. Clean, spacious changing rooms. Friendly and helpful staff. Free parking.

Fantastic experience: Our two little girls (and their parents!) absolutely love the pool with its wave machine and slides. The soft play area is great, catering really well to both my 1 year old and 3 year old, as well as kids much older. The cafe is well priced, and provides great snack food at reasonable prices. Thoroughly recommend for all the family.

Negative experience: Swimming pool is like a plunge pool... freezing and I asked if heating was broke and lifeguard said it's always like that

Positive experience: Great place. clean, friendly with good facilities, the swimming lessons are good. Only 2 minor complaints: 1. The cafe is pretty unhealthy for a place that is meant to improve health. 2. There are more disabled parking spaces than regular parking spaces. Literally, there are hundreds, and very few family parking spaces.

Fantastic experience: Great facilities for wheelchairs

Negative experience: Opens at 6am but swimming pool actually opens at 9am, although the main children's leisure swim doesn't open until 11am. Once you've got your head around the multiple opening times not listed here you'll be refused entry to swimming unless you have one adult for every child under the age of 6. Hopefully this information can prevent someone else from wasting their time and disappointing their children. Hopefully the business at least reviews their opening times to reflect when the swimming section is open to the public - probably worth creating a separate listing for the pool specifically as this listing is currently inaccurate and confusing to people trying to use your business.

Fantastic experience: Love it

Negative experience: Poor equipment hygiene, over 2 weeks same shoes mark on same bike, no equipment maintenance keep switching off all of them

Fantastic experience: Best gym in all of Northern Ireland! Kept clean, wipes, roll and water provided too. Very good gym and pools!

Fantastic experience: have just became a member a few wks a go great equipment very clean great lnstructors great front of house well done everybody