The Malden Centre

Negative experience: My son takes Stage 1 swimming lesson and constantly has new teachers which is an absolute nightmare because one teacher doesn't know what was done the week before. In fact, he has not been assessed since September 2024 which is almost half a year now, most probably because of the constantly changing teacher situation.

Positive experience: The swimming lessons here are amazing. Always has space in the car park though it’s extortionately priced. Would love for the café to be open more but can see why it isn’t

Fantastic experience: Came in New Malden Centre and was greeted by excellent customer service by a gentleman named Mohammed. He welcomed me to the centre, offering advice and laid out the various membership offers. His tour was fantastic and detailed and we were able to work out the best fit prices that were suited to my timetable.

Negative experience: Came here today because website said was open, was shut. I'm not the only one who wasted their time either. Not happy.

Negative experience: I sent many emails but not response

Negative experience: Kids pool is bit the correct temperature that should be for young kids or babies. Any other kids pool I have been to has felt warm to step in as it's meant to be between 29 31 but this kids pool at malden center is definitely around 28. My 2 year old has always ended up shivering there and when I have asked staff to check they could not care less. Swimming lessons also too many young instructors who behave like robots which is not the best approach if working with young kids. Changing rooms also always dirty

Fantastic experience: I have been going to the gym for 18 months now and i really enjoy it, all the staff are nice and the staff at front will always help you. The inside of the gym is really good and the staff inside gym will always help you if you ask.

Fantastic experience: Lovely workers, lovely equipment, good environment

Fantastic experience: I think that gym here is very good price having a wide range of equipment to use from and they have a lot of benches which I believe is the most useful. You will be able to always get the weight you want and for the price just makes it 10/10

Fantastic experience: My,wife and I have been ,using the new Malden leisure centre for a good many years. .Always,had a great marvellous experience.Its,a clean,well oiled and truly excellently managed centre. Met, CRAIG a real knowledgable ,polite and a customer focused trainer .He,noticed that I was not walking straight and asked how I was ? I,am in my 80's and mentioned i had a stiff back ,neck leading to pins and needles to my fingers .The,moment he had finished with another client he came to me ,enquired my health and any particular reasons why this had happened and any medications that I was having.WOW!! wat a patient friendly and truly descplined trainer to give the correct advice after listening to my answers with empathy .He,demonstrated steadly the way he would like me to carry on with certain exercises and supervised the entire length of the time I took to carry on with the gentle exercises.I,was shocked at his fantastic friendly and professional way of working "ONE 2 ONE " to eliminate the difficulties I was having just previously.The,pins and needles with acute pains I had a few moments ago seemed to have disappeared leaving me to carry on doing the exersises CRAIG had suggested.I,thanked him unreservedly and really wanted to make sure his genuine way of caring ,suggesting and focused way with clients did not go unnoticed.Management ,must be thanked and congratulated on the customer training that was provided to CRAIG for being such a wonderful professional trainer .Will,be looking forward to meeting CRAIG , Would,always suggest this beautiful leisure centre to ALL.

Positive experience: Good pool. First impression: pool length is small and a bit crowded... Pros: Deep end is unusually deep for a public pool... 3metres! Halfway point of the pool = depth of most swimming pools deep end, so this pool is recommended for confident swimmers. Facilities Lockers: Bring a padlock, as lockers don't use coins. Hairdryer: free to use. Overall enjoyable pool with good facilities.

Negative experience: I usually take a young person I take care of with autism to this pool on Sundays we usually swim in the slow lane.this time round the staff round comes and she tells me to switch from the teaching pool to the t learning pool for this session I ddnt pay for the other pool why are u sending us there and this is the session I paid for he is distracting people mind you this young person is swimming and it’s a slow lane I thought people are moving slowly I felt soo bad because if people are complaining that the child is slow there are many lanes move them to the other lanes this is a slow lane no need to rush it’s not that the young person doesn’t know how to swim for you to send me to the other small pool.i felt soo bad.

Fantastic experience: I've been attending group workout classes at Malden Centre for a year and a half. The instructors are friendly and supportive, and I enjoy working out with others in the class. I hope they can add more Friday morning classes.

Positive experience: I no longer find that this place gives good value for money. I have hired their badminton courts since 2022 on a weekly basis. They charged £10.00 per court per 30 minutes back then. And today, it is £12.50 per court per 30 minutes. The net is never properly set up. The lights keep breaking down one after another. The communication is poor as we often get questioned by lesson attendees 'Are you sure you are at the right place to play badminton?'. If the hall is booked by a lesson before our session, we hardly get our court on time. Both nets lost the cords and they never bothered to fix it. Think twice before you give away so much money for what you're getting.

Negative experience: Awful dirty hair everywhere

Positive experience: Generally good. Air con appreciated today. However the hand dryer in the upstairs ladies toilet still doesn't work one year on!!

Fantastic experience: Attended a quilting course, Anna was the tutor who was excellent. The room was large and cool , but instead of extension leads, maybe a few more power points ....

Negative experience: These lifeguards are not helpful my daughter was drowning and I couldn’t reach her because I was trying to get out the pool and before I even got to her she managed to get out herself but you could’ve at least watched the kids properly

Negative experience: If you are not a member - badminton is £20 per hour. No free parking

Negative experience: I would say this place isn't senior friendly, specially lots of people are not pro in swimming and we were at the slow lane however the staff is asking my mum (65+) to follow the line till end, where many people can’t swim that far and has to keep to the cycle. Suggestion, maybe should provide a lane for all swimmer so it's easier for them.

Negative experience: Have removed all 3 children from swimming lessons here for various reasons. My eldest hadn't been assessed on half the competencies needed to progress after a year of swimming lessons. Assessment of progress only done when swim teachers are chased. My youngest was constantly passed back and forth between swim teachers and given less swim time than the other children in her lessons, further hampering progress. When raised with the swim management team only received standard responses that didn't address any of my queries or no response at all. Absolutely terrible lessons and customer service.

Negative experience: Horrific experience with swimming lessons offered by Places Leisure. Inexperience and young teachers which change constantly. They would not be able to focus on your child. Management is rigid, inflexible me and do not show genuine care about your child. They do not care about whether your child can learn to swim but simply focus on running their process robotically and commercially. You will regret if you have your child joining their classes.

Fantastic experience: The swimming coaches who teach on Friday afternoon are an amazing team. The children in their class make super progress and are all really focused. Well done to all of them!!

Fantastic experience: 36 year old sports centre. A 25 metre pool with training pool, many activity rooms, badminton court, day and evening activities and classes. An excellent community resource, well used by hundreds of the people of Kingston. The only public swimming pool in the Borough.

Fantastic experience: Found a turtle going for a splash the other week!

Negative experience: No one ever answers the phone or rings back once messages are left.

Negative experience: Facilities here are nice but no one EVER answers the phone. Absolutely impossible to get through. Also whenever you try to book online it comes up with system error. Just impossible to book a swimming course for my baby!

Fantastic experience: Nice place to be. All the staff are so lovely and helpful. Would definitely recommend!

Negative experience: Today, my friends and I had swimming lessons. After leaving the pool for showers, a 40-year-old man with glasses confronted us, accusing us of being arrogant and selfish. We tried to avoid conflict by going to the changing rooms, where we discussed a friend's loss in a swimming race. Later, as we left the changing rooms, the man questioned us about where we lived and our schools. When someone called him weird, he complained to the staff, making up stories about us using bad language. Even though we denied it, the staff believed him.

Negative experience: why does no one answer the phone?

Positive experience: It's an amazing place for exercises and shopping experiences.

Positive experience: Has a 25 metre swimming pool, a gym, and a few other activities to do. There is a separately run cafe, although it is not always open, and a good seating area.

Negative experience: Called 2wks ago to ask a question about swimming lessons, for my 3yr old son, before I booked online. Mentioned he's autistic but able to follow instructions etc was told, by the lady on reception, that I needed to speak to Dom (or Don maybe?!) to check which class would be best. 2wks, 5 phonecalls, apologies for the lack of response by reception and, apparently, 5 emails sent to Dom, to contact me, later.... Still no one has called me or put me through to who I need to speak to. No longer interested in the lessons, if this is the level of 'customer service' offered!

Fantastic experience: Always an excellent BodyPump class on Friday with Toni, demonstrates the correct techniques and advice for getting the most from the session.

Fantastic experience: I recently signed up for the gym membership at The Malden Centre and the staff on reception were so friendly and helpful. I felt very welcome and nothing was too much trouble. The gym has everything I need - It can get very busy, but that is to be expected at any gym during peak times. However, it is much quieter in the mornings and there is plenty of equipment to go around even in busier times. Would highly recommend.

Negative experience: The staff is very bad they behave badly, specially lots of people are not pro in swimming and the staff is asking to follow the line till end, where many people can’t swim more than 1 meter deep

Positive experience: If there was anything more that could be done to make the swimming pool less like a russian roulette of will the pool changing area will or won't it smell of wee then I'd definitely give it more stars as the staff are lovely and the gym facilities fit my needs

Negative experience: It’s the second time I try to enrol in one of the course they offer. The first time, the tutor never came back to me. This second time, I need to enrol and it’s impossible to get through them by phone. I called several times in the last week at different times and no one is available. Awful experience so far!

Fantastic experience: Amazing help from Theodora she was super helpful! :D

Fantastic experience: First visit amazing experience, nice place for family visit kids pool , adults pool and nice gym area with boxing bags and meat , Very helpful polite staff, especially lauren Who helped us out with registration and guidance , Many thanks

Negative experience: Disgraceful!- I buy 1-2-1 swimming lessons for my young son. I turn up 10mins in advance told to wait, 10mins after its started still am told to wait......the instructor doesn't show up. The front desk need training as they tell me there is no obligation to say the instructor isn't there today (lesson was at after 12 noon), they could of course not been lazy and checked when we turned up however they don't need to do that either. So I pay in advance (just under £80 and turns out they don't need to provide a lesson and don't need to tell you either! ).

Positive experience: a nice pool with activitys to do every now and then

Negative experience: My locker got broken into and my stuff got apparently given to a charity shop without my consent or approval. Theft. Appalling from a community centre.

Fantastic experience: Great pool for kids. Good facilities and plenty of space for changing. Deborah and Louisa at reception went out of their way to help me as I was stuck with two kids and a dead phone.

Positive experience: It's got lots of facilities - gym, pool, baby pool etc. The cafe isn't always open though.

Fantastic experience: Another enjoyable Monday morning spent with Anna, the Tutor of the Patchwork and Quilting Course at The Malden Centre. Looking forward to the next term.

Positive experience: It’d been a couple of years since I was last a member of a gym so I was keen to get a refresher induction. My instructor, Jason, listened carefully to my goals and suggested a range of exercises to help me achieve them. He demonstrated how the new machines in the gym worked and answered all my questions patiently. The key thing was Jason immediately put me at ease and I felt completely comfortable. Malden Centre’s gym is well-equipped, the staff are helpful and professional and it’s much more affordable than other gyms in the area. I’d recommend it to anyone looking to join a welcoming, friendly gym.

Positive experience: Classic local swimming pool with one large and one small baby pool dedicated for the very young swimmers. Lanes in main pool for slow , medium & fast swimmers uses 2/3 of main pool area. Selection of swimming clothing in the foyer. Small coffee shop serves a good coffee and a small selection of wrapped snacks. Seating is basic with some looking on to pool areas so you can watch your family while they have lessons. Centre has a gym and various fitness classes. Coffee shop now closed .

Negative experience: Upset changing rooms full with school children's clothes when lockers empty not being used even disabled changing rooms taken up with their belongings. I cannot leave my belongings in the changing rooms why are they allowed to.

Fantastic experience: Good place to go for local swimming

Fantastic experience: Great Gym, different classes for every level whether your beginner or advanced , a lot of gyms says this but not all actually do. Friendly staff.

Negative experience: There have only been two swimming lanes available - medium and slow and not fast - the last few times I’ve been to the Malden Centre. This has meant these lanes have been packed with slower swimmers and made it impossible for reasonably fast swimmers to get a good workout. There’s no communication of this on the website and nobody has answered the phone at reception when I’ve called in advance to see if all three lanes will be open (it just rings and rings). It’s even more annoying as since the pandemic customers have to book and pay for a swimming slot in advance on the website. The Malden Centre has sadly gone downhill lately - I hope it improves soon as it’s a great community asset.

Positive experience: Since I was 7 I've been going to the Malden Centre for swimming lessons, going to the gym and participating in some activities like pottery classes. Going to swim in general or for swimming lessons, I've been going there for over 5+ years and up until recently I wasn't able to go for few years. Was very surprised to finally see some changes in the swimming pool areas, not quite sure about the gym but was glad to see that they have finally improved the shower area and the pools cleanliness. I went with my friend and had a lot of fun Just Swim Junior Tickets are only £3.50 and with membership I heard you can bring extra friends!

Negative experience: Bad

Negative experience: This place is an absolute dump! The pool is ok ish but everything else is a complete joke. Its a rip off !!! The changing rooms are filthy and never ever clean. The toilets are completely disgusting. The life guards are rude and half asleep. If Kingston council could provide anything better than this below par facility I would never go here again. But alas this is the best modern day Britain can give us! Once again an absolute joke!

Fantastic experience: Nice pool easy to get a lane swim

Fantastic experience: Really nice

Negative experience: There is not enough time for adult swimming as the main pool is let for hire for other parties. The center is run by privatized company who run for their benefit. Council should offer more for tax payers. Website doesnot clarify the time avaiable for public for adult swim correctly either

Negative experience: staff are fine however the gym quality is horrible. they charge so much however the equipment they offer is so limited. the gym is tiny too and often packed. the pool is also really bad. they don’t have lanes offered just to adults and the pool often possesses a smell. really unsatisfied with The Malden Centre and i hope thé team fix their gym and swimming pool for the satisfaction of the people

Positive experience: Decently priced and with friendly staff, there’s a wide range of activities and good opening hours to help motivate your fitness

Positive experience: Great place for a swim but is there any chance you can make lane swims for over 18s only? We are very limited with swims as it is seeing as lessons take priority in the week and family time at the weekends! The last few occasions, me and some friends have been for a lane swim but we were unable to get full use because there were parents taking up lane space with their children!! As a keen swimmer, this is very frustrating, as stated before it’s difficult getting lane swims in as it is…plus parents have plenty of other times to take their children, considering most of the time the pool is open on weekends, it is for family fun (which i do not begrudge by the way) But lanes should be for adults only!

Positive experience: Why is there no regularly open cafe at the New Malden Centre? The cafe is usually at the heart of an adult college which is a place for learning new skills, keeping fit and meeting people. It feels pretty soulless without it and not great for teachers, staff or students.

Fantastic experience: Lisa on customer services was professional, supportive and helpful. The malden centre are lucky to have her on their team. I wanted to book a class and she helped me straight away as I was stressed. if it wasn't for Lisa I would not have attended my first gym class in 3 years. Thank you Lisa for your support im very grateful.

Negative experience: Please can you enable booking on your website for the swimming pool or answer your phone!!

Negative experience: It's an okay place, I've taken lessons for about 5 years now, and I've only come across 2 female teachers that actually are polite. The other female teachers I've had always look me up and down and frown, for no apparent reason. I wear swimsuits that are one piece and with cute beach patterns, I don't understand why they look at me like that. I don't appreciate being judged at all. Also the swimming pool often has dust and dirt at the bottom, which is gross, especially when my teacher(s) make me(us) swim without goggles on. The floor of the changing areas also smell super disgusting and I've seen the 'cleaners' just use pool water to clean everything up. the one star is for the very few friendly and informative teachers.

Fantastic experience: Great facilities with gym and swimming pool

Positive experience: I took my granddaughter to her swimming lesson. Obviously there a restrictions at the moment on numbers, masks etc and the centre is dealing with it very well. My only concern is they have yet to open their café.

Fantastic experience: Very welcoming and helpful

Negative experience: Gym sessions are 55 mins and then you have to wait 20 mins for cleaning, if you aren't on tight schedule you can book 2 sessions at a time, if you don't attempt a session you get a fine of 2.5 £, I attended both my sessions the day before, still got a fine, will go argue today and cancel my membership

Positive experience: It's a public pool - nothing fancy but you can swim!

Fantastic experience: Currently, temporary closed. Ladies Sunday sections b4 Covid-19 was from 5-7pm. Diversed, clean and respectful young staffs. Travel to use the swimming pool every Sundays over 5 years. Covid19 interrupting our LEISURE time, now in Tier 4, but still cool headed. Not blaming the Government.

Negative experience: im malding

Negative experience: Part of the places for pleasure chain. The only reason i have 2 stars is for the very helpful and professional staff. However, the place lacks management skills, though the staff are trying their best to keep up the standards and keep the centre running safely. It took me over 8 months and tens of emails to finally get the employment discount applied to my account and then another 2 months and another tens of emails to get the backdated refund! As for amenities, they have family and children pools, gym, various classes, activity hall and badminton at the centre. I visit the centre regularly for gym, swimming and badminton. Another downside is the attached car park is paid for even for members everyday. They should look at making the car park free for members.

Positive experience: This is a decent local swimming pool where we sometimes go with the family to swim. It is very family friendly and has a decent set of changing rooms which have been recently refurbished.

Negative experience: Old and dirty changing rooms and showers. Swimming pool is poorly maintained.

Negative experience: Unhelpful staff, poor management and unclean/low quality facilites.

Positive experience: The swimming pool isn't bad, but please get rid of the plastic shoe cover things. No one else does this in 2019. Just mop the floor once in a while, what's the problem?

Positive experience: The swimming lessons are good but there is one problem when you enter to where the swimming changing rooms are they have plastic things you put over your shoes so you wont go and make the chaniging room dirty. I think they should get rid of it since it is bad for the environment and it is uneeded they can just take the shoes off?I hope you do somthing and deal with this please. Thanks.

Negative experience: Awful service! I spent 5 hours in total after all forms and assessment , after testing my daughter the administrator said that " your daughter is very good she is on level 2 so we are going to put her on the waiting list in 3 years " I couldn't believe in what I heard . Also very dirty place !

Negative experience: Swimming pool is good has lanes and a small children's pool. But the changing rooms smell like a urinal and look like they have not had a proper clean for years. Same in the toilets. Looks like they were last updated in the 80s.

Negative experience: What you'd expect from a money making operation milking the Council in the name of "Community". Service in slow time and obscure random entry rules which appear from nowhere. Website said option for student entry and membership, but when got there said I had to apply for some Kingston Council Active membership at cost, even though I had a valid Student and NUS card. Nowhere did it say this on their website. Place a bit run down and dirty with hair, gum and plasters in the pool area and more skidmarks in the toilets than Silverstone Drift day.

Fantastic experience: Fantastic local sports centre serving the community in all kinds of ways

Fantastic experience: It was a very nice and experience , the staff are amazing especially Michelle in the Zumba class , she is very friendly, helpful and played a significant part in my loss of weight. So thank you so much

Fantastic experience: Great place to swim. Very friendly and helpful staff. Yes a little bit strange were the showers are but the excellent swim teachers make up for that.

Fantastic experience: Great swimming pool I go there 2 to 3 times a week it’s great great and kind staff I always make friend with the staff and the inflatable is great it is on Saturdays it’s great

Negative experience: Facilities are good but TERRIBLE and RIDICULOUS customer service THEY overcharged my wife's membership and we WENT there THREE times to ask for refund..and emailed 3-4 times and about two weeks later finally received an reply saying refund will be in my account in two weeks and it's been three weeks without no refund.. Be careful otherwise they will waste your time and energy....

Positive experience: Lovely pools and staff. The baby pool is brilliant for teaching toddlers. Decent cafe. But the whole place is badly let down by the change rooms. The shower setup is awkward with a baby. The baby stalls need to have baby seats with belts. Cracked tiles and there is often a strong smell of urine in them on a busy Saturday morning.

Negative experience: Rude, unprofessional, inconsiderate and judge mental gym workers made it a stressful experience almost every time I went and was unfortunately contracted for 6 months.. Receptionists aren't very nice either. Quit that as I could. Wouldn't recommend it.

Positive experience: Not a bad leisure centre. The pool is generally quiet and the facilities are clean. There are member and non member prices to use the facilities.

Fantastic experience: Ra good

Fantastic experience: Best gym with great coaches. Love it!!!

Fantastic experience: Good gym, prefer this to larger gyms

Positive experience: Not bad but I think the changing rooms for the swimming could be cleaner . The staff are not the most engaging.

Positive experience: Decent and not expensive

Positive experience: Get my Badminton on here but they also have a gentle on the skin child swimming pool. To be clear I only know this because I have children myself that I take swimming.

Fantastic experience: Working as a carer for five years and this is the only pool that lifeguards actually listen and there fabulous with the special-needs child all very helpful and supportive in the five years working in that carer sector This is the first pool that I would recommend to other carers and I have told my agency this already Thank you very much

Positive experience: Good pool and gym, it does get crowded so I recommend off peak hours

Positive experience: Clean well managed pool with very good cafe

Positive experience: Nice swimming pool.

Positive experience: Very good for toddlers, we come here for the children when the teaching pool is open. Small but warm, they enjoy it. Otherwise main pool is basic and old school.