Porchester Centre

Negative experience: normally Id give this place 4-5 xxxxx Normally I really enjoy working out at Porchester Gym, this morning 5 march 9am there is no music at all in the gym, a bit of a bad atmosphere, not even background music, you can hear people breathing , talking, loudly on the phone, why no music? no-one to discuss this with except front of house reception staff who were more intent on angrily telling me off for stepping over the barriers, not allowing me to speak & just dealing with the problem, shouting at me telling me id break the barrier and I had to go outside the gym and re enter the gym if I ever wanted to talk to the receptionist, Understood I won't ever step over the barrier again But back to the point I came to reception for Why is there no music in the gym & why couldn't the receptionist just explain politely , I was polite to her until she raised voice aggressively, Before you tell me off again - you did three times this morning please deal with the issue If there had been music playing as usual I wouldn't have even come to reception I think I saw another member raise this issue some time before me as I heard him say backgrounding in what looked like a heated conversation with a member of staff when they were free, So Please sort the music out , its a great space normally, not today

Negative experience: I don’t even know where to start with this gym the Workers are so rude they use profanity’s towards members they are unprofessional especially the general manager who is a scammer and takes every opportunity he has to make a gain from it! the changing rooms have no privacy whatsoever everytime time you walk in there your guaranteed to see a nude man showering (what type of shower doesn’t have a door‍♂️). The gym is super busy around the afternoon and there is a huge Lack of equipment barely any weights hardly any benches and barely any space to workout, and most the machines are broken and out of order and left like that for weeks unrepaired. they make the process to cancel your membership so hard The price you pay monthly is £34.99 Wich is COMPLETELY NOT WORTH IT. You should head down to PUREGYM Wich is less then 10 minute walk away and the same price!!!!

Negative experience: Awful gym i have been going for a month there and i can say that most of the staff is rude and they do not know their policy so they can not answer at simple questions,their swimming pool is dirty i do not think they are cleaning it often,the gym is very unorganized the machines are not enough and most of the times half of them are broken and also their memberships are a scam in some they say that sauna is available excluding spa but they do not let you use the sauna and they force you to pay more because the sauna is not in the spa they are telling me that they are going to fix it online but from what i see they are not.Stay away of this gym

Negative experience: If the management is changed maybe they can improve this place, as the level of customer service is third world standards, and some of the instructors extremely unprofessional, clients are often ungry

Fantastic experience: Great pool, clean changing rooms most of the time, excellent customer service, fantastic selection of fitness classes, spa, and the gym facilities are good. A lovely big space, the quiet zone and women's only section are great additions, but anyone you can choose to be integrated throughout the main parts of the gym if they want to. Lots of different spaces to workout and good cliental I'd say.

Negative experience: Really enjoy the pool facilities, but the gym itself is pretty ghetto with most of the equipment missing - this is not the gym for you if you don’t want to fight for plates or dumbbells

Fantastic experience: Great

Fantastic experience: Lovely gym! Lovely staff! And as a woman who often gets uncomfortable working out, I really appreciate the women only areas!

Fantastic experience: This centre is the best, the staff are lovely and so helpful.

Fantastic experience: Very helpful and nice members of staff. Loving the gym, the large pool with spacious lanes and the spa

Fantastic experience: My go-to gym. Has every equipment I've ever needed and more, and huge and spacious. Would suggest it.

Fantastic experience: Viola was amazing thanks

Negative experience: Absolute piss take. Nobody at the reception. I have made a booking and no one is here for me to scan my card.

Negative experience: Worst swimming pool I have ever experienced. They will cancel your booking for no reason and only inform you when you arrive the swimming pool on that day.

Negative experience: This gym is just a big waste of time. I have never seen so much disorganisation and incompetence from customer support, they don't even know what agreements they have with companies and they just waste your time and energy.

Negative experience: A very dirty gym and center. There is dust all over the machines, on the floor, etc. Also, very rude and aggressive staff towards customers. As soon as I took a mat to start training, a staff member came and told me in a very rude and aggressive way to put the mat back when I was done. I didn't even start training!! And he stayed to watch me to see if I’ll put the mat back! It was very embarrassing and intimidating. I really do not recommend this gym

Fantastic experience: Nice.

Fantastic experience: Lovely centre with amazing staffing and welcoming community would definitely recommend!!!

Fantastic experience: “This gym was very classic and interesting. It was my first time going for a massage, but the environment was very nice and friendly. I also appreciate Mr. Ali for the massage.”

Negative experience: Very strange and rude staff. I didn’t feel safe there. I am not going back.

Negative experience: Customer service non existent. I had complained a few times already it is tiring. They should train treir staff on how to respect the customers and offer the best solutions.

Negative experience: I was considering joining this gym until I found out that it is now operating a policy of gender segregation during the key hours of the day, where a large area of the gym is for women only, with men in the other part. I understand that this was intended to make women feel more comfortable in the gym but I cannot honestly imagine who on the Westminster council (which operates the gym) decided the solution to any such concern was to segregate genders, rather than educating or raising awareness or implementing new policies. It’s shocking to me as a woman that in 2024 people could think this was acceptable, and even market it as a positive development for women and equality. Really really disappointing, particularly by a council.

Fantastic experience: Great facility. Great staff. Great bang for your buck.

Negative experience: Abysmal customer service. Staff seem unable to answer a phone or any enquires you have. Overcharge you for your membership and fail to ever admit to their own mistakes. Signed up to this gym due to it offering so much for a cheap price. However shower barley work in dry changing room, layout of gym makes it difficult to do workouts, machines are often broken and left broken for weeks on end, equipment it poor quality for example spin bikes that have no screens or unable to change gear. For the price your better using alternative gyms where you will actually be treated like a human and they may remotely give you some sort of customer service.

Fantastic experience: My son has been taking swimming lessons for 6 years! Good place

Fantastic experience: Great facilities, really well maintained

Negative experience: I had a phone conversation with the manager of the Porcester Swim Center, and I found her to be extremely rude and disrespectful. During our argument, she claimed she would put me on hold, but failed to do so. Regrettably, I overheard her speaking ill of me to other staff members, referring to me as an "idiot" and admitting to her rude behaviour. When I confronted her about what I had overheard, she became defensive and denied making those remarks. She even dared to ask what I wanted. Furthermore, when I expressed my intention to take further action, she offered to me give her name as if she had no fear of repercussions. This self-confidence gives me the impression that she feels emboldened to mistreat customers, including resorting to name-calling. Rest assured, I will be pursuing the appropriate course of action to address this unacceptable behaviour.

Negative experience: I’ve just been dealt for the first time of my life with discrimination and racism towards me. I asked a guy whose name is Mav as he mentioned to me about the membership team to subscribe to the usage of the gym, he said they left but can catch them tomorrow from 11-4, I said ok then I asked about of both pools now are working, he mentioned that the big pool is yet to open in September but the small pool is open. I told him ok, I thought the big pool would be open by July as I’ve been told before, he said no by September. Said but the small pool is open? He says yes. So I scanned my card to go and check it out. He told me; may I ask you what brings you here? I said what? What do you mean by that? He repeated himself again and said it’s this place is not open for everybody!?? I said what do you mean by that, please elaborate everybody! He says it’s a concession pay as you go membership for people who live in the city of Westminster borough. I said what makes you think I don’t live in the borough!? Can’t you see the date on my membership? He said there must be a mistake, cause not everybody qualify for this place. I said this is considered discrimination and I’m asking you again to elaborate and explain yourself! He repeated himself and said there must be a mistake of getting you a membership. I told him a mistake? What form of mistake?? And asked what makes you say these questions!?? He didn’t answer me so I told him look I’ll not take that lightly and I’m glad everything is under surveillance and cameras recording everywhere to have this investigated officially. I reaffirmed again to him that if does not apologize or at least explain himself I’ll have to file an official report to the Met Police. He said go ahead. And I’ve done that. Now waiting outside for the officers to show up by the place which is closing in 17 mins but they already closed the gates.

Positive experience: -Nice location -Nice premises -Amazing history -(30% Unkind and Bullies stuff including management) - not really clean -they don’t care about community but profit and service is an option they are not willing to give easily. I witness an old man being sent away because he had only cash. Worth a visit but not a membership

Positive experience: Nice atmosphere. Small but cozy. The pool is nice and the lanes are well managed by the lifeguards. Appreciate it However it is kinda dirty. Its usually at its dirtiest on sundays.

Fantastic experience: Very good clean place and nice staff

Fantastic experience: Amazing pool and gym!

Positive experience: The classes are great, but facilities are not. Toilets are often out of order. Water pressure in showers and pool area is low and water fountain and lift are mostly out of order. I am sorry to say that the place feels neglected.

Positive experience: Nice but not one of the best 1930's style pools..only communal changing and showers for men..and you.. need to bring your own paddock! Plus points its a 30 metre pool and cheap price of £2.96

Negative experience: Very disappointed by the staff management. You pay for your swimming, book, check the day AND hour before. Get confirmation email to come. AND THEY CLOSE THE POOL WHEN YOU ARRIVE. Irrespectful of people time. This happens SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK.

Positive experience: There is a nice pool and gym, but as there are not many swimming pools nearby then the pool is crowded and swimming sessions are cancelled just few hours before. Very difficult to make any plans.

Fantastic experience: Great fitness classes and facilities.

Positive experience: Nice pool and friendly swimming instructors . Showers - no hot water and water is like a little stream - this needs updating. No swimming costume spinner in the changing room.

Fantastic experience: This is a lovely art-deco influenced 1920s swimming pool. 30m pool with natural light. Really one of the nicest public pools in London.

Fantastic experience: Great gym..and the staff are super friendly..clean too.. I love the yoga and pilates classes..but they are all FULL..and to go to a class I have to go on the waiting list..even a week in advance. MORE YOGA AND PILATES CLASSES PLEASE..

Positive experience: It’s a good gym with great staff, but the weightlifting area is extremely small compared to the stamina zone. Also I think there should be more than one punching bag.

Negative experience: CREPIEST PLACE FOR THIEVES EVERYONE be extremely careful this place is not for people who want to work out! This place is full of guys looking around your phone and belongings. Someone followed me from the gym and stole my phone. I saw him at the gym but never thought I will be followed like that! So DO NOT GO THERE AVOID AT ALL COST I AM NOT THE ONLY ONE

Negative experience: Only been in this centre for 3 weeks and already having negative experience. The staff at the reception are very rude. And the service is terrible, if you call and ask for something important they hang up the phone on you whilst you still speaking. Some of the staff can’t even speak proper English. This centre needs lots of improvement and the staff at the reception needs to learn manners.

Negative experience: £8 for an adult swim ,,you have got to be joking ...when did it become £8 to swim in a busy pool with not very clean changing rooms ? No wonder we have a health crisis

Fantastic experience: Excellent Service Staff Very Friendly Love The Support. Many Thanks. Happy New Year !!! 2024 !!! ( Sheeba )

Positive experience: Well organised one compare to other centres. In summer it’s quite warm inside as there is some problem in ventilation also some of the Air con is not working at all. Really needed maintenance to those. Recently they modified the bench seat. Also now for women they apply the dedicated floor.

Negative experience: Awful service

Negative experience: Bad service

Negative experience: if you are late for class by more than 5 minutes, you should know that the teacher will not let you in no matter what

Fantastic experience: I love this victorianesque swimming pool, usually quite empty, 30 meters long!!

Fantastic experience: Great pools. Separate teaching pool is great for swimming lessons and the room is a good temperature for kids, love the large swimming pool for Lane swimming. Changing rooms could be bigger but really not bad at the moment either

Fantastic experience: I had a wonderful time there

Negative experience: The management of this place is awful, they increased the prices of the membership without prior notice/consent from the clients. They always make "mistakes" with the membership payments and never recognise the problem or make it easy to resolve. It requires a lot of time and effort to deal with their missing customer service. The staff is nice and helpful, the facilities are very good, and it's the only reason why I haven't left.

Negative experience: That the worst gym ever I lost my card and come to replace it and the lady in front desk say we don't have card lol paying 37 pounds for that gym that serves is scam

Positive experience: Comprehensive set of equipments and exercise rooms available to use but cleaning and upkeep of common areas and machinery need a lot of improvement. This place needs a capable management team. Swimming pool is very clean though. For £30 per month membership it’s a fair deal.

Negative experience: The worst gym ever. Extremely poor customer service, charging you full month even when you already freeze your membership. Staff doesn’t know the policy or they don’t want to explain you as it should. Gym is very low standard swimming pool isn’t bad. I don’t recommend it at all.

Positive experience: The refurbished pool is lovely. However, it was also exceptionally busy and two large lanes were occupied with lessons. Everybody else regardless of ability was in the slow lane. It wasn't that enjoyable for this reason.

Fantastic experience: Nice customer service, the lady at the front desk is lovely! Jermaine it's a great personal trainer very helpful and ready to customize the training for your needs, highly recommended! Overall good facilities

Negative experience: No star, awful general manager since he joined the Porchester it turned into a mental institution. Simon should be sacked as soon as possible Apart from having an awful general manager, all the fitness teachers are amazing they deserve a better general manager in place

Negative experience: Disgraceful management

Fantastic experience: Amazing

Negative experience: The swiming teachers are great, the centre a bit dated but very clean. However the young people working in the reception desk needs training ,they dont know their job and always there is a queue waiting to come the person that know how things are done. Meanwhile they just sitting around chating up.

Negative experience: Does not even deserve a star, this gym is the poorest in equipment I have ever seen in my life. The only good thing is the changing room but tell me how in the world there are no closed doors for some privacy in the showers?! Never coming back to this place again

Negative experience: Staff are useless at giving information and unqualified Phone never gets answered and they hang up most times

Negative experience: AWFUL COMPANY INTERESTED ONLY IN YOU JOINING GYM AND not use it just pay it. Once you signed in they do not care. They charge for 2 months in advance,, freeze membership so difficult, if you are injured you need to wait 30 days to freeze the membership, the terms do not state clearly. Staff at everr everyone active does not anything so they tell lies to make you join in. When you want to freeze it or cancel it's a nightmare and they take up to 2 months of your pocket.

Positive experience: Friendly staff, clean changing rooms. Lovely swimming pool

Negative experience: May the first was not open at 6,30 am as seen on it web,outher people were waiting at the gate,then I went home wasting my time,not happy at all.

Positive experience: Clean and nice size pool. Only downside is that they leave the windows open when freezing outside and you can't get warm in the pool even when swimming fast which is a shame.

Fantastic experience: Not too busy. Clean. Friendly staff.

Fantastic experience: I have joined Porchester Centre in October last year. I have found that I actually enjoyed my time there more than anywhere else ( everyone active centre ).The main purpose of me joining was the fact that the Centre has 2 swimming pools. One small( for kids and swimming lessons) and one big for adult swimming. The staff are nice and friendly, if any problems arise they deal with them in a swift manner and they are very polite and respectful. The premises are maintained in a orderly fashion and clean. Definitely would recommend

Fantastic experience: Great gym....Great price....and super friendly staff.

Fantastic experience: I only use the pool. I had been having trouble getting pool time at the nearby Seymour Baths & as they are both run by the “everyone active” lot I booked in. It’s really very good - the lanes are wider than Seymour, there is a lot more availability of slots for lane & casual swimming, there don’t seem to be schools using it, the water clarity was excellent & the cleanliness in the changing rooms & showers etc all better than Seymour. Altogether a pleasure to go! Gorgeous well maintained building too. No paint peeling off the pool ceiling!

Fantastic experience: Hugely inadequate HQ and central administration support provided but the Porchester Centre’s management team - specifically Leo and Rihanna - are excellent. Thank you both for your recent help and professionalism. Gordon.

Fantastic experience: Great staff and value for the low cost.

Negative experience: Nobody answers the phone. It’s very frustrated never being able to get through, swimming areas could do with an extra clean

Positive experience: Does the sales team ever pick up the phone? And how are we all still experiencing the same issues with the sales team as before the pandemic… how hard can it be to properly train your sales stuff to be resourceful, efficient and provide friendly customer service?

Negative experience: Gym is ok and good value. The problem I have is membership team. I’ve contacted them 4 times over 6 weeks (twice via their app, twice at front desk) to have my membership adjusted and nothing has ever happened.

Negative experience: I have seen 2 centres so far I found rude receptionists in both centres they not helpful at all and they don’t explain everything thing clearly at beginning

Negative experience: I paid £560 yearly subscription on 8th Feb, 2023, I discovered they still taking £55monthly direct debit, for nearly 6 months, when I went to the porchester centre they said casually we will see, Without any concern,

Negative experience: My kid who started to swim at age of 2 now hates to go swimming after 4 months here. I wondered why he hasn't learnt any skills and it turns out that there was bully from the instructor. Very frustrating and disappointing.

Fantastic experience: Lovely place for relaxation and socialisation, open to members and non members. I spend 4 hours weekly to end my week in perfect relaxation and start a even better one! Staff is kind and professional, place is clean and friendly atmosphere.

Fantastic experience: Nice local gym with pool facilities

Fantastic experience: So good. From reception to last person they all helpful and respectful

Negative experience: Disgraceful. I had a dodgy annual memberships sold cash in hand last year and I will never renew it again. Be very careful with your belongings, because the lockers in the changing rooms get broken into constantly. I got my items stolen twice and all they tell you is to call the police and that they can't do anything. There are cctvs around the centre but are useless when needed. My friend got his bike stolen just outside the centre. The managers don't care at all. Reception manager, Beverly, is racist to those of a different ethnicity (like me) The pools are closed constantly for staff shortage or issues with water. The general manager, Simon, is the cherry on the cake. Hitting on my 20yr old friend and getting free food and drinks from the local coffee shops and restaurants in exchange of discounted membership to owners and other freebies. What a shameful and corrupted place. The Council should take action and change the entire management.

Negative experience: Very bad experience. Customer service is really awful. it looks like people show up just to cash in their payroll. The membership and reception team members have an attitude and they make you feel unwanted-as if they are paying you a favour just to speak to you. This has a negative impact on one's day and it doesn't make you want to return. Management needs to take action soon and I'm surprised the staff is so unmotivated and lazy

Fantastic experience: Relaxed, welcoming atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Fantastic experience: Value for money! It isn’t posh but it has everything one needs and very friendly people

Fantastic experience: Blooming amazing!!

Fantastic experience: I absolutely loved it ❤

Negative experience: I went for my pre-work gym session only to find out after the training that there were no hot water in the building... There were absolutely no signs around the premises but once I asked to the reception they lie on the evidence saying that there were signs around...Absolutely not professional...I arrived late at work...Guys you ruined my day...Try to be more professional and to work harder to avoid loosing customers.

Fantastic experience: I just joined excellent service the lady at the reception her name is Natalie was excellent I couldn't ask for better very very happy

Positive experience: Clean, not crowded, has all the gear without much of a wait

Fantastic experience: Great old building with a very nice spa area.

Fantastic experience: Absolutely stunning, characterful, spacious venue. Perfect for weddings, charity events, concerts, filming and more! The staff were super friendly and helpful - nothing was too much trouble.

Fantastic experience: Inspite of Covid regs the experience was great thanks to nice staff and good organisation. We were in a rush and our group was very well served. Special thanks to Ali.

Negative experience: I may have missed it, but the website doesn't seem to tell punters that the main pool is closed at the moment. I felt conned, having booked and paid for a couple of sessions in advance, to find that I was expected to swim in the rather pathetic 20 metre pool. A waste of time for anyone who wants a decent lane swim. Push off from one end and you're halfway to the other.

Negative experience: I've been a member of this gym for years. Today, I ended my membership. The reason: shockingly poor service and unprofessional behaviour from Yannick Mandarin. Please, GM Simon Plummer, you will continue losing customers if you allow your "managers" to yell at customers.

Fantastic experience: Always helpful staff at Porchester. I have been going to swim for 20 years and never had s problem.

Positive experience: Wish all receptionists would be as polite & genuinely helpful as Beverley.

Positive experience: Good points: get a multi site membership and you get access to more classes available than at other gyms. Seymour gym, Little Venice centre and Moberly centre are nearby. Between them there’s plenty of classes to go to within a mile radius. It’s local, convenient for shops. You can do your grocery shopping on your way home at Waitrose and in fact I often see exercise class members there afterwards. You get to meet and talk to people in the local area and friendships have developed. Some good teachers are there. One of the cheaper gym memberships in the local area, but not the cheapest. Receptionists are nice, especially Antoinetta and Beverley. There’s a high turnover of staff, some are nice. The building is historic and you see some old art nouveau architecture, especially in the spa. Bad points: gym staff attitude can be bad. They lock the studio door before classes and treat members as school kids when many members are older than the staff. I’ve witnessed members being bullied by gym staff. Cleanliness is poor, the changing room toilets are always disgusting with puddles and tissue blockages, studio floor usually has hair and dust, the equipment is worn out especially the mats. Bring your own mat! Some weights are missing. The changing room lockers are unsafe and have been broken into. There are some lockers with holes cut out of the bottom by thieves. Many thefts have happened here. Gypsies use the sinks and showers to wash their clothes and take over the area. There are antisocial incidents and bust ups happening at least monthly among members in the studio. Members stand too close as the studio classes are overcrowded; it can get unsafe and you can be kicked or get other injuries. Some members who’ve been coming a long time have formed cliques and aggressively reserve the prime floor spots in the studio. If you dare take such a spot they shout at you. The grudges can go on for years. This can put off new and shy members. The cliques gossip and if they take against a member it can be isolating and bullying for that member. Similar to ‘Mean Girls’ at high school. Porchester gym has progressively been reducing the number of classes they provide over the years. In the last couple of years I had to go to Seymour gym to get a variety of classes into my workout week. There’s a push at Porchester to pay £15 extra for Hot Yoga classes as they built that hot yoga studio and need to earn back the expense. The main studio floor was broken for several years and they were very slow to fix it. All they did in the interim years was to tape up the broken laminate! They don’t sort out the climate control in the studio so it’s appropriate to the class, yoga can be freezing and body combat be in tropical conditions. It can make you ill. I got flu there because of full air conditioning blasting out during yoga. Be aware that in an exercise class the memberships differ for exactly the same service. Some pay as little as £25/month (key workers) while others are paying £50/month. The rest are paying in- between. I’ve not seen such a high variation of membership prices at other gyms. This council gym is very good value for money if you get a £25/month membership but this isn’t value for a £50/month gym. If you can pay £40-£50/month you can find a private gym and with better fixtures and cleanliness for that price range. Pure Gym charges £30/month. That’s the cheapest in the area at the time of this review. There are many gyms and lot of choice in this area for customers. The swimming pool is large but old and not the cleanest. It’s often full of school kid lessons.The squash courts are ok. They are sweat covered if you don’t get the first booking slot in the day. The spa lighting is too dark and again needs a proper refurbishment as it’s old and not the cleanest. The main gym equipment is out of date and can get hogged by groups of guys exercising in rotation which can be intimidating for female members trying to use use that equipment when following their personalised exercise programme.