Southend Leisure & Tennis Centre

Negative experience: I have been a member here for the past 14 years. Up until a few years ago, it was a good gym. Around 2 or 3 years ago, they seemed to decide to no longer carry out any maintenance on the equipment and stopped adequate, basic cleaning. Currently, all the facilities are filthy, around 50% of the equipment is out of order, and it has been for 6 months+. The entire place is in a very sorry state. One star is generous. I will be cancelling my membership once I find another gym.

Negative experience: Gym only membership - When you’re paying £35p/m you’d expect a wide selection of equipment that is well maintained. Unfortunately Fusion’s Leisure Centre in Southend manages to fall bafflingly short of these expectations. With Limited equipment most of which is broken (one of which since Aug 24) this gym is not only a waste of your money but also a potentially unsafe place to workout. Please look elsewhere!

Negative experience: The staff are really friendly, spot on, they get a 5 star. Unfortunately the gym and pretty much all other facilities are filthy, not a bit of dirt from the day, this is filth that's there everyday. It is obvious that the gym showers are not even cleaned or mopped weekly as you will see a plaster or build up of scum in the corners. Obviously get the odd animal. We just use the gym and pool, shower at home. Really disgusting and very disappointing. Just need a cleaner, just to clean, not to be incharge of anything else, because people abuse the facilities, and the facilities need checking every hour or 2. Definitely not currently!

Fantastic experience: Excellent athletics club and facilities.

Positive experience: I went swimming here and it was very good however there was one negative that the hairdryers were poor and you must pay a 20p charge to use them but they are not too great but other than that it was a very nice experience.

Positive experience: It was OK but very dirty as it seemed not to have been cleaned for some time

Negative experience: Please do not waste your money on a membership!!! Most of the equipment does not work, no one is in the gym to assist and overall it’s shoddy/outdated. I’ve been waiting almost three months to get my money back, after cancelling my membership after a DAY. I was told I would hear from them after a week, and I’ve heard nothing - I feel completely scammed.

Negative experience: Needs a deep clean it's pretty disgusting some parts of the sauna look like they've never been cleaned thick black dirt in the corners

Negative experience: My family and I go swimming most Sundays, however I was very disappointed last Sunday 10th Nov 24 to see the lane swims were extended more than usal witch made the family swim much smaller. The family swim was so small it was almost impossible to injoy our swim, The lane swims weren't even busy, most just stood a chatted. We are paying £7+ each and I think this is unexcepable. Will be taking my my family elce weren't in future.

Fantastic experience: Went for the Essex Vegan Festival . Great time. Parking was limited so lots on the grass verges other than that fine.

Negative experience: Terrible to answer the phone. Cannot get through!

Fantastic experience: Wonderful Loss track event training , superb facilities

Negative experience: Wanted to take the kids swimming but couldn't make sense of the online booking & times via the website (very unclear!!), so went down there on the assumption the pool would be available seeing as it's the school holidays. But no...at 3.20pm and it was closing for lessons. Please just update your website and/or answer the reception phone to prevent me wasting time & disappointing the kids!

Fantastic experience: Good venue for an Antiques and Vintage Fair, organised by Haddon Events.

Negative experience: Literally impossible to get a hold of. Doesn’t let you log in no one answers when you phone or don’t phone back when you leave a voicemail.

Negative experience: We have been going to Garons every so often when we decide we want to mix it up from our regular gym to use the health centre bit but todays experience has put me off for good. Half of the equipment is broken and unable to be used and even the equipment that is working isn’t in the best shape. I couldn’t even get water as the area where you refill had no water . After the Awful gym experience we thought we would try the health center where there is a hot tub , sauna and stream room to try and lift the mood . We was very excited and when we went into the health center the hot tub was out of use and the steam room was shut leaving us only the sauna. When we was in the sauna we spoke to a few members who had stated the steam room has been out of order for months. After another bad experience we was hungry so we fancied some food which we decided to go to their cafe . They messed up my order which was a simple a jacket potato with cheese which was £6 and my boyfriends avocado on toast tasted like something from the Stone Age it had clearly been sitting there since the place opened. I don’t want to sound negative I just don’t want people to waste their money . It’s such a shame because it is a lovely building and has so much potential to be something good they just need to sort out their facilities.

Fantastic experience: Brilliant. Lots of different sporting facilities. Swim, gym, classes, spin, loads and loads. Love it. Highly recommend it.

Fantastic experience: Extremely helpful, excellent facilities, Extremely clean, staff and receptionist excellent

Negative experience: Turned up for an appointment, but the staff member never showed up despite reception putting a call out for him.

Fantastic experience: Clean, easy parking, friendly and helpful staff. Gym is good but limited machines. Swimming pool is good size and good swimming teachers.

Negative experience: Booked the tennis courts … £29 for 55 mins = extortionate but even worse was the courts have clearly not been cleaned for months and was utterly disgusting

Negative experience: No induction or offer of induction, basically had to walk around myself and figure stuff out. The swimming pool lockers are mostly busted; either the key tags don’t attach, there are no keys in open lockers or the lock is totally broken. Their app doesn’t seem to be very helpful and even when you book a session, I was told I have to check in with the desk. The membership card doesn’t seem to scan properly either. All this and I’m paying almost £90 for myself and my partner. So far, not very impressed. The amount of stuff to do, providing you can actually book and don’t have a note put on your account for a ‘no show’ because the gates didn’t work and you get let in, is rather good and it seems generally clean.

Fantastic experience: Great centre, lots to do. I visited for the National Diving Finals. Great environment!

Negative experience: Where to start? The men’s gym showers are dirty and 2 out of the 6 have no shower head. The water is too hot. Not very green. In the gym 6 out of the 7 cross trainers are faulty and wobble. One of the rowers has been out of action for months. The tension in all the others are different. There is no equipment for table tennis even though there are plenty of balls under the store cupboard that they won’t retrieve. Badminton racquets are bent You can book lane swimming but get kicked out of the slow lane if a school arrive even though you have paid for it. This has happened twice to me after being in for only 10 minutes. You are not notified in advance of this. I could go on but will leave at this for now.

Negative experience: Noted worms in steam, very disaaponting to notice that it meant to be a fitness centre to improve health and wellbeing of its cutomers but not sickness. Last 13 years I can count on the days that health suit was fully operational with all facilities functioning

Fantastic experience: Good

Fantastic experience: Best place For Aqua Aerobics

Negative experience: Can't book on line so called.....12 times. No one answered.

Negative experience: Non existent reception at the leisure centre no one ever answers the phone and wellness suit never works complete shambles

Negative experience: They offer a health suite, hottub, sauna and steam room which is the main attraction of this gym. Since joining a year ago one or more of them has been broken more than half the time. I asked if the gym could provide roller mats, like every other gym does, and I was told to buy them myself. Showers are cold and smell like sea water

Fantastic experience: Book swimming often for a family of five my two babies older daughter aged 9 my partner nd me. Never had any problems booking, recently went swimming was only in pool 30 mins before everyone was asked to leave due to dirt being in the water, yes we were fed up to say the least but the guy at reception was a great help in transferring our swim to another day so we didn't miss out.

Positive experience: I went swimming today with my toddler. The changing rooms are vile! So much crusty dirt in the changing rooms on the walls and floor. Lockers have seen better days. There’s limescale everywhere you look. I stopped in the cafe for avocado on toast and tea plus toast for the toddler. I can’t believe the service I received. They clearly need to be retrained. My avocado on my toast was so hot, it burnt my mouth - why was it hot!? My son’s toast came out wrong as we’d ordered white bread but was given seeded brown instead. I had to ask 3 times if the butter they’d used was actually dairy free due to allergies, yet the staff couldn’t care less. The whole dining area is filthy too. Salt shaker looks like it’s been rolling on the floor for a week. I’ll come back for swimming but will never eat in the cafe again. Disgusting.

Negative experience: Fusions management is a disgrace. Belfairs has showers out of action & twice in the last week no one has turned up to unlock email are never answered but they take our money.

Negative experience: Pathetic

Fantastic experience: Clean and friendly place, Good facilities as well

Negative experience: Showers are always scolding! Told reception staff numerous times - but they are not interested and don't care Must be a ploy to stop people using them. This week's session found me swimming in disgusting dirty water. Very unhygienic and not even a school holiday! For what you are now charged for a session, it's about time this place got it's act together before a major health risk starts!

Negative experience: Unbelievably awful service. Took my two children swimming, booked online a day before. Received a call 10 hours after booking, to be told our swim session will now start 2 hours later than planned. The next day we arrived to be told only the baby pool was open, not suitable for an 8 and 11 year old. When I asked reception for my money back. They were extremely rude and unhelpful. Reading so many awful reviews of this place….stay away

Fantastic experience: Love swimming

Positive experience: Started a new body boost class today. Exercise in water using an ipad. Really enjoyed it.

Negative experience: Taking my 4 year old daughter to the swimming class and the teachers don’t watch at all good enough. As there are so many people in a class your child barely does any swimming as they’re waiting there turn more often. The reception staff are absolutely awful. Rude and completely unhelpful I’ve never experienced anything like it!! The worse thing is you can’t call up as no one answers the phone and they also don’t reply to emails which is ridiculous, because of this the queues at reception are extremely long and they’re unhelpful when you do finally talk to them.

Negative experience: Been ringing for the last hour and no answer absolutely disgusting

Positive experience: loved garons , the main pool was very nice and clean when I went for the family session everyone had a amazing time , the changing rooms could be cleaner other than that everything was amazing!

Positive experience: Went for health suite. Reception don't seem to answer phones to respond to any queries for non members. Fairly decent. Jacuzzi, Steam room and Sauna. Nothing special. Been to plenty better. Showers need upgrading for sure. Apart from the service I used the rest of the place looks fairly alright it was quiet to many other places I know which could be a sign it's rarely used, 1 or two people using the gym, didnt check out swimming pool. The tennis courts indoors look special...it was a Saturday I went though so can't really judge. Going to try Clements Hall next month they are the same company.

Negative experience: Appalling place. We paid for a service that we did not receive. We paid the money for the facilities they offer, we went to the pool first and shortly after asked to use the sauna etc, to be told because we have already paid for the “pool” we cannot now pay to use the sauna. We asked to then be refunded and we would pay again to use the facilities? Yeah sounds crazy but that’s exactly what it was. Why if we used the pool then be told we cannot use the other stuff they have to offer? So if we walked out and walked back in and paid would we still be told no? For a leisure centre iv never known nothing like it. So what was meant to be a quiet hour turnt out to be awful. Maybe you should change the rule of ur centre to avoid the 2 stars you have. Explains it all really. Next time Il save my money and go else where without a doubt. What a shambles. Avionics this place unless you want to be left to feel how we do. Shame on you garons. The reviews you have can’t be to wrong. Shameful and shambles. It’s a pity because some of the staff are actually nice but that’s all they got going for them.

Fantastic experience: Since November 2021 I am taking my children for swimming lessons and we have had other activities as well in the centre, I am very happy about all of their services especially the reception they are very helpful and friendly. Most of the swimming teachers great as well. Any concerns we have raised got solved very well. Thank you please continue.

Negative experience: Started taking my five year old granddaughter swimming here on a Sunday. Booking process is complicated to start but OK once you've done it a few times. Space for the teaching pool gets booked very quick. It's not cheap either and your only allocated 50 minutes actual swimming time. Book in at reception on arrival and as we are in the teaching pool we are asked to wear bright orange wristbands. Changing rooms are dark and dingy The cleanliness leaves a lot to be desired. Have found left food, swimming nappies and other items in the family changing rooms. Some of the changing rooms doors don't lock. Same with lockers. The teaching pool is very small. The life guard doesn't bother to check wristbands on entry so we ended up with people and families who obviously didn't need to be in the teaching pool. Older children were jumping into the pool watched by the lifeguard who seemed like she would rather be anywhere but at work. We were under the impression that this is why wristbands were issued because you needed access to the teaching pool because your child can't swim safely not for older kids to mess about and jump in and splash everyone. The depth of the pool was 0.9 metres high ! I'm all for people having fun but not at the expense of my granddaughter not being able to enjoy herself or feel safe. She has additional hidden disabilities and all we want is for her to have a safe experience. The idea of the wristbands system was also to limit the amount of people accessing the teaching pool. Without them being checked the teaching pool is getting overcrowded and there's not enough room for everyone to comfortably move. If your selling it at a limited space wristbands system the least you could do is make sure this is followed through. Won't be returning anymore as its not a pleasant experience

Positive experience: Great real ales

Positive experience: Sitio muy agradable

Fantastic experience: Swim facilities are the best in the area. Much friendlier reception staff than before lockdown

Negative experience: Truly felt like a prison more then a gym, the free weight section is tiny (no bigger then the average size bedroom to be honest) and none of the equipment flows properly, it has a certain stickiness too it. The prices are extortionate for what they offer and the gym is spread over different floors so is impractical for use anyone and outright dangerous to be skipping up and down stairs mid workout. Then we move onto the swimming facilities. WHAT A JOKE, the pools tiny in terms of length and is more guarded then the Crown Jewels! It’s like a prison, you can only go in on the stroke of quarter to hour, the adolescent life guards think they’re the guardians of the galaxy walking round the pool like bouncers even if people are in there less then a minute early! They shouted at older members for being about 30 seconds too early.. they then lined us all up as if we was in school and made us stand behind some red tape as if we was queuing up to meet his majesty himself only to be let into a TINY pool that’s ridiculously overcrowded and you can’t enjoy because it’s overfilled. The reason it’s overfilled is because of their pathetic running of the facilities. This is alongside poor hygiene in the changing areas , no clothes drying facilities, and the sauna and steam being the other side of the building to the pool facilities which to be is just as idiotic as the running of this mental asylum.

Negative experience: Used the gym and so called spa on a free gym pass. Gym OK but located in like 4 different section some equipment very old. Steam room and jacuzzi broken down but the crazy thing there was no hot showers.

Negative experience: Incredibly terrible Gym if I could rate it 0 stars I would, the equipment is old broken down doesn’t function properly and when a machine fully breaks it takes very long to be repaired not to mention the lack of equipment 1 bench press 1 squat rack not nearly enough dumbbells not to mention the sauna/jacuzzi/steam room facility is nearly always broken and closed repairs for that also take too long not to mention just how utterly terrible the staff are barely ever doing any work they sit/stand around taking laughing and even slack off and go play around with the gym equipment at times. Filthy toilets and shower areas gym very dirty it’s just not Mai teens and cleaned at all. switching gym after around 6 months as they still had the audacity to increase the price at times like these your value for money is not a fair trade i recommend if you’re serious about fitness and want good equipment and facility’s for a good price you get out of their immediately

Positive experience: I come to SL&T mostly for the pool which is clean and is usually the right temperature. Numbers are restricted so that it's never overcrowded. Similarly the gym is clean and never too busy during the day. One negative is that the pool changing and toilet facilities are definitely in need of a refit. There are missing locks, out of order lockers and a general look of age. Another is that many classes are oversubscribed and hard to book. When I'm well enough I enjoy the aquashallow and yoga classes, if I can get into them, but unless your finger is poised at the moment booking becomes available, you are liable to be out of luck.

Negative experience: Pathetic centre changing rooms never looked after spa area is always closed and can never get through to reception when you call them. Will be cancelling my membership and go somewhere else

Fantastic experience: Really good pool. Staff are polite and welcoming. Lifeguards allaways on duty

Negative experience: Tried swimming for first time last week. Tuesday was ok but Thursday evening was poor. Far too many people in the lane I was using, rude folks swimming down the middle making their own lane and bumping into me (and others), absolutely nothing said by any of the staff. Just wanted to have an hours gentle swim as part of a physio programme for my back but this just made it a chore. Shame as the facilities themselves are good, but cramming in loads of people then allowing them to do whatever they like just takes away from the experience

Negative experience: Sauna facilities are never working, poor gym equipment and very rude reception staff :(

Negative experience: I come here to lane swim and for the teaching pool with my young baby. The baby pool is great with some water features and a slide. The pool temperature varies and can be on the cooler side for young babies. The availability of teaching pool session's can be quite poor, with only 2-3 sessions available a day which can be awkward times. There also needs to be more baby changing facilities as there are only a few baby changing tables. You can NEVER get through to reception on the phone. The app and website regularly crash's or has issues that cause problems when trying to book. I have a membership so this is very frustrating as it can affect the amount of use I get due to not being able to book session.

Positive experience: Pool is great but the booking process needlessly complex and very poor. Ten minutes of registration and handing over details to find there were no slots, despite the main page indicating they were available.

Negative experience: I have been trying to contact reception since 19th November and left numerous voice mails which I haven't had any response to. Utterly frustrating!

Positive experience: We went there for Southend United Ladies vs Pegasus Ladies football team. Good facilities including a small café. The playing surface was excellent and supporters of both clubs friendly and supportive of the ladies.

Fantastic experience: Great centre, seemed a bit rundown outside but facilities are great, staff are ok but could be friendlier but still nice

Fantastic experience: Went to Vintage & Retro Fair, very good brought a few items.Partner went for run in park, will be going back there again.

Negative experience: Used the men’s toilets on ground floor outside the pool spectator area. I could not see any evidence of regular cleaning. No timed checklist. No facility to provide feedback. Would upload pictures of how bad it was but no facility for that here

Negative experience: They never answer there phones u leave a voicemail and they never get back 2 u what sort of service is that

Negative experience: They never answer the phone. How can we check if things are working like the health sweet if they don’t answer the phone.

Negative experience: Useless company. Use to go here alot as s kid. Tried bringing my daughter here but you need to book online now. So I tried to do that, made a account with them and tired paying. Something went wrong and it kicked me from the account and locked it saying contact the facility. Trouble is no one answer the phone. Joke of a company. If I could give 0 stars I would

Negative experience: I'm. Not allowed to wear scuba goggles because I could apparently have seizures but my careers were with me at the time and also scuba goggles are what I feel comfortable in and one last thing to say the staff are not very helpful. DEFINITELY not recommended

Negative experience: Customer service at 9 o’clock on the 21 of August was extremely rude and disrespectful

Negative experience: Useless place don't even answer the phone so unprofessional

Fantastic experience: Had the best day. Bike riding with son who has autism we had a good time. Staff there brilliant kind lovely ppl.

Negative experience: Small pool full of adults, no place to teach a child to swim, prices are very high

Positive experience: Use the Garons track on a Wednesday night good running surface and easy parking only downside is a long walk inside to the toilet as nearby toilet it out of order.

Positive experience: Great place great facilities - the facilities get better and better

Negative experience: You cannot book three tickets on app, each individual has to book on their own app. Ridiculous.

Fantastic experience: Great venue with so many different aspects. Gym, swimming pool, tennis, badminton, running, cycling and the list goes on. Indoor and outdoor activities for all ages. Perfect venue for all your needs. Also has many other activities hosted on the grounds such as music events, Christmas events, Race for life etc. Would recommend to anyone to explore the possibilities.

Positive experience: Well equipped gym. With disabled access and machines.

Positive experience: Facilities are good. Friendly team. Bathrooms and changerooms need major refurb and cleaning. I do think the space could be used better.

Negative experience: Reception have only ever answered the phone once and did not return my call when I left a voicemail. Website and app both user UNfriendly and only two sessions a day available in baby pool. Is this done on purpose to force families to book lessons? Staff that I have spoken to have been very helpful and friendly but lack of sessions and information is terrible.

Positive experience: Went to the gym fairly crowded not to bad.clean machines before and after use

Fantastic experience: Great place

Negative experience: The equipment is good. The centre itself is better after the refurb. However you can't book a lot of things via the app as it doesn't have all of the available slots on it, so you have to phone them. Good luck with them answering the phone and there's no point in leaving a voicemail, you won't get a call back. The sauna, steam room and spa are often closed for maintenance. The sauna has been closed for as long as I can recall now, it was one of the things that differentiated this place from the much cheaper alternatives available locally. Overall, not particularly impressed. I'd go to another gym if there were others locally offering badminton.

Negative experience: My wife stopped going there as it is difficult to book and advance payment only by internet or membership.

Positive experience: Went to the gym not very busy.everybody was cleaning the equipment.Before and after use.

Fantastic experience: Great

Negative experience: Genuinely the worst place in Essex that you could go. Much better places locally. Rude staff, poor facilities and very dirty.

Fantastic experience: Plenty of parking. Entrance off to the side almost missed it!

Positive experience: Swimming places are limited and have to be booked. The swimming session times have changed to introduce more sessions. At the time I usually go there is plenty of room for lane swimming. There are 3 useable showers in the men's changing room, the other 3 have the temperature set too hot.

Fantastic experience: This place is really well organised. Went to watch a match on the 3D , cafe was well stocked and ladies toilet although at first a little hard to find was clean and tidy. Pity home fans were a little too vocal with their language but it was mens match so understandable so no offence was taken by the small number of ladies present.

Fantastic experience: I was very impressed with the size and cleaningness of activities the staff were very pleasant and informative the swimming pool and diving pool are very impressive I was there to watch and find out about the scuba diving I will be returning very shortly

Positive experience: Very nice, look forward to the health suite opening again have really missed it.

Fantastic experience: What a lovely centre swimming pool kept around 28c

Fantastic experience: It's great that's opened again. Kids love going swimming here. Its , as always kept nice and clean

Fantastic experience: Never too busy... Staff always friendly....

Fantastic experience: Good people great place to work out

Negative experience: So annoying that they close at 4pm on a Saturday and Sunday because of Covid No other gyms do

Fantastic experience: Love my active life class. Centre still the same.

Fantastic experience: Great facities

Fantastic experience: Nice place

Negative experience: Been paying for this membership for years, when lockdown comes I was still paying for it, maybe a reduced rate but still couldn't go. Then when it does open I turn up at 07:20 and its not open, not to mention it was one of the last gyms to open in the area so for 6 months I was paying for nothing, then when I've gained the motivation to go it don't open till 8am.