Placesleisure Avis 

Reviewing Sparkhill Pool & Fitness:
Rude, unprofessional, incompetent guy on reception named Hasan. Clearly got no common sense he cannot do basic tasks without help. Waited nearly 1 hour just to get checked in to use the gym the guy looked like he been dragged out of bed.

Last minute cancellation without any notice nor accountability while customers are penalised for no shows.
The session starts 5:15pm, I walked in at 5:10pm, only to be told the session was cancelled due to a lack of lifeguard.
The kids were upset about the situation, an unhelpful staff Abi, who showed no willingness to help simply wrote an email address and told me to submit a complaint, which left us(2 kids and 2 adults) feeling upset that our concerns were being dismissed rather than genuinely addressed.

Have tried to determine pay as go pricing for the facilities on the Camberley website and it’s impossible to find. All it wants to show are expensive memberships. And no one picks up the phone when you call enquiries.

They don’t seem to care even a little bit about low income people.

I’m disabled and signed off work and my physiotherapist says I need to be
Swimming to get my muscles stronger.

This month I made a mistake and shifted too much money to another bank account, so when they tried to take out the money for this month, it wasn’t there.

And instead of talking to me about it,
They added an additional £20 which I don’t have.

I haven’t gone swimming yet due to me needing to deal with my housing, but my
Experience so far has been absolutely awful and if I could get out of this contract I would.

Don’t go
Here if you’re low income

Max at Places Leisure, Latchmere is an amazingly swimming coach, he is patient and very understanding. My son was terrified of the deep end and he made him feel so at ease.

Their Dartford branch has the rudest, grumpiest front desk staff I've ever come across, of any establishment. They clearly hate their job very much, as well as everyone who ever dares speak to them. I was point blank ignored at the entrance for a good few minutes, and I was going to be late for a class. I signalled at the lady behind the counter, and I thought she lady pointed towards the gates to buzz me through. Turns out she didn't and the gate didn't open, so she puts down the phone, raises her voice and tells me "don't push through the gate, that's just RIDICULOUS". Well, good afternoon to you too, thanks for the help. Stuff like this happens all the time with them, there's just a culture of being rude and unnecessarily aggressive to their clients, like you're bothering them for being there. I'm definitely moving my daughter to a different gym next month, with my goodbies and good riddance. Literally ANYWHERE else would be better than this place for your kids.

A waste of time. The manager is not interested in doing his job. I came on two buses just to find out the swimming pool was full. I rang several times they didn’t bother to pick up, just too damn lazy. I can’t recommend this place. They just waste your time.

I have tried calling this number 01902384777 and 01902968900 around 20times over the last hour and no one has answered.only I wanted to check if there is a swimming gala today.I understand you are busy but it’s disappointing when there’s no communication and calls go unanswered.

Avina organised the entry of our young, supported adult group and 2 support workers today. We all work with IT systems and in all honesty, the Places Leisure system is a little cumbersome, resulting in a little wait for group bookings. This is not a complaint and both Avina, and another colleague have actively supported me to make this work. Furthermore, we have made regular trips to swim with individuals and groups and also had gym sessions with our groups of young adults. From the greeting at the front desk to the support and encouragement they give during sessions, the team create a warm and welcoming environment. I would also say their approach to people that need support is just right; they are engaged and instinctively adaptive, which is impressive. I have no hesitation in saying Carnival Pool and gym is an inclusive centre and I am proud to be able to use and tell people about this brilliant, home-town facility. Thanks Everyone.

Tried to book a party for my upcoming 7 year old. Was told it all had to be done online which I couldn't do, just wanted to know if the dates I required were available or not. Guess I'll be hosting her party elsewhere.

Seem to be unable to pick up the phone.

Please clean the changing rooms! We have been coming for months for swimming lessons and the changing rooms are constantly smelling of wee! We enjoy the lessons but the smell getting changed is so unpleasant!

Nobody picks up the phone what is the point in having a telephone line

My child has a swim lesson this afternoon. I had to cancel appointments to attend with her only to get there and was informed the lesson was cancelled. And they claimed to have informed all parents the day before which was not true as I received no mail, text or voicemail in respect to that.
That was not fair and they need to do better!

One the ladies who works here, Bee/Bea, has been helping me sort out a problem rescheduling a swimming session. Whilst she is constrained by policy, she was still kind, helpful and understanding. The situation resolved itself and when it did, she immediately assisted in rebooking this session. Really wonderful throughout.

Ali's Wednesday Yin yoga class is the most relaxing and restorative experience.
I have attended as many sessions as possible as this class is the perfect way to unwind and stretch relieving muscle tightness.
After holding poses like Pigeon and Sphinx Ali ends the class with a mindful meditation so we all leave revived and rejuvenated.

Does anyone answer the phones? Quick to apply a penalty charge for a class I actually did attend, but after 12 calls to rectify this I gave up

So so so cold in the yoga studio, despite complaining repeatedly since October. Pretty ridiculous when you see people put coats on for shivasana in summer. And unsafe as you are supposed to be warm to do yoga stretches safely.

⭐⭐⭐ Great facility, but free weights and machines need an upgrade

I’ve been a dedicated member here for a while and the gym is fantastic. The facility is always clean, well-maintained, and the premium Technogym equipment is top-tier.

The only major issue holding this gym back is the free-weight dumbbell selection and a couple of key missing pieces. The dumbbell rack completely caps out at 38 kg, which is a major roadblock for advanced progressive strength blocks. I have officially maxed out the rack on my pressing movements. Since Technogym manufactures these urethane dumbbell pairs all the way up to 60 kg, it would be amazing if the gym could order the heavier sizes (like 42 kg to 60kg) to match our current set. Additionally, adding a Smith Machine to the floor would be a massive upgrade for safety and isolation training.

Adding these heavier Technogym pairs and a Smith Machine would make this a truly complete training space for all fitness levels. I’d gladly upgrade this to a 5-star review the moment the training floor gets that expansion.

Following on from my last extremely disappointing experience with Steyning Leisure Centre, the hits keep coming. Despite cancelling my direct debit to avoid giving 5 weeks notice* to cancel my membership, I received a call asking for my bank details to refund the time lost to pool repairs. While the membership is still running and the pool fully operational I went to swim today only to be asked to pay the full price for a swim which was also incorrect. I wonder how the employees of Places Leisure would feel about receiving the service they give their customers? *The notice period is entirely dependent on when you cancel relative to the direct debit date; it could be as little as 2 weeks as explained by the head office. How can that be fair on customers?

New Malden Leisure Centre for the Reform voters only!

I saw a senior manager Ellie W, white English woman, targeted a middle aged Chinese woman at the swimming pool and threatened her to take her membership away. The lady might have forgotten to book a swimming. The lady apologized to Ellie so many times but Ellie was so upset that she kept on patronizing and humiliating that lady in front of a group of white English men who were also criticizing that lady! It was a clearly racist attack on her. It was disgusting to watch and these white English people’s unconscious bias was appalling and unacceptable. If it was a white English woman, Ellie would have behaved differently and more respectfully. Malden Centre is not a safe place for the ethnic minorities.