Solid 4 stars. I really enjoy coming here for a swim as they have 2 pools: one indoor and one outdoor pool (both are 25m long). They're part of Better Health and so I use their pay-as-you-go membership. The biggest bonus is that this leisure centre is smack in Soho/Covent Garden and thus I can combine a visit here with lunch in Chinatown or I can meet up with a friend for coffee in Seven Dials. read more

Oasis Sports Centre - Outdoor pool - Sports Clubs Near Me - London, XGL

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Let's be honest here, i have not tried the sporting facilities here. I wish i could but instead i'm visiting the osteopath. I was in pain and one of my colleagues who comes here regularly told me they are great here. The osteopath who is taking care of me (Andrew) is really nice and does listen to you and try to distract you from the pain when manipulating your body. He has also been able to give me thorough advice and even email me further suggestions. Anyway, every time i go there, i am drawn to the big glass wall and stare at the outdoor swimming pool. I realised last week that there is also an indoor swimming pool! Generally speaking, the place looks clean and well maintained and all the members of staff i have spoken to are friendly. Hopefully i'll be able to check the facilities further soon and will update this review read more

Oasis Sports Centre - Sports Clubs Near Me - London, XGL

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This place which could be great is let down by the poor cleaning of its changing rooms, toilets, gym, etc... I've signalled 3 times that the walls in the toilets have white marks and nothing has been done since 3 months. Also the pricing structure isn't clear. On the Better website it says you can access all gyms for a certain price however this specific one charges more. read more

When I first moved down to London and long before I discovered the lido in London Fields, I thought it would be a great idea to go for an outdoor swim with some friends. After much searching about we discovered the Oasis Sports Centre, smack bang in the middle of the West End. "An outdoor pool in the middle of London- how lovely" we thought. We were wrong. My flatmate came back with an eye infection and I came back with a sore throat. I didn't go expecting luxury, but it was pretty disgusting. There are plasters in the pool and the water has a shimmer from the amount of sun tan lotion and after sun that has been applied to the swimmer's burnt bodies. It is full of screaming kids bombing into the pool and conjures up images from the Beano. read more

Oasis Sports Centre - Sports Clubs Near Me - London, XGL

It was a hot humid day where even the air was still... The city was packed but I thought I go to the Oasis pool. It has an indoor and outdoor pool with a roof terrace. The whole place could use some grout and new tiles. However it was blissful to cool off on a hot day sightseeing in the city centre. The place is not that big but it's popular with the swimmers and sunworshippers. There are loads of lifeguards on duty which is reassuring. There is also a terraced cafe by the outside pool. A word of warning for the guys. It's rather homoerotic experience for some because I was aware I was being watched in a slightly creepy way in the showers. He must have been a chubby chaser! Fortunately they are completely open so nothing goes on..... read more

When selecting a new gym, do you look for those details that really make a place special? Stagnant, foul pools of water that remain as such for months? Mats sticky with the sweat of the masses? Showers with a single, unadjustable temperature? Do you hate air conditioning? And wouldn't you prefer to do an aerobics/dance class in complete silence because the stereo has been broken for 4 months, in both studios? It's hilarious that this place is called "Oasis". That's a joke, right? But seriously, folks. This place is pretty bad. The cardio is room alright, albeit windowless and there are only 3 ellipticals. The staff is very friendly. Oasis is part of the Better franchise. Better than nothing? That's debatable. Oh, and the photos of the pool make it look amazing. It's not. read more

If you are looking for somewhere to work out, I must admit, I do not even know where to refer you - London is ghastly for this. However, if you are seeking somewhere to get hepatitis b, you should come here as soon as possible. There are loads of gym equipment with countless years of sweat, frustration and dirt caked everywhere you could imagine. So basically - clean, intelligently run place to get fit - one star. Central location to get hepatitis b - 5 stars. read more

One of my favourite things to do when I worked in Holborn was to come here in the evening to use the outdoor pool. One of the few public pools in central London, it's amazing how much you'll put up with for a bit of a gimmick: the pool is pretty small, it's full of people who can't really swim, in fact, it's full of people non-stop, and the changing rooms are pretty underwhelming and as far as I can tell not equipped with hairdryers, not good if you want to do anything after your swim. But, the joy of swimming outside in central London is pretty strong and it's also quite cheap. read more

Oasis Sports Centre - Sports Clubs Near Me - London, XGL

Okay, as part of my new resolve to write more Yelp reviews, I'm finally going to tell you about my extensive experience with the Oasis. Positives: it's walking distance for me, about ten minutes walk from our flat in Covent Garden near the Strand. It has two pools, although since my last experience in the outdoor pool, I will only swim in the indoor pool (more later). It has large spaces and plenty of lockers. There are lots of hair dryers in the outer portion of the women's changing area. There are plenty of floats and pullbuoys to use for varied swim routines. I manage to get myself a good one-hour swim workout when I go. I'm struggling here, to find many positives.... Negatives: The place is filthy. Truly, madly, deeply, filthy. Dirt is everywhere; old, ground-in, never-been-cleaned-off dirt is tracked on the stairs, trailed along the walls, discolouring the tiles, and coating the sides of both pools. You can write your name in the gunk on the sides of the pools at the water line, I kid you not! Lights are burned out, to the point that several spots in the women's change room are in almost total darkness, as are the stairs leading down to their basement location. Showers are either freezing or scalding and the toilets are dark and unpleasant. There are always lots of other people swimming in one's lanes, no matter which one you choose, and although the lanes are signed slow, medium and fast, there isn't a lot of encouragement from the lifeguards to enforce that. But that's not such a big deal. Dust on the intake grills in the ceiling ventilators must be an inch thick. Ceiling boards are broken or missing. Tiles are missing and broken. But actually none of that matters so much if the pool is clean and well-kept. However! (Warning, those with weak stomachs might want to stop reading now) the pools themselves are the worst part of the whole place. The water is full of black dirty flakes, flaking paint or soot or who knows what. The outside pool has additional mystery bits that might be plant material, leaves and bark and what not from trees or whatever has come floating down from the sky. But the truly worst thing is that both pools are full of human dirt -- globs of floating mucus people have coughed up, sticking plasters that have come off of cuts, and the worst for me, clumps of floating hair everywhere. The last time I swam in the outdoor pool there were so many of these human hair jellyfish floating leisurely by underneath and around me that I started to gag as I swam and couldn't stop, had to get out as fast as possible because I was retching so hard I couldn't breathe. The water smelled of roofing tar that day, too, and was full of black bits washing back and forth in bushels all over the bottom. This is the downside of wearing swim goggles -- you see everything! It used to be that the Oasis was a good deal, but they've raised their prices to just under £5 per swim and worse, from my perspective as an older swimmer, they've discontinued allowing over-60s to swim for free. Now we can only have the Freedom Card swim from 9-noon on weekdays. Any other time and we pay the full price, no discount or anything. I am naturally a bit disgruntled about that, but I would understand if they used the extra income to clean the place or buy some lightbulbs!! But no chance, apparently. I really feel they should be paying ME to swim there in the state the place is in. So why do I go? Need exercise. Can't run anymore due to joint issues. Desperate times call for desperate measures. And this place is truly desperate! read more

Very disappointed by the staff organisation, they signed me up for the wrong course and made it unnecessarily complicated to get a refund !! The only reason I stay with them is their squash courts, apart from that I would never recommend it read more

The main reason I've chosen this gym is because it's near my work and offers a reasonable student monthly membership (one of the perks of my job). I might have to update my review a little later after it's completed its refurbishment, but for the moment, for the price you pay, it's really just an average gym. The exercise room is very small at the moment, and the machines are not the best to use. I wish they would include some of the traditional spinning bikes as those are much better than the new models of stationary bikes. To my disappointment, there are no rowing machines - what kind of a gym doesn't have any rowing machines?! And I'm not whether this is because of the work going on at the moment in the building, but there's absolutely nowhere to easily do some floor exercises after you've done your cardio, and I'm not keen to do that with the people in the weight room... The pools aren't bad, but they could use a bit of a clean. I like that there's an indoor and outdoor pool, though, and they do offer kickboards and such for different types of workouts. As for the classes, it's nice that with the membership you can get access to any of the Camden Borough Better facilities, but there aren't too many I can take that fall outside of working hours. The dynamic yoga class on Wednesday nights are pretty difficult, but they are very good and worthwhile. Only problem is that I find the teacher there a bit mean/rude... As for the ladies' changing room, it's really old. The lockers sometimes jam, the keys are a little gross, being so old and having gone into the pool by different users. It's also annoying that in addition to the cost of the membership that you have to pay 20p per use for locker storage. So don't forget anything or the lockers will cost you 40p! The showers aren't great and can be a little fickle in the temperature. At least they do have a couple of hair dryers for you to use. For me, only worth it due to the fact that I have to swim to keep up fitness whilst nursing a running injury and that it's in close proximity to work. If not for that, I would say that I wouldn't be itching to renew my membership every month. read more

The receptionist was rude and unprofessional, the sales representative I spoke to was friendly at first but I felt as if he was bullying me as I said I wanted to check out other gyms in the area and I wanted to wait till pay day he said "surely you have a credit card you can pay the first months bill on" how date he!! I hear so many good things from this company but I was very disappointed. The outdoor pool is gorgeous and It felt like I wasn't in London, the showers are communal which is a shame as I like my privacy. read more

The oasis sports centre is located and funded by the borough of camden and so prices are less than other private run organizations The centre itself is located close to covent garden and the facilities available are top notch. There is an indoor and outdoor (heated all year) swimming pool, group exercise classes, women only sessions, sauna, gym, squash, a cafe and barand even a meeting room. Whether in the mood for a heavy workout or a light and relaxing swin followed by a nice cup of herbal tea, the oasis sports centre caters for all. If you live in Camden or are a frequent visitor to the centre, check it out, I am positive that you will not be disappointed! read more

I used to be very fond of the Oasis, as it's lovely to be able to go for a swim outside, in a heated pool, in the centre of London, adjacent to Tottenham Court Road - pretty bracing deep winter and really relaxing in the summer. Unfortunately our relationship ended - partly because the Oasis can get really, really busy (which is fair enough- it's good value being a gym co-operative) but partly cos it really needs some TLC. I absolutely understand it's not-for-profit but the changing rooms generally were somewhere between 'acceptable' and 'skanky' and gym equipment was constantly out of order. I also used to get all-too-frequent swimmers ear when going there regularly. Maybe it's not connected, but the cleanliness of the outside pool-- hmmmm. All in all, I enjoyed it when I did go there, but wouldn't really choose to go back unless I worked very close by. read more

Oasis sports club is a great sports center, there are plenty of classes to attend without having to be a member and there is tennis courts, a gym,studio(has a capoiera class every tue evening which is brilliant) 2 pools(one being an outside heated pool) and a small vendor serving light snacks and drinks. Never to busy but just right make oasis a great place for a whole range of activities within central London, all reasonably priced make it affordable to do a few activities in an evening. read more

A pay-as-you-go open-air 27m swimming pool in London's west-end is pretty special. read more

Oasis Sports Centre - Sports Clubs Near Me - London, XGL

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I swim here regularly as a Better member - the outdoor pool is heated and as there are two pools they never get too busy - unless you are unlucky to turn up when a group of tourists have decided to go for a swim. Downside if you go regularly is that the lockers keep your 20p each time, and there are only 3 shower cubicles (in the ladies changing room) so have to queue at peak before or after work times. Do have hair dryers and straighteners too which is a nice bonus. There always seems to be a cleaner doing something too so they stay nice and clean unlike other pools I use in London. read more

Oasis Sports Centre - Outdoor pool - Sports Clubs Near Me - London, XGL

Though Oasis is certainly not a state-of-the-art, high-end gym, it's definitely a good value for the money! As a student, my 22 pounds per month gives me access to an indoor and an outdoor pool, weights, cardio equipment and a slew of classes (including yoga, pilates, kickboxing, etc.). If you're looking for something inexpensive that does the job, this is the place! If you're looking for a high-end gym with trendy classes (e.g. trampoline-based exercise and pole dancing classes), you're probably better off looking elsewhere. read more

GROSS. A word I haven't used often since I was something like 6... But it's the best way to describe the pool here. Indoor pool was closed for lessons so outdoor pool it was, which was a nice idea on the alleged hottest day of the year. But that's where the good news stops (must say the changing rooms where pretty clean but 5 showers, seriously??) Back to the pool : too small, too crowded, lane by speed but no one seems to be sticking to them. But most importantly, the water was DISGUSTINGLY GROSS : you literally couldn't see a yard ahead of you, no kidding. I kept my mouth sealed shut to try not swallow an old rotten plaster or any other UFO (unidentified floating object). Really needed a swim so gave it all I could bear but had to get out after like 15-20mn I felt so grimy. NEVER EVER AGAIN. Oh, and you pay £4.85 for this great experience + 20p for the lockers (yes, indeed they still have those old lockers that actually swallow your 20p, so don't forget anything). read more

Beware of this centre being in the men's changing rooms feels like I'm being eyed up at every opportunity which is a little weird, I've had my locker broken into in this place as well, jeans stolen phone money which the centre didn't really feel obliged to help me culprit, if your after a gym session/swim then it's not to bad read more

The best thing about this place is the price, it's relatively cheap considering it's right in the middle of London. Apart from the price, there isn't really much to rave about. The equipment is poor and outdated, the facilities are falling apart and the changing rooms smell funny. I would pay a little bit more for better facilities in the gym's that are close by. read more

Mediocre. Staff aren't particular friendly, changing rooms and swimming pool are quite dirty. But let's be honest, it's ridiculously cheap for central London and it has an outdoor pool in the summer. It's approx £5 for a one-off swim and around £30 for a PAYG monthly membership. read more

This is where I learned to swim as a six year old with orange floats on my arms. Very little has changed since - they redecorated the entrance hall a few years ago, and switched the men's and women's changing rooms fifteen years ago, which resulted in my wandering in between outraged naked men while innocently looking for my mother one fine day. The Oasis has an outdoor pool, making it by far the best place for swimming in the centre of London. In the summer it is packed - it has a roof for sunbathing, a cafe with a small outdoor area by the pool, and a paddling bit for smaller children. In the winter it is heaven - the pool is heated (usually 28-29 degrees Celsius) and on cold days steam rises from the water so your goggles steam up and you can forget you are in central London. There are some downsides: the pools are divided into slow, medium and fast lanes, which is excellent for people swimming for exercise, but hard on those who want to take it easy, float about and chat. The changing rooms are not as comfortable as they could be, the toilet floors not gleamingly clean, and the showers always seem to be either too hot or stone cold. But the outdoor pool is lovely, surrounded by a council estate and an office block, with the odd palm tree for ambience. The Oasis also has lots of sports and classes and a gym, and is affordable, especially if you have a Camden Leisure Card. read more

A disgusting place ! I was swimming there with my team for some time and its the worst pool (of many) I have seen in London. Unacceptable hygenic situation (carpets...., fungus....., body hair all over,....showers...) - just stay away if you can !! read more

This is a really nice gym and the really good thing is you can pay as you go or get a cheep membership from £39 a month, which you can cancel at anytime. They have a two-floor gym, which has everything you could ever want, and they also do classes. They also have an indoor and outdoor swimming pool. I personally love the outdoor pool in the winter as it is heated and is really nice to swim in. read more

The best thing about the Oasis is the outdoor swimming pool that is heater all year round - many people walking past the outside of what looks like an unassuming office block, would have no idea of the delight it holds behind the door. Swim through the winter in a heated pool with steam coming off it, swim in the rain, swim in the summer and have a bbq afterwards which they often hold on the weekends through the summer. It's not expensive (under £4 last time I went) and the only thing that lets it down are the changing rooms - often not as clean as you'd like and usually very cold but still worth it in my view, for the amazing pool and the fact you're swimming outside in the middle of Covent Garden. read more

In terms of location, this is pretty much as central as you can get for popping to the gym after work, it's location is ideal. This leisure centre isn't huge, but isn't a bad size considering it's smacked inbetween covent garden and holborn. The gym itself is over two floors but is small, and a little hot down there. What this leisure centre can really boast is the two swimming pools, and this is the main reason I like to visit it. What most people probably don't realise is that there is an outdoor pool behind this leisure centre, which is a brilliant way to catch some rays in the summer during your lunch hour if you're as lucky enough as me to work really nearby. Although both indoor and outdoor pools are heated and open all year round, I haven't braved the outdoor one in the winter just yet. The changing rooms are what really really let this place down. They are outdated and often at times, dirty. There is a huge lack of staff in this place, both at reception and cleaners in the changing rooms. A little bit of funding in this place would go a long way as it really has so many good features about it, it is a shame that they have let the standards slip. read more

I've had to revise my original review as a monumental change has taken place at the Oasis. The previously dilapidated changing rooms have been replaced with the best possible materials (marble wash basins, attractive showerheads,and a swimwear drier)..I feel that no expense has been spared in this renovation, which was may've been funded by the revenue generated by the lockers which withold 20p coins. The design and layout has been carefully considered as opposed to the cramped conditions at the nearby Marshall st. pool. Thankfully,certain aspects remain unchanged : the homo-erotic frisson which tends to occur in the changing rooms, and the outdoor pool where you can savour the 60's concrete architecture as you swim up and down. The staff are exceptionally friendly, and the cleaning tends to be much more thorough than at comparable pools. Again, i wonder if this extra trimming has been funded by the witheld 20p from the lockers-a feature unique to this outstanding swimming pool. read more

The men's changng room was rather short on the hygiene front, I try to make minimal bodily contact with the walls and floors (which always seem to be wet)for the sake of my health. Its outdated and often at times, dirty. Gym equipment is constantly out of order, walls of the gym were recently painted when open to the public, the smell of the paint made us feel unwell and leave early. Some of the gym users think they own the gym, and are not very friendly. read more

I go there often, just cause there are no other options for me. It is always relatively filthy. The showers are mediocre and it is crowded. Lanes are far too wide and they get messy, and no one seem to care to use the correct lane for their speed. However, it's got water and you can swim. Is the best 25m pool around central east London (well the only option). Santi read more

I love this swimming pool. Great atmosphere, and I don't relate to any of the carping about it being unclean. On this level it's no better or worse than any of the pools run by the so-called 'Better' group. On one occasion there was a stand up notice requesting patrons to shower beforehand, and it was more graphic than word based so a slight improvement on other pools. The next time I went, it had disappeared which is a shame. The shower and changing room area (a fairly recent makeover) is probably the best conceived of the pools in Westminster. read more

I was desperate for an outdoor pool on a hot summer day and found Oasis in Covent Garden which was not far from where I live. Bad mistake. The place is dirty and there's nowhere you can suntan apart from a small area where you just lay on the tiles. For some unknown reason they allow adults to go in the deep outdoor pool with their 2 or 3 year olds so 10 minutes of me being in the water and enjoying my swimming (as much as I could between hundreds of people randomly jumping around) I saw something brown floating under my nose. I hoped it was a leaf. Unlucky! A few minutes later we were asked to get out of the pool as some bloody kid just pooped and it had to be emptied in order to be cleaned. Gawd! I thought there are rules about small children only being allowed in the small kiddy pool on the side. But no, the idiots are allowed to drag their brats in the deep water and allowed to let them poop in the big pool. Never again. Disgusting experience! read more

Not bad at all. But for any capoiera enthusiasts, get there early or the class may be full!

Possibly the only outdoor pool in central London which is a bit of a secret to most, there might be one other rooftop pool but this one's big enough for everyone and outdoors! read more

I go there to swim so can't say what other facilities are like there. There are 2 pools ( I think 27 metres), one outside, one inside. There's a fast, medium and slow lane although at times one of the lanes will be reserved for classes, or invaded by idiots. But you'll get a reasonably good chance at doing a few lengths. One time, 15 teenagers visibly disrupted people doing lengths in the slow lane, including me and in fact it put me off so I just left. Lifeguards are pretty useless at enforcing the pool rules. There are occasionally some dodgy things floating on the water surface. The one-off payment to swim is £4.75 except it ISN'T! The lockers need a NON-REFUNDABLE 20p coin to work. Short of turning up in my swimming shorts and no belongings, I fail to see how anyone is supposed to use the facilities without locking their belongings away. So the REAL cost of a one-off swim is actually £4.95. Now, the changing rooms. Oh dear, oh dear. The hygiene there is on a par with public toilets in a train station. The stench of piss in the toilet will sting your nose, I guarantee. The floor in the changing area will make you want to tip-toe around the puddles of mud that form there. It's the kind of place where you will sit on a bench with your feet up in the air to put on your trunks and trousers, because you'll know you want to disinfect any piece of clothing that comes into contact with the sulfurous soup that forms below your feet. With each locker costing 20p to use, they could very well afford to employ a full-time cleaner to sit in the changing room with a bucket and mop all day long. There really is no justification for letting these facilities get so filthy. But hey: how often do you get to swim in central London? read more