So every now and again I decide to try looking for a gym in the vain attempt that I might actually…read morego.. Then a friend recommended Spindles gym in the Britannia Hotel, Didsbury and for £18 a month, no joining fee and no contract I literally couldn't not do it. Now there's no excuse to not go. All it takes is a number 43 bus ride, get off at Withington Golf Course and you're there. They have a decent sized heated swimming pool, a spa, sauna and steam room! Also, because it's in a hotel it's usually quite quiet and not that many people use it during the day. The gym is decent enough - they describe it as fully equipped and it seems to be.. unfortunately all I really do is use the cross trainer and running machine so can't give a better description of everything else. It's a simple gym though so don't go expecting power plates or any new gizmos and gadgets. There are also Aerobic classes (included in the membership) which I have yet to try and an instructor can configure a programme for you should you need it. There's a beauty salon offering Facials, Manicures, Pedicures, Massages & Waxing which is open Wednesday to Friday every week.

Spindles Health and Leisure Club within the Britannia Hotel in West Didsbury, Manchester, should be…read morevery good, and with membership from only £20 per month it should be very good value indeed. However, the facilities are far from luxurious and would benefit from more regular and efficient cleaning and maintenance. There is a small swimming pool, jacuzzi, sauna and steam room as well as a small but well-fitted gym. Spindles also offers 3 acqua aerobics classes and one aerobics exercise class per week. There is also a hairdresser and beauty salon. The gym and pool area can get quite busy as the facilities are open to hotel guests and non members as well as those with membership packages. Children are allowed in the swimming pool at certain times (and can also become members) and there is a baby pool. It could be very good indeed but.... Although the classes are advertised on the board and promotional leaflets and are included in the membership, time and time again one or other of the classes is cancelled at short notice with no alternative provision. Only two members of staff are qualified to take the classes so when they are on holiday or off sick there are no classes available (and no refunds or reductions to members who pay by direct debit). Shortage of staff often means that there are problems with the showers etc too. Oh and I didn't mention the parking. Although there is a very big car park it is used for airport parking so at holidays times it can be a nightmare to get a parking space. Some areas of the car park are in a very dire condition and never seem to be maintained. Also, quite often there are pool closures or the sauna, steam room or jacuzzi is not available for use. Currently the management have decided to close the swimming pool for two hour intervals at peak times over a four week period as it has been booked out to a company training swimming instructors. This is infuriating to members as we have to continue paying although we are denied full use of the facilities. The management do not respond to any complaints. There is no contract as such, you pay monthly and can leave without prior notice by cancelling your direct debit. It is a no win situation for members as they have to put up with the inadequacies or vote with their feet and go elsewhere. On the positive side there are some very good members of staff who have worked at Spindles for a long time and when you can actually access the swimming pool, steam room etc it can be a very pleasant experience.

I might be biased as this is my local gym and I did a little dance for joy when they opened last…read morespring. We signed up on a pre-opening offer so it was about £10 a month! Yes, they don't have a pool, they don't have a sauna, but it's still brand spanking new and has all the essentials for you to keep fit and burn fat. It's open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week! There are classes and inductions that provide support and advice on how to use the equipment and which ones to use. They can be booked online and via a simple to use app on smart phones. To get into the gym, you have an 8-digit code so no faffing with membership cards. The gym is across two floors with free weights and weight benches downstairs and the machines, spinning studio, workout/class studio, changing rooms, personal training area upstairs. There's also a lift for wheelchair users. The changing rooms are regularly cleaned with lockers that require your own padlocks. If you forget, they're available for £5 in the vending machines that accept cards. There's a drinking fountain and a chill out/waiting area too. As you can tell, I love this gym. The personal trainers are friendly and approachable. Classes are great especially Pure Fat Burn and Pure Tone, which embrace HIIT so you get an efficient 30/40 minute workout. The spinning classes play great music too! At the moment it's £17.99 to join with no joining fee. It's totally worth it if you want a 24-hour gym or if you normally do exercises classes, which costs about £5 per session anyway! So go to 4 classes and you're already MAKING money!

This is a good gym with a good atmosphere. Plenty of equipment, great classes and a nice pool…read more The downside is trying to book onto classes. They are invariably booked up. Very frustrating. Parking can also be tricky and time consuming.

Everyone is aware of the excellent quality of gym service by Virgin Active and it needs to further…read moreintroduction! This Parrs Wood branch woes you away like any other and makes you believe that the membership fees were worth every penny. They're obviously stocked with the latest equipment and there might not be a single machine that you might want and they don't have. They also have a wonderful swimming pool and steam suana room to help you relax after that intensive workout! I love the sunbeds here too! It comes well packed with a cafe with internet access and makes your day a well spent one.

Visited Fridays for the last few wks to be greeted from a pleasant, and extremely good looking…read morereceptionist with excellent customer service skills, who makes you feel so at ease and comfortable thoughout my visit. Beautiful rooms with a 1st class service, im always made to feel exceptionally comfortable each time I visited, Which is a Friday firstly for the new receptionist and second for the lady of my choice. I will most definitely be passing the word about, and for the fantastic service your first greeted with.

Clean & pleasant surroundings, Great girls, who don't have a problem with extras at no extra charge…read morethe very best of personal services. best hour a man can have

I've joined the Salford Quays gym on the 24th of June. after attending once and realising how…read moreoverpriced, small and busy the gym was, I decided to cancel my membership and ask for a refund of the first month's payment & joining fee. The total amount to be refunded is £96.99 and to this day 51 DAYS after I've requested a refund, the money hasn't been refunded to my account. I've been speaking to Fabrizio Herath who's given me 3 different dates for the amount to be refunded to my account and I still haven't received anything. As I've mentioned to Mr Herath, this is the last time I will try to reach out to Virgin Active by myself before I contact my lawyer to fix the issue and claim compensation for the breach of contract. Also, a piece of advice for anyone thinking about joining: Just join the Pure Gym down the road.

I rate 5* because it is certainly the nicest chain gym or health club I have ever been to thats not…read morepart of a luxury hotel or spa. In my opinion it didn't even need updating but in the last year they had a £4million refurb and wow, what a place. Superb equipment, the 2 main studios are large and the yoga room is very zen like with its forrest themed walls and dark wood flooring. Very beautiful The place has nearly doubled in size since the refurb and across 3 floors now. I still mainly use the pool the most, and steam room and sauna are always nice. The only compromise has been the jacuzzi. Before it was much larger and could sit about 8 people, but it often had problems and faults. This ones half the size, it is 4 people max and even then you are knee to knee with people so I would say 3 is the comfortable maximum, but on the flip side it is a lot more reliable. So they have sacrificed space for reliability which is great at quiet time, but during busy times you may struggle to boil yourself. Staff are friendly and facilities are clean, and constantly cleaned throughout the day. I have not taken any classes so I can't comment on those but everything else is certainly the best I have come across in the many gyms I have been a member of.

After being a member here for a good while now I can certainly recommend it…read more Situated within The Printworks, this gym and fitness centre is a stones throw from both where I work AND where I live. Excellent. It is a very large gym with all the usual equipment you'd find and a great exercise space for free weights and routine gym work. When you join you get a complimentary health MOT - a 12 point health inspection that covers every aspect of your fitness you can think of. It definitely gives you the motivation to keep going, especially if the results deem you quite unfit, as they did for me :/ The pool and sauna / steam room / spa are excellent and usually quiet and the changing rooms and shower facilities are state of the art and very well maintained. There are personal trainers wandering around the gym most of the time, so it's really easy to grab them for advice or even book them for a PT session. Classes also run daily and are included in the membership. I can't fault this gym.

So this was Holmes Place health club. Then Virgin Active. And now it's Nuffield out with the red…read moreand in with the green. So some staff have hung on in there from both clubs before but nice to see some fresh faces. There has been quite a lot of cosmetic change. Much needed shower refurb. Some new equipment. And better use of the space. They have also developed a new health and fitness centre where you can get MOT done and check you're still alive lol. I also think they have listened to us old timers or loyal members as we like to be known. And they have introduced the coffee shop with juices and healthy snacks and for the city centre it's very reasonably priced. I like the vibe. And the atmosphere. No offence To Virgin but it's less electronic tag and more cooperate membership now!

David Lloyd is the 5 star hotel of the gym world. It is all about appearances and the polished…read morewooden parquet flooring and immaculate squash courts look like they will not tolerate their patrons in anything but designer gym gear and the latest trainer. Well, thats me shot then- I am quite happy pumping some iron in my velour tracksuit bottoms from Primark that have seen better days and my faded Superman vest top, but this will not do at David Lloyd, oh no! The receptionists here are a little scary, they remind me of my Home Economics teacher at school who would take no-nonsense from anybody and gym members give audible sighs of relief when they get past these formidable gatekeepers. The gym itself is gorgeous and the facilities are unparalleled. There are 8 indoor and 4 outdoor tennis courts, 4 badminton courts and 3 squash courts, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and a kids' splash pool. The gym is large and full with the latest gym equipment but I find its open plan layout slightly intimidating. You almost feel like a dressage pony on display as you battle the stepper but you can distract yourself with the tv screens dotted around. The wet facilities are superb and I have to admit, I will work out for 30 mins but spend three times as long in the lovely steam room, sauna and whirlpool jacuzzi. David Lloyd is all about the changing rooms; totally gorgeous and clean, they have hairdryers and you don't have to risk electrocution or embarrassment by sticking your head underneath an awkward hand dryer. This is not just a gym, it is a day out! The restaurant is great and you can undo all your good work and have a tasty sandwich or larger lunch if you fancy. There is an internet cafe and a tv lounge to relax in, and a hair and beauty salon- this is a posh home away from home. There is a great creche with lovely staff to mind your cherubs( for a fee of course) and I would totally endorse it. There has to be a but though hasn't there? The "but" here is the membership fee- it is a pricey deal here and I will not lie that you can go abroad for the same amount as the gym's annual fee. My quote for full membership was nearly £900 a year and although there are several levels of membership packages- a useful 3 month flexible membership has caught my eye- you are over paying for the privilege of this place. Posers paradise, stunning sauna, cracking changing rooms and amazing atmosphere is David Lloyd in a nutshell.

This gym looked the part as we were shown around by a member of staff and told of all the wonderful…read morebe if it's a family can have working out together, swimming and generally enjoying our time at the gym. However, once a member the reality sets in. Children under 10 cannot use the facilities in the gym and can only swim with a life guard on duty. This was not the information they tell you upon joining and only when you try and use the facilities are you informed of the restrictions. The life guards are almost never on duty even when the weather is amazing and you feel like using the outdoor pool. As others have stated it is a posers palace but not the clean nice place that others think it is. If the reception on 5* then they must think premier inn is a five star hotel. Facilities are basic and not in great shape and whole place is tried. During COVID things have gotten much worst and therefore I'm staying away from what now must be COVID central. Low standards of hygiene and have just been informed that air con is not working and the spa is closed due to technical issues. £168 a month for a family of 3 and most of it is off limits. No thank you.