Not a good gym at all. Poor design and levels of equipment, poor staff customer service and poor value for money.
It is very small and pokey and often you will be hanging around waiting to get onto machines. Some staff are rather ill-mannered and unprofessional not treating you with respect as the paying customer but more of a bother / someone to be regarded with contempt. Particularly comes to mind is a rather bossy and curt, ginger haired instructor by the name of Vicky who I found extremely rude, not once but on several occasions. She was totally lacking in professionalism or even just 'common manners'. I remember one time her questioning my membership status but not tactfully waiting until I was alone..oh no, but in full view / earshot of the whole gym full of members and friends (which incidentally was and always had been fully paid up!). She wouldn't believe me at first and started to argue - publicly! It was their computer records error I believe but it caused me considerable embarrassment at the time. Having one's integrity questioned publicly by a 'gym instructor / toilet cleaner' ? - amazing!
The prices are high considering it is a council run gym with only a small amount of basic equipment available. They use Technogym equipment which admittedly, is good but mostly one of each apparatus, apart from four treadmills which are often taken, particularly at busier times. There is a small (and I mean SMALL) weights area consisting of a few dumbells ranging from about 0.5 kg to 32kg and 2 benches but this area is virtually always too busy to use, only suitable for about two users at a time. Any more and serious health and safety issues are likely to arise. I nearly got struck on the head by a dumbell on a couple of occasions. If your routine contains a few weights exercises, I'd forget it!
I was a member here for over a year but have since joined another gym, which although a little more expensive, the quantity of available equipment means you're never waiting to get onto a machine, there's lots of space so you can move around unrestricted and carry out your workout uniterrupted. The staff are far more professional too.
Brimham's Harrogate really is a badly designed/ run/ managed gymnasium even though it is relatively modern (1999 ish). They have several thousand members within a gym not designed for that quantity and yet they will keep adding members. I have trained in several gyms and this is really poorly planned considering the potential of such a large site. I'd give it 2/5 overall. read more
