Solid 4 stars. I really enjoy coming here for a swim as they have 2 pools: one indoor and one…read moreoutdoor 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.

Let's be honest here, i have not tried the sporting facilities here. I wish i could but instead i'm…read morevisiting 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

Pleased to be the first to review! Rabble's philosophy is that exercise should be fun, so their…read moregames are throwbacks to childhood and the playground (British Bulldogs, Dodgeball, all variations of Tag, Frisbee, Robin Hood, Zombie Hunt) and the equipment involves bouncy balls, Nerf guns, foam javelins, and (at one point) and inflatable banana. I once tracked a game with GPS and ran 5k within one session. They're reasonably priced - I've bought two £50 packages, each of which covers 10 games to be used anytime - and switch between North, South, and City; once a month is an epic North vs South playoff. Before you think this is like BMF but with "childish" games, come check out a session. Everyone enjoys themselves all the time. (Compare the smiling faces of Rabblers to the scowls of any other fitness group.) Charlotte & Rosemary, who run the sessions, are encouraging and playful themselves and never want anyone to have a bad time; there are no sore losers in Rabble! It's just the right amount of competitive for those who can't dedicate so much time and energy to playing an amateur sport, and while you'll be missed if you don't show up, the team won't lose because you're not there as teams are semi-randomly assigned at the start of each session. The question remains: do you run faster when you're chasing or being chased?? Either way, I've definitely improved my fitness over the past year with this gang and had a blast to boot. All sessions end with a trip to the pub for drinks (weeknights) or lunch (weekends). It's a great crowd!

Rabble makes me sad that I don't live in London right now…read more Rabble is absolutely great, the team are fantastic, and it's just so easy to meet people and enjoy exercise. There are a lot of throwbacks to your time on the playground, and it actually is super fun- when I first went it wasn't when I was converted to gym-bunniness either. It's outdoors, so it's as fresh as you can get for London, and gosh does it make you competitive! I don't know if it's because it's team games where you're against others, or because you refuse to be out of breath and lose at a game in your twenties that you won so much in first school, but it works! Make sure you take enough water, especially if it's hot.

This is a wonderfully old-school and sophisicated London members club - perfect for a game of lawn…read moretennis or just hanging out drinking tea and reading a book in one of the beautiful conservatories or on the terrace (I did the latter!) You can only get in here with a member - and most people are either married into or born into membership at Hurlingham because the wait is around 15 years - but luckily members can bring a bunch of people at a time. The grounds are gorgeous and with a perfect weather weekend you can spend hours wandering around and taking in the beautiful scenery. If you decide to opt for a membership, by the time your name is at the top of the list 15 or so years down the track, you may just be about nearing the right age to fit in with the clientele here. Yes, I'm talking OAPs. This club is a million miles away from the media crowd you find in most well known members club, this really is a place for the old-school English gentleman in his suit - which gives it a special vibe. Oh and don't forget your crisp whites on the tennis courts, no other gear allowed here!

This private club is a wonderful sanctuary in the middle of busy London…read more Its grounds are simply divine and the view onto the Thames is really gorgeous. You feel like you've stepped into some alternate universe where everyone is friendly and nice. There's a great playground for children, an outdoor swimming pool and jacuzzi i think, tennis courts, croquet lawns etc. There are the usual rules regarding wearing only white. The restaurant is also quite yummy though I wouldn't say it's mind-blowing. The BBQ in the summer is delicious though! Obviously the down-sides are that it's ridiculously expensive to become a member and the waiting list is close to almost a century.

I live a good swim. And here at the Kentish Town Pool I get to have a good swim in a beautiful…read moreenvironment. The main pool here is one of the Victorian-era swimming pools and it's really quite magnificent to swim in it...especially when at certain times of the day the sun hits the water just right. I use the Better Health App to sign up for a swim. I avoid the busy times - early mornings and evenings - and so most of the times I share the lane only with a few other folks.

A fabulous new gym at a price to…read more suit everyones pocket : love it!

Paddinton Sports Club is in the heart of Maida Vale. It has the only indoor lawn bowls green in…read moreWestminster. Apart from Indoor Bowls, there is also an outdoor bowls green. There are 10 tennis couts, with some floodlit. There are also 2 squash courts and a gym. They have a club house with excellent Thai caterers. Great place to chill out with a beer on a summers evening in the grounds, even if sport is not your thing!

Has a small but clean and reasonably well equipped gym. squash courts are reasonably well…read moremaintained. The pub is nice and cosy and great for watching your games. Thai caterer is super nice, really cheap and is probably the best around this area. I think non members are allowed only when accompanied by the members into the pub. The pricing is quite reasonable though and I'm a pretty happy member here

My fav class is Boxercise on Mondays with Coach Kamal. It is not only a rigorous workout but it's…read morehelped me with coordination, confidence and dealing with stress. I've seen so many women empowered by Kamal's training and the men too. If you're anywhere central, this is the perfect way to beat (up) the Monday blues! This is the gym that I keep returning to. It's clean, equipped with the latest technology and workout machines and let's not forget the fantastic staff. There is a pool, steam room and sauna. Check it out!

Very disappointed,…read more I was new to the gym, and I have been with them for 15 days. I have never been in the gym, and I decided to let it go because it was not what I wanted and I was also feeling very sick. That's one of the reasons I have never been in one. I found out that I need to pay a fee to leave the gym, but I did not expect to be told that I need to pay 59 pounds. What for? In the time when I was checking the app, I found that they wanted to overcharge me (even if I didn't find it correctly to even charge me the actual amount of membership, which is 39 pounds). I have paid it, but they have not told me what they are doing or what my options are in case I leave before six months. After I paid the membership fee to leave, it was straight away removed, not even letting me use the gym until the end of the membership! What a shame, and shame on them, as they want to still, and I am sure I am not the only person out there who has been tricked, so just be aware that they charge anything without even telling you from the beginning what the situation is. very frustrating the way they manipulate the situation in their favour and how I paid for something that I have never used. Theft ! very disappointed! "Poor and miserably ! And the guy that did the membership--shame on you that you haven't told me that I can't cancel it without paying the fee! Shame, shame, shame!

If you are serious about health & fitness the Southbank Club is a great place to hit your peak. The…read moreground floor is specifically designed to hold the dreaded bleep test running track. There is a small free weight area on this floor to. The main weight resistance room is upstairs alongside the CV equipment. If you like squash there are eight courts and when you've finished a sauna and steam to relax in. Southbank is a very good gym that provides everything you would expect from a top gymnasium.

I visited this gym to attend a yoga class with some friends. Upon entering I found the staff to be…read morefriendly on reception. There is a studio and squash courts on the ground floor with a lounge area and TV and another area with tables and chairs for eating and drinking. On the next level are the changing rooms and another studio. The changing areas are spacious with lockers, showers, a sauna and steam room and a lounger area. The only thing they are lacking here is a swimming pool and jacuzzi. You can hire towels for a £1 and lockers are free. The gym is located 5 mins bus ride away from Vauxhall tube / train station. All in all a superb gym which had a real community social feel to it.

Really nice staff here, and a good lounge type area, but this gym still has a 'basement' feel that…read morebrings it down. It's also not really in Mayfair, tucked in behind Primark by Marble Arch. I'd go back for the large jacuzzi etc and the selection of amenities, but not one of the best!

They hung up on me shortly after they called me to question me why I cancelled after being a…read moremember for 3+ years and I began replying that my unhappiness goes back to the time when I was BULLIED by the PT "Lorik" at the Swiss Cottage branch. Yep one day the PT "Lorik" flipped when I was putting my foldable bike in a room as I had been doing for about two years as agreed with one manager when joining the club. "Lorik" had a power trip on me, he was very rude, with abusive manners kicked me out of that room treating me like an idiot and kept antagonising me in front of other members as he wanted literally to finish the job by kicking me out into the street. He didn't want to hear a single word from me but I stood my ground pretending to speak with a manager inevitably creating commotion that could have been avoided if he would have listened to me first and then involved a manager to handle the situation professionally rather than BULLYING a peaceful customer acting in good faith and as per instructions. Needless to say the manager after making up a poor excuse that wouldn't justify BULLYING anyway, told me to put back the folded bicycle in that room for that evening and the next time just bring the name of the manager I had the agreement with as they didn't put it in the system which certainly is not my fault as I actually requested it at the time just to be safe. I made a phone complaint to the support line who redacted my written complaint to water it down, then they said they'll have a word with that PT and his manager to make sure it won't happen again, they promised to get back to me to confirm this but they never did. This damaged the precious momentum and work/life balance I gained by cycling to the gym because me and my gym buddy had no other option than moving to friendlier branches for a while, which then led us to cancel both memberships because this chain it's not up to expectation and they do not listen to their clients. I listed the remaining horror story of the Swiss Cottage branch on the review page for that branch, regarding the Mayfair branch I can tell that all the staff in direct contact with the clients and PTs have always been polite and professional. The problem is that everything gets stuck at that level: - When I joined the branch manager promised to get some support handles for Calystenics/hand stands since there would be lots of space to use them: it never happened. - A machine that I really depend on was broken and a safety hazard for months, it took me a month chasing the polite staff to keep chasing their managers with the request to get it fixed and to ensure no one will use it in the meantime. Broken machine signage was ineffective, kept falling off so members kept using it unknowingly and the technician didn't have a clue how to fix it so when it finally did it, it was the wrong way. Took ages of chasing again to get him to come back and properly fix it, I emailed pictures, explanation etc basically doing their job. - After reaching higher levels of frustration not being able to train because of missing clips I had to request clips for the barbells as there were more barbells that clips and they never replenished. I guess people steal them even though that's not an excuse, I pay a generous membership swiftly so I expect to find the equipment I need. - Same story for pulleys machine handles, the machine was free and I couldn't use it because there were no spare handles, the polite staff couldn't find them in the whole club. Happened more than once. Differently than Swiss Cottage this gym was decently cleaned but there was a stench of urine in the toilet no matter how often they tried to fix it as if it was a structural problem with the urinals' plumbing. Airplane vacuum pressure toilets were really cool though!! No maintenance in the showers, tiles detaching from the wall, many soap dispensers always clogged. After members managed to force the lids open to get the soap from the top, the staff would lock it again and it must have never crossed their mind that if members force them open every day it's not because they are vandals, it's because at a certain point of the day the same dispensers always get clogged. Dumbbells and barbells left all over the weights floor, most clients can't be bothered to put them back, the staff doesn't keep up and there's no enforced etiquette either, I've seen members doing supersets on a bench and then leaving dumbbells and barbell behind. So it's a cemetery of barbells getting scavenged here and there when needed which is a trip hazard. They don't have a single straight bar where you can hang. They have dozens of handles or bars but either they're not straight and/or they're not high enough and/or they are way thicker than an Olympionic bar and/or there's not enough clearance to do pull ups and legs up. ...TO BE CONTINUED...

This gym/club wants to be sort of like Shoreditch House - at least that's what one of the managers…read moretold me when I recently took a tour of this little gym in Notting Hill. They've just come under different owners, and the new proprietors are aiming to capture a bigger share of the luxury consumer pie by trying harder to position themselves in that cachet of exclusivity and cool - limiting the total members to somewhere around 1700. I'd say they have a bit of work to do. Much like Shoreditch House (and maybe this is where they got the idea that they had a chance of being its pseudo-version in the first place) Body Works West has a beautiful pool... clear sparkling water of a gentle chlorine colour, surrounded by calming neutral tones and blues; the pool is so serene, just looking at it makes the thought of a relaxing swim a very compelling idea (I had to hold myself back from jumping in fully clothed - and I'm not even that big into swimming). Another nice thing about BWW is that they have a good number of power plates - those vibrating platforms that are supposed to boost your metabolism by 50% just by doing some light exercise and stretches atop them - it's a nice extra detail that hasn't hit mainstream gyms just yet, and especially nice if you've wanted to try one. The gym, however, is very small... which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I guess I do tend to like more roominess and anonymity in my gyms. The classrooms looked especially tiny - definitely not the sort where you can hide in the back. And I absolutely hated their elliptical machine setup- a single row of machines perched high up on sort of a makeshift balcony overlooking the weight/stretching area - the people working out up there looked awkward, and I can imagine why... who wants to be so prominently on display while panting away? In case it catches your fancy, however, you should know that there are DVD players attached to the machines - so that you can sweat away to whatever comedy or action film will make your workout less painless. The manager who gave us our tour (sorry sister to the other manager, Thea, I forget your name...) was a bit strange... ice-cold and uncomfortable to be with - maybe it's because we didn't fit into her image of the new cool customers they are looking for... but still, it certainly tainted my image of the place - if I were rating the gym just based on my encounter with her, it would get 1 star. Seriously, I couldn't wait for our 'tour' to be over so that hard stare and furrowed brow would stop. Thankfully, the rest of the staff that we interacted with were very courteous and nice. While there are some true destination gyms out there with too-rad classes and fantastic fringe benefits, I think gym membership decisions unusually come down to the convenience factor - so if Body Works West is close to you - it certainly has the requisite weights, classes, machines, etc. most gym rats are looking for - so nothing should stop you from joining. But if you don't live nearby...no matter how prestigious this place wants to be, it certainly doesn't offer anything that would make a person want to put in any extra effort to be a member.

This is my gym and I don't know what I would do if I lived further away than I do. It's owned and…read morerun by a New Yorker who wants it to be a full-service gym with all the bells and whistles. The gym itself has about 10 treadmills, 8 ellipticals, 5 cycles, 2 rowing machines, 3 power plates and all the weights and equipment one could want. If you're there off-peak then you basically have the place to yourself! Every member has free monthly training sessions, but the trainers don't do much in the way of helping you out when you're on their own -- they are either too busy chatting with each other or giving privates. Being from New York, I expect attention from trainers even if I am not in a session, but I guess they just do things differently here. I recommend Fabio for men, Simon for everyone and the new girl (Kia?) for women. The classes are great and I think Daniel is one of the best reformer pilates around. The steam room, sauna, pool and hot tub get me motivated to actually get to the gym, and Beauty Works West, next door, offers a whole range of spa treatments. The lobby downstairs is always very nice with internet connection, daily newspapers, tea, coffee, a TV and magazines. My criticisms are mainly due to the workers, in particular Thea or something similar who works on accounts and signed me up. Never in my life has someone working in the service industry -- let alone a luxury health spa/gym -- been so incredibly rude and demeaning. I have thought about writing directly to the owner to voice my complaints, but maybe via avenues like this people will get the message. She has a serious attitude problem and every time there has been an error with our account (yes, more than once!) we have been blamed and scolded (!) I think she needs to get out of client services pronto, but anyhow, avoid her and your experience there can be care free and lovely!

So i'm a bit of a gym rat / fitness freak and i've been going to this gym since I moved to the area…read moreabout a year ago. It's in a great area and the best thing is that it's open 24 hours a day, which is perfect for me. Over the last few years, due to the recession, we have seen a lot of these cheap gym chains sprouting up and I usually go with the saying 'you get what you pay for'. Now where that's usually proved me right for the most part, it's completely untrue with this gym chain. Monthly rates are dirt cheap, usually around £20 and the gym has everything you could want and need in a gym - state of the art equipment, full range of free weights, stretching areas, changing rooms, classes and PT sessions. Notice I said gym and not HEALTH CLUB. When I go to the gym I like to TRAIN not swim, jacuzzi, play tennis, steam room, spa or play tennis. If that's what you want then this place is not for you, as it hasn't got any of them and you want somewhere like VIRGIN ACTIVE or DAVID LLOYD and the price that comes with it (upwards of £65 per month plus joining fee). When I joined this gym I was shocked at how cheap it was a month as I would have gladly paid double every month as that's what I was expecting to pay at least. It's clean, nicely decorated and has everything you would need and more in a gym. A few recommendations - - Take full advantage of the 24 hour services. I would say to not train after work 6-10pm on weekdays as you will not be able to do what you need to do in less than 2 hours so you may as well not have gone. I go before work during the week and sometimes at weekends and have no problem using the equipment I need. - They don't have a wide range of classes so take a look at what they have on the website and see if they do things you like if thats a factor for you. - Don't get PT sessions here. I've trained athletes and know bad trainers when I see them. Apart from a few, most of the trainers here recycle their sessions and don't make sure their clients are doing the exercises correctly. I think they care more about their money than helping them. Or if you do want sessions here send me a message and i'll recommend the good ones and I promise I don't know any of them personally to just be giving them your business! Apart from those minor points if you live local and are looking for a gym I thoroughly recommend this place!

Good gym for 20 quid a month. It's got all the cardio that you'll need, and if you're an off-hours…read moregym rat, the ideal place for you. Always has been clean for me, and the other patrons are a nice cross-section (read: not full of gym rats). PT professionals I have not seen to be amazing for the price - they seem more just like the contractors who didn't have a job elsewhere - and they cost 50 to 80 an hour typically. Better to head to Pure Fitness or to another big London PT house for that price (and maybe get medical insurance to cover it). The nautilus machines and free weights are plentiful during non-peak hours, though can get a bit crowded with the afterwork crowd. Either way, the gym is great value for money if you're within walking distance.