Esporta clubs are normally outside of the city centre. They try to include everything including swimming and tennis. I booked my free guest pass over the Internet and then called in to make an appointment. Three hours later I was in the club restaurant chatting to Danielle, who also showed me around. She seemed nice. I'm sure she was a graduate and she was competent. I just thought that she was lethargic! Man! Have you seen how much energy I push out when I work out? I mean mental/positive energy! When someone goes into a club to get fit they need to be infected with vibe/energy. I hope that Esporta also mystery shops its staff. Anyway, in general the staff has been trained and this is evident.
The club is vast - I would guess at least 30,000 square feet. The gym is on two floors and is equipped with old style Life Fitness gear (I would change that!) They have lots of machines and a lot of them are duplicated. There are also several studios for class, a spinning room, a swimming pool, sauna, steam room, Jacuzzi, and even a restaurant and therapy area.
Good Points: The gym is large, has almost everything you'd need and has natural light. This is by no means a budget gym, so most of the members are a bit older and in the mid to higher end of the earning bracket. From chatting to members in the sauna, I got the feeling that there was quite a "club" atmosphere there and lots of people knew each other. The pool area is nicely done and also features two Jacuzzis. The sauna and steam room are also in the pool area and are mixed - so you can enjoy them with your partner (I mean even if you are of different sexes). If you are a member you have a discount rate for parking of £1 for 3 hours.
Bad Points: In all, I'd say that Esporta, Wandsworth are doing ok. However, they do need some more benches upstairs in the free weights section. I had to wait for one and other members told me that it was always a problem. They have more than enough space to put them in! I was also told that the spinning class is way over subscribed and that in general the gym gets packed at peak hours. I would also like to see Esporta update their treadmills. Some of them feel quite unstable! They need more mirrors - especially in the downstairs part of the gym!
In general, I'd say that this club has a lot going for it. There is wow factor in the pool/relax area - but none in the gym part. Danielle offered me a corporate rate of £82 per month with no joining fee. The normal peak membership is £92 and off-peak is £72.
I've given the club 3 stars, but this should really be 3.5. I just thought that there gym area could have been a lot better :o) read more