Virgin Active - 255 Finchley Rd
Yana Pampukha I deeply regret that I didn’t read the reviews before buying a membership at this gym. This low rating is absolutely justified. Over the past six months, there hasn’t been a single day when I didn’t regret purchasing a membership in this gym chain. Virgin Active is definitely the worst gym in its price category.
First of all, the gyms are extremely overcrowded. And not because they are so popular, but simply because there is very little equipment. Something is often broken. Overall, the facilities are quite small and uncomfortable.
The spa zone is absolutely not up to standard. The pool, sauna, and steam room are usually not hot enough. And this is the case in many clubs. I have been to many different locations, and it is the same everywhere. The clubs that have existed for a long time do not update their equipment at all. And in some locations, for example Angel Islington, all the machines are literally rusty, many are broken, and everything is dirty. Overall, the gym is quite dirty and unpleasant.
The service is also absolutely terrible. When it comes to equipment, I was very surprised at the Canary Wharf club, considering that this gym is positioned as a premium-level club among their other locations. They have a very limited selection of machines. This was the first time in my life I saw a gym without a leg press machine, without a leg abduction machine, and without a hip thrust machine. You really have to be very creative to do a basic lower-body or upper-body workout there.
Also, if you are a tennis lover like I am, keep in mind that Virgin Active has only two clubs with tennis facilities, and there are only a few courts there. Meanwhile, for example, Better Gym has 10 or 12 locations with tennis facilities. They have outdoor courts, indoor courts, and various options. Virgin Active is simply very bad.
And of course, the service is what really hits rock bottom. Every time I think it can’t get any worse, they somehow manage to surprise me. The last time, I had an issue with my membership card. I contacted their customer support, and they didn’t reply to me for a week. After a week, they replied saying that since they hadn’t responded for a week, they hoped my issue had resolved itself. And if not, they recommended that I contact them again. I honestly find this shocking.
But today something happened that was truly the cherry on top. I arrived at the Angel Islington gym in order to finish my workout before closing. To my surprise, the staff asked me to leave the gym 15 minutes earlier than the closing time stated in the opening hours. I asked why. They told me that it is a rule that the gym closes 15 minutes earlier than what is stated on the website or any other public sources.
When I asked them to show me this rule on the website or anywhere else, a lady who introduced herself as a manager came over and started being rude to me. She very aggressively told me that I had to immediately get off the treadmill and that she did not have to show me anything, because since she is the manager, if she says I must leave the gym, I must quickly gather my things and leave — simply because she said so.
I find this completely unacceptable. I pay ÂŁ150 per month for this membership, and this is how the staff treats me when I ask very reasonable questions, politely and respectfully, simply asking them to show me the rule or policy. Instead, I was met with rudeness.
I consider this absolutely unacceptable. I will be demanding early termination of my membership, because when I made the decision and signed the membership contract, I did not know that managers have the authority to arbitrarily set opening hours and kick me out just because they feel like it.
You are essentially paying for a PureGym-level experience, but three times more expensive and with a long-term commitment that, unfortunately, you cannot break. Please be careful!!!
