Virgin Active
Fitness center Virgin Active, Village Way, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9SG, United Kingdom:
115 reviews
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Address: Village Way, Falmer, Brighton BN1 9SG, United Kingdom
Website: virginactive.co.uk
Phone number: +44 1273 013030
GPS coordinates
Latitude: 50.8591219Longitude: -0.0890943
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reviews
Chelsea Cooler
Canceled my membership back in October 2020 by emailing the relevant member of staff. Received a confirmation of that and 7 month later received an email saying I owe £160 ! Called in and send several emails to finally being told that I don't owe anything . 5 days later, I have received another email saying that I owe £120 !! totally inept , incompetent and unprofessional of way dealing with requests. The gym itself is a pain and I don't need to go over the issues like broken down equipment and staff not being responsive as it is clear form the comments but charging me for nothing is on a different level of incompetency . It is like they want to randomly send out bills to rip off those who might not be aware .
4 weeks ago
D Hill
Excellent facilities and Great pools. Friendly staff. What's not to like!
6 months ago
Kathy Walters
Great facilities, well managed with covid restrictions
1 month ago
mohammad Yousafzai
This place is really the only place of its kind in town and it's great that we have somewhere like this.
Positives: outdoor and indoor heated pools, 8 indoor tennis courts + 3 outdoor/bubble courts, reasonable gym and usually a lot of exercise classes, large indoor/outdoor cafe for socialising after exercise, some great staff who are really friendly and helpful (reception desk e.g. Nicky, Sue, Jayne, Micky & crew are all lovely), tennis coaches who have been friendly and helpful (for me David and Adrian especially have been amazing), sociable membership, tennis courts have been resurfaced in the past year or so.
Negatives: because it has no local competition it has no real incentive to improve or even maintain standards. General consensus among members is that its owners do not really want it and are looking to sell and so maintenance is not undertaken. As an example the roof leeks when there's heavy rain causing flooding in the tennis courts and sometimes in the gym. I've only been a member a few years but others have told me the roof has needed fixing for a long time before I joined.
6 months ago
Anthony Stewart
Pricy membership, poor maintenance of equipments , very loud and often inconsiderate PTs , very limited free weight area that often taken by the PTs and their trainees . Steam room is often out of order yet the club charges the full fee regardless of the limited services . Staff don’t bother to respond to emails .
3 months ago
Ernest McHenry
Overpriced and underfunded by the company. The gym equipment is poorly maintained and often out of order and the air conditioning system is barely worth turning on.
Virgin tried to sell the club to David Lloyd last year but it fell through due to the regulators stopping it. I can only assume that since then Virgin are reluctant to invest any money into it and will simply wait for another opportunity to sell, at the expense of all their loyal customers.
If there was another gym as close as this to me I’d change in a heartbeat. I have complained numerous times over the past few years and whilst they have been very responsive, nothing has changed and I get the feeling their hands are tied.
Update: 6 months on and still no change. I have spoken to the Manager who agrees the air conditioning is completely in adequate and is trying to get head office to agree to fund a replacement.
The only way to get air in there when working out is to position yourself behind a rowing machine when someones on it!
2 weeks ago
Patrick Davis
I've read the pretty poor reviews posted several months ago, but as our gym has closed we wanted to have a look and see for ourselves. The facilities look great and we had a good tour by Corry, so we joined. Hopefully we won't be disappointed!
10 months ago
Furkan Ermut
Have a feeling people only post reviews on here when they have something negative to say. My partner and I have been members nearly a year and the facilities are great and the staff are lovely. Nice new showers and clean gym but they do take a long time to fix something if its broken.
11 months ago
naomi justdontcare
Great swimming pools. Do glad they have been open. Surprised you don't need to wear masks except in cafe.
7 months ago
javier vargas
Good gym. Friendly staff. Deal with with covid well. Equipment always available.
2 weeks ago
Nicole Kalmar
No one ever answers the phone or returns calls. They have extended a 12 month family contract (because of Covid) thats not acceptable when we have been with the gym for over 12 months and give appropriate notice. Received a threatening letter today from them about this. I have been with this gym on and off for years and years. This is how they are treating customers. Not even a return call to discus. Avoid at all costs. The pool is constantly broken anyway and allegedly one of the pools close often due to children pooping in it, so I am told. Not a good covid combination.
9 months ago
Dan Berenson
Pretty rubbish they close at 6 pm at weekends and 8pm weekdays with C virus and some management babble about extra time cleaning the venue.. really all this time every evening cleaning? It this looks me like a direct cost saving measure. And there are no sanitising gels in changing rooms just at the front entrance. They should offer all members a reduction for closing 3 hours early every day and not fob us off with they are closing at this time to do cleaning of the joint. They probably spend an extra hour Cleaning and therefore pocket the savings at member expense. Good old Richard! it helps fund his bath looking at the night sky in the British Virgin Islands!
6 months ago
Alma Gerber
very good club for families with younger children and older. creche is so useful during the day and kids clubs in the evening help me do a class. makes plans easy for a rainy weekend
3 weeks ago
Leah
Amazing facilities
1 month ago
Skoop Up
Staff are inconsistent in service as well as attitude. Same could be said about the facilities.........sometimes they work and other times they don't. I distinctly feel that there is no strong management structure and the staff have not been properly trained. There is no uniformity or company ethos.
The place is constantly in a state of repair.
The toilets and changing facilities are also dirty at times.
There are severe crowding issues at peak times and during school holidays.
Great gym if you have a young family, but for me, I expect better from a Virgin brand name.
Sadly, the only time Virgin have shown good service was in the beginning when I was signing up.
This place is not value for money. My wife and I will not be renewing my membership.
3 months ago
KHOZEM PARMAR
Great club, great place to spend weekends with the family. And the after school kids club for the children has freed up so much time for me to be able to train after work.
4 months ago
ABC Mom
This gym is a complete disgrace for the steep membership fee we are made to pay. From the facilities that are either not in working order or tired, to the staff who have the worst attitude. It is all very difficult to ignore even if you try. I will be leaving and joining another gym pronto
that is for sure.
10 months ago
Kookie DeMonster
My son and I have been a member of this gym for many years. We have spent a lot of money on personal training, tennis lessons and swimming lessons. We spent several hundred pounds on twelve 1-2-1 swimming lessons for him last year. The swimming teacher left and she made sure her boss Ross was made aware we still had 4 lessons outstanding. A year on, we have been consistently ignored or palmed off by Ross and by Jody, one of the management team. The Reception staff try to contact them to no avail and they have no power to do anymore than that. The gym rarely ever answer the phones. They are only good for taking your money. Not so good when you ask them to provide the service they took you money for. It’s also quite dirty and the food is sub standard, but pricey. Their service is altogether dreadful.
2 months ago
Jerry Davis
I always loved this place but lately maintenance issues have had a toll on my visits. Sauna out of action one week then the Spa pool then the Steamroom. Dirty shower area and faulty tap. I know it could be better. Come on Virgin lift your game.
1 month ago
Emily Harrison
I have belonged to 8 different gyms in the US and the UK. This is the worst. Facilities are old and broken. No Sauna for 3 months. Bikes are mostly broken. Pools are often shut down. No or little response to complaints. They don’t care (except front desk staff who try to help) badly owned and managed. Many cafe personnel are rude and provide zero service. Today I give up!
2 months ago
Zachary Elliot
Me and my Mum came down for a spa package and Lizzie and Emma did an amazing massage on us both. We both agreed it was the best one we've ever had. The gym was a great size and the pool options were fab. Would love to go again.
5 months ago
shaneile keays
There are better gyms for a cheaper price out there. Completely incompetent staff and bad management, never answer calls or reply to emails. The staff here misled me into a contract and as a student, i couldnt afford. They then continued to charge me and refer to a debt company through the pandemic, even though ive asked to cancel multiple times.
11 months ago
Robert Barrett
£70 a month, fine, happy to pay it as long as its worth it, which it does in most aspects. A premium price for a not so premium service, why charge me £1.50 for a towel? As a paying member, if i forget a towel or mine is still wet from the day before then you should give me one for free, I don't think branson needs another £1.50, just felt like another unnecessary money grab Nuffield Health don't do that and their prices are comparable, David Lloyd don't charge for towels either so was pretty taken a back when I asked for one and was asked to pay £1.50. Hopefully someone sees this and will change that unnecessary rule
2 months ago
adem karakum
Great health club, clean and good facilities. Amazingly helpful staff in all departments
2 months ago
Shamyra Gilyard
Bad facilities, new showers badly finished grout and cream tiles that show all the dirt. Sink out of order in ladies toilet for weeks and no hot water. Showers constantly have no shampoo in and ladies toilets void of toilet paper even in the morning.
1 month ago
Jean Stone
Sauna breaks in October. It's now February and still not working. Apparently they they are waiting for financial approval from head office. But we don't get a discounted membership rate while it's out of action do we? Our membership includes a sauna. So what is there to approve?
2 months ago
Leonardo Silva
Love the outside pool and the new showers. Good to see some money being invested
1 month ago
EvaMarie Frank
Excellent facilities but the gym is dirty, changing rooms are run down and filthy, shower cubicles are smelly with visible mould. Makes for an unpleasant experience, not acceptable with the fees they charge.
It’s a shame as it’s the closest gym/health club to me and the food is good. I’ve been a member on and off for many years and looking to join again but I’m not going to, judging by other reviews nothing has changed!!
2 months ago
Isabelle Pettinger
Has not changed for years and maintenance poor. But better than many
2 months ago
Teresa Ptak
Unfortunately I have to give at least 1 star, otherwise I wouldn't give it any! Having been a member for 14 years, I don't believe it has been as poorly managed as it is now! Whilst a shower refurbishment has just been completed, this was long overdue and merely masks the issues this club has. The facilities are tired and outdated. The male Sauna has been out of action since October, due to a small fire, which by now should have been fixed. The Steam Room and Jacuzzi are regularly (sometimes daily) out of action. It's just not good enough for a 'premium' club. VA attempted to sell the club a few years ago to David Lloyd, however the CMA (Competition Commission) blocked it. Ever since VA has provided very little investment and it's very apparent.
3 months ago
Andrea Sterling
Very dated facilities which isn't acceptable for a gym that charges over £60 a month which is extortionate as the gym here is very small (and so busy at peak times!) personally found I got more use out of a gym that was more modern for a fraction of the price.
Upgrades need to be made to the gym and shower/changing area. Untill then I'll stay signed up to the gym group where for under 30 quid a month no contract I can get access to a far better gym experience.
4 months ago
Tiffany Bumbury
Excellent facilities for the gym, tennis and badminton but also a good sized pool and sauna. Very helpful staff as well as being spotlessly clean! My only criticism would be around the lighting for tennis and badminton it a little harsh, it being easy to be dazzled and lose the shuttle/ball
3 months ago
Stan Yee
Poor management ,dirty steam room changing rooms and they need to keep on top of maintenance. There is always something not working. But staff are great
1 month ago
Joel Olson
Awful place! The new management are obviously very lazy because nothing is getting done. It’s dirty and falling apart. Plus I was charged to use a towel on top of my £70 membership! Ridiculous!!! I’ve cancelled my membership
2 months ago
Crystal Montgomery
There was poo on the changing room floor and when I asked staff to clear it up they gave me paper towels and told me to do it myself. When I went out to the pool the lifeguards pushed me in the pool and I struggled to get to the side of the pool as I am not a strong swimmer. Then I got into the hot tub to find a floating poo.
One of the staff called me and my girl Gemma Collins and arg as we are over weight too.
2 months ago
Erica Thomas
Maintenance issues have started to drive me up the wall recently. What used to be a great health club has been tainted by a lack of management and poor staff attitudes under Virgin Active. The whole family have been members since '97, and in my opinion, Virgin Active have done the worst job of running this place. Yes, facilities just as gym equipment have been improved slightly, but aside from that, pennies have been pinched across the board - ignoring the fact that the club feels heavily over-subscribed compared to before. The recent "total renovation" of the mens showers looks/feels worse than what you'd expect from a botch-job student halls setup, and the sauna has currently been out of action for three months - with no news on when it might be repaired or opened. On your average day, expect 40% of the facilities to be out of action (much of which has not be touched in the last 15 years!). Most reception staff have no clue about what is going on regarding any of the maintenance issues, and quite frankly, don't care most of the time (there are one or two long standing staff members who deserve the extra review star). Multiple phone calls to head office have been to no avail. I expect this is a 'dying branch' for Virgin Active after their failed sale of the club to David Lloyd's a while back, and they really don't try to hide that fact at all.
2 months ago
Jim LeClair
It's a good gym, however having been a member for a number of years, I have recently left, given that the price has risen and there hasn't been an output into the gym itself. Very limited on equipment, showers are dated. A shame
4 months ago
McCaslin Giles
Seems like most days something is broke and needs fixing. The hot water for the showers is regularly broken. The sauna was offline last week. The list goest on.
Very hard to book classes as there is normally a 30 person waiting list for the popular ones.
It's a shame because it could be great.
4 months ago
Rodrigo Carvalho
Good staff. Nice facilities.
3 months ago
Crystal Sands
Expensive/overpriced now for what you get. Has gone downhill over past few years & in need of investment in facilities. Some nice staff but generally poor customer service as business - prices go up while standards of facilities goes down :(
2 months ago
Nancy Trang
The uncovered vent in pool was a very serious matter, a concern of such negligence should deter one from using this facility. Laurence Read comments below make clear concern for the safety of others to protect life!!!
4 months ago
Team Felty
This health club is a treat. I use the pools and it’s such a luxury to have an outdoor pool. It’s hydrotherapy with the 2 adult pools, cold shower outside the steam room and hot showers in the changing rooms plus a jacuzzi and sauna. Feel great afterwards.
The staff are all approachable and helpful. The gym is really well equipped with experienced staff to advise if needed. The cafe is pleasant too, nice healthy food and drinks.
It’s not snobby or elitist and I feel totally comfortable going alone. The exercise classes have really good teachers too. I always look forward to going there.
4 months ago
ray stumpfy
Good, family oriented club. Nice pool, well equipped gym, albeit a tad small. Amazing tennis facilities if it's your thing. If you're not, like I am not, you'd think they could knock a couple of those courts and create a massive state of the art gym over two floors. #justsaying
5 months ago
Elizabeth Scala
You'll pay a lot to come here, and you'll get a long list of amenities for that price: indoor and outdoor swimming pool, racket club, classes, gym, spa, creche etc.
The carpark is never too full, the staff are friendly and there is a reasonable cafe.
However, you'll have to pay even more for use of many of the above and then you'll find all of them to be aging and often out service. The gym is in poor condition with old machinery that's regularly out of order and the air-con is so fundamentally broken, that people often go outside on a hot day to cool down. You can't book guests in without an extortionate charge and they charge a fortune for use of the creche.
I'd recommend you find another club, most are better.
3 months ago
Stacey Haggerty
I've been a member here for 3 months now, the place has a few really dedicated staff but the overall feeling is of a cynical operation designed to squeeze the maximum from your purse while penny-pinching on basic maintenance, equipment, staffing levels, you name it. Miserable, soul-less place
4 months ago
Mykalia Jamison
Great gym, DISGUSTING changing rooms and showers. I use other Virgin Active all over & this is by far the worst standard of cleanliness. Why would I want other peoples sock fluff and loose hair in between my toes ????
2 weeks ago
Arun Gaikwad
As most people have said in thier reviews, pool and gym equipment constantly out of order! I was in the gym this morning and noted 6 machines that were not working or out of order (and it's a small gym).
Staff are aware that Virgin is trying to flog this place and have lost all motivation.
Instead of addressing fundamental problems they decided to invest £1000s in a new car park, so that football fans can park for free on match days.
5 months ago
vivek m
It has great facilities but seems a little tired. The changing rooms are a bit small compared to a few of the other Virgin Active's that I've been to. The problem with a small changing room in a busy building is that the floor and benches are always wet. The spa facilities are very poor compared to other sites as well. Outdoor pool area is good though.
4 months ago
Bekk D
Overall good and great heated outdoor pool. Changing rooms and cafe feel dated and tired which is not acceptable for a £70/ month gym.
4 months ago
Tracy Johnson
Been a member for nearly two years. Generally good, but they have a lot of problems with hot water, there is always something not working. Men's changing room tends to be smells, crowded and wet. Food and drink is quite good, but expensive.
5 months ago
