Sala — Attraction in Waitematā

I had been eager to try out Sala for some time after hearing good things about them, but unfortunately, my first (and last) experience with them turned out to be the worst I've ever had. Kind reminder: Just because a place is trendy and well-regarded doesn't excuse poor treatment of customers; it only highlights a lack of professionalism.

From struggling with payment options to receiving bad support, then booking a last minute session after being on the waitlist, my disappointment peaked when I arrived just four minutes late for my first 50 min session. So far this is my fault, I acknowledged it and apologised for that. I knew about the no show and late cancelation fees, but didn't expect what would follow. Not only was I denied entry but also had my first session marked as attended—though they graciously refrained from tacking on additional fees for being late, which, to be honest, felt like a cruel joke.

I get that rules are rules, but Sala's stance on lateness is unclear. If their policy is so strict, it would be good to clearly state that being even a minute late means you're out of luck. Now second point, instead of addressing the issue constructively, their communication with me was simply appalling. While I was expecting understanding, or simply professionalism, I got lectured like a child with no manners throwing a tantrum, when I only expressed my miscontent and asked for a refund. No one wants to give their money and then be treated this way, not only is it disrespectful but it’s also ripping people off.

Sure, they eventually refunded me, but it's not even about that. It's about how I was received and treated - that’s not ok. I might be the only negative feedback among hundreds of positive ones, but it's still one too many to ignore. Even if they were the best studio in the whole country, I would never want to support a place that treats people like they do.

So, here's my two cents: Sala needs to work on their customer service big time. I hope they take this feedback onboard and start treating people better, and also strive for a more inclusive and human approach as they claim they do. As for me, I'll be taking my business and my money to a place that actually cares about its customers and that’s not only about...

I loved Sala until I had my very first experience with the owner who has no tech support or customer service skills. You can be the trendy place to go for so long but the mask will soon fall off. The booking system or website was down for the 3rd or 4th time therfore I wasnt able to see and change the classes I had booked. I was patient for may 3 days then I sent a polite email to say hey guys I think your webiste is down I cant get into the booking system to change or book classes. They reply I got 24hrs later pushing the issue on me saying it was a problem at my end. Being and ex software tester myself I knew it wasnt a problem on my end. So I sent a video of it not working on the app and the website on different devices and different browsers. There was no recognition from them that they had a bug but they did send me my bookings one class I missed because I couldnt get into the system to change it so asked for a credit so I could attend another one. The owner flat out refused quoting fault on my end. There was some conversation she went on complaining that she has to responed to customers emailing her at 5am wanting to change classess all the time and this is was still my fault. I relayed back to her that if customers have to email you about their classes then there is obviously a fault with your booking system and that is not the customers fault lol? You pay money for the gym but also the booking system if its down then comms should be sent out to customers saying so that they might have issues that the problem will be fixed ... something like that. But to blame the customer then not issues a simple credit and create a drama is not the one. Maybe even thank the customer.. Oh thanks for letting us know... not what I got. So I do reccomend Sala for the lovely staff they have on the ground but its a hard...

I really enjoyed my trial with Sala. The studio has a beautiful, calm and clean interior with a number of workout rooms. I like how Sala has lockers with keys and that there's plenty of clean workout equipment, meaning I could head straight to class without worrying about belongings.

Hannah Baird did a great job of explaining how the reformer machines work in the Reformer Basics class. As someone who hadn't used a reformer before this trial, I appreciated her clear, non-intimidating and fun approach. I loved the combination of muscle activation and floaty movements in the Reformer Flow class. Both the Reformer Strength and Barre classes were challenging in a good way; the Barre class had my legs shaking for sure!

A big thank you to the lovely reception staff who were so gracious in getting me into classes last-minute when openings became available. Much appreciated!

I would recommend Sala if you're looking for a modern, fun studio with a good variety of classes and...