Porchester Hall — Attraction in London

Good points: get a multi site membership and you get access to more classes available than at other gyms. Seymour gym, Little Venice centre and Moberly centre are nearby. Between them there’s plenty of classes to go to within a mile radius. It’s local, convenient for shops. You can do your grocery shopping on your way home at Waitrose and in fact I often see exercise class members there afterwards. You get to meet and talk to people in the local area and friendships have developed. Some good teachers are there. One of the cheaper gym memberships in the local area, but not the cheapest. Receptionists are nice, especially Antoinetta and Beverley. There’s a high turnover of staff, some are nice. The building is historic and you see some old art nouveau architecture, especially in the spa.

Bad points: gym staff attitude can be bad. They lock the studio door before classes and treat members as school kids when many members are older than the staff. I’ve witnessed members being bullied by gym staff. Cleanliness is poor, the changing room toilets are always disgusting with puddles and tissue blockages, studio floor usually has hair and dust, the equipment is worn out especially the mats. Bring your own mat! Some weights are missing. The changing room lockers are unsafe and have been broken into. There are some lockers with holes cut out of the bottom by thieves. Many thefts have happened here. Gypsies use the sinks and showers to wash their clothes and take over the area. There are antisocial incidents and bust ups happening at least monthly among members in the studio. Members stand too close as the studio classes are overcrowded; it can get unsafe and you can be kicked or get other injuries. Some members who’ve been coming a long time have formed cliques and aggressively reserve the prime floor spots in the studio. If you dare take such a spot they shout at you. The grudges can go on for years. This can put off new and shy members. The cliques gossip and if they take against a member it can be isolating and bullying for that member. Similar to ‘Mean Girls’ at high school. Porchester gym has progressively been reducing the number of classes they provide over the years. In the last couple of years I had to go to Seymour gym to get a variety of classes into my workout week. There’s a push at Porchester to pay £15 extra for Hot Yoga classes as they built that hot yoga studio and need to earn back the expense. The main studio floor was broken for several years and they were very slow to fix it. All they did in the interim years was to tape up the broken laminate! They don’t sort out the climate control in the studio so it’s appropriate to the class, yoga can be freezing and body combat be in tropical conditions. It can make you ill. I got flu there because of full air conditioning blasting out during yoga. Be aware that in an exercise class the memberships differ for exactly the same service. Some pay as little as £25/month (key workers) while others are paying £50/month. The rest are paying in- between. I’ve not seen such a high variation of membership prices at other gyms. This council gym is very good value for money if you get a £25/month membership but this isn’t value for a £50/month gym. If you can pay £40-£50/month you can find a private gym and with better fixtures and cleanliness for that price range. Pure Gym charges £30/month. That’s the cheapest in the area at the time of this review. There are many gyms and lot of choice in this area for customers. The swimming pool is large but old and not the cleanest. It’s often full of school kid lessons.The squash courts are ok. They are sweat covered if you don’t get the first booking slot in the day. The spa lighting is too dark and again needs a proper refurbishment as it’s old and not the cleanest. The main gym equipment is out of date and can get hogged by groups of guys exercising in rotation which can be intimidating for female members trying to use use that equipment when following their personalised...

I’ve just been dealt for the first time of my life with discrimination and racism towards me. I asked a guy whose name is Mav as he mentioned to me about the membership team to subscribe to the usage of the gym, he said they left but can catch them tomorrow from 11-4, I said ok then I asked about of both pools now are working, he mentioned that the big pool is yet to open in September but the small pool is open. I told him ok, I thought the big pool would be open by July as I’ve been told before, he said no by September. Said but the small pool is open? He says yes. So I scanned my card to go and check it out. He told me; may I ask you what brings you here? I said what? What do you mean by that? He repeated himself again and said it’s this place is not open for everybody!?? I said what do you mean by that, please elaborate everybody! He says it’s a concession pay as you go membership for people who live in the city of Westminster borough. I said what makes you think I don’t live in the borough!? Can’t you see the date on my membership? He said there must be a mistake, cause not everybody qualify for this place. I said this is considered discrimination and I’m asking you again to elaborate and explain yourself! He repeated himself and said there must be a mistake of getting you a membership. I told him a mistake? What form of mistake?? And asked what makes you say these questions!?? He didn’t answer me so I told him look I’ll not take that lightly and I’m glad everything is under surveillance and cameras recording everywhere to have this investigated officially. I reaffirmed again to him that if does not apologize or at least explain himself I’ll have to file an official report to the Met Police. He said go ahead. And I’ve done that. Now waiting outside for the officers to show up by the place which is closing in 17 mins but they already...

I love this place! I use the swimming pool only. But I see how good the gym is too. To me it has been perfectly convenient for the past 6 months of subscription and 2 months of pay as you go. Clean water, well taken care of, good space for changing, v clean and hygienic atmosphere. Professional staff, and good price too. Allowing to pay as you go makes it quite special. A plus that is not found in many places. What triggered me to write this review is a situation that showed me how great the management and he culture is in Porchester Center.. when on a busy unusual day, a swimming lady got upset for an unknown reason and shouted at me!! I don't know her. She may have anger issues, or may be racist (I am dressed as a Muslim) or may be was just stressed. anyway she shouted and she was wrong. She insisted that I get off her way although I was swimming in the right direction and lane. When I apologized and left her, she kept shouting. The staff reaction was amazing! Although I chose to ignore the lady's attitude and move on, they voluntarily handled the case. I saw the observer go to her and discuss. She also shouted at him!! Later the supervisor came and had a discussion with her. Then took her away. During that one of the staff came to me while I was swimming and he apologized and confirmed that I am right and she is wrong. And later on another staff member came again to me and explained the exact procedure that took place to finish it. Including that she tried to escalate. But the higher management took the right side. The second guy apologized again. Really, although I didn't ask for that or complain.. it makes a HUGE difference to see how keen the management is, to do what's right. And to protect their clients, and to keep it a professional safe peaceful fun atmosphere. Chapeaux. Big THANKS....