Third Space Battersea — Attraction in London

I joined Third Space Battersea as a founding member, and from the very beginning it has felt as though the brand prioritises revenue over the member experience. The facilities look impressive and are generally well maintained, but that is where the "luxury" ends.

When the club opened, the spa facilities - one of the main reasons my partner and I joined - were not ready. Third Space still charged full price, offered no compensation, and provided no acknowledgment of the inconvenience. It set the tone for what has followed.

Throughout my membership, I’ve had to contact the management team and customer service several times about overcrowding, limited class availability, and recurring technical issues. In every case, I had to chase multiple times simply to receive a reply, and often there was no response at all. When someone did respond, the answers were vague and unhelpful. The front desk staff are friendly, but the moment an issue needs escalation, it disappears into a back-office that seems largely indifferent.

As for the spa, I’ve hardly been able to use it. If you visit after work or on weekends, you’re packed in like sardines. It's also been closed for extended periods numerous times, with no compensation given (they offer access to other gyms during these periods, but for someone who is already a group member, that's obviously not helpful). Even off-peak times have become noticeably busier. We have also tried using other locations with our group membership, but the experience was the same - even at 8 PM (which you'd think would be off-peak) in Wimbledon, the gym was insanely packed, with queues for equipment and showers, difficulties even finding a locker or moving through the corridors.

Before joining, we were told that this wouldn’t happen. We were assured that membership numbers would be capped and that waitlists would be used to maintain a sense of exclusivity. That promise has clearly not been upheld. This level of overcrowding was what we expected to get away from by paying a higher price point - but at this point, it's no better that a £30 gym in that regard and the waitlists are clearly just for show and to give the illusion of prestige.

And now, despite these ongoing issues, I have received notice of a 20% membership increase. When I joined, I explicitly asked whether annual increases were part of their policy. I mentioned hearing complaints from Equinox members about frequent price hikes and was told that my rate would remain capped at the rate I signed up with. That commitment has now been quietly disregarded.

Also to note, that my partner and I spoke to the front desk staff at the Clapham location the day we received the 20% fee increase notice a week ago. They took down our details and said that someone from management would be in touch with us. This has yet to happen.

What has become increasingly clear is that Third Space has little incentive to retain loyal members at all. They can continually recruit new members at higher prices, so in an oversaturated London fitness market, existing members have virtually zero leverage. It is disappointing, especially from a company that markets itself as offering a premium, luxury experience. With that positioning, I expected a far higher standard - both in the quality of service and in how they treat their members.

Third Space may have the appearance of a luxury brand, but much of that luxury feels surface-level. Beneath the polished marketing and pretty facilities, the company seems far more driven by demand and revenue than by loyalty, transparency, or delivering on...

I joined Third Space Battersea as a founding member on the explicit promise that my membership price would remain fixed. That was supposed to be the reward for supporting the club before it even opened - loyalty in exchange for loyalty. Instead, just 15 months later, I’ve now received an email announcing a 20% price increase, wrapped in corporate language about “exceptional experiences” and “commitment to standards.” It’s hard to read their message as anything other than what it is: another example of a company prioritising profit over principle.

My partner joined with me, and she has had to contact their support team several times. Each time, she has been met with blunt, unhelpful responses and vague promises that never amount to anything (if they responded at all). Most recently, we were both assured that a manager would reach out to discuss this sudden price increase. We were told we’d be contacted. We are still waiting.

The email itself goes to great lengths to describe how much they’ve “invested,” how many extra classes have been added, and how they’re paying their team above London Living Wage - as if basic operational responsibilities justify reneging on promises made to the members who believed in them from the start. What they don’t address is the reality: the club is often overcrowded, equipment is frequently out of service, facilities are blocked off for ongoing works, and the overall experience simply does not match the ever-increasing price tag.

The part that really stands out? They proudly point out that new members will pay even more (£285), as if that somehow makes a 20% increase easier for existing members to accept. It reads less like an explanation and more like an attempt to position price hikes as a “benefit,” when in reality it’s a straightforward revenue-maximisation strategy.

But there is a bigger issue underneath all of this: demand for Third Space seems so high that the company no longer appears to care about loyalty or long-term members at all. When a business knows people will join regardless, honouring promises becomes optional. And unfortunately, that is exactly how this situation feels.

Let’s be honest: when a company raises prices this aggressively - and this quickly - after promising the opposite, it’s not about sustaining standards. It’s about squeezing more money out of the people who trusted them. The entire email is a masterclass in dressing up a cash-grab as “commitment to excellence.”

A company that truly valued its founding members would honour its word. Instead, Third Space seems far more interested in expanding its margins than keeping its promises. And that seems to be the real message behind this...

Having tried most of the big brand gyms in South London, I can safely say that Third Space Battersea is miles ahead of all of them. Naturally this comes with a heftier price tag, but it's totally worth it for the excellent facilities and the luxury vibes.

My PT, Connor, is very knowledgeable and is really helping me progress towards my goals so far. I have checked out the Clapham Junction, Soho and Wimbledon branches too - but Battersea is still my favourite! I particularly like the fact that you're not locked into a 12 month contract, which provides max flexibility. The club is very clean, well-maintained and smells lovely. There are a great selection of classes - I particularly enjoy the hot yoga offering.

However, there are a few things that could improve the experience:

The app is terrible. Constantly crashing and there have been several cases where we've had emails from the club reporting outages. My app has stopped counting my number of visits / classes, which I like to keep track of. I logged a ticket with IT a few weeks ago and this still hasn't been resolved.

The club can feel overcrowded at times, especially during peak hours as you might expect - although they claim to have a cap on numbers. I'm very lucky because I do shift work which allows me to visit at quieter times - but this may be something to consider if you work the 9-5 routine.

The chemicals used in the hydro pool are quite harsh sometimes and I can't sit in there for very long or my eyes start to sting.

Despite these relatively minor gripes, it's a very positive experience and I would highly recommend Third...