David Lloyd Belfast

Good gym but flawed. In summary, the high membership fee isn't worth what you get in return, so unless you're going to go every day and use a variety of the facilities, spend your money elsewhere. I joined David Lloyds over a year ago and have decided to compile a review. I live close to the gym and use it frequently enough that I put up with the downsides: Parking and Reception - the parking spaces seem more narrow than in other car parks. Reception always seems understaffed. Most receptionists are nice but some aren't so good at multitasking, and for some reason they MUST hand you a towel by hand, instead of trusting members to pick up their own. Sometimes queues build up here. Once you get your towel, it's a trek to the change rooms - poor design. Overall, this "process" is the most frustrating part of the David Lloyds experience. Once in the change rooms, getting free space beside a locker isn't too enjoyable either as it can get very congested. This entire "process" is an ordeal. Tennis - played regularly in 2022 but there is such a wide range of ability in the group sessions that you will often find the two-hour slot isn't much of a workout and the tennis isn't challenging either. Booking system is flawed - if you don't book into the session 9 days in advance, forget about it. The guy who takes the sessions never turns up. There is a sense that anyone seriously interested in tennis at this gym should be taking paid lessons (paid ON TOP of the membership fee - so what's the point?!). Better to go to a dedicated tennis club if you're serious and save some money. Spin - I love spin, and this is one of the main reasons I joined a commercial gym like David Lloyds. The spin room itself is good, and four of the five instructors that I've had have been excellent. One of them talks so much I couldn't attend her classes any more. For example, we would hit a flat run with no speed changes for the next 3 minutes, and she would feel the need to talk for every second of those 3 minutes (all 180 of them). It was very annoying. My biggest issue with spin is the bikes not working. In fact, this is why I stopped going to the classes in 2023, and why I'm writing this review today! I hadn't been to a spin class all year, and sure enough, I went today and my bike wasn't working! And I heard someone else saying their bike wasn't working today too, so it's not just one bike. They can never seem to get it right. How hard are they to fix? Where is our money going? There are always free bikes off to the side of the room so can we not use them instead? Some of the bikes don't even have numbers on them any more. And if the bike works, sometimes the software projected on the screen doesn't! This class also suffers from the same flawed booking system as the tennis: people book 9 days in advance when the class becomes available to book, and sometimes they cancel after you've decided to do something else, or they don't cancel at all and just don't show up. There are no consequences for booking and not attending. Gym - good layout. This is where I spend most of my time. They struggle to repair or replace machines that go out of order. Some machines are more popular than others so there is usually somebody on them when you want to use them, e.g. pec deck, leg extension, squat racks (only 3?!). Some areas like the free-weights get congested. Pools - nice indoor pool but there are always classes on. Hot tub is always packed with dudes. Steam room is good. Sauna is tiny and always packed. Outdoor pool is nice but usually packed when the weather is nice. Some people like to sit around the sides when it is sunny (if you're not using the pool, can you not do this at home?!). Blaze - good class. Bit cheesy, but results in a hard workout. Joanne is fantastic. Guest passes - good programme but I want my friend to experience Blaze, however, guests can't book classes! What incentive do guests have to sign up?! Overall - too busy. Classic corporate capitalism. Emphasis on quantity of member numbers over quality on member experience.

Very average/disappointing when you consider that it’s the most expensive gym/club in Northern Ireland. I was a member 20 years ago before moving to London. I moved back to Belfast recently and my wife joined and I went with her on a pass - it basically looks like they haven’t refurbed the club in that entire 20 year period. It looks really dated, everything is chipped and scuffed and worn and tired - you go to the changing rooms and they’re pretty grotty, there’s nothing that a modern premium changing room would have to help you out with babies/kids. Waiting for my wife in the bar upstairs I go over to the kiddie area with my toddler to read some books, there’s only about 6-8 books, all of them torn to shreds and almost none of them have any pages left in them. Really budget. It would cost them £100 to sort this out but they clearly couldn’t be bothered. That’s not a crime, but equally don’t be putting a load of rubbish on your website about it being a ‘first rate’ club. 2 stars as the equipment is decent and the staff are fine and if you play a lot of tennis it’d probably still suit you, but ultimately the club explicitly advertises itself as “first-rate”, charges a pretty pricey membership fee, but is well short of a first-rate standard.

I have been training with Carol Hutchinson for the past 2 years She is a fantastic motivator and has lifted my whole physical medical and emotional wellbeing. My bone density before I started working with Carol was such that I was needed intensive medical management as I had had 9 Fractures 2 years on and with Carol training me my bone density has improved so much that i no longer need this treatment Carol has trained me with weight and compound training in such a way that I enjoy every session her consistency, and dedication cannot be praised enough So glad to have this trainor in my life Such an assett to the David LLoyd Team Gabrielle Williamson