David Lloyd Birmingham

Good morning, I previously raised a complaint regarding the loss of court booking slots that have been deliberately disabled. This now amounts to up to 4,000 hours of lost availability per year. I was informed that this was done so staff could leave earlier. This was not the case previously when I joined the club in 2021, and it represents a significant reduction in the service I am paying for. I do not wish to sound disrespectful, but I do expect my concerns to be taken seriously and handled properly. I pay a monthly membership fee, yet I am no longer allowed to book any courts between 9:00 pm and 10:00 pm on weekdays. Weekends are even worse, as courts are unavailable from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, with these slots having been deliberately disabled for staff convenience. All other David Lloyd clubs allow court bookings until 10:00 pm on weekdays and 9:00 pm on weekends, which makes this situation even more difficult to understand. At the same time, membership fees continue to increase every year, while the quality of service continues to decline. In addition, I would like to raise the following issues: - Frequent lack of hot water - Soap often unavailable - Increasingly hostile behaviour from certain staff - I was warned that I could be banned for exiting the club after 10:01 pm -Access to certain clubs in the country and abroad have been disabled without any prior notice This is not the standard of service I signed up for. Staff's salaries are paid by membership fees. I expect these matters to be reviewed properly and addressed. If they are not resolved, I will have no choice but to escalate this issue further. Regards,

HONEST FEEDBACK FROM CURRENT MEMBER! I’ve been a member of David Lloyd since 2020, and the idea that this gym is “premium” is honestly laughable. To be clear, the staff themselves are great — polite, helpful, and clearly doing their best. Unfortunately, management is absolutely dreadful and has run this place into the ground. The machines, sauna, and steam room are constantly broken, closed, or not fit for purpose. For a gym charging premium prices, basic facilities being unavailable seems to be completely acceptable here. Parking is a nightmare. Bays are far too small, overcrowded, and you should genuinely expect your car to get damaged at some point. Yet another “premium” touch. Other David Lloyd branches — Lichfield being a perfect example — have had proper, impressive renovations. Meanwhile, we were sold a so-called “changing room makeover” which amounted to very little. Calling it a makeover was misleading at best. What’s truly embarrassing is that budget gyms like PureGym have far better weight machines. David Lloyd continues to rely on outdated, tired equipment, which is unacceptable for a gym that markets itself as high-end. Despite repeated member feedback about all of the above, management’s big solution was to open the gym one hour earlier. Nothing about broken facilities, outdated equipment, overcrowding, or parking — just an earlier opening time. Completely tone-deaf. Every so often, the gym runs discounted “14-day offers” that flood the place with people who have no intention of joining long-term. The result? Overcrowding, a worse atmosphere, equipment misuse, and in some cases even theft from lockers. Yet again, no meaningful action from management. The only reason I remain a member is because it’s close to my office and towels are provided — certainly not because the gym offers value for money. Be prepared for your membership fees to increase year after year while the standard continues to decline. That seems to be the only thing management is consistent with. Many members are afraid to leave honest reviews due to concerns about being barred or treated differently, which says everything you need to know about the culture here. If you’re looking for a genuinely premium gym, this isn’t it. If you’re happy paying top-tier prices for sub-par facilities and poor management, then you’ll fit right in.

The gym itself isn’t great - very tired and not exactly ‘premium’ however I use it for its creche facility. And I must say what a wonderful facility this is, with excellent staff. I’m always particularly impressed by Brad there, he is an asset to the club with the way he treats us as a family and goes above and beyond for my little one. I know other families really value the work Brad does there too; so kind, caring and patient with the children. Please ensure management note this and pass on the praise. I’ll continue to use this gym - but because there is a creche service.