Virgin Active UK Reviews 

I recently had an unfortunate experience with Virgin Active Mill Hill.
After a warm (though unintentionally misleading) tour from Morgan, I decided to join, as I was specifically looking for a gym with accessible classes. During the tour, I made it clear that classes were my main reason for joining. I was reassured there was ample class availability, with stories of always getting a spot even if placed on the waiting list.
The reality could not have been further from this.
Once I joined, I found all the classes I wanted were fully booked, with waiting lists so long they were often also full. When I was able to join a waitlist, I was often 37th in line, making it impossible to attend classes that fit my schedule (I was advised by Morgan to wait until a class I wanted to attend had finished and then try booking for the following week immediately after, in order to secure a spot. While I found this suggestion crazy, I followed it anyway & despite this, I was still 14th on the waiting list. (See attached photos) . I had to rearrange my routine to try off-peak classes, only to face hostile, chaotic queues outside studios where members would demand to know your position on the list to ensure they could get in before you.
At one class I managed to attend without the waitlist, the instructor made a member wait outside, even though it was two minutes before the start time and there were six empty reformer beds inside—embarrassing and unnecessary.

It gets worse.
On day six of my membership, I emailed Morgan requesting to cancel, as the over-subscription made the membership pointless for my needs. She was initially responsive until I confirmed I wanted to cancel, at which point she began ignoring my emails. I had to escalate to customer service just to receive a response.
Despite cancelling within the cooling-off period, I was told by Adelina at Head Office that I could not cancel, without her properly reviewing the case—disappointing, as you would expect basic customer service from a brand like Virgin Active. Once they finally confirmed my membership was correctly cancelled, both Morgan and Adelina stopped responding again, and I was still charged.
It took three weeks of chasing and inconsistent emails to finally receive my refund.

Overall, I would not risk joining this oversubscribed, poorly managed gym. It’s a shame, as the gym facilities themselves are excellent, but the experience has ensured. I would never return to or recommend Virgin Active. I’ve experienced far better service at gyms like PureGym, which charge a fraction of the price while managing class access far more efficiently. Their staff also continue to treat you with respect and don’t ignore you, even when they know you’re no longer a source of revenue

WORS GYM EXPERIENCE OF MY LIFE!

My experience with this gym has been extremely disappointing. I paid for personal training sessions that I didn’t receive for over two months, and despite raising the issue with the gym manager several times over months, my requests were ignored.

Access to the club and class bookings were also blocked for weeks, and the issue was only even looked into after I escalated it to customer service — not because the gym itself took initiative. Even then, the problem still hasn’t been properly resolved.

I was told a “complimentary month” had been applied, but I couldn’t use the facilities during that time, so it felt meaningless. Communication was poor, delays were excessive, and there’s been no proper acknowledgment of the lost time or services I paid for.

If you're considering joining, I would strongly recommend asking how they handle member issues — because in my case, I paid for both PT sessions and access, and received neither for an extended period with no resolution in sight.

Perrione was absolutely amazing today in guiding me on my new membership with the Virgin! I cannot wait to get stuck in

Brand has deteriorated over the years. One towel policy, no air-con, no shower pressure for weeks on end, closed at weekends, changing rooms from the 90s (wooden benches, padlocks required). Everything feels like a money-saving exercise at the expense of client enjoyment. Leaving after 8 years with the brand.

I have never written a review for a company in my life and am always so understanding, but after the absolute displeasure of dealing with this company I felt compelled to share.

My issue already started when i joined in person but was hesitent as i wasn't moving to the area until a month later but the woman gave a very hard sell and said i can set my membership to start at a later date, and cancel over the next 2 weeks if i change my mind, so i signed up. I never got any documents via email so phoned my local branch to find she had written my email incorrectly. I sent an email to customer relations within the 14-days requesting to cancel, they emailed back and said due to signing up in person i only had 7 days. I said i was unaware of this as i didn't get sent any documents to my email and she had told me 2 weeks (a mistake on her part), I moved on as they were being quite useless and just repeating their policies and not actually helping, nor did they even apologise for the mistake on behalf of the team member. I was then charged a membership fee for that month and phoned my virgin branch to query it as i had requested the membership to start later, and that i actually wanted to cancel anyway but couldnt. The manager emailed and said i couldnt cancel as they were told i requested to cancel on X date, which was "after the 2 week period." This was a lie by virgin customer relations as i had actually requested to cancel before then (within the 14 days, but after 7) as per my time stamping on my email, so i already thought this was shady that they had changed the alleged date i first contacted them to fit within their timeframe of being able to reject my cancellation. They refunded me the membership cost for that month and froze my membership until after i moved which i was happy and thankful for.

I have since tried to cancel again due to financial hardship and have again been met with genuine incompetence, regurgitated information on every email with no helpful information and a lack of reading comprehension i have to believe is done on purpose.

I have sent every document under the sun to prove i cannot afford this membership anymore. It started with sending over my payslips to show a reduction in income, they then asked for "valid supporting documentation that clearly shows a change in financial circumstances", i was unaware a legal payslip by my employer wasnt a valid document but i digress. They then said "we are required to obtain clear confirmation from your employer that your reduction of hours and income is ongoing and significant, a brief letter from your employer confirming the changes in employment terms would be sufficient" so i sent them my signed employment contract, dated to take effect after i joined virgin, which outlined a reduction in hours.... however, because my contract was written in terms of working pattern change (i.e. going from 49on/7off, to 21on/21off) and not written clearly enough for them, they rejected this. I stated this is an 87.5% contract reduced to a 50% contract, but this had also fallen on deaf ears. I have even sent a bank statement showing a clear significance of debt in relation to my income as seen on my payslips.

None of these documents were good enough for them, they repetitively regurgitated their "policy" however they seemed to change their policy every email? One minute an employment contract would be sufficient, the next it's not. They don't seem to have any critical thinking to understand what is being written and are making you go in circles. This was demonstrated by my last email from them where they asked again for a "formal letter from my employer stating that my hours have been reduced", but i have already sent them my change in contract and it really is not hard to understand it? They then resolved my ticket!! They provided no information, no help, no attempt at a resolution to this issue and it was like talking to a robot. I have never experienced such a lack of customer service in my life. The lack of interest in you as a consumer is stark and they don't even try to hide that they just want your money and for you to shut up. They would rather you pay for their overpriced gym membership than pay your rent, at least you can shower at the gym i suppose...

IF they had actually apologised and tried to find a solution for me, ideally just cancel it (i really doubt it would affect them that badly), freeze it until I am in a better position, or even just the very little effort of saying i understand you cannot afford this membership so let me at least stop it from auto-renewing, that would have been something, but apparently not. Is being hellbent on the technicalities of a contract really more important than peoples livelihood? Purely unethical, and i will never use any virgin related service again and advise others of the same. Shame.

Avoid if You Have a Choice

Customer service is practically non-existent. Staff ignore you completely when you try to raise an issue.

They even penalize you for missing classes you actually attended, just because their system doesn’t register it correctly. And when you point it out? The staff does nothing to fix it.

The information they give is misleading at best — outright dishonest at worst. They’ll promise you things like a free month if you bring a friend, but conveniently leave out the fine print until after you've done your part. Expect to be spammed with promotional emails that sound great, but in reality come with impossible criteria.

To make it worse, the amenities they used to offer — like makeup remover, creams, and other nice extras in the changing rooms — are gone. All those little things that made the experience feel premium have been quietly removed.

Overall, this gym has gone seriously downhill. If you have other options, do yourself a favor and go elsewhere.

My boyfriend wanted to gift me 1 months experience at the gym so I had specifically mentioned this to the lady and wanted ensure I am well informed of the types of options I have including cancellations. The lady who provided me all the information clearly told me that I can cancel whenever even a day before my next payment. (Honestly I thought this was odd cos most direct debits need to be cancelled 5 days before but I trusted her since she works there) Hearing this I went ahead and joined. Almost to the end of my 1 month I went to cancel and u was shocked to hear that I still have to pay for another month. Turns out the lady gave me all the wrong information and now I am being told that the policy is you must stay with them for at least 30 days before you can cancel and I need to pay for the second month?! I agreed upon the verbal agreement that I can pay for the 1 month and cancel even a day before and now I’m stressed. And they keep contacting me sayin I haven’t paid! Be careful not to trust them. I’m sure the girl was desperate to show she can get a customer or was not trained well at all. For a place to charge that much and not inform you of important details like that is crazy. I had specifically asked about the cancellation and I was provided with the wrong information, a place like that should not require to even have a customer to ask, they should inform customers regardless. Terrible experience. What was meant to be a wonderful 1 month experience with hopes to one day re-join them on a yearly contract has now turned into a nightmare for me. Not worth the money. I’ll be contacting citizens advice and trading standard if they don’t close my account asap. Honestly the audacity to misinform me and tell me the policy only when I’m trying to cancel. It’s sickening business practice.

This has been a recurring annual disaster and it is happening now again. Your flagship branch (Walbrook) do not have air ventilation at the weight area. This is the 3rd or 4th year in a row where air ventilation was not working during summer.

I am not sure your team is competent to fix it. If not, please consider shutting your gym or offer a partial refund to members who paid for Walbrook price but did not get to utilise the equipment/facilities/ environment priced at Walbrook level.

Please respond or I can help to write to your Head of Operation to help you in fixing this.

Unfortunately over the years Virgin Active gyms have become less than. The one at Riverside in Chiswick is the worst. Terrible communication, the customer services manager Tarina doesn’t understand simple questions and although promising all her staff are properly trained we have had incorrect information on several occasions. You can no longer call the front desk despite having far too many staff on it. It is also massively overpriced compared to other VA gyms which are better. One of the personal trainers is good but the rest are under qualified. There are lots of better sports facilities close by, give this one a wide berth!

I’ve had a deeply frustrating experience with Virgin Active Islington regarding my membership. In April 2025, I had to urgently leave the country due to a family emergency and attempted to freeze my membership for May and June. Unfortunately, the online system didn’t allow it, and despite repeated efforts, I couldn’t reach anyone via phone — no calls were ever answered, and there was no alternative way to resolve the issue remotely.

Out of options, I cancelled my direct debit so I wouldn’t be charged for months I wasn’t using the gym. I later contacted Virgin Active via email to explain everything and asked to reinstate my membership from July onward. Although the customer relations representative acknowledged the situation and was polite in tone, I still encountered long delays, lack of clarity, and no concrete solution about pausing or adjusting my payments. Even after multiple follow-ups, my questions about freezing until mid-October (due to ongoing travel) were not properly addressed.

It’s very disappointing that a company of this size offers no reliable customer service when members need urgent support. Forcing people to show up in person — even when they’re abroad or facing emergencies — is not a modern or fair policy. I hope this feedback is taken seriously, and Virgin Active improves both its communication and flexibility for its members.

Wrisband, card, padlock. Really? It's 2025 and I don't feel like guessing when going to another location.Went to Bank gym today but couldn't use it because I didn't bring a padlock. Not buying one , not when membership os 3-4 times higher tham other gyms. Get with the times guys.

Worst company ever. The gym may be okay, but management is HORRENDOUS. Stay away!!!! You aren't able to cancel your membership even when giving the company two months notice. You speak to loads of different staff saying they'll sort things out for you (with email evidence), and not only do they not give you your money back, but also have the audacity to not cancel your membership (EVEN though you've left the country), and take even more money from you!! STAY AWAY

Treat our direct debits like cashpoints.
3 Memberships and one account is increased monthly with the excuse "we emailed you..." well you didn't email my daughter, the email her mother got regarding her increase also doesn't meet legal requirements for an increase on several fronts including explaining the new benefits and following up to ensure the increase is acceptable. £88.00 now gone up to £126
00 and no my daughter didn't receive any of the THREE emails they claim they sent with each increase in fees. Try to remedy this is like herding cats. Great at taking your money and zero actual help when it comes to sorting out THEIR errors! We're leaving as clearly they're in breech of contract and advise anybody considering joining to be very carful before signing up and filling out the direct debit mandate. It's all nice and shiny upfront but customer services is a worn out hamster on its wheel. You'll receive zero actual help in our and reading the reviews other people's experiences.

Be careful of what your getting yourself into!

Extremely Disappointed – Poor Communication and Unjust Charges

I’m really sad to be writing this, but I feel completely let down. After months of poor communication and confusion, I’ve now had another £135 taken from my account with no warning or explanation.

Despite raising concerns previously and being told that my membership was cancelled (with confirmation that my final payment had already been calculated), this latest charge is just the final straw.

I was told the 10% increase in fees was communicated, but this was during a period when my original contact had left and I received no proper follow-up. I had to chase multiple times just to get someone to acknowledge the issue, only to be told I wouldn’t be refunded for months of increased charges.

This entire experience has felt like a complete joke. As a paying member, I expected at least some level of professionalism and transparency. Sadly, that wasn’t the case. Be cautious — and keep every email and receipt if you decide to join.

Avoid at all cost!

Virgin Active’s Chiswick Business Park experience has been nothing short of disappointing. Despite repeated attempts (since April) to resolve issues—through calls, emails, and messages—customer service has been unresponsive and ineffective. The only thing they seem to handle efficiently is billing, even when access to the gym is denied despite payment. I do not recommend to anyone.

Signed up for PT during a special offer to receive 2 free sessions per month for 3 months. Virgin is refusing to honour the terms of the offer and has been fobbing me off for over 4 months, wasting hours of my time in the process. If this isn't resolved they'll be hearing from my lawyer.

Virgin Gyms used to be cool places. The music played in class by ALL the Teachers/instructors is now diabolical. Virgin the brand, that once had a mega MUSIC store is refusing to pay a PRS music license fee to ensure musicians are paid for the music they play and we listen to at the club. Virgin members enjoyment and overall experience ( especially in water aerobics) is severely affected. Virgin do something about this - it’s embarrassing that your organisation has taken such a ridiculous decision to save money. Pay your management and shareholders less and pay musicians for their music so your instructors and members can enjoy their exercise experiences again.

Friendly staff, clean, working showers - good service and classes.

Billing is a scam. Impossible to reach someone to fix a billing issue.

My child did a tennis trial at Virgin Fulham in September that turned out not to be a fit. I spoke to the tennis coordinator about this - David - and he said not to worry about the billing because it has only been 1-2 lessons. I’m now trying to enroll my child in swimming and I’ve been told that I cannot because I have an outstanding charge of £675 (!?!) on my account. I cannot get replies to my emails or direct messages to Virgin Fulham. I tried to call the only available phone number (corporate) and it took over 20 minutes of waiting. I couldn’t reach anyone and I had to drop the line. There is a different Virgin near my workplace. I went to that location and spoke to a human. That person confirmed that my account has been billed on auto renew since September… and they had no advice on how to solve this except “trying the corporate number again” or physically go into the Fulham location. This is outrageous. Corporate cost cutting to the extreme and dodgy/bad admin.

The facilities are good, environment is good, however the staff especially manager is so friendly. If you have any problems, they didn’t deal with it, no reply ,no answers,