Virgin Active Canary Riverside

Reviews

• LM

  laura mc

  Oct 14, 2026
  5.0
  Great location also so clean I spent hours In the spa area was a wonderful experience,the staff (Dani) was super super helpful I will be joining up end of the month for sure 💪
• PP

  Perry

  Oct 13, 2026
  2.0
  Really a joke to pay 160£ a month and there are not even the bare minimum machines for strength training, like pec delt fly, adductor, abductor, hip thrusts etc, the space is too small and ceilings are too low. A 27£ the gym group or pure gym is way better for it.
• EP

  Emma Papworth

  Oct 11, 2026
  1.0
  I was in the pool area using my phone, after being told not to, I noticed another lady beside me using hers for around 15 minutes without being approached by staff. I find it frustrating that the rules don’t appear to be applied consistently. Why was I singled out when others were doing the same thing, and why doesn’t there seem to be a consistent approach among staff? When I asked why they could barely come up with a reason. I’ve been there so many times and seen people using their phones. I later received a formal warning letter via email!! I wasn’t speaking on the phone loudly, I wasn’t taking pictures I wasn’t doing social media. I was literally reading an article with the phone flat on the lounge bed. Have common decency, common sense and learn some customer service skills. Unfortunately, it has genuinely put me off returning, which is disappointing.
• RL

  Ryaan L

  Sep 28, 2026
  1.0
  Absolutely appalling experience at Virgin Active Canary Riverside, particularly disappointing given that this was my first day back after restarting my membership. I had previously been a regular member of this club and chose to return because I had generally had positive experiences here. The front-of-house staff today were also lovely. Unfortunately, my experience in the changing rooms completely overshadowed that. After using the sauna and steam room, I went to take a shower. A member of staff named Saidul was cleaning elsewhere in the shower area. There was no sign, no barrier and no indication whatsoever that the shower I entered was closed or unavailable. I entered the cubicle and turned the shower on. Shortly afterwards, Saidul began banging extremely loudly on the shower door while I was inside and shouting at me to get out. The banging was so sudden and aggressive that I physically flinched. When I opened the door, rather than simply explaining that he needed me to use another shower, he continued speaking to me in an unnecessarily raised and confrontational tone, telling me that I could see he was cleaning and questioning why I had entered the shower. If a shower is unavailable, PUT UP A SIGN. Close the cubicle. Put up a barrier. Or simply say, “Sorry, would you mind using the other shower?” What you do not do is hammer on the door of an occupied shower and shout at a paying member who had absolutely no way of knowing that the shower was supposedly unavailable. I immediately challenged the way I was being spoken to and told him not to raise his voice at me. I subsequently raised the incident with the person I was told was his manager before leaving and have now made a formal complaint to Virgin Active. I pay approximately £225 per month for my Virgin Active membership. At that price point, being treated with basic courtesy should hardly be an unreasonable expectation. Frankly, nobody should be spoken to this way regardless of what they pay. The most ridiculous part is that there would have been zero issue whatsoever had I simply been politely asked to use another shower. I would have moved immediately. The entire complaint is about the completely unnecessary manner in which the situation was handled. For this to happen on my first visit after choosing to return to Virgin Active is incredibly disappointing. Premium membership fees should come with, at an absolute minimum, professional and respectful treatment from staff. Shame on you Saidul.
• HH

  HairDoc H

  Sep 24, 2026
  1.0
  I have been coming to Virgin Active Canary Riverside for around 3 years, and after what has happened, my trust in this gym has completely gone. My iPhone 17 Pro and Apple Watch were stolen from the gym, and what has made the situation even worse is the lack of urgency and support I have received afterwards. There was apparently only around a one-hour window to investigate what happened, and despite CCTV and member access records being available, I have not received the answers I expected. I have repeatedly tried to get help identifying who was responsible, but it feels like nobody is actually taking responsibility for getting to the bottom of it. I have even provided Find My location information showing my stolen phone at a specific address, yet I still feel like I am having to do all the chasing myself. I have contacted the manager, James, several times. Unfortunately, I have found the response extremely disappointing. I expected much more from a premium gym where members pay a significant amount for their membership. What I find particularly concerning is the possibility that someone’s belongings can be taken from the lockers and the person responsible can simply leave the gym and continue coming back as though nothing happened. I would expect a gym of this standard to take something like this extremely seriously. I am not saying Virgin Active should disclose anyone’s personal information to me. I am saying that I expected them to properly investigate the incident, preserve and review relevant CCTV, check access records and cooperate fully with the police to identify whoever was responsible. Instead, I have been left feeling like my phone, my watch and the financial loss are simply my problem. For a gym that markets itself as a premium/high-end club, this experience has been completely unacceptable. I joined because I trusted the gym and its facilities. After three years of membership, I never expected my belongings to be stolen while using the club and then feel like nobody was particularly interested in finding out who did it. I would seriously question the level of security and the way theft incidents are handled here. I expected better from Virgin Active Canary Riverside. This experience has completely changed my view of the club.

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