AIBU to complain about gym pool closures for private parties?

[SecretChipmunk]

I pay what I think is a very large amount to the only decent gym in my area (us, nearly $300/month for just my daughter and I).
one of the main attractions is a lovely outside pool with water slides. Four times already since opening for summer a few weeks ago the pool has been closed for four hours at a time for private parties. These have been mid week but one is tomorrow when schools break up and apparently there’s another one next Sunday - so prime time for us to want to swim outside. AIBU to complain or should I just try and go at other times ? They do give us a couple of days advance notice usually.
I just feel like I pay a lot for the facilities and I should be able to use them when I want to.

I guess it depends on the set up and what you expected when you signed up? Over here, it’s completely normal that various parts of the leisure centre (kids pool, soft play, sports hall) are not available at certain times each week as those are the slots for private hire. I can see why it’s annoying, but unless it’s totally random and unavailable more often than not, I think you just have to plan around the them. YANBU to ask for the schedule or a decent amount of notice though.

I would say that that is fairly normal, providing they provide a timetable somewhere of when the pool will be available that week.

Private parties will give them a fixed large amount of income, which they know in advance they will get at that time over and above the income they are getting from their members.

The only way your complaint would change anything would be if there is actually some clause in your contract that promises the outside pool will be available for members to use at the times when there are parties, so members can legally sue them for breech of contract, or if so many members complained that the drop in membership if all those member left would lose them more than the parties.

I'd expect it in a council run leisure centre, but you're paying a lot, and would expect to be able to access the facilities all the time.

Even for $30 per month I wouldn’t be happy

It’s about price for me. Perfectly acceptable at a public leisure centre where you pay per visit or have a minimal membership fee. I think for a $300/month for two people monthly fee and with nothing mentioned in the contract - this is a new thing they’ve started doing - it’s taking the piss. These are at random times with only a couple of days notice. What if they book the entire weekend for parties ?

If it s anew thing you probably aren’t alone at being pissed off. Also parties don’t get arranged at 48 hours notice. Perhaps start by asking what they’re going to do to compensate for loss of facilities to members? That might get them thinking.