AIBU to wonder why David Lloyd gyms are so expensive?

[UndertheCedartree]

I go to a DL gym and interested as to the reasons for it being just so expensive? My thoughts are certainly round here there is no competition. We have lots of the basic gyms and a semi-council run leisure centre. The basic gyms are fine but not all the equipment DL has and I do also like the wide range of classes at DL at multiple times. Also there is no pool and my favourite thing is swimming. And of course they are not family friendly. Then the leisure centre I used for a while but myself and my DC couldn't get along with it. The pool was so crowded and noisy, the changing rooms wet and cold with grotty showers. We are all autistic so sensory issues really affect us. The gym is ok, a few classes. Then the spa was ok - basic sauna, steam and jacuzzi but separate to the pool so if I wanted to do swim and spa had to get changed then undressed again in between. It was also small and full of men talking loudly and I never felt comfortable. So with this all in mind David Lloyd became the only option.

Also interested if you think the high price is worth it. I pay over £200 a month for myself and my daughter. Overall I think it is worth it for me as it massively helps my mental health as well as physical of course. I make good use of it using the weights and cardio in the gym a couple of times a week. I do a class and swim 3 times a week. I play netball. Also swim with my daughter, play badminton and pickle ball, sometimes do a family class. We both have friends there. I also go to seminars such as the Female health series they are doing right now. We also enjoy the seasonal parties and activities and my daughter does some kids club activities. I like being able to use the spa and adult lounge when without my daughter but equally enjoy the family friendly spaces with DD. It is a huge stretch financially, though.

I went yesterday. Outdoor pool in this weather is absolutely glorious!

I'm going to be snobby and say lower middle classes based on my experience.

Also lots and lots of tradesmen (about a quarter of the car park is branded vans during the day).

God knows because I’ve just done a tour of all the private gyms in my city and got a nice teacher discount at the village and the facilities just seemed better than DL. I don’t understand how they can ask 4 times the amount!

If you all use it regularly enough and take advantage of the full facility it’s not bad value. I used to break it down in terms of what I would spend over the course of the month going to various different places with the kids and it was fine and convenient as all under one roof.

After reading this, I now realise how incredibly lucky I am. I used to be a member of DL when the kids were younger, suited me then. I love swimming, have no interest in gym/spa. Just before Covid Better opened a new smallish leisure centre literally 10 mins from me. Beautiful full size pool, with laning availability all day, early evening. Separate kids pool. Great individual showers/changing cubicles. Always seem to be staff cleaning. Booking slots available online, no problems. Parking for members only, so always get a slot. Lots of Pilates/core strengthening/zumba/yoga classes, all included in membership. I now swim 3/4 times a week. DH still a DL member as he’s a tennis player, so I suppose that with the gym suits him. God knows what pays now, I pay £35 a month. DS recently moved to membership to Better & says the gym is really good.

It's expensive in order to keep everyone who wants better value-for-money away, because the benefit that members are paying for is to be able to spend their leisure time in an environment which is only occupied by wealthy people. The better value for money a place is, the more popular it will be and therefore will be more crowded and unpleasant. The enormous extra cost for DL membership keeps away the unpleasantness and that's a premium benefit that you can choose whether or not to pay for if you have the available money.

In a related type of thing, one time when I was in America there was a shopping mall type area that had a $20 entrance fee. There was no benefit to paying the fee except that it meant that once you were inside, you were in an environment that only contained people who could throw away $20 on nothing at all, and so had a totally different ambience to any kind of similar place that anyone rich or poor could just go into if they chose.

Not everyone there is middle class, but I take your point. Personally I think you get 'riff raff' in all classes. I think part of what I pay for is less people there overall, but I never looked at the people at the council pool and thought I don't want to be sharing this space with you.

That sounds amazing for £60pm!

I don't work for them! Maybe I should and then maybe I'd get a discount?? 😂

The gym really is lovely, I just wish there were more options at different price points as I do find it a stretch to pay for. I'm probably spoiled now and wouldn't want to change!

Haven't you pretty much answered it in your OP? They have different facilities to small orivate gyms and are "nicer" than the council leisure centres. The pricing is largely to keep them exclusive and keep the riff raff out, which is what their clientelle like.

I cancelled DL years ago when they started chargibg ££££ for DC who could basically only use the pool and joined the council one. For me, the facilities are very similar. The pool is bigger, though more functional than pretty and there's no sauna etc. The classes are the same and TBH the customers are nicer!

Interesting. We don't have tai chi at ours - I'd love to try it.

It’s expensive because there is so much on offer

I almost joined the DL near us but was quite drawn to them having a work area so I could feasibly spend most of my days there and fit a workout in during the day (home based worker but we are told we can work from wherever we want) but once the entire family wanted to get in on it (6 of us) the cost was just unsustainable

I ended up joining a local gym near us that’s 2 minutes away from us so I can nip in on my lunch break but it’s just a gym - no sauna, steam room, cafe, pool etc - but it’s only £30 a month.

The one we are members of is ideal for us, a mile away, one of the high tier ones and I think gets a lot of investment/upgrades. It’s always spotless, changing rooms are constantly being cleaned. The gym is really big and plenty of machines, never have to wait for anything even when it’s busy. Big weights area too.
Tonnes of classes (none of us use them though), padel courts, squash and tennis (ds and I use those) and a brilliant spa with loads of saunas and a couple of steam rooms, floating infinity type indoor pool and a nice outdoor pool.
Yes it’s silly money and no I don’t think we get the best value out of it, ds tends to go once or twice a week and me 2-3 times, dh varies between 0-3 times a week, mostly 0 at the moment but it’s really convenient.
Im just getting ready to go now, gym and spa for a bit, perfect start to the day.

The family classes are great, aren't they? I've not done the blaze one with DD but the adult class is brutal!

I am always very aware of making the most of it due to cost. It always blows my mind when people comment for example - I only use the outdoor pool. I don't understand how they can justify the cost when only using one of the facilities!

I haven't found this a problem. The sign in the women's changing room clearly states over 8s must use the room appropriate to their sex or there is the family changing room with separate cubicles that any sex can use.

The enormous extra cost for DL membership keeps away the unpleasantness
Perhaps in some clubs, but in the two local to me, I see the opposite. It attracts the unpleasant and the entitled.
I'm not wealthy at all, and there are lots of regular folk who go (also agree about the trades), but I genuinely see better behaviour in cheaper gyms than I do at DL.
I'm fully aware I am part of the problem because I dislike it so, yet continue to stay because the pool works for me...

Don't get me wrong there are sometimes men at my DL talking loudly in the spa but as it is so much bigger I can avoid them!

I avoid any items on the menu that could be microwaved as they are usually disappointing but I find the freshly made meals good.

I wouldn't like a man in the women's changing room. Overall, I can understand why you wouldn't pay such high costs with all those issues.

😂😂😂

I’d be happy to pay if there was one close to me that was a nice experience and I was getting use out of it. Unfortunately I’m at the local council gym as it’s 5 minutes away and they do 6am classes that suit me. Theres nothing luxurious and later in the day the changing rooms are grim (but ok at 6am as just cleaned for opening and I rarely use them). I can’t really complain for my £25 per month salary sacrifice when I use the gym facilities and do classes 4/5 tImes a week though!

Sounds like you got a great deal! I wish we had more options.

That's my experience of DL. Loud and entitled people and not particuarly well behaved children. Plus really cliquey.

I was very pleasantly surprised when I switched to the Leisure Centre. The people are friendly hardworking types with manners, and no one thinks they're special because they have a fancy car. The "riff raff" probably don't really do regular exercise, and there's no bar which probably helps too.

That sounds great!

Not everyone is wealthy. I'm not or my best friend who goes too.

I agree, a real mix at my DL.