Virgin Active

I was on a leisure trip from the US and greatly enjoyed this gym. It was clean, the staff was friendly and I very much enjoyed my workouts here. I will use this location again when I return. Highly recommended. I did not utilize a 75% of what the gym had offer: it is huge with many classes, other amenities and a great lounge area.

What can I say about Virgin Active at Angel? I’m a member of Bank, which is a pretty swanky club and Angel just doesn’t compare. I only come to the Angel branch when I’m either in the area for something else or need to workout before 10 (Bank opens at 10). But every time I step into this gym, my heart sinks. Yes, the staff is friendly and yes, it’s a gym and has a lot of the same equipment as Bank, but the quality of the facilities is significantly inferior. The interior is outdated, they don’t offer small towels for when you’re working out, and there are kids running around, which is the last thing I want to deal with when working out. But, the gym is right by the Angel tube and its convenient and the hours are better than the ones in the city, so that has to count for something. I would only recommend this gym if you live closeby because it’s sufficient, just not amazing.

This gym is being refurbished and is truly fabulous. The staff are on hand for help and advice anytime and the equipment modern and clean. There is also a steam room sauna and jacuzzi to enjoy after your work out and a great pool for serious swimmers as well as learners.
I joined as a flexible member which is s little more expensive but it means you can cancel with a months notice but you can also join as an off peak member or full flexible per year.

There’s nice changing rooms, but last I went in they were under construction and the weight areas were significantly cramp to a point of a lack of safety IMO.
People nearly lifting weights above each other and fighting for room. This was on a weekday just after work at peak hours bare in mind.
Will adjust review post-​construction.

So this Virgin Active club is currently a tier 2 club but is undergoing a full renovation (which was very badly needed because the current women’s changing rooms are a complete shithole). I recon that the club will bump up a tier at the end of the renovation which will make me happy because then I can make it my home club and can book classes which…
brings me to my first complaint…
Now, this complaint s a Virgin Active complaint as a whole. Their systems are so archaic (or perhaps restrictive to give home club members priority for classes) that they only allow members to book classes for their home clubs. Since my home club is presently Chiswick Park (tier 1), I can go to this lower tiered club but I cannot book classes which means that I have to show up early (first come first serve if there are extra spots available) and still risk not being able to attend the class. This holds true if I were to, say, head over to Barbican which is a tier 1 club (although I did recently read that they have discontinued booking classes altogether, gasp!) as well. If a member is a multi-​club member, then they should be able to book any class at any club that they are permitted to go to.
My second complaint is that I can’t swipe my Virgin Active membership card at the Angel location because Chiswick Park is «on a different system» so I’m inconvenienced by having to have reception swipe my card for me every time I go to the gym.
My third complaint is that the gym floor is in the basement. There are no windows and though ventilation is good, it feels like you’re in a cave when you’re down there.
Last year, I lived through the six-​month top-​to-​bottom renovation of Chiswick Park and the renovation of Angel is shaping up to be at the same level as the Chiswick Park renovation (which is awesome). New throughout, not just new showers or slapping some paint on the wall. Right now at Angel, the men’s changing rooms are being renovated and when they are done, then the women will move to the new men’s changing rooms while the men move to the old women’s changing rooms as they are being renovated. Then we’ll swap back to our original changing rooms. I know this because this is how it worked at Chiswick Park.
As of writing, the gym floor renovation appears to be complete. GRID classes will soon be kicking off and I can’t wait, however, I would be more excited if I could book said GRID classes.
The group cycle room appears to be renovated but I hope it hasn’t because it’s too small and the bikes need to be replaced (they also don’t have digital displays). The room currently has 28 bikes but they are so close together that it’s really uncomfortable. The room is also of a strange shape — it’s a quarter of a circle.
I hope that the café of this club gets booted during the renovation because the space could better be used for GYM STUFF. I dislike gyms that have services like spas and cafes. YOU ARE A GYM. STICK TO GYM STUFF. If you want to go to a café, go to one of the hundreds within walking distance of the gym.
Another downside to this club is that it is not adults-​only though children are only allowed in the pool. The women’s changing room is a bit of a nightmare on weekends when kids are in the club for swimming lessons but this is a minor irritation, however, I must admit that if this club bumps up a tier, that it should become adults-​only as well. I think Virgin Active really has an identity crisis here — they are trying to please both families and singles and let’s be honest, they need to pick one or the other and since Islington is the borough in London with the most single people, Virgin should probably forgo being a family club.

I only come here once a month as it’s not my home gym but they have the Willpower class which I’m a fan of. I wish I could come more often, it’s quite big and the changing rooms are massive.
And so is the swimming pool that I still have to try :)

A good gym. It has good opening hours and free towel service. Towel service is ever so necessary. The gym is not too busy but I also go early in the morning so that comment could be skewed. They could do with one or more squat racks but till then a boy can dream

I really like Virgin Gyms… especially Virgin at Angel.

A great local gym club.
Very nice staff as well. I enjoy every visit !

My «home gym» in the VA chain, Islington’s branch impresses initially with the shininess, the gleaming café, the huge hot tub, etc.
On the plus side, the equipment is largely in good shape. The pool is huge, the hot tub (while a bit too cool for my taste) is an awesome way to relax after a workout, and the staff have been both helpful and readily available on the main gym floor at the «staff island» in the center of the floor.
Two major issues, one structural and one temporary. Structurally, this is a massively popular gym and it shows if you try to go during weekday evenings. The place is simply rammed. I’ve never tried to attend a class, but waiting for a treadmill or a machine would be not at all unusual at 7pm on a Tuesday.
Second, the air conditioning. There have been long stretches of time where there has been no or minimal AC in the basement gym. While they do their best to set up fans, etc., the crowding and cramped nature of the place makes for a very unpleasant experience. Even when the AC appears to be working normally, temperatures climb ominously during prime time.
Compared to the other VA gyms I’ve used (Moorgate, Tower Hill), Islington is quite large and the best appointed. I’d recommend it for those who work out in off hours (late mornings, lunchtime). For primetime users, Moorgate is on the same tier, not too far away, and much cooler, airier, less crowded, and more spacious.

Great spa and im a big fan of their spinning classes. Also Tony A who does the bootcamp and boxersize will be the one to get me in shape i’m sure x

I have mixed feelings about this location of Virgin Active. There are SO many inconsistencies between individual locations, that I find rather ridiculous (I can’t swipe in at Islington, different computer system, they have an online booking system for classes, Tower Bridge has wrist bands, Strand has «tolkens,» Holloway has no free towels, etc.).
My #1 complaint about Islington is that they have thousands and thousands of members (I heard the actual number the other day, it was ridiculous considering how small the space is.) and evening classes are really, really full. Like, it is nearly impossible to get into Zumba *shimmy* on Tuesday nights unless you are crazy competitive like me (and have free time) and can come sit in the (really nice!) café for a while beforehand and be first in line to get the «non-​online» wrist bands. In short, if you want to know how to get into a busy class, make sure to ask the people at the front desk, like 10 day ahead of time so you know what to expect.
During the day, there is no problem getting equipment or into classes, but there are a lot of kids around, which, being a teacher, kind of bothers me because I don’t really want to have kids around at my gym, but I am sure when I am a mum, I’ll be glad to have something for my 3 year old to do during the day. Or not. Nope, not taking the kids to the gym, sorry.
On the plus side: really nice café (costa coffee) with big windows and free wifi. Staff is pretty nice as well. The Zumba teachers (Vivianne, AJ, Guieti) are all fab as well.

Meh. They dont sell guest passes unless you are with a member (which might be a selling point if you want to join) and the instruction in the Body Pump class was so-​so.

It’s not my home club but I still like to visit for a swim and jacuzzi because the facilities are fantastic. Friendly and helpful staff and some great teachers too (Wednesday night spin is great).

One of the better Virgins, the gym area is large and they have quite a lot of free weights and other equipment. Does get quite busy at times though

Let me count the ways in which I like* this gym.
1. Friendly staff that say hello when you come in
2. Great teachers, Bogusta the pilates instructor. Possibly former KGB, who knows but she’s damn good, baby. She’ll grab your ass and you’ll like it.
3. 25 metre pool. I’ve been to several gyms in London and a proper pool is rare.
4. Belly dancing classes, an exclusive to this club
5. Such funky fun classes, Roxy Beach workout? Yes, please.
6. Three month memberships and no hassle to quit, cool.
7. I’ve never been in the gym, but it looks nice.
* I did say like not love. I am never going to love a gym, even one with virgins.

Now this is a gym with a proper-​sized pool — 25 meters! And it even has quite a generous spa area with warm bubbly pools, steam room, sauna and sanarium.
The gym itself is not the biggest one, but it has all the equipment that the average Joe needs to have a decent workout. I guess that’s all I have to say about this location… it’s alright.

Turns out that there’s more than just plentiful sans-​Madge vibration technology to be joyous about at this Virgin Active location, and her name is Jannett G.
Listen, sometimes things get screwed up. I understand that. What I don’t understand is when people aren’t willing to help fix the problem. This seems to happen more often than not in my UK dealings… until Jannett.
Without going into über-​boring details, my gym contract slipped through a few cracks and literally became one big fluster-​clucked knot that even I couldn’t figure out how to solve. Without delay, Jannett made things all sorts of right in ways I hadn’t even imagined; fully rectifying the situation, saving me money, solving my constant travel conundrums, and easing my worry of entering into a long contract.
As long as Jannett and this level of service can be found at Virgin Active, you can believe I’ll be a regular. (Oh, and I’m still loving those power plates…)

This place makes me die a little inside.
It’s «OK» as a Fitness Centre. But a GYM… no.
The weights have rubber on them. The 20kg plates are non-​standard diameter, screwing up deadlift and Oly-​lift starting positions. The staff have no idea how to train free weights correctly (expected), and are happy to come over and question your excellent Barbell Squat form, referring to whatever minsinformation they learned on their 8-​week diploma.
And Powerplates? Really? It’s amazing how little the average trainee and even personal trainer, knows about effective training. Thankfully that is changing, slowly, but in the mean time we’ll have to put up with these overpriced mediocre chains.
It’s marketed as a «fashionable» fitness centre. and in that respect it succeeds. Serious strength trainees, however, will be unsurprisingly disappointed.
Why are there no real gyms in central london? Is a squat rack, barbell, metal weights and Oly platform just plain wishful thinking these days?

Great gym with a huge pool and spa area, wide varity of classes and helpful staff.
That’s not to say that members are any good, though. A few pervs in the spa area and imbeciles that leave the treadmill on after they have finished their go (not to mention the imbeciles that don’t check to see whether the treadmill is still on before hopping on it, only to fall flat on their face in gym rush hour. Ahem. Lesson learnt)
But, idiocy aside, I have found this to be a really good gym and well worth the ££ to go there.