Richmond Pools on the Park

Beautiful pool. Clean changing facilities. Never crowded. BUT people relations could be a whole lot better. During the 3-hour "Swim and Stay" sessions (which seem to be discontinued?), the pool atmosphere was very relaxed and enjoyable. However, the 1-hour sessions ("Swim for All") are the exact opposite: tense, under strict surveillance by the pool security guard, and everyone is treated as if they're out to cheat the pool out of money by overstaying their paid time. Awful! We were there for that one precious hour on a weekend afternoon -- along with mostly other mums and children and a few other community members -- and the whole time felt like we were being watched for I don't know what! Can you please bring back the relaxed 3- hour swim, please? And unless you think mums with toddlers pose a major security threat, please ditch the bouncer. Thank you!

· via Google

I visited today for the first time since I lived in Richmond three years ago The gym is clean, but the outdoor pool is overcrowded, wish it was kept cleaner as well All of the staff are very nice and friendly. I wish them patience when dealing with customers appreciate all their hard work

· via Google

I visited Pools on the Park today to enjoy the lido in the sunshine, and unfortunately my experience was disappointing. On arrival, I was greeted by a staff member named Luca, who came across as rude, uninterested, and unnecessarily aggressive from the outset. While in the pool, Luca approached us multiple times questioning whether we had “snuck in.” Despite showing proof of our one-hour pass on several occasions, this behaviour continued and felt excessive and uncomfortable. This was particularly frustrating as other members of staff were helpful and professional. Luca’s approach, however, was the opposite—his attitude towards paying customers was confrontational, and at one point I overheard him speaking aggressively and even threatening another family using the facilities. This is not acceptable in a customer-facing environment. I have used Better gyms in the past and have always had positive experiences, which makes this visit even more disappointing. Sadly, this encounter has put me off returning to the Richmond facility. My suggestion to management would be to address this behaviour urgently. Customer service is key in any leisure facility, and staff should be approachable and respectful at all times. The conduct displayed today falls well below that standard.

· via Google

Putting aside the health suite closure debacle which rumbles endlessly on, the management here can’t even get the basics right. This is the state of the 42 lockers in the male changing rooms. 7 out of the 42 have either no door or no lock. Refurbishment budget assigned since March 2022. Endless promises. No action. It’s a real shame. UPDATE: Sarah Harries, Centre Manager read out this pre-written statement from GLL (Better) at the meeting on 04/12/25: "Lockers - we have currently commissioned a contractor to undertake the locker audit and they'll be undertaking work to repair lockers and replaced keys. We expect this work to be completed by the end of January 2026." In the male members changing, a few keys have been replaced, but NOTHING has been done to fix the locker doors, so still in the same state. Surprise surprise. On top of all this, GLL refused to disclose any details of the timescales of their successful 10 year bid for POTP. I had to file a FOI request to get it and now it can be seen that the changing room refurbishment and new health suite will not happen until Oct 2027 to Sep 2028. People should be aware that the council allocated £314K for changing room refurbishment in 2022 and has done absolutely nothing about it, while construction costs continue to rise. What on earth is going on here? UPDATE 2: GLL is now claiming “unforeseen circumstances”. The fact is that in Feb 2025, I spoke to a guy who confirmed he was measuring up for replacement doors. False hope because as usual NOTHING further was done. Then GLL take over, another promise is made and another deadline is missed. UPDATE 3: The lockers did get fixed in April 2026 but only as a result of posting this review. After 10 years as a member here, enough is enough and I've now cancelled my membership and will use other facilities.

· via Google