Address: Old Deer Park, Twickenham Rd, Richmond, TW9 2SF, United Kingdom
Phone: +442037722999
Rating: 3.5
based on 89 reviews.
Staff and Service
Pros:
"Great staff, welcoming atmosphere and well-maintained area."
"Very pleased with my experience at this pool. Staff are very friendly and make arriving a pleasure."
"Staff friendly and helpful."
"The team were friendly and helpful and I was happy we did visit."
"Staff are friendly and helpful. Life guards are alert."
"Very clean, spotless pools (indoor and outdoor) with delightful staff manning reception and very pleasant lifeguards."
"Staff including Frankie and Jia to name a few are incredible and so friendly and accommodating."
Cons:
"From the moment you walk in they are treating you like a criminal. Searched our bags."
"very rude and arrogant stuff !!!"
"Unbelievably rude, obnoxious and unhelpful staff. Avoid like plague."
"Once I was not able to book class online and there was always an error, called up reception a few times and they just did not solve it and not got back to me at all."
"Receptionist are so rude even roll their eyes when asking for help."
"I'm afraid the staff are among the worst part of this place."
"Staff are very friendly but many of them are amazingly clueless when it comes to providing good customer service."
Facilities and Cleanliness
Pros:
"Offers an indoor and outdoor pool (weather depending) as well as a teaching pool."
"Nice spacious cafe on site selling a good range of food and drinks hot and cold."
"Changing area is large, practical and clean."
"Lovely, clean and well organised."
"Big 33m indoor and outdoor swimming pool, all very clean."
"Was nice clean pool, nice water temperature kids had a blast and it was lovely to chill and have a swim."
"The pools are clean there is an outdoor space and its amazing the changing rooms are brilliant and the showers are the right temperature it is really amazing you should go there."
Cons:
"Not enough machines/equipment."
"Not hygienic. The indoors pool is alright but the OUTDOORS POOL IS FILTHY, full of moss and bits floating around, it seems they haven't cleaned that pool in years."
"The pool itself was dirty and needed cleaning."
"Very outdated building, in need of a serious renovation throughout."
"The (men’s) changing rooms are basic, often full, and very outdated - with the showers being particularly in need of a renovation."
"The changing rooms are also very old, smells with tough stains and a mouldy feel."
"This pool is extremely dirty, no one not cleaning around."
Access and Membership
Pros:
"We're lucky to have such a great and affordable community pool in Richmond where you can visit without taking up a second mortgage for a private gym membership."
"Lovely outdoor swim. Nicely organised."
"It's one of the best leisure centres in SW London & Richmond-Twickenham area."
"Great membership price and amazing group of people who go regularly."
"The cost of a swim has been reduced slightly since management went back to Richmond council."
"The beautiful outdoor pool has remained open at weekends and was even open on Christmas Eve!"
"This place is great, given that it is a public (council-owned) gym and pool. Everything is very clean."
Cons:
"They give you ZERO minutes to change: swim start say at 12.00, they will only allow you to enter at 11.55."
"Don't lose your time, If you don't have membership don't go there. I get day off to go to this place, but they don't let me in, because I don't have membership."
"SO I CAME AT 3 THEY TOLD US THERE'S MORE PEOPLE THAN USUAL SO WE WAITED AN HOUR AND A HALF THEN THEY TOLD US TILL 6 WE CAN'T LET PEOPLE IN TOO BUSY THEN WE WAITED HALF AN HOUR FOR LUCK THEN WE DECIDED TO GO HOME WE WERE GOING TO THE BRIDGE TO GO TO THE CAR AND WE SAW THE POOL THERE WERE ONLY 30 PEOPLE IN THERE AND MOST OF THEM WERE SUN BATHING OR PLAYING IN THE SAND."
"Ridiculous service. The pool reached the maximum capability when we arrived and they didn't let anyone in."
"Be aware parking is not included in the membership and they will not warn you of this despite politely asking they advise provisional members."
"You have to pay for parking even in weekends and on Sunday, a non-Richmond resident is charged even more."
"Very disappointed...rude stuff...don't know how to deal with ppl...when we turn up they told us pool were full...but ppl were coming out in big groups...they still didn't let anyone in...lots of disappointment for children who was turned down...we had family inside already so I asked if I could leave my 3 years old daughter..they still said no...never going back there again..."
Booking and Administration
Pros:
"Numbers are limited so you'll need to book well in advance by setting up an online account for each person, and there is a waiting list function for full sessions."
"Timed swims means it’s never overrun."
"Very friendly. We come here for lessons and social swimming. The instructors are brilliant and I cannot believe the progress my daughter has made."
"The staff are a lot happier than last year and more friendly which is great."
"Parking for cars, bicycles available just outside the main entrance and bus stops as well nearby and on the territory of the complex."
"Nice place to relax for young and old. Bus 490 will take you there."
"Outdoor pool and indoor pool! Plus steam room and sauna with cold shower."
Cons:
"Main issue I have is that they are still implementing a strict COVID booking system which is very inflexible."
"It took 1 hour on the phone to book our session. 40 minutes on hold then 20 minutes being taken through an over complicated registration process."
"Staff had no idea how to read my booking email and try to imply i had booked for the day before."
"The layout of the facility is poor due to poor management who do not listen or care."
"A bit health and safety obsessed. All I can say is get there early if it's a hot day as they stop letting people in after a while. Or take out membership for the summer months and you will always get in."
"I had a very bad experience, apparently the swimming pool was too busy, we queued up for hours and they didn't let us in. We travelled long way. The staff was very rude to us. They just told us that we were unlucky and we had to leave."