The Sands Centre Reviews Summary

Category: Event venue

Address: Carlisle, CA1 1JQ, United Kingdom

Phone: +441228633766

Rating: 4.3
based on 134 reviews.

Staff and Service

Pros:

  • "Staff pleasant."
  • "The staff are friendly and helpful though it sometimes takes a while to get seen at reception if there are a few people about."
  • "A absolutely wonderful member of staff, could not have been more helpful."
  • "Had a problem with my membership but this was soon sorted out by the very polite and helpful staff."
  • "Friendly and professional staff."
  • "All the staff were very helpful."
  • "Staff are friendly and very helpful."

Cons:

  • "The new owners have replaced 2 members of staff front of house to just 1."
  • "Only negative is not many staff about and the gate fails quite a lot."
  • "The customer service is seriously bad. Doesn't take a lot to smile and be perky."
  • "The manager was arrogant, rude, and unhelpful."
  • "The staff tried their hardest but directed customers wrongly on several occasions."
  • "When I fed back that I would have expected more attempts to have been made to notify customers and to try an arrange a refund; I was surprised by the attitude and unprofessional manner of the Events team manager."
  • "The staff obviously don't like us coming here, and they are banning us after 5pm."

Facilities

Pros:

  • "It is a fine modern leisure facility."
  • "The venue has a moderately sized auditorium that plays host to a variety of performances from comedians, musicians, opera, orchestras and stage shows."
  • "There are toilets on site, a gym, vending machines, plenty of parking space, etc."
  • "This place is very nice good bar restaurant gym and function facilities big car park with easy access to the city centre disabled access is very good all round nice place."
  • "The cafe had plenty of space between the tables and serves a good variety of meals and snacks at reasonable prices."
  • "Everything is wheelchair accessible."
  • "New swimming pool is excellent."

Cons:

  • "Cable machine is damaged and has been this way for a mat least three months that I've been using it!"
  • "Pound for pound the worst gym in Carlisle. The weights area is cramped and under equipped and machines are very close together."
  • "Unfortunately floor is not same (seems like wooden floor should be replaced) and while bouncing, ball can escape from hands."
  • "The acoustics were awful, lots of feedback, and very base heavy."
  • "Great facilities but the new electronic barriers are a danger."
  • "Half of the equipment has something wrong with it, eg broken clips, bent bars, bits missing! There is never anyone Around staff wise if you needed help or Guidence."
  • "Very tired and worn seating."

Accessibility and Parking

Pros:

  • "The large car park is usually busy but adequate to accommodate large numbers."
  • "Easy to drive to and plenty of parking."
  • "Free parking if using the facilities remember to input your car registration details on their computer to avoid any fines."
  • "The car park has been redesigned and now has one entrance and one exit, making it one way."
  • "Good car parking free in the evening."
  • "The venue was easy to find, great parking."
  • "Plenty of parking."

Cons:

  • "When leaving it's like being in a cattle crush."
  • "Only down side is that the bars are too small, and trying to get served in the break was a nightmare."
  • "Parking is still a nightmare after a concert."
  • "The biggest problem is the car park, it's like a building site. With out of date payment machines."
  • "Works interferes with normal entry so you're queueing around the block waiting for 'doors to open'."
  • "The traffic lights at the major roundabout don't have sufficient time allowance to let a large number of vehicles leave the car park."
  • "But the seats we had didn't give us a good view of the stage the 3 of us have stiff necks."

Entertainment and Events

Pros:

  • "I look forward to returning here again. First class gig venue."
  • "Good place to catch a show. Easy to get to."
  • "We saw the illegal eagles, a great show."
  • "Great events for all tastes."
  • "Light and sound effects were out of this world."
  • "Good entertainment and you can enjoy a nice, alcoholic beverage aka a pint while you enjoy the show as you're provided plastic cups."
  • "Brilliant venue for any shows/ performances, fab lay out with the seats holds quite a few people."

Cons:

  • "No pros mentioned."
  • "We will not be returning in a hurry."
  • "This venue is definitely better being used as a sports hall than a live music venue."
  • "Did they not think to install Aircon in the theatre."
  • "27 million pounds doesn't seem to buy much. The new Sands Centre, is smaller, more expensive and badly laid out."
  • "Never have I experienced such a shambolic carry on."
  • "The show was perfect the other facilities for the disabled very bad very bad toilet access queues a mile long disabled have to walk round back of building to get access very badly organised."

Payment and Customer Service

Pros:

  • "All the stalls and refreshment areas would only accept card payments."
  • "The bars only take payment by card now. Paying for a bag of crisps with a card is just plain daft, the merchant charges will be as much as the purchase."
  • "Which also covered the cost of my parking."
  • "Top grub & exquisite ale never had a poor pint."
  • "Cafe/Bar inside was good and reasonably priced."
  • "Toilets clean and refreshed."
  • "Comfy seats clean WCs."

Cons:

  • "Getting in touch with anyone on the phone is like phone bingo."
  • "Been told so many different things for junior entry times slots, days, school holidays etc."
  • "Thought the food prices were rather on the expensive side also."
  • "Pitty they commissioned the catering as they are not good."
  • "Facilities certainly not improved and barely replaced."
  • "If your not going to advertise your facilities correctly you should at very least be able to contacted to clarify any queries a customer has."
  • "Why is the viewing area for the swimming pool closed?"

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