Family Fun at David Lloyd Manchester Trafford City Review
Reviewed by Debbie Talbot
I, along with my 7-year-old twin sons, am a member of David Lloyd. I have been a member of various other gyms over the years but I have to say David Lloyd stands out from the crowd for adults. For children I have one word to describe it, phenomenal.
First of all, I want to talk about what fun children can have at David Lloyd. It caters for children of all ages. When you enter the fitness centre and go through reception, a whole area is dedicated to families. As you walk into the DL Kids area there is an area with PC tablets, some tables and chairs, a vending machine and a soft play structure which is split into an area for under 3’s and one for age 8 and under. There is even a twin slide so that two children can slide down at the same time. My twins love climbing through the tunnel part. There is also flat screen TV on the wall and cosy seating area with toys and books. If you walk past the soft play structure, there is a disabled toilet, a children’s toilet and an adult’s toilet. Keep going down the corridor and there are 2 activity rooms and a sports hall. My twins have been attending various DL Kids sessions such as basketball, crafts, dance, club night, sports squad and football. These are aimed at children aged 5-7 years. When my twins were younger they attended the sessions aimed at 3-4 year olds. The staff are professional and approachable. The sessions are well organised and keep the attention of the children. DL kids also offer children’s parties. Whilst we have not personally had one, they are priced competitively. I also like the look of their school holiday daytime sessions for children.
One Friday towards the end of August my parents visited from down south and we decided to have a family day at David Lloyd. My parents were staying at a local hotel which was a short walk from David Lloyd. The club has a family changing room as well as a disabled changing room and individual men’s and ladies’ changing rooms. We got changed in the spacious and clean changing rooms and then headed for the swimming pools. My dad opted to do some lane swimming in the 25m indoor pool. My mum, my twins and I headed for the children’s indoor pool. I have had issues in the past with my boys getting cold in other swimming pools. This has never been the case at David Lloyd. The water is a lovely comfortable and warm temperature. My dad completed his lane swimming and then came to join us in the children’s indoor pool. After around an hour we all decided to go outside and enjoy the sunshine. My dad carried on his lane swimming in the heated outdoor pool while my mum took my boys into the outdoor children’s pool. One of my twins is fascinated with the fountain in the children’s pool and would spend ages underneath it if he could. For those who prefer sunbathing there are a generous number of sun loungers on the poolside area. There are also some tables with bench seating. You can even order from the restaurant area and have your food/drink brought out to the poolside. There are lifeguards watching over all of the pools which is great too. After a lovely swim we got changed and headed to the restaurant area for lunch. My parents had bacon rolls and a coffee, the boys had a kid’s meal (main, drink and dessert) for £6.25 and I had a portion of chips with wine sauce and a cola. Our food and drink came to around £30 which was reasonable for 5 of us. If you have a certain membership type, not the one I have, you even get a 10% discount when you order food and drink and can bring a guest in once a month.
Whilst I did not use the gym facilities on this occasion, I do enjoy using them at other times. I can even have a swim and a gym session, should I choose to, while my sons are enjoying themselves at DL Kids sessions. Whilst I do not personally take part in the fitness classes at present, there are a good variety available for all levels of fitness and at various times of the day. Many of the afternoon/evening classes coincide with the DL Kids sessions (2 hours most days but on a Saturday there are up to 3 hours of sessions available). My membership does not include racquet sports at present but it did in the past when my now teenage daughter was a member and it was great fun. David Lloyd also run social events which can be a great way of meeting other families.
5/5 and I would rate much higher if I could. I have never come across such clean, comfortable facilities and approachable, friendly staff.
Rating: 5/5
For more information or to join David Lloyd visit www.davidlloyd.co.uk.
David Lloyd, Barton Embankment, Trafford City, Manchester, M17 8RH
