Fitness First Thomas More Square

I spent my first few weeks in London using free passes to various gyms, so I’ve tried out a fair number of the gyms in Central London. I have to say that Fitness First Thomas More is my favorite of the reasonably-​priced gyms, and I’m not just saying that because it is conveniently right near my house!
This gym has all the basic necessities: a big cardio area where you can find a free machine even at 6 PM on a week day, a large downstairs weight room area full of grunting men sitting around on their butts flexing their muscles in the mirrors, a spin studio, a large studio used for group classes, and a small pool. The facilities are kept clean and the locker system is really nice because you don’t have to carry around a heavy lock. There are some negatives, like the fact that they keep the gym too warm for my liking, and the pool– which is probably around 15 meters– is a bit small for actual lap swimming. And the facility closes at 4 PM on weekends which is way too early in my opinion. But what really makes this place great is the people that work there. The front desk attendees are so nice and actually make an effort to get to know customers, so stopping by to see them brightens my day. The group instructors are super motivational and make sure you get a tough workout in a welcoming environment. And best of all they aren’t obnoxiously pushy or stalkerish in trying to get you to sign up. Prices are transparently listed on the website (unlike most gyms), and based on my experience they are fairly reasonable for a gym in the area.
I’m very glad to live so close to this location; now I just need to convince them to extend weekend hours to 6 or 7 PM!