UCD Fitness versus Westwood Leopardstown?

Famous Blue Raincoat

Westwood (https://westwood.ie/) has reduced its joining fee from - ahem! - €599 to €29, according to a text I received but they aren't telling me the membership fee for the year. I rang them a few times over the past week but nobody will answer that straightforward question.

UCD's [https://www.ucd.ie/sportandfitness/] ordinary joining fee is €200, and full graduate membership (including olympic size swimming pool) is €650 for the year. So €850, but they'll give it to me for €750 (as they had reduced the joining fee to €100 in a Christmas promotion which I never received.). I just want to lose weight and get fit.

Other things being equal, which of these two gyms would you choose? (or is there a better one in the same price range?)

Famous Blue Raincoat

I finally got a phonecall back from West Wood Club. They asked me my age and then said it's €948 membership per year, plus €29 joining fee. Now, I'm not quite sure why my age would be used to calculate the price, but it seems to have had a direct correlation.

So, is West Wood really worth paying €227 more per year than UCD Fitness? I would have expected UCD, being newer with an Olympic-size swimming pool, to be more expensive. Anybody got experience of UCD Fitness?

JustJoe7240

Not really helpful I know, but I was previously a member of Westwood Sandymount and it 's an absolutely top class facility. Not sure when you're planning to train but UCD is absolutely thronged at peak during the academic year. That alone would be reason to put me off UCD.

On a side note, I have never paid a joining/admin fee to a gym,Westwood included. it's a pure money grab. Be prepared to walk away, give it a little time and they'll waive that fee.

spurious

Westwood are still at their money grabbing. My partner changed work patterns and asked them to move her from the limited membership to the full rate. They did this at the next direct debit. Now, three months later, she has finally got a chance to go, only to find her card has been blocked 'for not paying'.

To be told this in public at reception was really embarrassing for her. They are now saying because they actually switched her to the full membership from the day she asked, rather than when she paid the fee (which was when she understood the new membership would kick in), she 'owes' an arbitrary 15 euro that they have dreamed up from somewhere.

swededmonkey

I've had limited engagement with Westwood over the years, but their sales tactics is enough to put me off ever wanting to join. Great facilities but you're not much more than a sales target.