Esporta Health Clubs
Encyclopedia
Esporta Health & Fitness Clubs (usually known as just Esporta) is a chain of health clubs in the United Kingdom
, which also once owned clubs in Spain. The clubs offer a wide variety of different fitness
facilities, including gyms, swimming pool
s and courts for racquet sports. In addition they offer a choice of bar food and drinks, spa
treatments and live sporting coverage.
confirmed that it had agreed to sell its Esporta health, fitness and racquets clubs to Virgin Active Group.
: Birmingham, Bolton, Crawley, Chelmsford, Gloucester, Medway, and Rugby. Esporta explained they wanted to concentrate efforts on the premium market in the UK.
During 2009 Esporta changed this policy, adding a small one off initial fee to use 'non-home' clubs.
Some clubs will offer this policy but some will offer free 'UK Wide' usage for no extra fee. Policy will depend on time of the month and current promotions.
Health and Racquets Club and Chiswick
Riverside Health and Racquets Club the most recent additions. There are nine clubs spread across the North of England. In the Midlands
and East Anglia
there are a total of nine clubs There are 18 clubs in London
and South East England
while there are a further six in South England. In Scotland
there are two clubs, in Hamilton
(Lanarkshire
) and Milngavie
. In Wales
there are four clubs, while there are six in the West of England
. There is only one club in Northern Ireland
, situated at Holywood
in Belfast
.
and other national media sources including the Office of Fair Trading
.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, which also once owned clubs in Spain. The clubs offer a wide variety of different fitness
Physical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
facilities, including gyms, swimming pool
Swimming pool
A swimming pool, swimming bath, wading pool, or simply a pool, is a container filled with water intended for swimming or water-based recreation. There are many standard sizes; the largest is the Olympic-size swimming pool...
s and courts for racquet sports. In addition they offer a choice of bar food and drinks, spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...
treatments and live sporting coverage.
Virgin Active Acquisition
On 26 April 2011, after two years of ownership, Société GénéraleSociété Générale
Société Générale S.A. is a large European Bank and a major Financial Services company that has a substantial global presence. Its registered office is on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, while its head office is in the Tours Société Générale in the business district of La...
confirmed that it had agreed to sell its Esporta health, fitness and racquets clubs to Virgin Active Group.
History
After expanding quickly, in 2004 Esporta announced their six Spanish clubs were up for sale. Selling all six in 2005, they sold seven UK locations to Virgin ActiveVirgin Active
Virgin Active is a chain of health clubs in South Africa, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Australia and the United Kingdom. The company launched in 1998 in Preston, Lancashire as part of Richard Branson's Virgin Group....
: Birmingham, Bolton, Crawley, Chelmsford, Gloucester, Medway, and Rugby. Esporta explained they wanted to concentrate efforts on the premium market in the UK.
Facilities
Membership of the club allows members to use most other Esporta clubs for free. The exceptions to this include clubs such as Repton Park, Swiss Cottage, Northwood Riverside, Chiswick Riverside (which has a £1000 Joining fee) these are considered 'Premium' clubs, which are not included in your membership elsewhere.During 2009 Esporta changed this policy, adding a small one off initial fee to use 'non-home' clubs.
Some clubs will offer this policy but some will offer free 'UK Wide' usage for no extra fee. Policy will depend on time of the month and current promotions.
Club locations
The Esporta brand operates 55 premium clubs across the United Kingdom, with the GloucesterGloucester
Gloucester is a city, district and county town of Gloucestershire in the South West region of England. Gloucester lies close to the Welsh border, and on the River Severn, approximately north-east of Bristol, and south-southwest of Birmingham....
Health and Racquets Club and Chiswick
Chiswick
Chiswick is a large suburb of west London, England and part of the London Borough of Hounslow. It is located on a meander of the River Thames, west of Charing Cross and is one of 35 major centres identified in the London Plan. It was historically an ancient parish in the county of Middlesex, with...
Riverside Health and Racquets Club the most recent additions. There are nine clubs spread across the North of England. In the Midlands
English Midlands
The Midlands, or the English Midlands, is the traditional name for the area comprising central England that broadly corresponds to the early medieval Kingdom of Mercia. It borders Southern England, Northern England, East Anglia and Wales. Its largest city is Birmingham, and it was an important...
and East Anglia
East Anglia
East Anglia is a traditional name for a region of eastern England, named after an ancient Anglo-Saxon kingdom, the Kingdom of the East Angles. The Angles took their name from their homeland Angeln, in northern Germany. East Anglia initially consisted of Norfolk and Suffolk, but upon the marriage of...
there are a total of nine clubs There are 18 clubs in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and South East England
South East England
South East England is one of the nine official regions of England, designated in 1994 and adopted for statistical purposes in 1999. It consists of Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, East Sussex, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Kent, Oxfordshire, Surrey and West Sussex...
while there are a further six in South England. In Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
there are two clubs, in Hamilton
Hamilton, South Lanarkshire
Hamilton is a town in South Lanarkshire, in the west-central Lowlands of Scotland. It serves as the main administrative centre of the South Lanarkshire council area. It is the fifth-biggest town in Scotland after Paisley, East Kilbride, Livingston and Cumbernauld...
(Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire
Lanarkshire or the County of Lanark ) is a Lieutenancy area, registration county and former local government county in the central Lowlands of Scotland...
) and Milngavie
Milngavie
Milngavie , is a town in East Dunbartonshire, Scotland. It is on the Allander Water, at the northwestern edge of Greater Glasgow, and about from Glasgow city centre. It neighbours Bearsden....
. In Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
there are four clubs, while there are six in the West of England
West of England
The West of England is a loose and locationally unspecific term sometimes given to the area surrounding the city and county of Bristol, England, and also sometimes applied more widely and in other parts of South West England.-Use in the Bristol area:...
. There is only one club in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, situated at Holywood
Holywood
Holywood is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the shore of Belfast Lough, between Belfast and Bangor. Holywood Exchange and Belfast City Airport are nearby. The town hosts an annual jazz and blues festival.-Name:...
in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
.
Controversy
The company is renowned for its stringent 12 month contracts and 3 month cancellation periods, which have led to complaints from both the BBC's WatchdogWatchdog (TV series)
Watchdog is a BBC television series that investigates viewers' reports of problematic experiences with traders, retailers, and other companies around the UK...
and other national media sources including the Office of Fair Trading
Office of Fair Trading
The Office of Fair Trading is a not-for-profit and non-ministerial government department of the United Kingdom, established by the Fair Trading Act 1973, which enforces both consumer protection and competition law, acting as the UK's economic regulator...
.