Ben Dunne Gym Reopening: No Swimming Pool and 50% Price Increase!

strongback · 11-06-2021 4:37pm

Qgirl wrote: »

Look like Ben Dunne wants to sell gym asset

It could be an explanation for why he is no longer accepting annual subscriptions.

Raoul · 15-06-2021 3:42pm

Just got an email that my annual membership is up at the end of the month and I have to pay a 29 euro joining fee to sign up to the monthly membership, that's a bit sh1t.

AssaultedPeanut · 17-06-2021 11:28am

I joined Northwood at the start of February 2020. Paid joining fee and one month membership. March's fee came out by DD. Then the closures happened.

I went in the other day and they said my membership had been cancelled and I'd need to pay a joining fee again. They advised I email their customer service. Who have come back saying it was automatically cancelled as per T&Cs. But my partners wasn't cancelled...

I'm really f**cked off over it. I know its not much money but I didn't cancel it so why should I be giving them my money. Also I didn't get to use the gym for more than half of March last year so there's that too.

Rosita · 18-06-2021 7:48am

AssaultedPeanut wrote: »

I joined Northwood at the start of February 2020. Paid joining fee and one month membership. March's fee came out by DD. Then the closures happened.

I went in the other day and they said my membership had been cancelled and I'd need to pay a joining fee again. They advised I email their customer service. Who have come back saying it was automatically cancelled as per T&Cs. But my partners wasn't cancelled...

I'm really f**cked off over it. I know its not much money but I didn't cancel it so why should I be giving them my money. Also I didn't get to use the gym for more than half of March last year so there's that too.

That's really bad. Was your partner's membership also by monthly direct debit or an annual membership? Just trying to think why one might have been cancelled while the other was (not that that would justify it either).

italodisco · 23-06-2021 12:37am

With the popularity of gyms and fitness these days, and given the pandemic and the reality that it will haunt us for some years ahead, even if minor stuff, the most realistic option is a return to the big warehouse style gyms with tons of space and big doors for ventilation...

Good luck finding property in Dublin though

Raoul · 23-06-2021 10:08am

italodisco wrote: »

With the popularity of gyms and fitness these days, and given the pandemic and the reality that it will haunt us for some years ahead, even if minor stuff, the most realistic option is a return to the big warehouse style gyms with tons of space and big doors for ventilation...

Good luck finding property in Dublin though

To be fair, Ben Dunne in Northwood is like this. Huge open space and loads of equipment everywhere and reasonably spaced out and lots of sanitisation stations. Not everyone is using them though. :mad:

El Guapo! · 23-06-2021 7:15pm

BainMarie wrote: »

I was previously going to Gym plus gyms in Dublin. It was hell to get out of the contract during the pandemic and the various lockdowns. I called to cancel my monthly membership in April 2020 and they “froze” my membership but I had to keep paying 10€ per month. As they said I had to go in physically to cancel. After three months they re opened my membership meaning I had to pay full amount although I was not using due to covid 19. I finally got a cancellation form from them beginning November 2020. I filled it in and sent it to them. They had already taken the November full membership fee knowing I haven’t been to the gym since March 2020. In December I got a long email saying they will not close my membership as I had to pay December fee as well. I cancelled my direct debit but haven’t heard from them since. Gyms are complete money rackets. Customer service had been dire during the pandemic. Gym plus hire the cheapest of the cheap for classes and most equipment closed due to covid 19 anyway and still. I would be very very slow in ever joining one again.

Bit late now but you should have just cancelled the direct debit through your bank.

BainMarie · 23-06-2021 11:21pm

El Guapo! wrote: »

Bit late now but you should have just cancelled the direct debit through your bank.

I cancelled the direct debit in November after emailing them at the start of the month. They are saying I must pay them for December as I didn’t give over a months notice. I just ignored it for the holidays and meant to get back to them but then they went into lockdown from January. So I guess I can just ignore it at this stage even if they write me as a bad debtor... I won’t be going back. I got foot fungus from the pool there and took months to clear up. Very uncomfortable.

Nate--IRL-- · 27-06-2021 5:47pm

First day back in the Gym (Northwood) in a year and a half. Place is huge now with the pool gone, and a great selections of new equipment and new racks. Very Impressed.

One thing though I'd assumed that once Covid is behind us that there would be showers to use again, but it looks like they have been removed entirely. Has anyone heard if no showers onsite is permanent? It will make hitting the Gym before work impossible.

Nate

Raoul · 27-06-2021 5:55pm

Nate--IRL-- wrote: »

First day back in the Gym (Northwood) in a year and a half. Place is huge now with the pool gone, and a great selections of new equipment and new racks. Very Impressed.

One thing though I'd assumed that once Covid is behind us that there would be showers to use again, but it looks like they have been removed entirely. Has anyone heard if no showers onsite is permanent? It will make hitting the Gym before work impossible.

Nate

I don't think there will be any showers at all. I actually hadn't thought of the going to the gym before work. That's a disaster actually. Have to shower at work.

There are no changing room facilities on site now and it isn't a temporary thing

strongback · 28-06-2021 12:16pm

Nate--IRL-- wrote: »

First day back in the Gym (Northwood) in a year and a half. Place is huge now with the pool gone, and a great selections of new equipment and new racks. Very Impressed.

One thing though I'd assumed that once Covid is behind us that there would be showers to use again, but it looks like they have been removed entirely. Has anyone heard if no showers onsite is permanent? It will make hitting the Gym before work impossible.

Nate

The gym floor is impressive with the amount of equipment they have. The gym floor is now very big with the swimming pool filled in.

They have lockers for valuables but there are no cubicles for changing.

The selling point of the gym is the number of racks, benches, free weights and there are plenty of good quality Hammer Strength machines.

The place now looks like a very good hardcore bodybuilding gym.

No classes, no S&C area and no pool. Just weights, machines and cardio equipment.

Ben has gone full bore into weight training and no showers. Time will tell if people go for it.

The Davestator · 29-07-2021 7:18pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117530864#Comment_117530864

He's flip flopped so often, he doesn't know what business he is in!

When he opened Westpoint in Blanch, it was a 5 star, expensive gym. It didn't go well, so he turned it into a budget gym.

When he attracted a budget crowd of people into weights, he removed all dumbbells over 30kg to get rid of this crowd.

He never did classes, but saw that this was not sustainable so copied what everyone was doing (fair enough)

He then went back towards nicer clubs such as Northwood, but lost a ton of money in most of the wet clubs.

Now gone to dry facilities only and increased the price

Now, removed showers so no longer cater for his corporate members in his clubs such as Cherrywood and Sandyford.

It's lucky he has plenty of capital as his gym business would be long gone by now if he didn't.

hold my beer · 16-08-2021 8:25pm

I love the Carlisle gym but getting rid of the showers and changing rooms means I won't renew when my membership is up. I really hate getting back into my car sweaty. I was told by the manager that he has no plans to put the showers back in. They must have absolutely hemorrhaged numbers. Think he'll regret the changes in the long run.

Raoul · 16-08-2021 9:54pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117763850#Comment_117763850

Not much sign of dwindling numbers in Northwood

hold my beer · 16-08-2021 11:31pm

I've changed the times I go at so it's hard to tell. The car park in Carlisle was always very busy in the mornings. It's very sparse now in the afternoon.

Shirlywhirl · 19-08-2021 5:42pm

Is Blanchardstown busy these days? I’ve passed the car park a few times and it seems emptier than usual.

The Davestator · 30-08-2021 3:38pm

It didn't take long!

All showers re-opening within 2 weeks

Raoul · 30-08-2021 7:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117823738#Comment_117823738

Not in Northwood... They are gone completely

The Davestator · 31-08-2021 7:52am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117824676#Comment_117824676

According to their facebook page, all gyms will have showers open. Specifically mentions NW too.

Raoul · 31-08-2021 3:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117826063#Comment_117826063

Cheers. At the moment, I don't see where they will have the showers. Good to hear though.

strongback · 13-09-2021 8:40am

Signs up in Northwood says the showers will reopen by today. I was there yesterday and no showers open.

Raoul · 13-09-2021 10:04am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117883384#Comment_117883384

I was there yesterday too. You can currently see right into the changing rooms and showers? It will be another few days by the looks of it.

RoryMac · 15-09-2021 11:38am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117777130#Comment_117777130

Pretty busy in the evenings anyway, hard to know if its as busy as pre-covid because of the extra space with the pool gone.

Shirlywhirl · 15-09-2021 2:50pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117893989#Comment_117893989

Thanks! I rejoined in the end. It's been very quiet weekend mornings and lunchtimes but I walked out one evening as it was so busy. I'll stick with it a while anyway and see what the extension to Flyefit does for its crowds!

rondog · 21-09-2021 10:49am

Theres a new FLyfit going up at Northside where the Blacker used to be.

Should be a decent sized gym if they used the entire space.

Raoul · 21-09-2021 11:24am

Is there a limit on the number of people allowed in a building now? Northwood is very busy and people are back to group training too.

I did see a one of the guys working there going around with some sort of monitor. Perhaps it was a CO2 monitor. This guy is an anti vaxxer though as I heard him proclaim to someone how he wasn't getting vaccinated.

They have scrapped the membership fee and the price is down to 25 euro per month. Fairly reasonable.

Levitate · 08-10-2021 12:57pm

Anyone know if there are any punching bags in the gym?

el Fenomeno · 21-03-2022 10:53pm

When did Ben Dunne Sandyford close? I was out that way the other day for the first time in ages and saw a sign saying it was permanently closed.

Also out that way, I see on FB that BHAF are also closing which is sad. I was a member there a few years ago when I lived nearby and it was the best gym I've ever been to.

seanfitness · 06-04-2022 10:33am

One of the reason why they're closed is because personal trainers won't work for them because they want them to work unpaid in lieu of rent for private sessions doing the work of the cleaners they got rid of. Nobody will take a personal trainer seriously when they see the scrubbing toilets.

Ben Dunne Gym Reopening: No Swimming Pool and 50% Price Increase!

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