Prince Regent Swimming Complex

Am I getting old? When I was young swimming pool changing areas were regularly washed down. Last night the floor was so dirty with mud, old talcum powder and plasters you had to put a clean towel on the floor to get changed. I would have been a little sympathetic if there was a lack of staff however, there were 2 behind the counter (1 just sitting there) and a member of staff walking around checking the lockers and by the look of it checking for forgotten pound coins.

In the toilet 2 urinals were overflowing with buckets under them (again over flowing) and it look like the toilets hadn’t been checked in days & there was no paper.

This is what happens when you allow uninterested private companies come in and run public buildings, they restrict the staff to a minimum, pay the basic hourly wage and get disinterested staff, let the place go into ruin then put up the prices demanding the need for an overhaul.

The one star is because I have to.

Unhygienic, poorly staffed dump

The worst experience at any swimming pool I have ever been to. Prince Regent may have four pools, but being restricted to less than a third of one, as lessons/training are taking up all other space at the centre is ridiculous. Letting far too many people in, where there is so little pool to use made it impossible to swim without constantly colliding with other members of the public, and to top it off, the floors were all filthy, feet left covered in black dirt, lovely. The minimum we would expect is a warning at reception there are so many lessons at the current time and a reduction in cost. We will never be returning to this pool.

Have normally used this pool in the past, and as already reviewed by fellow Qypers, it has not had the most favourable of opinions. However, I feel that this has changed with the refurb. I don’t normally bother with the parking, as I am fortunate with other means of transport. Staff are great and attentive to their job. I find the place leisurely…..but I would as I’m retired!!

Nice central place to go swimming, with free parking (as long as you use the facilities) and fairly friendly staff.

The swimming pool is well-manned and there are lanes during most sessions. There are adult-only and women-only swimming sessions available(check their website for times), but even during the open-swimming times, providing you go before the schools are out, it's never that busy.

There is a good baby pool for those with young ones, a smaller one that isn't too deep which is suitable for less confident swimmers or children and a larger pool that can be used by anyone. There is a pool for aqua aerobics and other classes too, although I have never attended any of those classes so can't comment on how good they are.

Price isn't too bad either (around £3.60 for a general swim), and it is the nicer of the two main public pools in Brighton & Hove as this is the cleaner of them.

Changing rooms are fairly basic, but lockers (bring a £1 coin to use!), showers, toilets, mirrors and hairdryers are all you really need!

OK, so it’s not Fitness First, or David Lloyd, there’s no 50 inch plasma screens, it’s not the biggest or most conventionally shaped gym in the world (it’s a bit triangular), but it does the job.

It’s got all the usual equipment needed to sweat out the day’s sins: treadmills, cross trainers, bikes, and a couple of dodgily placed rowing machines, resistance equipment, free weights, a stretching area and a couple of swiss balls.

Prince Regent boasts not one, not two or three, but four swimming pools, one with lanes, one for classes, a kids pool and a casual pool too, overlooked by a row of sticky fitness freaks battling it out upstairs in the gym.

They’ve tried their best with a water flume but it’s just not the one out of the Barclays advert, and if you feel like sitting in a shed – I mean steam room and sauna – to wind down after all your hard work, they’ve got that too.

For just £42.50 per month, (£36 selected corporate discounts, and £33 if you’re a student), you get unlimited access to all this plus four other sports complexes in and around Brighton.

The only downside is that the only classes Prince Regent hosts are aqua aerobics and yoga, so if you’re up for body pump, circuit training, dance classes, or normal aerobics, you’ll have to trek up to Withdean Sports Complex, which has got tennis and squash courts, and all sorts of other lovely things.

Luckily, your membership covers everything!

Swimming pools can be a bit gross, and this pool in the past has not been great. However it has recently had a refurbishment and the changing rooms are now very comfortable - mixed sex with private cubicles and good ventilation so it all dries out quickly. Note that the lockers take pounds to lock them, so save one when you go in. There is plenty of space in lockers and cubicles, and there are also cubicle showers. There are also free hairdryers! The new changing rooms make the whole experience much more pleasant.

The Pool itself is good, with the main pool being 25 meters long. It can get busy at peak times, but early mornings and evenings tend to have quite a bit of space, with the adults only swimming times being generally less hectic! There is also a smaller shallow pool, and a “flexi” pool, which I think has things like water aerobics classes in.

I can recommend the over all experience, and it is fairly cheap to swim. Student’s get a discount, and if you go more than three times a week, you can buy a pass which gets you even more money off.