Petty fines & poor security
This first-floor Yoga studio has no air conditioning and is uncomfortably humid. There is a studio directly above, so you can feel/hear the loud banging through the ceiling as they jump around throughout the class. She also put a stereo on, apparently to try and drown out the noise with music.
Worryingly they appear clueless about security. There are small lockers in the changing room, however they do not lock. I noticed someone else had just put their things in one with the key still in, presumably hoping that no one would notice the locker was being used. I was commanded to put my bag at reception (despite there being acres of space for a laptop & kindle in the studio) As I saw when I left, the reception is completely unattended during the classes. I could have literally walked out of the building unchallenged with everyone’s valuables if I had been so inclined! I did tell her the lockers don’t work but she just ignored me and walked off with another customer.
As I discovered they fine you £2 if you forget to bring a towel, which you have no choice to pay (or else you’ll lose the money you’ve paid for the class, as per the cancellation policy). Apparently, that’s ok because it’s written in the terms & conditions on their website somewhere. This is cynical - every other yoga studio I have been to either provides a cloth/pray for you to clean the mat afterwards or provides no mats at all. From reading online reviews they have other petty fines they impose on customers who dont jump through their hoops.
Its particularly frustrating because making the booking in the first place took so long (who builds a website without a register/sign up menu option, that requires you to be logged in to able to book?) Possibly due to browser/operating system incompatibility issues with their site. I tried to call several times but could not get through. The telephone number provided is a landline, so presumably there is no one there to answer until classes start in the evenings.