Furious members have accused David Lloyd of discrimination after the gym chain refused to end a ban on men attending certain spa sessions, introduced after some women said they felt uncomfortable for religious reasons.
The high-end fitness chain, where memberships can cost as much as £200 a month, has brought in women-only spa sessions at some clubs during busy evening periods. At the affected branches, the sessions run from 6pm to 8pm on Thursdays.
Members at David Lloyd Purley told Our News Outlet they were not consulted before the policy took effect at the beginning of October. They said their complaints were subsequently ignored, while an email from the branch this week confirmed that the women-only sessions would continue.
The members have accused the Croydon, Greater London, club of “discriminating against men” and imposing a “medieval policy” that sets male and female members against one another.
Gym users said staff told them the sessions had been introduced because some female members felt uncomfortable sharing the spa with men for religious reasons.
They also complained that they had not been offered a reduction in membership fees, despite losing access to the spa immediately after work on Thursday evenings. No equivalent men-only session has been proposed, they said.
Sam, 50, who has belonged to David Lloyd for 15 years, said communication about the change had been extremely limited.
“They put up a small sign by the spa entrance saying they were introducing women-only sessions around four or five days before they began,” he said.
David Lloyd, which charges up to £200 a month for membership, has introduced women-only spa sessions at some of its branches during peak evening hours (file photo)
A voluntary survey launched by a member at David Lloyd Purley found that 75 per cent of the first 82 respondents favoured restoring mixed access to the spa (file photo)
“A lot of people did not even know about it. There was no email communication,” Sam added.
“They did not consult the members at all. The manager said some members had stopped using the spa because of men.”
“One of the reasons given was that some Muslim women did not feel comfortable.”
When he asked whether a comparable session could be arranged for men, Sam said he was told that “men do not feel uncomfortable around women”.
“I know some men who do not feel comfortable with their bodies might try to go when it is quieter, so you cannot categorically say they would not be affected,” he said.
Another 50-year-old male member, who did not want to be named, said the women-only hours were “borderline discrimination”.
“If there are men making women feel uncomfortable, deal with them accordingly and take away their membership,” he said.
He said staff at reception gave him two explanations when he asked why the sessions had been introduced.
“The first was that some women felt uncomfortable, which is essentially tarring all men with the same brush and something I took issue with. The second was religious reasons.”
He added: “I think it is a medieval policy. When you are talking about religious purposes, I think you have a duty to everyone.”
‘There’s so many religions out there and there are also lots of atheists as well.’
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A voluntary survey launched by a member at David Lloyd Purley found that 75 per cent of the first 82 respondents favoured restoring mixed access to the spa.
Nine respondents (11 per cent) said they wanted to retain women-only sessions but move them to off-peak hours.
Of the 16 women who took part in the survey, 10 voted in favour of reinstating mixed-gender spa sessions on Thursdays.
One woman, aged in her 20s, told Our News Outlet she was ‘categorically’ against the introduction of single-sex spa sessions.
‘In all aspects of life, men function and work and exist alongside women,’ she said. ‘I’m a victim of harm from multiple men, but in those instances, other men have intervened and helped.
‘I’m in favour of having a spa attendant present at the gates, both just to enhance the general spa experience, and if there is any inappropriateness that can be dealt with on the spot.
‘But it’s not been my experience, receiving any sort of harassment, in the spa. I think segregated sessions put men and women against each other in an unhealthy way.
‘The 6pm to 8pm peak time is ridiculous. Do [David Lloyd] really expect men to accept a mid-week one-fifth reduction in their spa usage without any consultation or refund for the unavailable time?
‘This is not what anyone agreed to upon signing up and being tied into a contract, and an expensive contract too, means that the ability to go elsewhere is essentially nil.
‘If women want to have women-only sessions, it can’t just come at the complete and utter disregard of men’s needs, their wishes, and their priorities.
‘I don’t particularly want special treatment as a woman, and I find it patronizing and insulting that David Lloyd Purley thinks I do.
‘I just hate how men are demonised and victimised just for being men.’
Women-only sessions have so far been rolled out in 15 of David Lloyd’s 151 gyms across the country.
David Lloyd has defended the move in correspondence with complainants, saying it fully aligns with the principles of the Equality Act 2010.
The group was founded in 1982 by the former tennis player and Davis Cup captain of the same name. It was sold in 1995 and is now owned by private equity firm TDR Capital.
A spokesman previously said: ‘At David Lloyd Clubs, we are committed to listening to our members to ensure we offer the best possible experience and to making our clubs welcoming for everyone.
‘The decision to introduce a weekly, two-hour female-only spa session was made after listening to feedback from many of our members across our clubs, who expressed a need for a short period of relaxation in a space exclusively for them.
‘The spa retreat remains fully accessible outside of these clearly signposted times.
‘We will continue to listen carefully to feedback from all members and would like to thank everyone who has taken the time to share their views.’
David Lloyd said it did not want to issue any further comment.
