already working with local schools to offer kids’ judo, but we’d like to set up a full scholarship scheme.” And even those
who pay for a year upfront aren’t tied in: membership can be cancelled with 30 days’ notice, with any unused months paid back to the member pro rata. “Why should we hold people over a barrel?” asks Coates. “It takes nothing in terms of effort on our part to cancel a membership.” Stars Gym opened on 6 June; three
Stars Gym offers a large sprung-fl oored dojo with punch bags. There’s also a cardio area, boxing ring and martial arts Hexagon
closely with architect Amir Sanei of Sanei Hopkins on a total site redesign and re-fit. Located in a glass-
walled development – Albion Riverside – the gym enjoys lots of natural daylight, which
months later it had 120 annual members and 60 ‘pay as you go’ clients, with a target of just over 1,000. Services such as beauty and physiotherapy – the latter offered in partnership with Pure Sports Medicine – are also open to non- members; members receive a discount.
maximising space Occupying a great location beside the Thames in Battersea, south London, Stars Gym was created within a former art gallery, with the team working
november/december 2011 © cybertrek 2011
the design of the gym has maximised. Although not a huge footprint – around 740sq m (8,000sq ft) including a mezzanine level – the club feels much larger, in part thanks to double-height ceilings and mirrors covering the full height of any exposed walls. The two studios and the dojo run the length of the outside wall, but the dojo is open- fronted and the studios only separated from the gym by a frosted glass wall. This maintains the fl ow of daylight and ensures the spaces feel part of, rather than eating into, the overall fl oorspace. There’s also a clean, modern colour scheme throughout – white, silver, grey – which further ensures the sense of space is maintained. Straight ahead as you come through the door is reception – and what a
joy. Without knowing who I was (the journalist tag had not preceded me), I was simultaneously greeted by both the receptionist and an instructor.
“Customer service is so often lacking in the fi tness industry,” says Coates.
“We won’t tolerate that. Manners are everything, starting with a smile. In fact, we ask on our sign-up form why people chose to join, and one person actually wrote: ‘Because I was standing outside and I saw your receptionist smile at me.’ That’s the sort of feedback we want. “Our core philosophy is to put
quality back into the sector. It’s all about creating an experience (see p44), not just delivering a product, and we’ve developed bespoke training for all our staff. They need to be engaged with the members. Someone might ask how to use a piece of equipment, for example, and the instructor will end up working out with them for a while. If it’s quiet, we also allow staff to work out during working hours – it’s in our interest for them to be fi t.” Returning to the layout of the open-
plan gym, to the right of reception is a modestly sized Life Fitness strength
Read Health Club Management online at
healthclubmanagement.co.uk/digital 37
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