Herons Cafe in Canterbury

Family fun swim today. Grandkids loved it and first time on the flume for the 4 year old. Excellent

Lovely pool and great staff.. only down side very expensive. Was only visiting area and paid £8.00 a session with no discount for 70 year olds

Gave this place five stars see every other bird here but didn't see one heron

Amazing staff really helpful and polite! Really good gym and swimming pool would definitely recommend x

I had the best time ever it was so much fun you go

Very helpful staff and gym is well equipped.

Found it rather cold the hot tub was cold too and could not see where you was walking that was not me but my grandchildren saying

Nice friendly team, not a bad price for a gym/swim membership, gym isn't huge but works I used to do the 9/10 time of the day and wouldn't have to wait long if at all for a machine from personal experience

The changing rooms and floors are absolutely filthy. You wouldn’t walk without shoes on, even for a moment. This is what you can see, imagine what you can’t…. So gross.

Friendly little centre, well equipped and well designed

I only visited the public toilet. It was clean and tidy.

Lovely venue. Welcome friendly. Helpful fitness instructor's. A good experience Have been doing the 1000m rowing challenge got the time down to 6min 5sec. Started at 6min 45 sec. Free weights are good I am improving now I am being shown the right technique. All in all a good place to get fit and meet people.

Good leisure centre. Lots of classes

I use the gym regularly and quite good. Busier now that the Jan rush has started.

I've used these facilities a number of times and if I'm honest they just keep getting worse. The pool, changing rooms and showers are so dirty, it really is disgusting. The bottom of the pool is littered with old plasters and there are sections near the sides that look green. The showers aren't much better and changing rooms stink of urine 90% of the time. My partner got a very nasty tummy bug after using the pool which is hardly surprising considering the state of the place. The staff generally seem grumpy and unapproachable. I routinely have to wait for the staff on reception to finish their non-work related conversations before being acknowledged at the desk which I find incredibly rude and don't get me started on the cost. Unless you're willing to pay for a membership (which given the state of the place, I'm not!) then you are stung to use on an a pay as you go basis. I really do resent using this place and wish an alternative would open near by soon!

The swimming sessions are 1hr long and reasonably priced. The pool has a slide and a nice bubble part. Generally the best of the active life pools in my opinion

The kids swimming pool was extremely cold, my 3 year old was shivering and had blue lips, and the big swimming pool was only slightly warmer!

Nice place to swim, friendly staff 👌

Abysmal experience here with our toddler. Waited over an hour to even swim, charged an extortionate £14.80 for 2 adults and a 1 year old. Facilities are outdated and dirty, overdue a renovation. Change area communal for both genders and very uncomfortable. One small boring pool for kids use (had our toddler shivering in less than a minute it was so cold) and tiny lap pool which is out of bounds for children. Staff unfriendly and blunt, bordering on rude. Feels like a rip off and excuse to get people into the also overpriced cafe by needing to book and wait. Take a bath at home instead!

Good facilities, good for swimming lessons. Expensive if not a member.

The system to book swimming is total HEADACHE, nobody answers the phone to help. You try to make an account or book and don’t even receive a email to continue to even book. Paying at reception for swimming is so much better. If reception doesn’t do this no more where are they if they don’t even answer the phone? So now my child is going without swimming because of this!

2 x weekly circuits for pulmonary & cardiac health. Very well supervised. All exercises are conducted at own speed and exertion limits

The pool is really nice and not too cold

Lovely pool but prices keep increasing and for just an hours swim it's becoming an activity that will become less and for kids learning to swim I'd of thought it was important and make it affordable to everyone.

With two disabled adults, their carers and two boys (neither whom can swim) had a great time.

Bottom of the pool sandy and dirty could do with a hoover at least the slide was open, could do with a pool revamp really

Very helpful staff. Go to gym once twice a week. Always busy when i go. Shame they have no cafe at moment as is a good size and generate more jobs. Swimming pool good size plus small pool. Dance and yoga sessions really popular.

Really nice friendly staff, kids love it. Would like earlier family swim times for the little one during school days

I take my grandson for swimming lessons here each week and have found the swimming instructor's and staff very friendly and helpful, any queries have always been dealt with quickly. Poolside is clean, changing rooms and toilets can do with more care and cleanliness!

Took granddaughter and great granddaughter to have a fun day, wasn't told that the flume wasn't working, wasn't told that the snack bar was closed.The pool extremely cold, babies bottom lip shivering and going blue, and was charged £8.00 for 15 minutes in the pool as it was way too cold Certainly won't be going back.

The cafe is not open until 15:30 and I was told that it will be closed permanently at the end of the month February 2022 this is not good this used to be a very busy cafe shame on the new operators

Recently joined Active Life. So from only used gym. Swimming pool open but showers undergoing refurbishment so need to use gym showers or go home to shower. Staff friendly and very helpful.

Fun pool for my 6 year old, but think the water temperature could be a couple of degrees higher

Had a lovely latte great views of the sea

Brilliant and helpful staff very professional in what they do to help people with disabilities.

We only do swimming and we can swim. My daughter loves it.

Had a lovely swim. Great to be back. Not too many people there so you feel really safe

I take my son here for swimming lessons, the staff are great, the teacher is very good and the front of house looks tidy. The rest of the facilities are looking tired and grubby.

Went for a swim here today, mostly disappointed. Where do I begin, I think £8 pounds for a swim is extremely overpriced. This pool seems to only cater for oap's. It's 8 pounds to swim plus the car park at 1.40 an hour would leave me paying 10.80 to swim, it's a bit steep! Obviously the car park is free for blue badge holders. There are 3 lanes to chose from slow, medium and and fast, it's more like slow, very slow and drowning. It wouldn't be problem for me if there was a selection of pools to choose from but unfortunately this company has a monopoly on the market at they also own Whitstable and Canterbury. The booking system doesn't work, it's supposed to prevent overcrowding but you book people in on an hourly basis so you end up with an overcrowded pool at the start of the session and an empty one at the end, defeating the point really.

nice swimming pool with lats of activities including lessons. the pools also have some waterworks and a slide :)

I went swimming today, first and last time. The changing rooms were disgusting, dust and grime everywhere, also no hooks and £8 entry!

I attend aqua arobics and have seen two trainers. They are equally brilliant, they both make everyone welcome and have so much energy. I do think that the changing rooms could be a bit cleaner, but that could be down to patrons rather than not being cleaned properly and maybe they need refurbishing.

Make sure you BOOK IN ADVANCE if you go here. I just turned up and couldn't get to swim. I didn't see that booking was a requirement on their website, which I assume was an oversight on my part.

Good price, but pool needed a good re vamp (this was a year ago, might be tidied up now)

Awesome lovely friendly staff x

BOOK BOOK BOOK BOOK BOOK!!! The days of just going out are over and everything you do must be booked 2 weeks in advance! This is the world we live in now, never living in the moment YOU MUST PLAN YOUR SWIM, 2 weeks in advance. They never have any availability it’s just ridiculous.

Family swim lovely, take your own floats for the children, they are allowed.

Staff are nice lockers could do with a clean

Despite covid restrictions they have done an amazing job of only reopening when it was safe. Cannot praise them enough for the measures they have put in place putting safety ahead of profits.

Nice to be back all covid restrictions in place. Thanks

Was one of the fund raisers for this pool, the learner pool has tiles depicting the fact by Herne Bay Swimming Pool trust. So important to have a swimming pool for children living by the sea to learn to swim. I have used the pool myself the last 10 years in the Aqua referral classes. We must keep the pool.

Only do the gym - they have it totally reorganised with lots of new machines! Staff helpful and friendly!

Never answer the phone. Pool run down. Prices too high. Poor on many levels.

Great choice of classes, really good personal trainers, prepared and passionate. The swimming pool is amazing environment with a lot of facilities, the design of swimming pool evokes peace and serenity. The gym is well equipped and I really received a great help from Artam a trainer that works in the gym, his advice and all his explanations had help me so much to invest my time in the gym with meaning and direction. It's a pleasure to spend time in that place. The staff is attentive, competent and friendly, the costs are really good considering the multiple options that they offer to every customer. I highly recommend this place.

Four years of five star membership and it's been consistently good (just 2 comments to management in all that time) and, for the price, four star. Three for good facilities and another for the superb staff. In 4 years I recall just one dud....and they weren't there long! If I lived in the centre of Herne bay I'd remain (five star member) - the bubble pool is worth the 1.30 daily membership on its own! But have new facilities on my doorstep. Will be signing up for 4* membership at herons (one off payment, reduced rate pool). If the new place turns out to be a dud I would not hesitate for a second to make this my first choice leisure facility again. All the best.

Great fun for all the family with a water chute, splash pool area, inflatable island during family fun time. Fantastic value and warmer than most public pools. Currently undergoing a revamp. Helpful staff. Recommended.

Gym is nice and friendly with lovely staff. But what lets the place down for me is the mens changing facilities they are in desperate need of a refurbishment as they are so run down, its just not acceptable.

Great trainers, wish there was body Attack classes on a Sunday

brilliant swimming pool so warm friendly staff and quiet when we visited jacuzzi was activated for us when we asked

Swimming pool is freezing so it makes you want to work out to keep warm lol not a bad thing

Great place to take children of all ages

Had a triathlon here ..lovely and clean..staff were helpful ..very friendly ...and was a great start to my mini triathlon..thanks guys x

Great staff, lovely facilities but small pool a bit cold for my 4 year old boy.

Swim ever week here. Friendly staff. Good facilities

Great afternoon here today. The kids swam, went on slides & loved the huge inflatables. Absolutely good value for money. Will definitely return

Decent place. Includes a slide that is open regularly. The shallow pool is great for the little ones with sometimes water being sprayed into parts of the pool which is fun. For older children and adults theres the main, big pool. There isn't anything special with this pool, just a normal pool with lanes. There IS a hot tub, except it isn't hot. I found the prices to be really good. This might be because I barely ever go to pools, but it was about half the price I expected it to be. The cafe is good and has reasonable prices. Overall, if you live near here, or are heading to Kent for a holiday, I reccomend you come here.

Really fun family friendly swimming pool. There is a gym as well but I've never used that. Good changing/locker/shower facilities, and a really good combination of pools. A shallow pool for little people, a each area for tiny people, and a 33m long main pool for big people swimming. There is a water slide and various water fountains too, as well as a bubble pool, and an inflatable that comes out during the family fun time sessions. Theres also special times for swimming only, for more serious or exercise users who like a swim in peace ;)

It had a huge water slide, fountains, floats, an inflatable obstacle course but some of the things at the bottom of the pool made me get out and leave. The hot tub is great and kids loved the fountains and all the mats.

Nice pool and kept in good condition.

Offers great clubs especially swimming lessons. Never come across a miserable or unhelpful worker, always guaranteed quality service from the moment you arrive till the moment you leave!

Water is not warm enough. Not the cleanest lockers I've seen.

Bloody expensive. £9.60 for 1 adult and 1 child.. Only the rich get to swim here.. Play zone inflatables Saturday..

Very positive, tried the Gym out today with Helen loved it. I will be starting next Monday.

Good place for kids birthday parties

Went for early morning swim .Staff very pleasant and facilities up to scratch

Nice clean pool n friendly staff

Good gym all you can want in one place

My daughter took me in gym and i found it lovely lots of people their my age and older i enjoyed the faciltys really good will be back tomorrow morning

Clean gym, nice friendly atmosphere

Great little pool for a swim with lots of parking next door

Decent little pool. However the lifeguards dont have the backbone to reign in unruly kids who are running amock and ruining others swim time. I was with my 6 year old at the time.

Good place to keep fit and healthy

Great gym ,nice and friendly staff 👌

Great. Staff are always polite and helpful.

Went to enquire about membership, very helpful

Shocking changing rooms but lovely pool and food or would be 5 star

Family friendly pool with plenty of changing spaces and lockers. Friendly helpful staff.

I took my grandson on Saturday and was very disappointed ☹️ it was very dirty and cold the slide was closed and the jacuzzi was freezing a very unhappy grandma.

Lovely pool. Unfortunately a lot of young-ish children were in the shallow end of the main pool splashing about and making it hard to swin lengths. If you want to actually swin, rather than play in the pool, I would recommend the Lane swimming sessions rather than 'normal public' times.

Really good family swim with floats and slide. Grandchildren thorough enjoyed themselves

visit with grandson . i have been swimming at this pool since it opened . always enjoy our selves . negative ..the steps to the slide is in need of a paint job .peeling off and lose it stuck to our feet . toilets are smelly . staff are friendly .

I come here for the classes, they are plentiful with something for everyone. The trainers are welcoming and friendly.

Had a pool party and it was lots of fun

We always have a great experience here. Never too overcrowded and the reception staff are always welcoming. My grandchildren are fans!

Good place wide variety of fitness classes knowledgeable instructors Big car park next door

Lovely swimming people and friendly life guards. Cinema and cafe next door

Lovely and clean great family float fun we try and go every week😁

Its easy going and every one is friendly

Great gym nice swimming pool. Clean cinema.

Great day out for the kids ...although i did witness a female member of staff at the poolside being a bit rude and abrupt a child ( glad it wasn't my child or else there would of been trouble) the staff need to remember that they are working amongst children therefore they need to speak accordingl.