Hawthorn Aquatic & Leisure Centre

Very beautiful facility in a lovely and very convenient place, excellent swimming lesson program for the kids and very good management except the indoor pool needs to be clean a bit more often. You can enjoying the beautiful view while having some jet star bubbles or having a swimming in the warm water or you can go out door pool if you prefer.

Disgraceful. Don’t even wanted to give a star but has no choice. If you have kids and thinking of taking them to have fun and swim, don’t come here! No kids pool. Indoor pool is divided to 2 lanes if 1 lane takes over by the swimming lessons is okay for you and kids to enjoy swimming peacefully on the other side of the lane. But if 1 lane used by those old women exercise group, beware at least one of them, out of control, will stare and shout at you or your kids to not doing anything because she doesn’t like it for no reason. Staff are useless in dealing with the situation. No customer service training or solving problem skills. Kids from a young age, from baby to toddler, they are in development stages which mean everything for them is learning and exciting. They learn to touch, to feel and being in the water is the best way for them to enjoy and improve their body exploration and balance their strength. Splashing, making bubbles, jumping are normal. If you have kids you will understand. My 2yrs toddler and I went into the water, he got too excited and gently splashing the water and making bubbles from what he has learned last week from the swimming lesson...no screaming, no yelling, no annoying anyone, playing on the edge of the pool with mummy on a separate lane away from an oldies exercise class, but out of the blue, he was told by this mature woman to not splashing because she personally doesn’t like it! The life guard and one Chinese guy with a blue uniform came to talk to us asking what was happened. I thought he intentionally tried to solve the issue but he made it more serious and started to tell us about the pool rules where I am fully aware of and i’m also aware of my rights to pay them full amounts to enjoy our swimming. If they don’t want kids at the pool when those oldies were there, they should put a sign up and said No Kids Allowed or Kids Allowed but no splashing, no making noise, no jumping, no making bubbles, just swim quietly like a turtle or move like a snail :) seriously!!

The best thing about this cafe is the view of the sparkling blue newish pool from floor to ceiling windows. I love this place and so do many others. I like to sit with a coffee before a class and dreamily gaze at that beautiful long pool. So relaxing especially in winter with all those lap lane people thrashing about despite the light mist. Depending on who is working in the cafe, music is either loud or not but the sweet solitude of early morning coffee before a workout with the smell of fresh muffins cooking and a quick look at the paper seems a healthy start for any day.

If the place had a sauna/steam room, I would have given it 5 stars. The space is good for workouts and their memberships automatically include group fitness classes. Plenty of equipment but one of the best parts are the unlimited free consults and updates provided to hone your workout and mix it up. Gym and pool facilities are clean and airy. Downsides are the opening hours, closing before 10pm...and the limited locations, being council based. The cost is also not the cheapest. The quality and flexibility is good though.

Have been with YMCA hawthorn for a few months now and really appreciate the staff's commitment to helping people out, keeping you informed at the front desk or via emails. Centre well maintained and classes line up well with our lifestyle. Pool is kept clean each time I've used it and male change facilities are maintained to general standard. A great gym to join.