Media reports on member dissatisfaction at Adelaide's Next Gen Memorial Drive

Adelaide newspaper The Advertiser has reported on "a member revolt" at the Next Gen Memorial Drive in Adelaide over poor facilities

Members of the 25-year-old premium facility are reported to have complained to South Australia's consumer watchdog over apparent unreasonable fees and having been deprived of basic services at the luxury club, which doesn’t publicly disclose its charges online.

The dispute, which has sparked complaints to Consumer and Business Services, is based on claims that the high-profile gym is breaching customer as well as occupational health and safety laws.

Complaints include no working showers - said to be closed for at least two months due to renovations - and “regularly” broken equipment including the sauna, steam room and a recently “freezing” outdoor heated pool.

Despite terms and conditions insisting swimmers must rinse for “health and hygiene reasons”, the gym has only two working poolside showers.

Reminder signage warns members against using the rinsing showers as a personal bathroom and notes “bathing suits are required”.

The club, formerly known as Next Generation, has also come under fire for a lack of communication to members and a refusal to reduce gym fees despite a litany of problems at the Riverbank gymnasium, which has various charges from $2000 a year depending on usage.

Instead The Advertiser advises that member can suspend their membership but this means not being able to enter the private members club with its 28 competition-grade tennis or squash courts along with 100 group fitness classes and luxury “retreats”.

The Advertiser reported a source as having advised that members were “up in arms, and those arms are starting to get flabby”, adding "most people are paying around $2000 a year for a gym that doesn’t have showers.

“It also has facilities such as the steam room and sauna that breakdown regularly."

Another member is reported to have advised "for the whole facility is two rinsing showers and things are so desperate people are actually using them as showers – which they’re not allowed to do.

“They’re leaving their bathers on but walking in to a very public area with their toilet bags and toothbrushes. It’s disgusting. The gym isn’t policing it. It’s outrageous."

The facility, which former tennis stars David Lloyd and John Alexander built opened under the Next Generation brand in 1999, offers premium facilities.

Latest company records show that Next Generation Clubs Australia Pty Ltd generated almost $31 million in revenue in 2022 from six gyms across the country and New Zealand.