Booking Policy FAQs
1. Class bookings can be made online or via the mobile app from 8pm, 9 days in advance or 8 days in advance at reception, in person or over the phone.
Q. How do I register for online/app bookings?
A. You need to have registered for the Member’s Area. Visit www.davidlloyd.ie/account/login-and- registration to register and log in. Once registered, you will see the online booking system link.
Q. How do I access the mobile app?
A. When you open the app on the first occasion it will ask for your username and password, these are the same details generated from the website Member’s Area registration so this should be done first.
Q. Does the 8 or 9 days include the current day?
A. You can book 8 or 9 days ahead of the current day so If you were booking on a Monday you can book for the following Wednesday online or Tuesday via reception.
Q. Why do people booking online or via the app get an extra day’s booking rights?
A. We want to encourage members to book online to speed up the booking process and improve the experience for other members at reception.
Q. I do not have access to the internet or have a smart phone how should I book 9 days in advance?
A. Most of our clubs have an internet cafeĢ facility. See a member of the team and they would be happy to help you register on the Member’s Lounge so you can make bookings in club through one of our member computers in club.
2. Racquet Court bookings can be made online or via the mobile app from 8am, 9 days in advance or 8 days in advance at reception, in person or over the phone.
Q. Do I have to be a full/racquets member to book a tennis or squash court?
A. Yes, due to high demand with a finite number of courts and to protect your membership, only full/racquet members are able to book courts or be additional players on a court booking.
Q. I’m a Health & Fitness member and would like to try tennis or squash. What should I do?
A. You should see the membership team who can discuss the options available to you.
3. Chargeable courses and classes can only be booked at reception and must be paid for in full at the time of booking. All Stars courses are also subject to a Priority Booking window. Refunds will only apply if 24 hours notice of cancellation is given for the class or booking time or before the first instance of a course.
Q. Why can’t I pay when I turn up?
A. You can if that is when you are making the booking. We require payment at the time of booking to ensure there is a commitment on the part of the member to that class or course as other members may have wanted to book but cannot as the class or course is full.
Q. Why can’t I get a refund once the class or course has started?
A. There is a limit to the number of members that can take part in a class or course. Once the class or course has started we are unable to re-sell to another member. We need a commitment from the member booking to ensure that it can be delivered as planned.
Q. What is the difference between a class and a course?
A. A class is a single session that you book and pay for. A course consists of a number of sessions. For example, you book and pay once and may go on 4 consecutive weeks.
Q. What if I am unable to attend for a reason outside of my control?
A. If we have 24 hours notice before the start of a class or the first week of a course then you are entitled to a refund. If less than 24 hours notice is given then no refund applies. The policy needs to be fair and consistently applied.
Q. Why can I not book these online or on the mobile app?
A. At the time of booking, we need you to pay for the course or class up front. We cannot offer this facility online at the moment.
Q. What is a Priority Booking window?
A. Booking for All Stars courses is subject to a Priority Booking window which is a period exclusively for current child participants to renew for a following term. Booking will open up to any other children at the end of this period. These dates will be advertised in club.
Q. Can my child book on Tennis All Stars even if I am not a racquets member?
A. We want to encourage children to learn and participate in our club products so yes, we will allow them to book onto Tennis All Stars.
4. Health & Fitness members can book classes and Full (Racquets) members can book classes and courts on the day at any David Lloyd Club if spaces are available.
Q. Are there any clubs I cannot book at?
A. There are a small number of clubs with exclusive access rights. These include the Harbour clubs (Chelsea & Notting Hill), David Lloyd Hampton and David Lloyd Brussels.
5. Booking rights follow peak and off-peak membership access rights.
Q. What is the latest time I can make a booking for as an off-peak member?
A. The last time you can make a booking is at the latest your membership will permit entry to the club. So if the last entry time is 4pm during the week for example then the last booking is 4pm.
Q. What is the earliest time I can make a booking for as an off-peak member?
A. The earliest time you can make a booking is at the earliest your membership will permit entry to the club. So if the first entry time is 2pm at the weekend for example then the first booking is 2pm. During the week this will usually be when the club opens.
Q. Can I book onto a class at a peak time if I am an off peak member and enter the club before 4pm?
A. No. You will not be able to book any class at a peak time. If you wish to secure a place you will need to upgrade. See one of the membership team for more information.
6. Clubs reserve the right to introduce advanced booking restrictions at times where Racquets courts are in high demand. During such times, the member will only be able to make one advanced booking per day. Subject to availability, additional bookings in high demand periods can be made 24 hours in advance.
Q. Why should there be a limit to the number of advanced bookings?
A. When courts are in high demand limiting the advance booking to one per day allows more members the opportunity to book courts. However, as stated, if a court is available 24 hours before then additional bookings can be made.
Q. What times are these high demand periods and how do I know when they are?
A. They are specified by the club. Please check with the club reception. The club will keep these periods to a minimum and will review on a regular basis.
Q. Why can I make additional bookings 24 hours in advance at high demand times?
A. High demand refers to periods where anticipated booking periods are popular. As such we expect courts in these times to be booked in advance. When court slots have not been filled on the day high demand does not take effect and courts are free for all to book.
Q. Can children book and play at high demand periods?
A. Yes unless the club has imposed a restriction on children (under the age of 14 years) from booking a court.
Q. Can I book more courts within 24 hours?
A. If there are courts available on the day, we want them to be used and as all other members have had up to 9 days to book high demand does not take effect and so you would be able to make additional bookings at any time of day and without the high demand restriction on the booking duration.
7. Booking durations are 1 hour for singles and 1 hour 30 minutes for doubles during periods within high demand. Bookings can be made for 1 hour 30 minutes for singles and 2 hours for doubles at all other times. Squash courts can be booked for 40 minutes.
Q. Why is there a difference between singles & doubles?
A. Due to the nature of the game. One hour for singles is generally long enough for most players and we want to present the maximum amount of court time for members to book and play.
Q. Can I make more than one advanced booking?
A. Yes, unless it is within a period of high demand.
Q. Can I make another high demand booking if one is available on the day?
A. Yes. High demand does not take effect on the day so you will be able to make as many bookings as there are courts available.
Q. Why are there restrictions in high demand?
A. Our aim is to allow more members to play more often, keep wasted court time to a minimum and to maximise the number of potential bookings in a day.
Q. What if my booking overlaps with high demand, how long can I book for?
A. You are able to book the full duration for bookings that overlap. For example you may book a singles court of 1 hour 30 minutes that is 60 minutes inside and 30 minutes outside of high demand in one single booking or a 2 hour doubles that is 90 minutes inside and 30 minutes outside of high demand.
8. Bookings require the names of all players. If players’ names are not available at the time of booking, the booking will be held provisionally. To confirm the court booking players names must be provided 24 hours prior to the booking start time or the court will be released. Amendments to players’ names can be made at any time prior to booking start time.
Q. Why do I have to give the names at all?
A. For a number of reasons. Importantly we want to protect your membership and ensure that only racquets members are playing. We also need to allocate the correct playing duration. Knowing who is on court and when is important for planning and communication.
Q. What if I actually don’t know their full name or surname?
A. You will need to ask them or clarify their member number to ensure the correct member is on your booking.
Q. How can I search for members?
A. There will be search functionality available so you can search by first name, last name and membership number.
Q. What happens if I don’t know the names when I make the booking?
A. The booking will be provisional until the names have been provided. You must do this at least 24 hours before the booking start time or you will lose the booking. We will send you an email if this is the case so you have a chance to re-book.
Q. What happens if the players change?
A. You must go online and change the names or inform reception prior to the start of the booking.
Q. What’s the latest point at which I can add or change the names?
A. Up to the start time of your booking.
Q. What happens if I want to change from a singles game to a doubles game or vice versa, can I just add or delete more names – what will happen to the time allocation?
A. You will need to cancel this booking and re-book.
Q. Can I book a court to practice on my own?
A. No. You can’t book a court for practice; however, providing you are a full member, you can make use of a court if one is available at the time you wish to practice. If the court you are on is subsequently booked you will have to vacate the court.
9. Courts for private tennis lessons can be booked online, at reception, or via the coach. To book lessons less than 24 hours in advance please speak directly to your coach.
Q. Why can’t I book online or at reception with less than 24 hours notice?
A. There needs to be a reasonable amount of time for the coach to receive confirmation of their booking.
Q. Can I book a private lesson via the mobile app?
A. The current version of the mobile app does not have this feature. As coaches can make bookings in advance on behalf of their clients, there is little need for members to have to do this themselves.
Q. Can I pay the coach at the same time as making the booking?
A. For private lessons you need to pay the coach directly. For classes and courses you must pay online or at reception.
Q. How do I cancel?
A. Online, through reception or via the coach.
Q. How do I get a refund for a private lesson if I cancel?
A. Our coaches are self employed and so you must check with the coach directly about their terms and conditions.
10. Classes and courts can be booked for any person connected with your membership package.
Q. I can’t seem to make a booking for my partner online. Why is this?
A. The primary member needs to set the permissions for any linked members to be allowed to make bookings for any other members on their membership account. This can be done via the ‘Permissions’ tab in the online booking system.
Q. Can I make a booking at reception for my friend?
A. You can only book for yourself and any other members linked to your membership. Your friend must make their own booking.
11. Bookings for junior members under 14 years of age can only be made by an adult (parent or guardian). Any adult linked to a child’s membership may make the booking.
Q. I can’t seem to make a booking for my child online. Why is this?
A. The primary member needs to set the permissions for any linked members to be allowed to make bookings for any other members including juniors on their membership account. This can be done via the ‘Permissions’ tab in the online booking system.
12. Certain classes are restricted by age group. Junior members can only be booked onto a class that is appropriate for their age.
Q. What is the minimum age for Group Exercise classes?
A. The majority of our classes are open to 14+ years, however we would advise a Group Exercise Welcome is booked to discuss classes that are appropriate for this age group. Juniors aged 14 & 15 years must be accompanied by an adult. It is compulsory for them to complete a Young Adults PAR-Q form along with their parent prior to attending their first class. This can be completed at the Group Exercise Welcome or on their first Gym visit.
13. If a racquets court booking is not used, or not used by the members declared on the booking, a ‘No-Show’ will apply to the member who booked the court. If a court is cancelled within 24 hours a ‘Late Cancellation’ will apply to the booker unless the court is re-booked.
Q. Why do we have late cancellation policy?
A. Classes and courts that are pre-booked yet remain unused are a major frustration to those members that were unable to book and participate and then see spaces available. One of the aims of our policy is in the interest of all members to maximise the opportunities to participate and by reducing the high volume of no shows and late cancellations more members will be able to take part.
Q. Why 24 hours notice?
A. To allow enough time for another member to book.
Q. What is the point of cancelling within 24 hours if I’m going to get a late cancellation?
A. To give opportunities for other members to book on and for court bookings, should another member book the court after you have cancelled the notification will not apply.
Q. How will you know if I have arrived at the club or not?
A. You need to ensure you use your membership card at the security turnstiles at reception. This is important as if we do not have this ‘check in’ in it will appear as a late cancellation. It is also important that you use the correct membership card.
Q. What if I, the booker, have arrived on time but my opponent has not?
A. You must inform reception. If the court is rebooked then a late cancellation will not apply. Alternatively, if you find another member in the club who wants to play then inform reception of the name change.
Q. What if only one person in my doubles game has not turned up?
A. For a doubles games, a late cancellation will only apply if only two players have arrived (one being the member who booked the court). After which the court is made available for other members to book, or you must advise us that you wish to play singles. If 3 players “check in” then the booking can remain as a doubles without any penalty.
Q. How will I be notified that I have received a late cancellation?
A. Providing you have supplied an up-to-date email address then you will receive an email for each one you receive and also an email to notify you that your booking rights have been temporarily suspended should you incur multiple late cancellations within a certain amount of time. You will be able to see the quantity and details of any late cancellations through the online booking system via the David Lloyd Member’s Lounge.
Q. What happens if the club or coach cancels the class with less than 24 hours notice?
A. The club will inform you and a late cancellation will not apply.
Q. As the booker, why should I be penalised with the late cancellation if it my partner or opponent who has not turned up?
A. As the booker, you are fully accountable for the booking. As it is possible to book courts and add any players to the booking it would be possible for incorrect members to be used and late cancellations to be issued without the other player’s knowledge.
Q. I have received a ‘late cancellation/no-show notification. How has this happened?
A. If you receive a late cancellation then you must have cancelled your booking with less than 24 hours notice. For a no-show then it may be that you haven’t ‘swiped in’ or used the correct membership card to access the club before the session start time. It is also possible that we have noticed that you have entered the club in time but not participated in the session you booked.
Q. I have received a ‘late cancellation’ and I have a question who do I contact?
A. If you have any questions please contact reception or direct your query by email to the attention of the Sports/Racquets team. See reception or the website for club specific contact details. The club should respond to your request within 48 hours.
Q. What if the booking system is down or the club security gates are not working?
A. If the booking system is down we will ensure that no inappropriate late cancellations will be recorded. If the security gates are not working you must check in with reception.
14. Three late cancellations or no-shows in any 90 day period will result in the loss of advanced booking rights for 1 month (30 days) for courts, racquets classes and private lessons.
Q. Why over a 90 day period why not 60 days for example?
A. The rule is to encourage members to participate or to cancel with enough time to allow other members to book and join in. 3 times over 90 days is 1 per month which we feel is appropriate.
Q. Does that mean I can’t attend my course if I have lost my advanced booking rights?
A. You may still attend any courses you are currently booked on to.
Q. What if the late cancellation was not my fault?
A. As the person booking we are asking you to take responsibility for that booking. The rule is set to 3 late cancellations before withdrawal of advanced booking rights to allow for this type of eventuality.
Q. Does this mean I can’t play racquet sports for a month?
A. No. It means you cannot book in advance. You can be an additional player or join on courses and classes.
Q. What if this was in a tennis competition & I don’t know the opponent?
A. In this instance a late cancellation will not apply. Please ensure you inform reception if your competition opponent hasn’t turned up.
Q. I book multiple courts per week, 3 times is disproportionately low compared to a less frequent booker. Why is this not calculated as a percentage of bookings instead?
A. It is important that the policy is simple and easy to remember, calculate and enforce.
15. If a racquet court is empty 10 minutes after a booking start time, the court may be released for use by other members.
Q. Why 10 minutes, what if I arrive 12 minutes past for example?
A. We realise that we need to accommodate the fact that, on occasions, members will be running late. The current policy is 10 minutes. We need to strictly apply the rule to ensure we do not lose court time that could be made available to other members.
Q. If I turn up late, will I receive a notification?
A. If you arrive more than 10 minutes past a booking time, we will think you have not shown up and therefore will be liable to receive a ‘no-show’ notification.
Q. Who is it released to – what if there is no one on the court after the 10 minutes?
A. It will be released for other members to book. If the court has not been rebooked by another member then the member can rebook but the late cancellation will apply.
Q. I have seen a court is free and I would like to play on it. What should I do?
A. You must see reception who will check if the original booker is more than 10 minutes late. If this is the case then they will be able to remove the original details and book you on instead. If you simply walk on court without contacting reception then priority will go to the original booker if they turn up.
16. If you arrive after the scheduled start time of a class, the instructor reserves the right to deny entry if deemed unsafe and another member may take your place.
Q. Why can’t I join in if I’m late and there are spaces available?
A. There are certain classes due that due to the nature of the activity would be unsafe for you to take part in if joined late. To ensure a duty of care to our members we will not allow them to participate if the instructor believes this could present a health & safety risk.
Q. I’ve turned up a few minutes late and someone has taken my space and there are no other spaces available. Why don’t I have priority?
A. If you turn up at or before the scheduled start time of the session you will have priority over any member who has not booked. If not, then we may offer your space up to another member waiting. It may be unsafe for this member to join in at a later point after waiting to see if the original booker is going to turn up.
17. Member guests can participate in classes if spaces are available at the time of the session. The guest will need to have a valid guest pass to access the club. Guests can be named as an additional player on a court booking.
Q. What’s the difference between a ‘guest’ pass and a ‘social guest’ pass?
A. With a ‘guest pass’ you are able to use all areas of the club whereas a ‘social guest’ can only use the club social areas.
Q. How do I get a guest pass?
A. You can download guest passes online or visit reception.
Q. Can I guarantee my guest a space on the class?
A. No. Members take priority so we can’t guarantee they will be able to participate but if the session is not fully booked then a guest can gladly take part.
Q. For tennis, do I have to give the name of my guest at the time of booking?
A. No but we do request a name and preferably email address of the guest before the booking time. Online you can click on ‘Other Players’ to enter this detail. Your guest will then get an email confirming their booking. Guests cannot be added to court bookings on the mobile app.
18. Clubs reserve the right to pre book courts and restrict bookings made by junior members.
Q. Why do clubs pre book courts?
A. To provide group coaching, maintenance, tennis events, competitions and social events.
Q. Why are juniors restricted and at what times are the restrictions?
A. We want to encourage junior members to play tennis regularly however we acknowledge that clubs during busy periods may need to prioritise adult members who pay significantly more for their membership. If there are any restrictions these will be set by the club, kept to a minimum and details will be available from reception.
19. If a Health and Fitness adult member is found to be on court without prior arrangement, a ‘Guest Fee’ charge will apply.
Q. What happens if this behaviour continues to be the case?
A. They may have their membership revoked.
20. If you do not turn up to a class booking or cancel a class that becomes full and the space is not rebooked by another member, a ‘no show’ or ‘cancellation’ notification will apply.
Q. Why do we have cancellation policy?
A. Classes that are fully booked in advance yet have spaces that remain unused are a major frustration to those members that were unable to book and participate. One of the aims of our policy is in the interest of all members to maximise the opportunities to participate. We want to encourage members to cancel as early as possible and also not penalise those whose space has been reused by someone else. Therefore, if you find out an hour before that you can’t attend, you have an incentive to cancel; there is still a chance other members are waiting to take your spot.
Q. When is the latest time I can cancel without risk of receiving a cancellation notification?
A. There is now no time threshold. For many classes that do not reach capacity, you could cancel at any point without impact. For our busiest classes, you can also cancel at any time and you will only receive the cancellation notification if your space ends up wasted. Therefore, the earlier you cancel, the more members we can notify and the greater the likelihood of your space is of being re-booked.
Q. Why are cancellation notifications only applied to full classes?
A. If a class does not become full, there is always space for other members to book so the fact that a member cancels has not affected anyone else. We don’t want to penalise anyone unnecessarily so we will only award a cancellation notification if another member has missed a chance to book the space as a result. This means we will only apply cancellation notifications to classes that hit maximum occupancy.
Q. How do you know whose space has been booked by whom?
A. If 2 people cancel on a class that was full and only one member re-books, we will only apply the cancellation notification to the member who cancelled last. This should incentivise early cancellation on the occasions members can no longer attend.
Q. My class is never full. Why should I book?
A. Booking gives you a guaranteed space and it enables us to communicate with you about any changes to your class. From our perspective, it allows us to plan the session if we know the numbers in advance and more generally, the booking data helps us programme the wider timetable more effectively.
Q. Do ‘no-shows’ apply to classes that do not get full?
A. Yes, we want to encourage behaviour that is respectful of other members so we will always apply a no-show if you don’t attend and don’t cancel regardless of how busy the class is. For many classes our instructors plan their sessions based on the numbers who have booked and having accurate booking data also helps us programme our timetable more effectively.
Q. Could I receive a cancellation notification even if I cancel 8 days before the class?
A. Theoretically, although it is highly unlikely that such busy classes do not get re-booked with such advanced notice. Classes that are so popular have a number of members subscribed to alerts. The earlier a cancellation, the greater the probability is that it will be reused.
Q. What is the point of cancelling a class if I know that it has been fully booked and therefore I run the risk of getting a cancellation notification anyway?
A. The earlier you cancel a class, the greater the chance that another member can book your cancelled space. We notify members as soon as spaces become available via the ‘Alert Me’ feature on the mobile app. This will only work if members cancel when they know they cannot attend, so if you know that you cannot attend a class, cancel as early as possible to allow other members the best possible chance of rebooking the space.
Q. How will you know if I have arrived and/or attended?
A. You need to ensure you use your membership card at the security turnstiles at reception. This is important as if we do not have this ‘check in’ in it will appear as a ‘no show’. It is also important that you use the correct membership card. Registers are also kept by our instructors and no-shows will be applied to members who are on the list who do not turn up.
Q. If a member cancels, how are other members informed that spaces are available?
A. Members can choose to be alerted if classes are full by turning on the ‘Alert Me’ function on the mobile app for each individual class. These members will be notified by push notification if a space becomes available in order of when they turned this on. Therefore, the member at the top of the list, first to turn alert me on, will receive the notification before anyone else and then the next member and so on at 2/3 minute intervals. Therefore, the person at the top of the list has a better notice and chance of booking the new space than the member 4th on the list and the situation where all four members are alerted and three miss out is avoided.
Q. Why can’t this automatically book the space for me?
A. We want to ensure that the numbers of no-shows are kept to a minimum in the interest of all members. Therefore, we need you to confirm that you want to attend by booking the new space when you have been alerted that it has become available. This alert may only arrive a few minutes before the class and if we were to automatically book you in, you may have made other plans by then and would therefore be a no-show.
Q. How will I be notified that I have received a cancellation or no show?
A. Providing you have supplied an up-to-date email address then you will receive an email for each. You will be able to see the quantity and details of any cancellations and no shows through the online booking system via the David Lloyd Member’s Area. We will also send you a push notification or pop up through the mobile app.
Q. I have received a ‘cancellation/no-show notification’. How has this happened?
A. If you receive a cancellation notification then you must have cancelled your booking for a full class and the space was not rebooked by another member. For a no-show then it may be that you haven’t ‘swiped in’ or used the correct membership card to access the club before the session start time. It is also possible that we have noticed that you have entered the club in time but not participated in the session you booked.
Q. I have received a ‘cancellation/no show’ and I have a question who do I contact?
A. If you have any questions please contact reception or direct your query by email to the attention of the Fitness Manager. See reception or the website for club specific contact details. The club should respond to your request within 48 hours.