Membership
Terms and Conditions
These terms apply to all Arete Gyms memberships: Rolling Monthly, 6-Month, 12-Month and Small Group Personal Training (SGPT). Where a clause applies only to certain plans, it says so.
ROLLING MONTHLY
Membership: Arete Membership Including and Excluding Recovery Suite, as selected at sign-up.
Minimum term: None.
Monthly fee: As shown on your Plan at sign-up, payable monthly in advance on the 1st.
Cancelling: One full calendar month's notice (see section 14).
6-MONTH AND 12-MONTH MINIMUM TERM
Membership: Arete Membership Including and Excluding Recovery Suite, as selected at sign-up.
Minimum term: 6 or 12 consecutive calendar months from the 1st of the month after you join (plus any part-month at the start). You agree to pay for the whole minimum term.
Monthly fee: As shown on your Plan at sign-up, payable monthly in advance on the 1st, and fixed for the minimum term. Or pay the full term in advance.
Leaving early: Early termination fee of 50% of the fees remaining in the minimum term, waived for certain changes in circumstances (see section 5).
After the minimum term: Monthly plans continue on a rolling monthly basis until you give one calendar month's notice. Paid-in-advance plans end at the end of the term unless you renew. We will remind you before the term ends.
SMALL GROUP PERSONAL TRAINING (SGPT)
Membership: SGPT 1, 2 or 3 – one, two or three Small Group PT sessions per week, plus all Full Access benefits.
Minimum term: None – rolling monthly.
Monthly fee: As shown on your Plan at sign-up for your chosen tier, payable monthly in advance on the 1st.
Session rules: Weekly allowance runs Monday–Sunday and does not roll over. Cancel at least 24 hours before a session or it counts as used (see section 6).
Cancelling: One full calendar month's notice (see section 14).
ALL MEMBERSHIPS
Joining fee: £25 one-off, unless waived under a promotion.
Freezing: Up to 3 months per calendar year, £12 per month (see section 13). For minimum term plans, the minimum term is extended by the frozen period.
Cooling-off: 14 days from joining (see section 3).
These key terms summarise the agreement. The full terms below apply. If anything in this summary conflicts with the full terms, the full terms apply.
1. ABOUT THESE TERMS
1.1 These terms and conditions (the Terms) are the agreement between you (the Member, you) and Arete Gyms Limited, company number 16195162, registered office 18 Ensign Street, London E1 8PA (we, us, the Company). We operate Arete Gyms at 75 Hooper Street, London E1 8BP (the Club).
1.2 Your agreement is made up of these Terms, the Club Rules in the Schedule (also published on our website) and the details of the membership plan you choose at sign-up, including its price (your Plan). If they conflict, your Plan details apply first, then these Terms, then the Club Rules.
1.3 By completing sign-up (in the Club, online or in the app) you confirm you have read and accept these Terms.
1.4 We may change these Terms or the Club Rules for good reason, for example a change in the law, safety requirements, or changes to how we run the Club or our services. We will give you at least 30 days' notice by email of any change that materially affects you. If a change is materially to your disadvantage, you may end your membership without penalty (including during any minimum term) by telling us before the change takes effect. Minor changes that do not disadvantage you, such as clarifications or updates to etiquette in the Club Rules, may take effect when published.
2. JOINING AND ELIGIBILITY
2.1 You must be at least 18 years old to become a Member.
2.2 We may decline a membership application at our discretion. If we do, we will refund anything you have paid.
2.3 A photo must be taken when you join or before your first visit, so that our team can identify you. Entry will not be permitted until your photo is on file.
2.4 Your membership is personal to you and cannot be transferred, shared or lent to anyone else.
2.5 You must keep your contact and payment details up to date in the app.
2.6 Where applicable, a one-off joining fee of £25 is payable when you join. We may reduce or waive it during promotions. The joining fee is non-refundable, including if you cancel during the cooling-off period.
3. YOUR 14-DAY COOLING-OFF PERIOD
3.1 You may cancel your membership within 14 days of the day you join, for any reason, whether you joined online, in the app or at the Club.
3.2 To cancel, tell us in the app or by email to hello@aretegyms.com within the 14 days.
3.3 You may start using the Club straight away. If you do, and then cancel within the 14 days, we will refund the membership fees you have paid less a proportionate charge for the days of membership you have had, and, for SGPT plans, the standard price of any SGPT sessions you have attended.
3.4 We will make any refund within 14 days of your cancellation, using the payment method you used to pay.
4. FEES AND PAYMENT
4.1 Membership fees are payable monthly in advance through our member app (Momence) by card or Direct Debit. Payments are taken on the 1st of each month (or the next working day). If you have a 6- or 12-month plan, you may instead pay for the whole minimum term in advance (see 4.7).
4.2 If you join part-way through a month, your first payment covers the rest of that month on a pro-rata basis, and regular monthly payments then start on the 1st of the following month.
4.3 If you have a 6- or 12-month plan, your monthly fee is fixed for the minimum term. Otherwise, and after any minimum term, we normally review fees once a year (usually on 1 January). We will give you at least 30 days' notice by email of any increase, and you may cancel before it takes effect; no increase will apply during your notice period.
4.4 Other charges you incur, such as personal training, freeze fees or late-cancellation charges, will be charged when they arise or with your next monthly payment.
4.5 If a payment fails, we will tell you and try to take it again. We may suspend your access to the Club until all amounts due are paid. If any amount is still unpaid 30 days after it was due, we may write to you asking for payment within 14 days. If it is not paid, we may end your membership and recover what you owe, including any early termination fee under 5.6. We may refer unpaid amounts to a debt collection agency.
4.6 We do not charge a fee for failed payments. However, we may recover our reasonable costs of collecting unpaid amounts, as permitted by law.
4.7 Paying in advance. If you pay for the full 6- or 12-month term in advance (at the same total price as paying monthly), your membership runs for the fixed dates shown on your Plan. Paid-in-advance fees are non-refundable, except under section 3, clause 1.4, clause 5.7 or where we fail to provide the services.
4.8 Prepaid passes. Where we sell a pass for a fixed period paid in advance, its start and end dates are fixed and it cannot be frozen, transferred or extended. It is non-refundable, except under section 3, clause 1.4 or where we fail to provide the services.
5. LENGTH OF MEMBERSHIP
5.1 Rolling Monthly and SGPT memberships run on a rolling monthly basis with no minimum term. They continue until you or we end them under these Terms.
6-month and 12-month plans only:
5.2 Your membership has a minimum term of 6 or 12 (as shown on your Plan) consecutive calendar months, starting on the 1st of the month after your start date (the Minimum Term). The pro-rata period under 4.2 is in addition to the Minimum Term.
5.3 You agree to pay the monthly fee for every month of the Minimum Term. Notice to cancel given during the Minimum Term ends your membership at the end of the Minimum Term (or later, under 14.1), unless 5.6 or 5.7 applies.
5.4 Monthly payers: at the end of the Minimum Term your membership automatically continues on a rolling monthly basis at the same monthly fee (subject to 4.3) until you cancel under section 14. We will email you at least 30 days before the Minimum Term ends to remind you. To leave at the end of the Minimum Term, give notice on or before the 1st of its final month.
5.5 Paid in advance: your membership ends at the end of the term unless you choose to renew. We will email you at least 30 days before the end date with your renewal options.
5.6 Leaving early. You may end your membership during the Minimum Term by giving notice in the app or by email. Your membership will end at the end of the calendar month in which we receive your notice, and you must pay an early termination fee equal to 50% of the monthly fees that would have been payable for the rest of the Minimum Term. This fee reflects a genuine estimate of our loss and is charged to your usual payment method.
5.7 Change in circumstances. We will waive the early termination fee (and refund any unused paid-in-advance fees pro-rata) if, during the Minimum Term, and with reasonable evidence:
(a) you suffer a serious illness or injury that, on medical advice, prevents you from exercising for the rest of the Minimum Term;
(b) you are made redundant or become unemployed;
(c) you move your home or place of work more than 5 miles from the Club;
(d) you become pregnant (you may instead freeze free of charge under 13.7); or
(e) in the event of your death, in which case no further payments will be taken.
In these cases your membership ends at the end of the calendar month in which we receive your notice and evidence.
5.8 If you freeze your membership during the Minimum Term, the Minimum Term is extended by the length of the freeze.
6. SMALL GROUP PERSONAL TRAINING (SGPT) – SGPT PLANS ONLY
6.1 Your plan. Your SGPT plan entitles you to the following number of SGPT sessions each week (your Weekly Allowance), together with all Full Access membership benefits (main gym, Recovery Suite sauna and ice bath, yoga, run club, workshops and guest passes, as described on our website):
(a) SGPT 1 – 1 session per week;
(b) SGPT 2 – 2 sessions per week;
(c) SGPT 3 – 3 sessions per week.
The monthly price for each tier is shown on your Plan at sign-up.
6.2 Weekly Allowance. Weeks run Monday to Sunday. Unused sessions do not roll over to the following week, cannot be transferred or shared, and have no cash value. Your monthly fee is the same each month regardless of how many weeks the month contains. The fee is calculated on an annual basis and allows for a reduced timetable on public holidays and over the Christmas period.
6.3 Booking. All sessions must be booked in the app, subject to availability. Groups are limited to a maximum of 6 people. We cannot guarantee a particular time, day or coach.
6.4 Late cancellation and no-shows. You may cancel a booked session in the app up to 24 hours before it starts and the session will be returned to your Weekly Allowance. If you cancel later than this or do not attend, the session counts as used. If you repeatedly do not attend booked sessions, we may limit your ability to book in advance.
6.5 Arriving on time. Please arrive at least 5 minutes before your session. For safety, the coach may, at their discretion, refuse entry to anyone who arrives late and misses the warm-up. In that case the session counts as used.
6.6 If we cancel. If we cancel a session you have booked, we will try to offer you an alternative session in the same week. If we cannot, we will add a credit for that session, to be used within 14 days.
6.7 Health and programming. Before your first session you must complete our health questionnaire and tell your coach about any injury, medical condition or pregnancy, and about any changes. Coaches will adapt exercises where possible, but you must stop and tell the coach if you feel unwell or in pain. We do not guarantee any particular result.
6.8 Changing your plan. You may move between SGPT 1, 2 and 3, or to a Full Access membership, by request in the app or by email. Changes take effect from the next 1st of the month, provided we receive your request before that date. If you upgrade, we can apply it straight away on request and charge the difference pro-rata for the rest of the month.
6.9 Freezing. SGPT cannot be frozen on its own. You may freeze your whole membership under section 13, or move to a different plan under 6.8.
7. MEMBER APP AND CLUB ACCESS
7.1 You must download and use our member app (Momence) for bookings, payments and managing your membership, and to open the entrance to the Club.
7.2 Your app login and access are personal to you. You must not lend them to anyone, or let anyone into the Club behind you. If someone else uses your login or membership, or you let a non-member in, we may suspend or end your membership under section 15.
7.3 Where your Plan includes guest passes, each guest must be 18 or over, register and accept our terms in the app before entry, and train with you. You are responsible for your guest's conduct.
8. USING THE CLUB AND OUR SERVICES
8.1 We set the Club's opening hours and publish them on our website and in the app. We will give at least 14 days' notice of any permanent change.
8.2 We may close all or part of the Club temporarily for repairs, maintenance, safety reasons, public holidays or events, and the Club may close once a year (normally over a weekend) for maintenance. We will give as much notice as we reasonably can. If the Club is closed for more than 7 consecutive days for reasons within our control, we will credit you a pro-rata amount of your monthly fee or freeze your membership free of charge for that period.
8.3 Only Arete Gyms staff and coaches we have approved may provide personal training or coaching in the Club.
8.4 We may change or cancel classes and the timetable, including at short notice. Please arrive in good time for classes and appointments. An instructor may refuse entry to anyone who arrives late, or ask anyone to leave a class if they believe their or another person's safety is at risk.
8.5 Personal training appointments must be cancelled at least 24 hours in advance. If you cancel later or do not attend, we may charge the full cost of the appointment, or the session will be deducted from your pack.
8.6 Unused personal training sessions and Club credit are non-refundable and non-transferable, except where we cannot provide them or where the law requires otherwise.
8.7 You must wear suitable, clean training clothes and clean training shoes. Tops must be worn in all training areas.
8.8 Animals are not allowed in the Club, except assistance dogs.
8.9 Smoking and vaping are not permitted anywhere in the Club.
8.10 No food may be eaten on the gym floor or in the studios. Drinks must be in sealed, non-glass containers. No glass is allowed in training areas, the Recovery Suite or changing areas.
8.11 You must not bring alcohol or illegal drugs into the Club, or use the Club while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Anyone doing so will be asked to leave immediately, and we may end their membership.
8.12 Equipment must be returned to its racks or storage area and wiped down after use, and training areas left clean and tidy.
8.13 Club property must not be removed from the Club. Doing so may lead to termination of membership and further action.
8.14 Photography and filming are allowed only as set out in the Club Rules. Photography and filming are strictly prohibited in changing rooms, toilets and the Recovery Suite. Video calls are not permitted in the Club.
8.15 Please treat other members and our team with respect. Abusive, threatening, discriminatory or intimidating language or behaviour will not be tolerated.
8.16 Please leave the training areas in time to shower and change before closing time.
9. RECOVERY SUITE (SAUNA AND ICE BATH)
9.1 The Recovery Suite is available only on Plans that include it, such as Full Access and SGPT. You must follow the safety guidance and time limits displayed in the Recovery Suite.
9.2 Heat and cold exposure carry health risks. Do not use the sauna or ice bath without medical advice if you are pregnant, have a heart condition, high or low blood pressure, or another relevant medical condition, or if you have consumed alcohol. Leave immediately if you feel unwell.
10. LOCKERS AND BELONGINGS
10.1 Day lockers are available while you are in the Club, subject to availability. Bags must be stored in the lockers or storage areas provided, not in training areas. You must empty your locker before you leave.
10.2 We may open and empty any day locker left locked after the end of your visit or at closing time.
10.3 Items found in the Club or cleared from lockers are kept for 14 days (48 hours for wet items). After that, unclaimed items will be donated to charity or disposed of.
11. HEALTH AND SAFETY
11.1 By joining, you confirm that you are in good health and know of no medical or other reason why you cannot exercise safely. If you are unsure, or you have an injury, a medical condition or are pregnant, you must get medical advice before exercising and tell our team so we can adapt your programme. You must tell us if your health changes.
11.2 You must not use the Club while you have an infectious illness, or open cuts, sores or skin infections that could put other members at risk.
11.3 You must report any accident or injury in the Club to a member of staff straight away so that it can be recorded.
11.4 Please familiarise yourself with the fire exits and emergency procedures, and follow staff instructions in an emergency.
12. OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO YOU
12.1 Nothing in these Terms limits or excludes our liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot be limited or excluded by law.
12.2 We are responsible for loss or damage you suffer that is a foreseeable result of our breaking these Terms or failing to use reasonable care and skill. We are not responsible for loss or damage that is not foreseeable. We provide our services for private use only and are not liable for any business losses.
12.3 You bring personal belongings into the Club at your own risk. We are not responsible for their loss or damage unless it is caused by our negligence or our breach of these Terms. Please do not bring valuables.
12.4 You are responsible for any damage to Club property that you or your guest cause deliberately or carelessly.
13. FREEZING YOUR MEMBERSHIP
13.1 Freezes are at our discretion. Request a freeze in the app or by email at least 7 days before it is due to start. Freezes cannot be backdated.
13.2 You cannot freeze until your membership has been active for one full calendar month.
13.3 A freeze lasts a minimum of 1 month and a maximum of 3 months in any calendar year, and may start on any date. You must give a resume date when you request a freeze.
13.4 A freeze fee of £12 per month is charged instead of your normal monthly fee and taken from your usual payment method. If a freeze starts or ends part-way through a month, that month is charged pro-rata: the freeze fee for the frozen days and your normal monthly fee for the active days. Any overpayment is credited against your next payment. Your normal monthly fee restarts automatically when the freeze ends.
13.5 You cannot use the Club while your membership is frozen, and, for SGPT plans, your Weekly Allowance is paused. If you want to visit, you can end your freeze early by request in the app (your normal fee will be charged pro-rata from the date you resume) or buy a day pass at the standard price.
13.6 Any change to a freeze must be requested in the app or by email.
13.7 If you are on maternity, paternity or adoption leave, you may freeze free of charge for up to 12 months, with reasonable evidence. This does not count towards the 3-month limit.
13.8 If you have a 6- or 12-month plan and paid in advance, you cannot freeze, except under 13.7 or in the case of serious illness or injury supported by a medical note, at our discretion. Your end date will be extended by the length of the freeze.
13.9 For 6- and 12-month plans, freezing extends your Minimum Term by the length of the freeze (see 5.8).
13.10 You may give notice to cancel while your membership is frozen. Your freeze will end at the start of your notice period, and your notice month will be charged at your normal monthly fee.
14. CANCELLING YOUR MEMBERSHIP
14.1 Rolling Monthly and SGPT members, and 6- or 12-month members after their Minimum Term, may cancel by giving one full calendar month's notice in the app or by email to hello@aretegyms.com. If we receive your notice on or before the 1st of a month, your membership ends on the last day of that month. If we receive it after the 1st, it ends on the last day of the following month. For example, notice received on 1 May means May is your final month. Notice received on 2 May means your final month is June.
14.2 Your notice is effective from the date we receive it. We will confirm it by email within two working days. If you do not receive confirmation, please contact us. Please do not post cancellation requests.
14.3 You cannot change your membership while you are serving notice.
14.4 When your membership ends, any unused benefits (such as guest passes, SGPT sessions or Club credit) lapse. Fees already paid are not refundable, except as stated in these Terms.
14.5 You may also end your membership straight away, with a pro-rata refund of any fees paid in advance, if we materially fail to provide the services under these Terms and do not put things right within a reasonable time after you tell us.
14.6 If you want to rejoin, you must first pay any amounts still owing, and a joining fee may apply.
15. SUSPENSION AND TERMINATION BY US
15.1 We may suspend or end your membership, with immediate effect, if you seriously or repeatedly break these Terms or the Club Rules. This includes abusive, threatening, discriminatory or unsafe behaviour; misusing your access or letting others in; and not paying amounts due (see 4.5).
15.2 Where reasonable, we will tell you why and give you a chance to respond before ending your membership. The manager or member of staff on duty may ask anyone to leave the Club immediately.
15.3 If we end your membership for one of the reasons in 15.1, fees already paid and the joining fee will not be refunded. You must pay any amounts owing, including any early termination fee under 5.6.
15.4 We may also end your membership for any other reason by giving you at least 30 days' notice. In that case we will refund any fees paid for the period after your membership ends, and no early termination fee will apply.
16. CCTV AND YOUR DATA
16.1 We operate CCTV throughout the Club for safety and security, except in changing rooms and toilets. Footage may be used to investigate incidents and may be shared with the police.
16.2 We handle your personal data in line with our Privacy Notice, available on our website. We will contact you by email, SMS and app notification about your membership. You can opt out of marketing at any time.
17. FEEDBACK AND COMPLAINTS
17.1 We welcome feedback. Email hello@aretegyms.com or speak to a member of our team. We will acknowledge complaints within 5 working days and aim to resolve them within 14 days.
18. GENERAL
18.1 We will send notices to the email address in your account. Emails are treated as received on the next working day after sending.
18.2 We may transfer our rights and obligations under this agreement to another organisation, for example if the Club changes ownership. We will tell you if this happens. If you are unhappy with the transfer, you may end your membership without penalty. You may not transfer your rights or obligations to anyone else.
18.3 No one other than you and us has any right to enforce these Terms under the Contracts (Rights of Third Parties) Act 1999.
18.4 If a court decides that any part of these Terms is invalid, the rest will continue to apply. If we delay in enforcing these Terms, we can still enforce them later.
18.5 These Terms are governed by the law of England and Wales, and the courts of England and Wales have jurisdiction. If you live in Scotland or Northern Ireland, you may also bring proceedings in your local courts.