Marshall Street Leisure Centre & Spa

This is a lovely pool to look at and use. But the lack of a T and the slight overhang of the marble at one end induce a touch of hesitance with tumble turns. Also, you do need a lock for the locker. And, while it doesn't quite replace the now-closed Central YMCA, it is a good replacement in Central London.

This is an excellent pool in every respect. The pool is set in a beautiful, light, and airy enclosure. The water is an excellent temperature for distance swimming. Lanes are assigned by speed, and the swimmers are extremely polite.

The locker rooms are small but perfectly fine. The pool provides locks for the lockers, but bring your own towel and sandals; my impression was that a swim cap is required for both genders.

It's padlocks only for the lockers, now. That, coupled with the £7 admission charge and the fact that there is no "T" on the bottom at the ends of the lanes, which ensures you see the angels at least twice a swim from hitting your heels on the lovely marble edging on the pool, you might want to check out Oasis Sports Centre for out-of-towners.

The locker system referred to in the February, 2014 review, above, has now been changed. Be sure to take a padlock with you.

This is a delightful pool: Elegant marble; clean; a perfect temperature; and with three very wide lanes that make it easy to pass. The women's changing room is just fine, with private showers, good lighting, and suit dryers. I love this pool in heart of Piccadilly. If taking the Tube, use Exit 1 at Piccadilly Circus.

Delighted to see this beautiful marble-lined pool (in which I regularly swam some 40 years ago) back as a public facility, now as then heavily used by the large numbers of workers in the heart of London's West End. The pool is of a now largely superseded length (100 Imperial feet): 33 lengths approximates to 1,000 metres. Good lane discipline observed. The men's locker room is reasonably well appointed but a little cramped when the pool is crowded (as it can be at lunchtimes). Lockers require a £1 coin (refundable).

The pool is a gem, but the cramped changing room facilities, which were part of the recent renovation, seemed to have been designed by someone who has never set foot in a gym or a swimming pool.

Nice pool with three wide lanes. The water and ambient temperatures are on the cold side and and showers, too, or at least a few of them. They often reserve lanes for groups from 8 PM so you're left with one, two, or none.

A jewel of a pool in the heart of London, a short walk from Carnaby St. Permanent slow, medium and fast lanes allow relatively stress-free overtaking. A long, narrow, open-plan changing area/showers (for the men, at least) has generous lockers.The hairdryer is pathetic and the loos have little privacy; otherwise it works well.

Specially overcrowded weekdays at mid-day and from 5 to 6:30 PM; out of those time frames, the pool is surprisingly (for London) empty.