An hour or two for a swim and a steam; longer with a treatment or a meal afterHow long
IndoorSetting
Families til 7pm; adults laterBest for
Not permittedDogs
Underground (paid)Parking
A warm 15-metre pool, a steam room and a proper gym, tucked inside a riverside hotel a few steps from Derry's ancient Walls — an easy indoor escape whatever the weather's doing outside.
What you'll enjoy: a 15-metre indoor heated pool (with a separate shallow area for little ones), a steam room, a fully-equipped gym, and changing rooms with showers, hairdryers and lockers. A hot tub and treatments are part of the offer too — see the notes below on what's currently open.
How long: an hour or two is plenty for a swim and a steam. Make an afternoon of it by adding a treatment, or lunch in Thompsons on the River afterwards.
Book ahead: the pool and leisure club aren't a walk-in for the public — day access and any spa treatment need to be arranged with the hotel first, so ring before you set off. Overnight guests and members have use of the facilities.
Who it's for: children are welcome in the pool until 7pm (there's a separate child's pool area), and the club is quieter and calmer for grown-ups later in the evening. So it works as a family swim by day and a peaceful adults' wind-down after 7. Swim caps are required in the pool — bring your own or buy one at reception (about £2.50).
Cost: membership runs from £32.50 a month off-peak / £35 peak on a 12-month plan. Day-pass and spa-treatment prices aren't published online, so confirm those directly when you book.
When: pool open Mon–Fri 6:30am–8:45pm and Sat–Sun 7am–7:45pm. Children's pool hours end at 7pm daily. Confirm on the day, as sessions and classes can shift.
Plan your visit
What's actually here
The heart of it is a bright 15-metre indoor pool, warm and calm, with a separate shallow area so smaller swimmers have their own space. Alongside it sit a steam room and a hot tub, and a fully-equipped gym with treadmills, rowers, cross-trainers and free weights — the kind of set-up you can drop into for a proper session or a gentle loosen-up. Changing rooms come with showers, hairdryers, lockers and towels. Aqua aerobics classes run a few mornings and evenings a week if you fancy a bit of company in the water. The quieter spa side offers a handful of treatments; the menu and prices aren't listed online, so ask when you call. It's all indoors and on the level, which makes it a genuinely reliable plan when the Derry weather can't make its mind up.
15-metre indoor heated pool (1.2m deep)Separate shallow area for childrenSteam room & hot tubFully-equipped gymAqua aerobics classes weeklyRiverside setting by the Walled City
Good to know before you go:
The hotel has flagged that the hot tub has been closed for essential maintenance, and the hotel itself is being refurbished as it moves to become a DoubleTree by Hilton — so facilities and branding may change through the year. A quick call before you travel is the safe move.
Before you set off
What to bring
🧢A swim capCaps are required in the pool — bring your own or grab one at reception for around £2.50.
🩱Swimwear & a towelTowels are available, but your own kit saves a wait. Flip-flops are handy for the poolside.
🪙A pound coinSome lockers are coin-operated, so keep a coin in your pocket for the changing rooms.
💧WaterA steam and a swim are thirsty work — bring a bottle to top up between lengths.
Good to know
Everything before you go
Cost
Leisure-club membership from £32.50/month off-peak (9am–5pm weekdays) or £35/month peak, on a 12-month direct-debit plan. Aqua aerobics £1.50 members / £5 non-members. Day-access and spa-treatment prices aren't published online — confirm these when you book. Overnight hotel guests have use of the facilities.
Opening hours
Pool: Mon–Fri 6:30am–8:45pm; Sat–Sun 7am–7:45pm. Children's pool hours: 6:30am–7pm weekdays, 7am–7pm weekends. Hours can vary — confirm on the day.
Age policy
Children are welcome in the pool until 7pm daily, using the separate child's pool area. After 7pm the club is quieter and geared to adults. Treatments and the spa side are best suited to grown-ups — ask about age requirements when booking.
What's here
15-metre indoor heated pool (1.2m deep), separate shallow children's area, steam room, hot tub (see notice re: maintenance), fully-equipped gym, changing rooms with showers, hairdryers, lockers and towels. A limited menu of spa treatments — details on request.
Food
Coppins Bar and Thompsons on the River restaurant are in the hotel, along with lounge areas — easy to fold a bite or afternoon tea into your visit. Healthy snacks and drinks are sold at leisure reception.
Toilets
Toilets and changing facilities with showers in the leisure club.
Dogs
Assistance dogs aside, dogs aren't suited to an indoor pool and leisure club.
Parking
Underground hotel car park (around 40 spaces): £1 per hour up to a 14-hour maximum, or up to 2 hours free with a minimum £15 food/drink spend. Accessible spaces at the front entrance. Discounted rates at the nearby Quayside multi-storey.
Accessibility
The leisure club is indoors and largely on the level, with accessible parking at the front entrance. For pool-hoist or step-free specifics, ring ahead to check current arrangements.
Booking
Ring the hotel to arrange day access, a treatment or membership — the leisure club isn't a public walk-in. Tel: 028 7136 5800.
Address
City Hotel Derry, Queens Quay, Derry/Londonderry, BT48 7AS
Questions
Before you go
Can I just turn up for a swim?
Not quite — the leisure club isn't a public walk-in. Overnight guests and members have use of the pool and facilities, and day access needs to be arranged with the hotel first, so ring ahead on 028 7136 5800 to check what's possible on your date.
Can children use the pool?
Yes. Children are welcome in the pool until 7pm every day, and there's a separate shallow area for smaller swimmers. After 7pm the club is quieter and geared to adults. Swim caps are required for everyone.
Do I really need a swim cap?
Yes, caps are required in the pool. Bring your own or buy one at reception for around £2.50. Swimwear and accessories are also sold there if you forget anything.
What spa treatments are there, and how much?
There's a limited spa/treatment offering alongside the pool, but the menu and prices aren't published online, so ask when you call. If you're after a full treatment menu, it's worth confirming exactly what's available before you book.
Is the hot tub open?
The hotel has flagged the hot tub as closed for essential maintenance, and the hotel is being refurbished as it becomes a DoubleTree by Hilton. Facilities may change through the year — a quick call before you travel is the safe move.
Where do I park?
There's an underground hotel car park (around 40 spaces): £1 per hour up to a 14-hour maximum, or up to 2 hours free with a minimum £15 food/drink spend. The nearby Quayside multi-storey offers discounted rates too.
Getting there
The City Hotel is on Queens Quay, Derry/Londonderry, BT48 7AS — right on the riverfront, a few minutes' walk from the Guildhall, the Peace Bridge and the historic City Walls. Park in the hotel's underground car park (paid) or the nearby Quayside multi-storey. Ring ahead to arrange your visit, then tap below for directions.
There's something quietly good about swimming indoors while a river slides past outside. The City Hotel sits on Queens Quay, right on the waterfront, on a site the hotel describes as overlooking the River Foyle and only a few steps from the historic City Walls. From the upper floors the views run to the Guildhall and the river; down at the leisure club you get the warm, calm version — a bright pool, a steam room, and none of the weather.
That setting is the whole appeal. Derry is a walking city — the Walls, the Bogside murals, the Guildhall, the graceful curve of the Peace Bridge across the water — and a swim and a steam make a natural bookend to a day of it. Bring the children in the afternoon while the pool is open to them, or slip in for a quieter evening length once it's adults-only after 7pm. Either way it's an easy, weather-proof plan in the middle of the city.
The hotel is in the middle of a change: it's being refurbished as it moves to become a DoubleTree by Hilton, so it's worth a call to check exactly what's open on your date. But the core of it — a proper pool, a steam room and a gym, right by the river — is a genuinely handy thing to have in a busy walled city. Come ready with a cap and a towel, and give yourself an hour or two to enjoy it.