The review that stops you is from March 2018. A client explains they came to Neilon after "a long period of ill health and related complications of brain cancer," and credits the trainer's grasp of anatomy and a supportive approach with helping them lose more than a stone, drop inches, and, in their words, "feel well again." That's a serious, specific, first-person account, and it frames what this listing really is better than the star rating does.
What Neilon PT actually is
This isn't a gym you join. It's one-to-one personal training, based at a studio on St James's Street in Brighton. Every review here describes working directly with the same trainer, on individual goals, rather than using a facility on their own. A February 2018 client who trains "a minimum of 3 times a week" describes a coach who "really focuses on achieving goals" and "always spends time stretching you out." So the product is coaching attention, not equipment access. You're paying for the person, not the room.
Where the voices agree
For a small set, the reviews are strikingly consistent about method. A January 2019 client had been taught by him for five years, first in group sessions and then one-to-one, and praises how he "really excels" in the individual setting. A June 2019 parent describes 15 sessions with their teenage son that improved his confidence and fitness. The recurring themes are patience, anatomy knowledge, and individual focus, mentioned by clients with very different goals, from a teenager to someone recovering from serious illness. That range is itself useful information about who he works with.
What the 5.0 average is really measuring
Here's the part I want to be honest about. This is a 5.0, but it rests on just 5 ratings. That's not a gym-sized sample, it's a handful of clients, and you should read it accordingly. With five reviews, a single unhappy client would drop the average to around 4.2, so the perfect score is more fragile than it looks. There's also a selection effect baked into personal training: people who commit to repeated 1:1 sessions with a trainer they chose tend to be satisfied, and those who don't click usually just stop booking rather than post a review. None of that makes the positive accounts false. In my read, it means the 5.0 tells you these specific clients were very happy, not that the sample is large enough to settle the question for you.
What's missing
No review states a session price or a block rate, which is the single most important number for personal training and the one nobody here provides. There are no confirmed opening hours in the data, which fits a by-appointment model. Nobody describes the studio's equipment or whether sessions can run outdoors or at your own gym. Those are exactly the things to ask in a first inquiry.
Who it's not for
If you want an open-access gym to train in on your own, this isn't that, it's coached, appointment-based training. If you're strictly price-shopping, the total absence of any quoted rate means you'll need to ask before you can compare. And with only five public reviews, someone who wants a long track record of feedback should weigh that thin sample honestly.
FAQ
Is this a gym or a personal trainer?
It's one-to-one personal training with a single trainer, by appointment, not an open-access gym.
Who does he work with?
The reviews span a teenager, regular 3-times-a-week clients, and someone recovering from serious illness, suggesting a range of goals and fitness levels.
How much do sessions cost?
None of the five available reviews state a price. Contact the trainer directly for session or block rates.