Good piece. I think there is also the whole segment of members only spaces for owners of branded residences. Guests may not even know they exist but they add substantially to a property and the offerings. For someone who stays at Four Seasons Costa Palmas, it’s a nice hotel with quite a few restaurants and pools but if you are an owner, you get access to a special beach club, additional pools. A Four Seasons guest would not know as it’s part of the larger infrastructure and thus wouldn’t feel like they are missing out but it definitely adds a layer of choice and also a place people know they are among other owners.
I’ve seen more hotel fitness club hybrids pop up too - like Equinox; which is membership in another form as well. Guests have access to all the gym has the offer. I see the appeal of the memberships from a hotelier perspective - but as a consumer; I’d need to really buy into the community piece.
Fascinating thoughts - especially since the K-shape is making hotels more "competitive" leading to raising rates, and then this also echoes the thoughts Stanza had about curating guests being as important as vibe curation. Instead of just increasing prices, how do you use clubs to refine and enhance your loyal returnees and also create new lines of revenue? I stayed at the Grove recently, and their spa had a local membership club; it was fun to watch their aqua-jazzercise classes in the pool in the afternoon while I was hiding from the screaming kiddos (it was Easter weekend - I should have known better).
Luxury hospitality has always been in the belonging business.
Membership clubs are simply making that explicit—and monetizing what great hotels have always quietly delivered through service, atmosphere, recognition, and culture.
The hotel membership club is fascinating because it feels like hotels are trying to solve two problems at once: steadier local revenue and the need to make people feel like they belong somewhere.
But that’s the hard part too. Belonging stops feeling like belonging when it turns into velvet-rope theater.
The real test will be whether these clubs create actual community or just a more expensive lobby with a waitlist.
Good piece. I think there is also the whole segment of members only spaces for owners of branded residences. Guests may not even know they exist but they add substantially to a property and the offerings. For someone who stays at Four Seasons Costa Palmas, it’s a nice hotel with quite a few restaurants and pools but if you are an owner, you get access to a special beach club, additional pools. A Four Seasons guest would not know as it’s part of the larger infrastructure and thus wouldn’t feel like they are missing out but it definitely adds a layer of choice and also a place people know they are among other owners.
Yes! Good addition.
I’ve seen more hotel fitness club hybrids pop up too - like Equinox; which is membership in another form as well. Guests have access to all the gym has the offer. I see the appeal of the memberships from a hotelier perspective - but as a consumer; I’d need to really buy into the community piece.
Fascinating thoughts - especially since the K-shape is making hotels more "competitive" leading to raising rates, and then this also echoes the thoughts Stanza had about curating guests being as important as vibe curation. Instead of just increasing prices, how do you use clubs to refine and enhance your loyal returnees and also create new lines of revenue? I stayed at the Grove recently, and their spa had a local membership club; it was fun to watch their aqua-jazzercise classes in the pool in the afternoon while I was hiding from the screaming kiddos (it was Easter weekend - I should have known better).
Yes! The clientele becomes the differentiating factor. Like Hotel Du Cap.
I think those make a lot of sense when a hotel doesn’t want to put in the capital to build out a gym or pool for sure
Luxury hospitality has always been in the belonging business.
Membership clubs are simply making that explicit—and monetizing what great hotels have always quietly delivered through service, atmosphere, recognition, and culture.
The hotel membership club is fascinating because it feels like hotels are trying to solve two problems at once: steadier local revenue and the need to make people feel like they belong somewhere.
But that’s the hard part too. Belonging stops feeling like belonging when it turns into velvet-rope theater.
The real test will be whether these clubs create actual community or just a more expensive lobby with a waitlist.
Yes, I think the places that will do it well will create spaces, like a pool or gym, separate for members so they aren’t competing for amenities.
It’s a lot like the branded residence conundrum.
The separate amenities is a big question! I could see how having to share with hotel guests could undermine the exclusivity value proposition big time