Are private clubs worth it?

Hey, it's Lisa. Would you join an exclusive club if the annual fee were more than $18,000 a year? What if I told you it's worth it? [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Hello, it’s [Lisa Fleisher](, your luxury correspondent in Dubai. Earlier this week, my colleague Sarah Rappaport was telling me about the new members-only club she visited in the Cotswolds in the UK. (See her report on the Club by Bamford [with images of the grounds](.) It’s one of a [blitz of new members clubs]( that have opened since the pandemic began, many trying to occupy their own niche. We had our eye on [the Bamford club]( in part because the annual fees were higher than most. A yearly plan on the lower end at the wellness resort costs £2,250 ($2,750), but it only includes 25 visits a year, and you have to live more than 50 miles away from the club. (Essentially, it’s for Londoners who might pop out of town to the countryside a few times a month.) The top tier is £15,000 ($18,345), with a £1,000 initiation fee. That annual fee is similar to the Aman New York’s $15,000 annual club fee, although almost nothing compares to the Aman’s [$200,000 initiation fee](. The more Sarah explained what you get for your money, the more I started to think, “Huh. That actually is a pretty good deal.” (Bear with me, I may be losing my mind, you be the judge.) First of all, the top package includes two personal training sessions per week. An Equinox in Manhattan offers the same package (104 sessions) with a top trainer for $16,640. So we’re less than $2,000 away from the total yearly spend right there. Then you get two spa treatments per month, another $3,000-$4,000 in value. The membership also includes one red-light and two cryotherapy sessions—whatever those are—per week; a full body and blood analysis; access to all gym classes; 20 guest passes and more. Plus you get to hang out here: A rendering of the pool. Squint to see the loungers at the end. Source: The Club by Bamford Would I ever actually buy all those personal training sessions and spa treatments? Sadly, not on a journalist’s salary. But I realized that the people who run these clubs often emphasize their value to me. Ajaz Sheikh, chief executive of the [Arts Club private members club in Dubai](, says he keeps his margins on food and beverage low intentionally so that members see value in eating there. Full membership at the Arts Club, which is an outpost of the London club, is 15,750 dirhams ($4,289) per year with an equivalent initiation fee. The club sprawls over 6,000 square meters (64,500 square feet) and several floors in a building designed by Foster + Partners, and boasts chic indoor and outdoor spaces. It includes three restaurants, a nightclub and plenty of elegant lounge areas where you can sit, get some work done, socialize or take meetings. Artwork by Daniel Crews-Chubb on display at The Arts Club in Dubai in March 2023. Photographer: Ingrid Rasmussen via The Arts Club Same goes for [the Capital Club](, which is near the Arts Club in Dubai but is more of a co-working space with restaurants, a barber shop and hotel rooms. Membership there tops out at 20,000 dirhams a year. To my surprise, the room rates are only 450 dirhams ($122.50) throughout the year, while the average daily rate of a luxury hotel room in Dubai hit $574.17 in December, according to STR, a hotel market data firm. These spaces are perfect landing spots for people visiting Dubai on business who want to have meetings in a place that’s not as public as a hotel lobby but not as blah as an office. In a desert city that can feel vast and impersonal, these clubs are a place where you might bump into friends and business partners, past, present or future. And get treated like a member of the noble class while you’re at it. What’s the next best thing to being a member at one of these clubs? Being friends with a member, who can bring you along as a guest. “It is like having a friend with a boat,” says Michael Kortbawi, a senior partner at Dubai law firm BSA. “No need to have one yourself.” — [Lisa Fleisher]( Don’t Miss From Pursuits This Week [Patek Philippe Sells for Record $5.8 Million at AuctionÂ]( A rare Patek Philippe watch sold for $5.8 million in Hong Kong, the highest price ever paid for a timepiece in an online auction. [HBO and Netflix Are Deciding Where You’ll Take Your Next Vacation]( A new study shows travelers are being inspired by TV and movies in greater numbers when planning travel. [Bad Cinderella Review: When a Fairy Tale Boldly Rejects Beauty, Taste]( Andrew Lloyd Webber’s bawdy new musical forgets the key lessons of the original. 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Here are some of your answers: Miami: The nightlife, dining (did you hear about the [new Casadonna restaurant]( opening this summer?), low taxes and global community. Germany or Denmark: For their approach to families, education and labor laws. Dubai: Safety, and a sampling of the best of the world. (If you want to visit soon, [here’s a guide]( I wrote.) Switzerland: The view. Lake Geneva is pretty. Photographer: FABRICE COFFRINI/AFP Tblisi: The people are beyond charming and kind. The emerging art and culture scene is inspiring. The hospitality is a treasure. And the food and wine are amazing. Bangkok: Food, health care, cost of living and creativity. Portuguese or Spanish coast: It feels like it’s far removed from the world’s BS, a place to unplug from the mess for a while. New for subscribers: Free article gifting. Bloomberg.com subscribers can now gift up to five free articles a month to anyone you want. Just look for the “Gift this article” button on stories. (Not a subscriber? 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