We all like to feel special. That’s part of the allure of club membership, whether it’s an exclusive airline lounge or a top-tier athletic club. Across the nation, city clubs with hotel rooms offer overnight stays to members, but what experienced travelers rarely know is that a select few are open to nonmembers.
I discovered one such club near my Bay Area home. When I learned about the Berkeley City Club’s art deco swimming pool, I knew I had to swim in it, so on a dreary day, I booked myself a room. After checking in, I immediately headed to the 25- by 75-foot pool. The water temperature was an ideal 82 degrees. Even better: no clunky plastic lane markers. Small, patterned tiles with a flower motif indicated the lanes on the pool’s floor. During my long swim, I shared the pool with only a couple other swimmers and felt transported to a bygone era. The next morning, I swam again before enjoying the top-notch complimentary breakfast.
Impressed by this hidden treasure, I started looking at other city clubs and discovered six notable places across the United States, many with attractive rates (often in historic buildings) that give guests access to amenities normally open to members only, such as swimming pools, fitness centers, and spas.
Groucho Marx famously observed, “I don’t want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member.” Even if you agree with him, you’ll want to know about these six unique clubs you can stay in—without paying a membership fee.
Berkeley City Club
- Location: Berkeley, California
- From $279
- Book now
This spacious six-story building began as the city’s women’s club in 1930. Next to the UC Berkeley campus, the club has a handy location. And if the Berkeley City Club (aka the “Little Castle”) reminds you of Hearst Castle, that’s because its architect, Julia Morgan, also designed the publishing magnate’s estate in San Simeon. Persian rugs top wood floors in the 39 pastel-hued guest rooms, some with city views; no TVs add to the sense of stepping back in time. Overnight guests can enjoy the swimming pool, take yoga classes, and eat in the elegant dining room. (Yes, fresh coffee in china beats a pod in a paper cup.)
Union League Club of Chicago
The lobby of the Union League Club of Chicago
Courtesy of the Union League Club of Chicago
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- From $179
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Union League Club of Chicago was launched in 1886 by former members of the Union League of America, a Civil War–era organization supporting Lincoln. The current Georgian revival clubhouse of this civic association dates from 1926. It’s in the Loop and near the Art Institute of Chicago (although you can see a Monet in the club’s sizable art collection). Choose among 180 guest rooms and suites designed in soothing neutral hues. Overnight guests have access to an extensive fitness center (including squash and basketball courts, a Pilates studio, and indoor lap pool).
Since the National Trust for Historic Preservation added the ULCC to the Historic Hotels of America roster in 2021, nonmembers are welcome. The club’s three dining options range from the casual lunchtime Carvery, with panini and specials such as chicken pot pie, to the fine-dining Wigwam, which serves expertly cooked steaks and has an 800-bottle wine cellar. Past guests include Babe Ruth, Amelia Earhart, Rosa Parks, and Winston Churchill.
Bellevue Club
Suites at the Bellevue Club start at 1,000 square feet.
Andrey Anikusko
- Location: Bellevue, Washington
- From $279
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Separated from Seattle by Lake Washington, the modern, 66-room Bellevue Club has a Pacific Northwest vibe. Reclaimed and recycled wood was used throughout the property in a recent renovation. Rooms, designed with wood furnishings and accented in gray, start at a spacious 510 square feet and suites range from 1,000 square feet to 1,990.
“Stay well” is the theme and that means plenty of fitness options. Nonmember guests have access to all areas available to Bellevue Club members, including indoor and outdoor pools, a spa, tennis courts, and virtual golf, plus an indoor track and basketball and racquetball courts in the 200,000-square-foot athletic club. BC’s two restaurants feature local items (such as Molly Moon ice cream). Guests can also enjoy the Cosmos bar (try the poke tacos during happy hour.)
The Detroit Club
- Location: Detroit, Michigan
- From $175
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Established in 1882, the Detroit Club soon outgrew its building; the current club, four stories with a Romanesque revival design, opened in 1891. The club is conveniently downtown, a few blocks from the Detroit River. Nonmembers can reserve one of its 21 rooms or suites; liberal use of purple brightens the luxury king suites, while the spa suites have white clawfoot bathtubs.
The aptly named Soak Spa includes heated saltwater soaking pools in each locker room. Besides the Bohemia restaurant (open four nights a week), which leans toward classic meats (beef tartare and duck Bolognese, among the choices), guests can enjoy cocktails in the repurposed library. It serves creatively crafted drinks such as the Campfire Mule and Snowing in the Sun. (Happy hours start at 1 p.m.)
The College Club of Boston
- Location: Boston, Massachusetts
- From $269 for a single room; from $369 for a double room
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The Boston area is home to some of the oldest and most distinguished colleges in the USA—as a stay at the College Club of Boston’s Victorian brownstone will remind you. The club, founded in 1890, has the distinction of being the first college club for women in the nation.
Among the 12 guest rooms, half have bay windows and decorative fireplaces; the decor reflects individual colleges. (For example, the Smith College room, 202, features blue and yellow, the colors of the school’s logo.) The other six rooms are for single travelers and share a bathroom with one other room. The reasonable rates—which include a continental breakfast—and convenient location—a short walk from the Public Garden and Boston Common—make it an attractive stay for budget-conscious solo travelers with an appreciation of history.
The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa
- Location: Houston, Texas
- From $489
- Book now
They do things big in Texas. And in true Texas style, the Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa is a large, luxe property on 27 wooded acres, with three pools and a huge spa. The fitness club of 185,000 square feet offers some 180 group exercise classes weekly. Opened in 1980 and renovated in 2022, it’s up to date with Pilates and yoga studios, pickleball courts, and indoor and outdoor tennis courts.
Whether you opt for a standard blue and khaki room or a suite, you have access to the fitness club’s many offerings, plus a range of dining and drinking options. While the guest rooms’ floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the tree-filled grounds, for extra greenery, walk to nearby Memorial Park (twice the size of NYC’s Central Park).
