People pay a $200K initiation fee and $15K a year to join the Aman Club, the most expensive private members' club in NYC. Take a peek inside.

Maria NoyenMar 27, 2024, 19:34 IST

The Aman Club.Courtesy of Aman New York

Interest in private members' clubs has soared in the US with the rise of remote working.
In New York, the most exclusive and expensive is the Aman Club, which opened in 2022.

In an era where working from home is the overwhelming first choice in the US but where people still crave community, it's no wonder many are reporting a rise in interest in private members' clubs.

These clubs are not a new phenomenon in the US. In New York alone, the first opened their doors in the Gilded Age. Unsurprisingly, members were often men with deep pockets.

Fast-forward to 2024, and most private members' clubs in the city are gender-inclusive. But it still doesn't hurt to have money.

Soho House and Zero Bond are among the most popular clubs in New York. Members are charged upwards of $5,000 and $3,000, respectively.

But that's nothing compared to what members pay to join the Aman Club — a private members' club opened by the ultra-luxury hospitality resort chain of the same name in 2022.

Here's a sneak peek inside.

The club is situated within the Aman Hotel on Fifth Avenue.

The Aman Club rooftop.Robert Rieger

The Aman in NYC is in The Crown Building on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street. The hotel is located within a building that has long been a fixture in midtown Manhattan.

It's over 100 years old, comprised of 26 stories, and screams luxury with its golden ornamental facade.

Besides the 83 suites and 22 private residences, two lounges are dedicated to club members.

The Aman in NYC is in The Crown Building on Fifth Avenue and 57th Street. The hotel is located within a building that has long been a fixture in midtown Manhattan.

It's over 100 years old, comprised of 26 stories, and screams luxury with its golden ornamental facade.

Besides the 83 suites and 22 private residences, two lounges are dedicated to club members.

Joining the Aman Club comes at a steep price. Members pay a $200,000 initiation fee and an annual recurring fee of $15,000.

The Aman Club interior.Robert Rieger

Let's not beat around the bush: ultra-luxury comes at a price. How much, you ask? Well, a representative of the Aman Club told Business Insider that the global membership includes annual dues of $15,000 and an initiation fee of $200,000.

If it's any consolation, members can also "add up to four additional family members as registered members to enjoy the Aman Club membership benefits," a representative told the New York Post.

In 2019, Aman Resorts CEO Vlad Doronin told Bloomberg the membership grants access to two bars, restaurants, a private wine library, the cigar terrace, a subterranean jazz club, and the wellness area.

If it's any consolation, members can also add up to four additional family members as registered members to enjoy the Aman Club membership benefits, a representative told the New York Post.

Amenities include the 25,000-square-foot heated indoor swimming pool.

The indoor pool is heated.Robert Rieger

The pool, located within the three-story wellness center, is bordered by lounging areas and glass-covered fire pits.

Upstairs, a 7,000-square-foot garden terrace with panoramic city views is only accessible to members, hotel guests, and residents.

The garden terrace.Courtesy of Aman Club

The expansive garden terrace has a retractable glass roof, meaning members, hotel guests, and residents can relax and dine there year-round.

They can also enjoy drinks at the corner bar, which overlooks Fifth Avenue and 57th Street.

The expansive garden terrace has a retractable glass roof, meaning members, hotel guests, and residents can relax and dine there year-round.

They can also enjoy drinks at the corner bar, which overlooks Fifth Avenue and 57th Street.

Suites at the hotel start at around $3,200 a night.

A suite.Robert Rieger

A representative for the club declined to share whether members receive a discount on hotel suites when asked by BI.

However, Tatler Asia reported they have access to a "private office" — staff members available 24/7 to look after their personal and travel needs.

A representative for the club declined to share whether members receive a discount on hotel suites when asked by BI.

However, Tatler Asia reported they have access to a private office — staff members available 24/7 to look after their personal and travel needs.

Members get a 10% discount on food and beverages at the four exclusive dining areas.

The dining area.Courtesy of Aman Club

An Aman Club policy sheet reviewed by BI states that members can settle monthly bills from dining and drinking at the club through their "House Account." If they spend $10,000 in a month, the bill will automatically be processed with the credit card on file.

But there is a perk: members receive a 10% discount on food and nonalcoholic drinks at the four dining areas at the hotel.

These include Arva, an Italian restaurant; Nama, a Japanese restaurant with an omakase dining experience; the garden terrace; and the lounge bar.

An Aman Club policy sheet reviewed by BI states that members can settle monthly bills from dining and drinking at the club through their House Account. If they spend $10,000 in a month, the bill will automatically be processed with the credit card on file.

But there is a perk: members receive a 10% discount on food and nonalcoholic drinks at the four dining areas at the hotel.

These include Arva, an Italian restaurant; Nama, a Japanese restaurant with an omakase dining experience; the garden terrace; and the lounge bar.

Members use a digital card to access the club and other exclusive spaces, such as the 25,000-square-foot wellness area.

The sauna.Robert Rieger

When they arrive at Aman New York, members use a digital club card to access the exclusive facilities — including the restaurants, terraces, lounges, and, of course, the three-story, 25,000-square-foot wellness area.

Within the space are several different facilities, including the indoor pool, two distinct spa houses, a fitness center, a yoga and pilates studio decked out with reformers, a cryotherapy chamber, an InfraRed zone, a hair salon, and a nail salon.

The wellness area offers treatments like custom IV drips, electrolyte therapy, and acne management services.

Retail space in the spa.Robert Rieger

Aman Club members don't just have access to a spa with massages, saunas, hot tubs, and pools; they can also take advantage of an array of treatments offered within the wellness area by in-house doctors, though they still have to pay for it.

The website names a few of the "non-invasive treatments" available, including custom IV vitamin drips, electrolyte therapy, acne management, and microneedling.

The website names a few of the non-invasive treatments available, including custom IV vitamin drips, electrolyte therapy, acne management, and microneedling.

Perhaps the best benefit of the Aman Club is that members likely rub shoulders with A-listers who can't get enough of the luxury hotel chain.

Celebrities like George Clooney and Amal Clooney are fans of the Aman hotel chain.Robert Reiger, Matteo Chinellato/Corbis via Getty Images

The Aman Club remains silent on how many members it has and their identities. But in 2022, The Times of London reported that there was talk that all 600 membership slots had been filled.

Taking photos and videos inside the club is forbidden. Still, given the price of joining, it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine that many of the members enjoying the swanky facilities are high profile in some way or another.

But even if a member isn't a celebrity, they'll likely brush shoulders with them.

BI previously reported that a few A-listers who have stayed at an Aman hotel include George and Amal Clooney, Bill Gates, and the Kardashians.