Hong Kong’s exclusive American Club sparked outrage earlier this week when it asked non-US members to pay as much as HK$1.5 million (US$192,140) to retain their memberships, with some saying the abrupt move has undertones of discrimination.
The club, which has premises in Central and Tai Tam, said members must submit their declarations of intent by August 31.
Anyone who failed to do so or opted not to pay the first instalment of the top-up amount would have their debenture redeemed at face value and their membership cancelled from September 1, it added.
As the incident brings private members’ clubs into the spotlight, the Post takes a look at some of the most prominent ones, including those with debentures.
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
Dating back 134 years, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club was originally known as the Hongkong Corinthian Sailing Club before changing its name in 1894.
It is also the only club to retain the word royal in its name since the city’s handover in 1997.
The organisation has three clubhouses in the city, which are located at Kellett Island in Causeway Bay, Middle Island and Sai Kung’s Shelter Cove.
The club promotes sailing, rowing and paddle sports by offering training and regularly hosting races and regattas that bring in local and global competitors.
Members can also enjoy the club’s various on-site recreational and dining facilities.
Anyone aged 18 and above can apply for the club’s individual debenture membership, which requires a HK$2.18 million entrance fee and monthly payments of HK$2,536.
The club is the sole clearing house for any individual debenture member wishing to transfer their membership, with the most recent transactions taking place on June 7 at HK$1.68 million and HK$1.78 million respectively.
Prices stood at HK$250,000 for at least three transactions in 2007, before climbing to HK$1.88 million for another in July 2022. Another membership is currently on the market for HK$2.48 million.
Ladies’ Recreation Club
The Ladies’ Recreation Club was founded in 1883, with its clubhouse on Old Peak Road in the Mid-Levels boasting tennis, squash and badminton courts.
Members can enjoy the site’s golf simulator, swimming pool, fitness centre and bowling alley, among other amenities. The club also has libraries, a spa, a salon and restaurants.
The joiner’s fee for an ordinary membership is about HK$550,000, but their candidacy must be proposed by a member and seconded by another. The waiting time to join is 10 years.
A monthly subscription at the club is HK$1,740, and members must spend a minimum of HK$550 on food and beverages each month.
But those who fork out HK$1.38 million for a decade-long debenture membership can skip the queue. They also can join the waiting list for an ordinary spot during that 10-year period.
Pacific Club
The Pacific Club was founded in 1990 and boasts an unobstructed view of the Victoria Harbour framed by Hong Kong Island’s iconic skyline.
The Tsim Sha Tsui premise has tennis courts, a golf driving range, a gymnasium, a swimming pool and a bowling alley, alongside eight dining spots.
The club offers two types of debenture memberships – individual and corporate.
A debenture membership for individuals costs HK$1.1 million, which covers a non-refundable entrance fee of HK$610,000 and the rest is the debenture.
The corporate one costs HK$1.3 million, including a non-refundable entrance fee of HK$700,000, while the rest is the debenture.
Members are also required to pay a monthly subscription of HK$2,950.
Aberdeen Boat Club
The Aberdeen Boat Club was founded in 1967 and has two clubhouses along Hong Kong Island’s southern shore with facilities for yacht, speedboat and cruiser owners.
Applicants can pay a joining fee of HK$1 million to become a debenture member with a monthly subscription fee of HK$6,480. Transferring a debenture membership costs HK$100,000.
Other clubs
Not all club memberships in Hong Kong feature a debenture element.
Carlyle & Co, a relatively new joiner to the city’s clubhouse scheme, was founded in 2021 and offers a membership package for people aged 33 and above and another for those aged 32 and below.
Younger members must pay a one-off joining fee of HK$60,000, while those aged 33 and above must pay HK$118,000, on top of a monthly subscription of HK$2,520 with no debentures. Membership is non-transferable.
Meanwhile, people outside the media industry who wish to join the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Hong Kong must pay a HK$45,000 joining fee and a monthly subscription of HK$1,300, with no debenture.
