Reciprocal Club Reviews
Hear what your fellow members are saying about some of our reciprocal clubs!
Domestic Clubs
Chicago
Union League Club of Chicago
2023 Reviews
A comfortable and traditional setting. Good working space and a great location.
Pleasant, comfortable good location affordable.
The Club staff treated us like members, and they treat their members with courtesy and respect. The check-in process was efficient and welcoming.
Perfect location in Chicago.
Beautiful place Great location
Solid guest rooms; great, well-appointed informal bar with food; very accommodating in using vacant rooms for Zoom calls.
Excellent option for business or personal travel to Chicago. Athletic facility offers spectacular views of Lake Michigan. Great food and beverage selection.
Terrific rooms, dining, and athletics.
University Club in Chicago
2022 Reviews
Centrally located, facing Lake Michigan, the view from its dining rooms is magnificent. The food and service are excellent too. I can recommend it without reservations.
University Club of Chicago has the incredible Parliament restaurant w/ rooftop terrace with sweeping views of Millennium Park and the Art Institute and the Living Room lounge space – I cannot recommend a visit there enough.
Wonderful service and great facilities. Great location, nice people and accommodations.
2021 Reviews
Central downtown location, adjacent to Grant Park (with parking available at low cost). Athletic facilities (squash, cardio/weights, pool) are very good. There used to be a very active squash ladder here, open to guests. It should be easy for a traveling member who’s interested in a friendly match to be accommodated. Bedrooms are spacious and updated. Dining room is very good. Bar areas are pleasant, particularly the balcony area overlooking Lake Michigan.
In Chicago we enjoyed the University Club (meal and overnight) several years ago. Nice alternative to big city hotel.
I left a piece of computer equipment in the lobby. The staff was exceptional in helping get this back to me. They are always very very professional and welcoming. The food has also always been a real treat.
Cleveland
Union Club of Cleveland
2023 Reviews
This Club has the same atmosphere as the Harvard Club on its ground floor. But the guest rooms are outdated. It reflects Cleveland in general once a grand city that has become a bit down in the heels. Bathrooms in guest rooms were very outdated. The rooms themselves were large but in need of renovation. Service was very slow at breakfast.
Detroit
Detroit Athletic Club
2023 Reviews
The Detroit Athletic Club is a wonderful Club in downtown Detroit.
The service was first class, the food was outstanding, and the overnight room was very nice.
Spectacular building! Top-floor lounge looks directly into the Detroit Tiger Stadium. Good food and cocktails. The Cigar Bar offers great view of the city. I didn’t experience the well-appointed bar and restaurants on the lower floors.
Honolulu
The Outrigger Canoe Club
2022 Reviews
Outstanding vista while dining outdoors; very friendly staff even for “visitors”.
Really enjoyed the Outrigger! Amazing location and the staff was great. Definitely a great addition to your reciprocal clubs.
I have been to lunch twice at this club. The location is great and the ocean view is impressive. (see the picture from our table). The staff was polite and attentive. The food was fresh and healthy. I think they are a good addition to your list of reciprocal clubs.
Los Angeles
The Los Angeles Athletic Club
2023 Review
The food, service, maintence and location are just average. Nothing outstanding.
2022 Review
The LA Athletic Club is a refuge in downtown LA. Good selection of workspaces and a banquet staff that is capable and easy to work with.
Providence
Hope Club
2023 Reviews
Privileged building and setting, amazing hospitality.
The Hope Club in Providence, RI is a charming place to have dinner, particularly in the spring and summer when meals can be enjoyed on the interior courtyard. Claudio, the bartender, is very personable and every member of the staff is very welcoming.
2022 Reviews
Five enthusiastic stars for The Hope Club, a gem of an institution in one of the world’s most beautiful neighborhoods. We loved staying there.
We had a lovely Thanksgiving dinner at the club, which provided a delicious menu and innovative fall drinks.
San Francisco
The Marines Memorial Club
2023 Review
A very good bargain, right in downtown SF near Union Square! I had no expectations of the Marines Club, but the Club was clean, beds were comfy, people were very pleasant and courteous. The food in their breakfast area was also homey. A really nice surprise, right in the heart of SF!
2022 Review
Convenient location, nice facilities, includes breakfast with a great view from the breakfast room area.
University Club of San Francisco
2023 Reviews
Location on Nob Hill was great; room was new but had some minor issues; staff was nice; fitness facility was great (though I understand it is really busy during the week).
Very old school, but nice.
The University Club of SF is centrally located near the financial district and Chinatown, with friendly staff (no-hassle late arrival) and lovely historic common areas. The guest rooms and en suite bathrooms themselves are somewhat dated (mid-20th century) and threadbare.
Excellent location on Nob Hill overlooking SF bay. Superb staff with attentive service. Clean room with traditional decor and all basic amenities including water!
The University Club of San Francisco is a disgrace and should not be used by anyone. It has not been renovated in 40+ years. I left after one night and went to another hotel.
2022 Reviews
Great squash courts and friendly members.
Dusty, old, elevator broken, seemed behind the times.
2021 Review
Very good location on Nob Hill, near the Fairmont Hotel. Athletic facilities (squash, cardio, etc.) are separate but convenient and well maintained. I thought the bedrooms were a little spartan and could use sprucing up. Dining and conference/entertaining areas were also a little tired. Still an excellent value in San Francisco and I’d happily stay there again.
Seattle
Washington Athletic Club
2023 Reviews
Great venue in the heart of Seattle. Excellent athletic facilities, guest rooms and dining options.
Extremely friendly environment, remarkable location in downtown Seattle, great facilities.
Nice hotel. Room much larger that at other reciprocals I’ve stayed at. Downtown Seattle these days not so nice. But they were very helpful about transportation, etc.
As the President of the Harvard Club of Seattle I’ve organized a couple of events at the Washington Athletic Club which were fantastic. The staff at the WAC is excellent, responsive, and gracious and they are a pleasure to work with. In addition, I’ve attended several events per year for other organizations at the WAC and it’s always an enjoyable experience.
2022 Reviews
Great location. Very nice rooms/suites. Fantastic athletic facilities. Good food options.
Accommodations were nice. But there were no golf-related privileges that come with the stay.
2021 Review
Excellent, friendly and attentive service. Very impressive rooms. Would strongly recommend it.
St. Louis
Missouri Athletic Club
2023 Reviews
Not exactly the Four Seasons, but good location if you want to be near sports events, really great gym, food is passable, nice people, convenient parking.
Convenient location; solid guest room; nice informal bar on first floor with great service. I didn’t get to experience the bar/restaurant on the upper bar, but it looked inviting.
Stanford
Stanford Faculty Club
2023 Reviews
Stanford Faculty Club placed in a woodsy setting with excellent buffet lunch on Tuesdays and a la carte options on other days. Reasonable prices, excellent service, and congenial atmospherics. Highly recommended.
Washington, DC
The Cosmos Club
2023 Reviews
Comos Club premises are legendary and I had a good stay in a large, comfortable bedroom in the Hillyer House annex. Breakfast (buffet) in the Garden Dining Room was superb. The Library is a well furnished and very pleasant place to read.
Superb Club in every way.
The most exclusive Club in DC. The Club is a timeless classic, but the guest rooms are small and reflective of the period. Still a “must do”.
I stay at the Cosmos Club when I travel to Washington DC – 4-5 times a year. Their staff is very friendly, very good food, and a breakfast buffet that you cannot get almost anywhere else these days. Stay in the annex as they are newer rooms. They are very well located for meetings across Washington DC. – Highly recommend them.
Lovely facility but a bit musty!
Wonderful change of pace from the DC hotel circuit. Combines fascinating history, beautiful external and internal setting; comfortable accommodations
Our table was ready, the service was fine, and the drinks and food were good.
It is a beautiful Club that is ideally located near Dupont Circle and all the embassies and a 15-minute walk to Georgetown. The main building has a spectacular entrance, stairway and ballroom. The rooms are updated and very comfortable, if a little on the small side. Breakfast had an excellent selection and was included. Service overall was top notch!
They treated us like one of their own and encouraged us to come back!
A very pleasant, comfortable, and convenient place to stay in Washington.
Wonderful to have the opportunity to visit such a grand old mansion! Wonderful it survives in such good condition.
Excellent food (dinner and breakfasts), friendly staff, good access to Metro (about 1 block to avoid downtown traffic).
Rooms and amenities were well maintained. Personnel was friendly and accomodating.
Quiet comfortable room; excellent breakfasts; business center; friendly and helpful reception.
2022 Reviews
Great stay, although the dress code is quite strict. Accommodating with a great restaurant and bar!
Everybody was very welcoming once I was there.
Good location, room was very comfortable, excellent staff, parking available.
More stuffy and guarded than it need be.
The staff was friendly and helpful. The building is elegant and the location is convenient. Our room was comfortable and quiet. The continental breakfasts we enjoyed were delicious and ample. We always like to see the historical photographs and items about famous members. The separate business center is a convenience and was uncrowded when we used it briefly.
This Club’s exhibitions provided a sense of American history.
The food and service were fine. My guests enjoyed the afternoon very much.
Rooms are outdated and some services are not available, but overall OK.
Best to stay in the newer wing – the old wing had small rooms and older bathroom.
Unfortunately, I visited during the depths of COVID, when many of the Club’s amenities weren’t available. Nonetheless, the staff was extremely accommodating.
Outstanding classic club in Washington DC.
Based on prior visits (during which I was actually allowed to enter the clubhouse!), the Cosmos Club offers good drinks and a nice Sunday brunch. The location is convenient for anyone visiting the nearby embassies.
I have stayed at the Cosmos Club overnight, and my wife and I had a small dinner party there. The facilities and the service were outstanding. I highly recommend the club.
The Cosmos is a historic spot in DC, with excellent indoor and outdoor dining services. The food is reasonably priced, for the quality of the dining experience. I try to go to the Cosmos for business meetings as well as social events. Highly recommend!
A very tired old club; Shabby Room that was very hard to access….seemed like it was part of the staff quarters years ago.
Beautiful club with spacious rooms. Quiet and slow paced. Athletic facilities were lacking, which was the only drawback.
Guest rooms were small, musty and needed new furnishings.
The only problem was that the Cosmos rules for Covid were somewhat too strict, unlike the reasonable ones of the HCNYC. For example, they did not do the rooms or the bathroom until the guest checked out. Also, the breakfast was not as good as previous Cosmos breakfasts in the past, or certainly as the HCNYC sumptuous breakfasts. Otherwise, the Cosmos Club is a fine establishment.
2021 Review
I always stayed at the Cosmos Club and totally loved the library, the wonderful brunches and round table lunches. The rooms were plain but a couple of years ago we had dinner there and saw that the club was totally remodeled so I have no idea about the rooms. However, staying there was always a total joy. Right around the corner from the Phillips Museum and so close to Dupont Circle and transportation throughout the city.
The University Club of Washington DC
2023 Reviews
Great swimming pool, Excellent food and service, convenient location, warm staff
A terrific venue in Washington DC. Excellent location, friendly, very reasonably priced, outstanding athletic facilities.
Rooms rather basic and not renovated in recent times.
A wonderful location a few blocks from the White House and an easily walk to DuPont Circle. Two very nice restaurants plus a wonderful library and workout space.
2022 Reviews
Wonderfully accommodating and clean.
Great location, nice rooms, good bar.
They don’t allow you to check luggage– as a traveling member visiting a reciprocal club this becomes a headache.
Great facility, good location, nice room, good food.
Pandemic-related staffing issues aside, this club is one of the most luxe reciprocal offerings on the HCNY’s list. Excellent location, high quality room fixtures, friendly service staff. Classic upscale DC lodgings, doesn’t have that run-down feel at all. Swimming pool could use an update but the locker rooms are spacious and well-stocked.
International Clubs
Barcelona
Círculo Ecuestre
2023 Reviews
Lovely Club with a beautiful bar area and relaxing breakfast lounge area. The guest rooms were clean and adequate-but not luxurious. The location was prime, and the staff was gracious.
2022 Reviews
Beautiful club with a ton of history. Athletic facilities were very cool with rooftop pool, sauna, and steam room. Amazing location in the city, and guest rooms were extremely reasonably priced.
The original part of the Barcelona club is AMAZING! Not to be missed architectural gem from Moderisme movement which includes Antonin Gaudi. The restaurant is closed for now on the weekends so we missed that. Daytime staff lovely, nighttime staff member was grumpy and I actually complained to management. The rooms are in a glass “hotel” built for the club in the early 2000 and while bathrooms are large and modern, the carpets were a bit stained, the furniture strange in that it’s “antique” but the details of the hotel are all quite modern so it’s strange. The price was very good. The wifi was very slow. The neighborhood lovely. They replied to my concerns and said they are staring to renovate rooms, a floor at a time and are aware of the grumpy staff person.
Dublin
Stephen’s Green Club
2023 Reviews
I visited Stephen’s Green Club in Dublin, Ireland. Though the Club didn’t have room for me the nights I was hoping for, they did welcome me, based on my HCNY card, for a drink in their lovely bar, centrally located on beautiful St. Stephen’s Green. Had a very thoughtful discussion with a local member I chatted up at the bar, and got to better understand Ireland, its history and politics, through his eyes.
Edinburgh
The New Club
2023 Reviews
Room and athletic facilities disappointed. The New Club provides reasonably priced modern accommodation in central Edinburgh. It offers nice views of Princes Street Gardens and Edinburgh Castle (and heated outdoor seating — welcome during a chilly May 2023).
I sensed the contrast between meeting and dining facilities that are well-maintained, and accommodation, hallways, and athletic facilities suffered for lack of it. My room had torn and stained carpet, scarred walls, and a ripped curtain. The gym and showers need a sprucing up and a deep clean. It’s been noted elsewhere I’m sure, that the entrance is very discrete on a very busy street. I walked past it three times before noticing the small sign and metallic buzzer.
2022 Reviews
The Club was a delight. Good menu (in a UK sense). The Club Secretary came and introduced himself, guided my wife and I to vantage points we would not have found on our own, and made us feel most welcome. A charming space to dine, relax, and view Edinburgh.
Edinburgh is super weird but not to be missed. Like stepping back into 1970 bond. But with all the furniture from the 18th century. Crazy idiosyncratic but very good restaurant. You order before you go in at an ancient high table on a form in triplicate, you give it to maître d on the way in and they hang it on fishing line at a desk inside restaurant. Entrance is a nearly unmarked door next to an atm in a strip mall across from Edinburgh castle.
The Royal Scots Club
2023 Reviews
Very nice place, well located to allow access to central city points of interest on foot, transit, or cab. Congenial staff, excellent breakfasts. Quiet, facing a lovely square.
Very charming, s great location. The breakfast room is spectacular and the bar downstairs is a nice place to relax. Like HCNY, each room is different so some are better than others (stayed there twice), but very comfortable.
A slice of Olde Scotland, with a small but gracious second-floor dining room featuring typical Scottish dinner fare, tea that arrived in a teapot with cup and saucer, and an enthusiastic server. Dining room patrons included a mix of younger professionals and older retirees. A few families with teenage children added to the mix, clearly staying at the Club. On the ground floor, the bar with various seating areas and limited food selection was more populated than the dining room and seemed to be a regular spot for some of its patrons, who hailed each other as they arrived. All in all, a welcoming spot.
London
The Lansdowne Club
2023 Reviews
I enjoyed the wonderful ambience and welcoming staff — and it is a location ideal for a walk to shopping or run in Hyde Park. The visit includes a lovely breakfast and there are two cats that roam the lobby.
Larger rooms than the Oxford Cambridge Club. Large indoor pool. Good breakfast buffet but no dining service on Sundays.
So perfectly located in the Mayfair/Picadilly area. Incredibly nice staff and reception. And, the largest, most quiet room with a great view that I have ever had in London, and I’ve been to London a lot.
The chlorine smell from the swimming pool goes throughout Club, Not in dining area. Other common spaces. Don’t know about bedrooms. Food was excellent but members should be alerted, does not take American Express.
The Club has great location. The rooms are satisfactory but I was provided a room in the older building which needed a bit up upkeep and it was rather loud from AC.
Wonderful location. Rooms are small and a bit outdated. But Club as such is warm and staff shows great hospitality.
Excellent location; informed and polite staff; top tier athletic facilities; rooms are a bit like a 1950s steamer — but that is fine, and they are quiet.
Guest room was small but comfortable and well appointed. Exercise facilities were great.
Excellent fitness facilities, swimming pool and squash courts, beautiful surroundings and friendly staff. The Landsdowne Club is an exceptional experience.
The location is absolutely great for those having business in the West End. Very close to the Green Park tube station and walking distance to many of best restaurants. The staff is very nice and the food quality is good. I stayed in one of the non-renovated rooms and it was a bit tight and the bed not overly comfortable. However, the room rates were quite reasonable.
2022 Reviews
The Lansdowne Club is centrally located in Mayfair with excellent access to Underground (Green Park) and bus lines. A small part of the clubhouse is the remnant of an 18C house designed by architect Robert Adam. An excellent breakfast is included in the room rates. The club has an excellent swimming pool. Request a room on a high floor.
For many, this location (in Mayfair) will be more convenient than the clubs in St. James. Elegant club. Good spread of age ranges.
The pool is good and quite empty. The reception is not terribly friendly, but efficient.
Basic but comfortable room and bath but great common areas (courtyard) and workout facilities. Also a great location.
Very good. Services close rather early not on weekends.
Lovely club and amazing pool with perfect Mayfair location, steps from Green Park Tube station. Staff was wonderful. If staying in Summer check that the room has air conditioning (that works!)
Great indoor pool.
The system you set up makes it easy to create the introduction and visit this club. They were extremely helpful and welcoming, especially Sam who is available to show you around.
Mosimann’s London
2023 Reviews
Excellent cuisine and service. We always come here when we visit London.
Oxford and Cambridge Club London
2023 Reviews
Located in the heart of London and the staff works hard to ensure every request is met. The rooms are small and the dining rooms book up, so book early and enjoy!
Elegant and centrally located. Loved the complimentary breakfast, served in a grand room looking down over Pall Mall.
Stunning Clubhouse in an unbeatable location. More formal even than HCNY.
Our south facing Super-King room was nice and quiet, if small. Classic British plumbing. After seeing a play we walked back to the Club and met some interesting people in the bar.
Good co-working spaces for when you need a quiet space to work in between meetings in central London. The dress code is more relaxed (no tie and jacket required) for the co-working spaces but a jacket and tie are required for all dining areas.
Very lovely and proper Club in the heart of St James.
As you might guess, rather upscale brit. Quite a pleasant dinner. Well received, not for casual visit.
Overall a good place to stay; the food, however, was mediocre.
We were staying at the Royal Automobile Club on this trip, which is only about two blocks away from the O&C Club on Pall Mall in the St. James neighborhood in London. One evening we walked down to the O&C Club for dinner. We had been there, both to dine and stay, previously. Had a great meal and explored the Club afterwards to see what had changed since or last time there. Met some fun people while walking about. The Staff was great too.
Pros: Fantastic central location, old world charm, friendly staff, great grand reading rooms.
Cons: small/spartan rooms for the price, needlessly strict dress code.
Breakfast was somewhat scant, but the dining room was lovely; the rooms comfortable. It is brilliantly located.
Elegant traditional surroundings perfect for meeting up with people while in London.
2022 Reviews
The Oxford & Cambridge Club is a nice, quiet and comfortable Club, ideally located and distinguished in its style.
Lovely. Dress code burdensome in warm weather and lacks gender parity.
Wonderful Dover sole, whole fish, reasonably priced and excellent wines. Perfect service and environment.
Beautiful library and working spaces. Bar and dining options a little sparse.
Enjoyed my stay. Great location. Room was tiny but got the job done.
Excellent location on Pall Mall next to St James Palace. Guest rooms are small but well furnished with ensuite bath, dining hall, libraries and other public areas are excellent and worth seeing.
Great for an elegant dinner – Georgian Silver/Decanters, Mahogany tables – wonderful service!
Slower pace than at the RAC, superb library with a dedicated librarian; more likely to strike up an acquaintanceship than at the RAC.
2021 Reviews
Good facilities for athletics (squash courts), pleasant dining room, lovely library and sitting- and game (chess, backgammon) rooms. My bedrooms have been on the small side – I stayed in a tiny single room (barely enough space for a twin bed and a suitcase) for five days. Clearly a second-best option, but worth considering if the traveler wants to stay in the Pall Mall / Mayfair-Picadilly area!
Very fine dining and a fabulous library. The whole club experience was great. Rooms were fine but you had to go up steps to the bathroom. On Pall Mall. I would stay there again.
Food at the Oxford-Cambridge club and the Royal Automobile Club is great fun: interesting settings, excellent service, especially the whole Dover sole with bones-in at the Oxford-Cambridge.
Royal Automobile Club (RAC)
2023 Reviews
A classic London Club in a great location.
Unique Club and well worth a visit. Best martinis I’ve had in my life.
One of my favorite Clubs in London.
Really awesome Club and staff and facilities.
Wonderful pool, excellent massage/chiro/physio. The gym is not ideal but should be enough for most. Only downside is having to pay for use every time you use the facilities.
Fantastic Club to visit when in London! Gorgeous building and fantastic location in the countryside.
This is a terrific Club on Pall Mall in London. The pool is slab, and close to 25 meters, with an amazing set of sauna rooms as well as weights, machinery, and courts. The bars are terrific, business center is excellent, the dining is wonderful at a number of levels. The rooms are nice, though not large. The library is filled with automobile publications and the lobby displays a different collector car every week or two. The staff is incredibly helpful and pleasant, coffee etc. delivered to the room or an outstanding breakfast service included downstairs complimentary. Made to order in a beautiful room. I have hosted an 80 person event there and facilities, food, drink, and support were outstanding.
I have used the Royal Automobile Club for over four decades. It has one of the greatest swimming pools anywhere. If members of the Harvard Club like to swim and are in London, there is no better place to do so. However, the cost per swim is very expensive. The main lounge of the Club is also comfortable with a garden terrace in the summer. Service is excellent. The RAC is a fantastic Club.
Exceptional service. Lovely amenities and terrific atmosphere. Bar experience outstanding.
Overhyped. Lower your expectations. With the room, my issues were it’s lack of sound proofness, light and the bathroom size.
My issues with the staff: stuffy and snobby in a way that has no place in 2023. Hospitality industry or otherwise. I didn’t like the neighborhood which is only alive during the work hours of weekdays.
Outstanding Club and staff. A must visit in London.
Very welcoming – great location – ambiance is terrific.
The food was very good and reasonably priced.
Fantastic pool and facilities.
We had never stayed at the RAC before, but we thought it was great. We got there about 10pm on a Thursday evening and, after dropping off our bags in the room, decided to go check out the bar. It was hoppin’! Wanted to try the “RAC martini” (they had a multi-page gin menu!) but settled for a beer because it was late; wife had a glass of English sparkling wine (very nice, actually). The next morning we had the full English breakfast, which was included in the price of the room, in a splendid breakfast room. The RAC has good value and a wonderful location in central London.
Good business center to work in, alternatively nice library to work in, beautiful building, nicest swimming pool in London.
Club is well maintained, wonderful swimming pool and steam rooms. Great library. Welcoming.
Great value overnight rooms, good fitness facilities and spa.
Royal Automobile Club of London is superb. Service is excellent as are all amenities.
Superb elegant facility. Excellent atmosphere, dress code and rules. Perfect for meeting friends, business colleagues and classmates.
2022 Reviews
Excellent location on Pall Mall and top both service. I highly recommend to HCNY members planning to be in London for a short visit.
The RAC is a nice place in a very good location on the Pall Mall. One thing that was suboptimal is their insistence on a dress code for women guests. The dress code for women is not very well explained on their website, so you don’t really know what they want. I noticed that different employees had different views on what was required.They required women to wear dresses to breakfast, which was annoying.
Well managed, clean rooms, central location.
We tried to play squash and they were very rude and very expensive on court rentals and racket rentals.
Excellent club in an unbeatable location…staff is very helpful.
They charged non-member rates. I wish they would charge the same rates as for their membership.
Large, historic English club. Excellent breakfasts and lounging areas for tea and reading the paper.
Swimming pool straight out of a movie set. Good location close to the National Gallery of Art.
This is the 3rd or 4th time that I have used the Reciprocal Clubs in London – Royal Auto and Oxford and Cambridge, and every time has been an outstanding experience. They are located in the center of London, not far from Piccadilly and easy underground access. Service is always terrific, and the amenities are top notch. And of course, pricing is incredibly reasonable compared to local hotel options. I would recommend them to anyone and plan to continue to use them regularly on visits to the UK.
Very interesting bar and dining room: did not see Antony Blanche (from Brieshead revisited) but he could have been there! Good food and drinks. Unusual bar with swimming pool underneath.
One of my favorite clubs in London. Stunning aesthetics, excellent food, great location, and friendly service.
Elegant, prestigious, and centrally located London club.
RAC is an excellent club with beautiful amenities and exceptional service. Enjoy the beautiful pool and saunas before heading to the glamorous cocktail bar. I had a decadent stay!
Beautiful club – great reception by staff. They have limited meal service on Sundays, and there was a bit of confusion arranging dinner, but otherwise perfect. Lounge was great – service very slow, but apparently they’re still short staff due to covid. Strongly recommend the experience.
The RAC is physically beautiful and there is always a vibrant hum of activity. The guest rooms are nicely decorated, the clubrooms are gorgeous, and food is good, the staff is well intentioned, it’s always a treat to stay there. First thing I do is head to the Club Room, order a pot of tea, and read all the British newspapers spread out on the entryway table. A delight.
Rooms similar to Harvard Club. Great central location and rate compared to London hotels. Room rates include breakfast.
Impressive facility and excellent service.
Fantastic facilities in heart of London. Wonderful old world ambience and great food.
High level of service and efficiency. For the busy visitor who is used to hotel standards in a club.
2021 Reviews
Far and away my favorite club for a few nights’ stay in London. This reciprocal club is a genuine destination. Impeccable dining room (particularly for a British breakfast) and bar, superb library and outdoor seating area with beverage and snack service. Stunning below-ground pool modeled on a Roman bath. Turkish steam bath and frigidarium for those who enjoy thermal treatment. Squash courts, weight room and cardio exercise area are all top-notch. Rooms vary in size and modernity, but all are serviceable. The entry rotunda automobile display, which changes roughly weekly, is always a treat. Very helpful staff in all departments. Squash lessons are available, often at short notice but better to book in advance. This club is better, and a far better value, than most of the hotels I’ve stayed in in London.
Royal Automobile Club, also on Pall Mall. Olympic or larger gorgeous swimming pool (indoors). Two dining areas, one more casual, the “Brooklyns” dining room? The main dining room very formal and beautiful and food great. But for a simple dinner, the more casual restaurant is just wonderful.
The staff are very professional, helpful and courteous.
Royal Society of Medicine
2021 Review
As a longtime Fellow of Royal Society of Medicine (RSM), I have stayed here many times, most happily. RSM is well situated, near Oxford Street (tube station New Bond). The Domus has modern, comfortable (albeit small bedrooms). A good breakfast is included. There are several lounges and a bar with food service. Dinner on weekday nights is very good and an excellent value. On my last visit, pre-pandemic, there was an arrangement for day passes to a nearby Marylebone health club, with pool, which I enjoyed. And, of course, should you wish to consult, there is a superb Medical Library. Medical meetings take place on the main floor throughout the week (usually open to Fellows only).
The Sloane Club
2023 Reviews
Fabulous traditional Club in the heart of Chelsea. Wonderful staff, service and guest rooms.
Pleasant space, good options for dining, updated rooms. Location is close to Sloane Square where there are good options for buses, the tube, and taxis. Lots of shops and restaurants nearby.
Outstanding experience; ideal location; charming, comfortable rooms; hospitable, helpful staff;; wonderful setting for delicious breakfast and dinners. We will definitely be staying at The Sloane Club again.
I went with some guests for a drink before dinner at a nearby restaurant in the square. I did not stay there but have been told that the rooms are quite small.
The Sloane Club is a delightful place to stay — well located in the Chelsea borough of London.
We did not use guest rooms but had several very agreeable meals at Sloane. Always very well received by very pleasant staff – helpful and cordial, so much so that we shall try to book room on next trip to London.
I have used the Sloane Club for more than two decades and find the accommodations small but comfortable, and the food in the bar good but expensive.
Great location near sloane sq underground. Very friendly staff, warm Club atmosphere and newly renovated rooms make for a great stay in London. Also have apartments for a longer stay.
The Sloane Club is perfectly located if you want a quiet residential area away from the tourist crowds and yet with excellent travel links. The rooms can be on the small side but are well presented with modern facilities. The Club’s public spaces are quiet and beautifully decorated. The Club’s food is excellent and there are numerous neighborhood restaurants nearby.
Location is very convenient to a nice neighborhood and a Tube stop. The food wasn’t as good as at HCNY.
2022 Reviews
I have visited a dozen times as a reciprocal visitor. It shows a sense of humor with its use of gentle caricatures directed at the gentry from the British countryside. This is the slowest pace of all and Americans may feel most at home in a club where the target clientele is ostensibly the occasional visitor to London from a comfortable home in rural Britain.
Lovely environment – very “Royal”. Quiet, excellent meals, nice working area. Not a happening place if you are looking for action.
2021 Reviews
Stayed at The Sloane Club and liked its location as well as its food service.
Sloane club is great and we also enjoyed renting one of their apartments.
Nairobi
Muthaiga Country Club
2023 Review
Excellent food, ambiance, service, private, family friendly.
Beautiful Club in the English Country Club style located in the leafy Embassy area of Nairobi. Set in beautiful gardens with swimming pool, tennis and squash facilities. The membership was a diverse slice of Kenyan society and very welcoming. The food was wonderful, ranging from Indian cuisine to a traditional British carvery style. The staff were great and very helpful in caring for our needs and arranging onward transportation. We were very much made to feel at home.
Paris
Cercle de L’Union Interalliee
2023 Review
Best quality and top service in a very central location. Great sport installations and bathrooms etc. Fabulous pool. Wonderful attention. Great buffet at restaurant.
Beautiful property with very nice staff.
Spectacular building, gardens, restaurant, bar, gym, pool, service. Perhaps HCNY’s best reciprocal Club! No bedrooms, but they have good negotiated rates with several nearby hotels, if you ask about them.
Fantastic location right by Place Vendome and the Palais de l’Elysee, with an enormous garden, and a beautiful indoor / outdoor pool. Excellent dining.
Lunch on the terrace of the bar is open without reservation and very pleasant, but you have to arrive relatively early if you want to secure a table. Reservations for lunch or dinner should be done early. The gardens are beautiful. The Club lounges are comfortable and well appointed.
Elegance pervades the Club and its magnificent garden. Food and service are excellent. An experience not to be missed.
Saint James Club
2023 Review
Excellent dining!
Beautiful and peaceful grounds for this property – we sat out and enjoyed a relaxing drink after a long day at Roland Garros (not too far from this Club).
Beautiful facility, nice location.
Amazing venue and wonderful, welcoming staff. I highly recommend visiting the Saint James Club when in Paris. It is truly a magical place.
2022 Review
The whole staff was AMAZINGLY friendly and welcoming and the venue is beautiful. We are lucky to have access to it.
The Saint James was a delightful place to spend 4 nights while in Paris. We have been to Paris on other occasions so the location being about 15 minutes’ drive from the center was fine and actually offered a nice, serene ambiance, with easy access to the Bois de Boulogne. The service was impeccable, the main dining room Michelin starred and amazing, and the room beautiful and very clean.
Exquisite restaurant with extraordinary staff, beautiful location in Paris, outstanding terrace in the summer, great library for work and meetings.
Spectacular location, rooms, service and food. Highly recommend to any club member visiting Paris.
Very disappointed in their dinner reservation system. Requested main dining room and was told tables were not available when we arrived even though reservation had been made well in advance. We dined in their outdoor garden area which was fine but not our plan.
My wife says–and I agree–that this is probably the nicest hotel we have ever stayed in.
Our stay at the Saint-James was exceptional. It is a chateau hotel in Paris, which is rare. The building dates from the late 19th century, and was used for a long time by the Fondation Thiers, before becoming a club-hotel. The rooms have been brought up to modern day standards, and they exude luxury and good taste, with an extraordinary attention to detail. The service was impeccable. In the charming courtyard in front the building, your car is parked at no extra cost. There is a terrace in the courtyard, where you can enjoy food and drinks. The restaurant is very good, and the lounge in the library room, where the bar is, is beautifully appointed. It offers simpler meals, as an alternative to the fancier Michelin-star restaurant. There is a spa (which we did not use), which must be up to the high standards of excellence we experienced in that establishment. The Saint-James deserves our highest recommendation.
The St. James is expensive and stunning. The highest end hotel I’ve ever had the pleasure to spend a night in. I was upgraded to a magnificent room. Service, amenities, décor, food were outstanding. An average neighborhood, but the property and grounds are spectacular. Can’t wait to stay there again. Michelin starred restaurant on site and high end spa and exercise club.
2021 Review
We dined two times at the Saint James Club Paris. Giant building and great cuisine. A delightful experience.
Singapore
The Republic of Singapore Yacht Club
2023 Review
Casual but very comfortable with good casual fare, friendly staff, and great value for money in Singapore.
The Tanglin Club
2023 Review
Very pleasant and great location.
Excellent facilities, but very inefficient access.
Everyone should take advantage of the reciprocal relationships with other Clubs globally. The Tanglin Club in Singapore is one of the best, if not the best, Clubs in Singapore and should be visited by any Harvard Club NY member if they are in Singapore. Cannot say enough about the ease and efficiency of utilizing the reciprocal membership.
2021 Review
My wife and I used the Tanglin Club in Singapore for a Christmas get together with my son and daughter-in-law who were living in Singapore a few years ago. The Club is fantastic. The rooms are large and very well appointed. The bath was lavish. The view was out to the large outdoor swimming pool and deck area.
We swam every day in the pool and sat around afterward to socialize with family. The weather in Singapore is hot always so it was nice to be outside under shade canvass and having drinks and food.
I would make a trip back just to stay again at the Tanglin Club!
Syndey
Royal Automobile Club of Australia – Sydney
2021 Review
I stayed here for a week in 2014 as the guest of a colleague who was an RAC (London) member and who stays at this club in Sydney whenever he goes, which is at least annually. My bedroom was spacious if a little dated. I only used the dining facilities for breakfast, but they were good, and the dining room was bathed in morning sunlight. I’m not sure why our listing shows no athletic facilities: maybe there is some kind of cooperative arrangement with an athletic club there? In any case, I used the very good cardio and weights facility (absolutely crucial for overcoming jet lag!) and although I didn’t use them the squash courts looked to be in good shape. This is a worthy recent addition to our roster of reciprocal clubs. (assuming access to the sports facility).
As you may imagine from my remarks, the reciprocal clubs are an important HCNY membership benefit to me and I’m particularly grateful for the expansion of these privileges in recent years!
Tokyo
Tokyo American Club
2023 Reviews
This was a great place for our teenage boys to shoot some hoops while my wife and daughter and I had a nice lunch at the cafe. If you’re into swimming the pool is amazing!
Outstanding Club. Highly recommend.
All services were in English which is sometimes hard to find in Tokyo, would have loved to stay there but rooms were booked long in advance, concierge services were outstanding, food unfortunately was mediocre unless what you actually seek is American fast food for your kids then it is perfect. It is not the place to go for Japanese food.
A beautiful facility. If I lived in Tokyo, I would certainly try to join!
2022 Reviews
Very well managed, nice quiet library, good athletic facilities. NOTE: location is a little remote, rather a long walk to Roppongi. (If you desire a hotel in close proximity to shops and restaurants, this might not be the best choice – you would need to take a cab everywhere, unless you are an eager walker.)
Excellent bilingual club with both adult and family-friendly activities. Gorgeous athletic facilities and amazing kid-friendly areas including a small rooftop water park for kids. Full size pool, excellent child care. Great people, great club.
Toronto
University Club of Toronto
2023 Reviews
Traditional, elegant interior. Completely empty during our lunch visit (Friday noon).
2022 Reviews
Great service, great location. One block away from the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.
It’s okay. Not much happening here, even before the pandemic. Some staff and club leadership extremely rude to reciprocals.
Some nice and welcoming members. Good mix of young and old. Younger crowd professional, educated and well dressed.
Vancouver
THE Vancouver Club
2022 Review
Beautiful dining room and bar. Formal atmosphere and service style in the main dining room. Easy walking distance to Convention Center, Cruise ship boarding, 3 main Fairmont Hotels in Vancouver, and float plane terminal.
If you would like to submit a review, please email it to Debbie Press at dpress@hcny.com