The Metropolitan

What The Metropolitan does

The Metropolitan is a private social and lifestyle club operating on the 67th floor of the Willis Tower in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in 1970 and established in its iconic Willis Tower location in 1973, the club has served the city's professional and social elite for over 50 years. The club is owned and operated by Invited Clubs (formerly ClubCorp), a large network of private clubs headquartered in Dallas, Texas.

The Metropolitan's core offerings revolve around three revenue streams: membership initiation fees and recurring dues, event hosting services (corporate meetings, social celebrations, and weddings, with F&B minimums of $4,000+ for qualifying events), and on-site dining through venues including Frame All Day Lounge and The Met Bar & Grill. Members also receive access to flexible workspaces with conference rooms, private offices, and boardrooms, plus a curated social calendar with member-led committees and a Philanthropy Collective. Through the Invited Clubs XLife benefits program, Metropolitan members gain access to 17 City Club Collection clubs nationwide and 350+ social and golf clubs worldwide, creating a networked multi-property value proposition.

The club sells memberships directly through its website and phone inquiries and hosts events for both members and non-members. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, though the operator is currently running a 50% off initiation fee promotion through June 2026 with a food and beverage credit equal to the initiation fee. The Metropolitan's marketing relies on its parent network's website, Instagram and Facebook social media presence, and promotional email campaigns. The standalone entity operates with 1-10 employees, with back-office and corporate functions supported by Invited Clubs' shared infrastructure. No technology platform, AI capabilities, or standalone intellectual property are disclosed.

Name

The Metropolitan

Legal name

The Metropolitan

Website

https://metclubchicago.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Metropolitan is a private social and lifestyle club on the 67th floor of Chicago's Willis Tower, offering membership, dining, workspaces, and event hosting for business professionals, corporate clients, and social members. It is owned by Invited Clubs and provides access to 17 city clubs nationwide and 350+ clubs globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Social Club

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Luxury MICE & Conference Resorts (THAGACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

City/Urban Convention Hotels (THAGALAA)

Keywords

• Private social club
• Membership club
• Event hosting
• Private dining
• Corporate event venue

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Membership Initiation Fees and Dues: One-time initiation fees with ongoing membership dues. Special promotional offers such as 50% off initiation fee with food and beverage credit incentives are offered periodically.
2. Event Hosting Services: Revenue from hosting corporate events, social celebrations, and weddings. Includes room rental fees (with occasional waivers) and food and beverage minimums ($4,000+ for qualifying events).
3. Dining Services: Restaurant and lounge dining revenue through Frame All Day Lounge and other dining venues within the club.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Metropolitan operates a private social and lifestyle club on the 67th floor of Willis Tower in Chicago, offering paid memberships that grant access to dining venues (Frame All Day Lounge, The Met Bar & Grill), flexible workspaces and meeting rooms, and curated social programming. The club also hosts private events for corporate meetings, social celebrations, and weddings on a one-time basis without requiring membership, with food and beverage minimums starting at $4,000.

Product overview

The Metropolitan is a private social and lifestyle club (not a technology product) offering memberships with integrated access to dining, workspaces, event hosting, and social programming. The core offerings include social club membership, on-site dining experiences (Frame All Day Lounge, The Met Bar & Grill), flexible workspaces and meeting rooms, and event hosting services (corporate meetings, social events, weddings). Members receive XLife Benefits that provide access to 17 City Club Collection locations nationwide and 350+ social and golf clubs worldwide, creating a connected network across the Invited Clubs portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• XLife: A membership benefits program that unlocks access to hundreds of clubs worldwide, including golf, lifestyle amenities, curated experiences, and dining benefits across the Invited Clubs network.
• City Club Collection

Products and services

• The Metropolitan Membership Private social club membership providing individuals access to dining, workspaces, event hosting, and social programming at the Chicago location, plus reciprocal access to the Invited Clubs network through XLife benefits.
• Corporate & Meetings Events Private event hosting services for corporate events, meetings, conferences, and professional gatherings featuring first-class service and downtown Chicago skyline views. Available to non-members without requiring club membership.
• Social Events Private social celebration hosting including birthdays, anniversaries, and other personal milestone events with catering and venue services.
• Weddings Private wedding event hosting services featuring ceremony and reception spaces with downtown Chicago skyline views.
• Dining (Frame All Day Lounge and The Met Bar & Grill) On-site dining experiences offering inventive, bold-flavored Chicago-inspired cuisine at the Frame All Day Lounge and The Met Bar & Grill, available to members and event attendees.
• Work & Workspaces Flexible workspaces including private offices, conference rooms, communal areas, and boardrooms designed for remote work, client meetings, and professional events with skyline views.
• Club Life & Social Programming Curated social calendar with engaging programming, professional connections, cultural experiences, and member-led committees for community building.

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to 17 premier city clubs nationwide and 350+ social and golf clubs worldwide through the Invited Clubs network

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Invited Clubs (Parent Network)coreOthersThe Metropolitan is part of the Invited Clubs network (formerly ClubCorp), providing access to a portfolio of 17 premier city clubs nationwide through the City Club Collection, and 350+ social and golf clubs worldwide through XLife benefits.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Soho House: Global private members' club chain with locations worldwide, including Chicago. Targets a broader creative-professional segment but offers directly comparable dining, workspaces, and event hosting. A meaningful competitor for the same professional member persona.

Direct peers

• Union League Club of Chicago: Long-established private club in downtown Chicago with dining, lodging, athletics, and event hosting. Closely comparable business model, target member persona, and Chicago premium-club positioning to The Metropolitan.
• The Chicago Club: Historic private social and business club on Chicago's Near North Side. Directly competes with The Metropolitan for Chicago's professional and executive membership, offering dining, events, and workspaces in a similar premium model.
• Citrus Club Orlando: Direct sister club in Invited's City Club Collection, reinvented in 2024 to reflect a modernized private club identity. Operates the same membership, dining, and event offerings as The Metropolitan.
• Tower Club Dallas: Sister City Club in the Invited Clubs network, located on the 48th floor of a downtown Dallas high-rise. Operates the same membership, dining, and event model as The Metropolitan with shared brand and network access.
• University Club of Chicago: Iconic private club on Chicago's Michigan Avenue offering dining, athletic facilities, and event spaces. Comparable membership-based hospitality model and executive/professional member base.
• City Club Los Angeles: Another City Club Collection peer in the Invited portfolio, positioned as a high-rise social and business club in Los Angeles. Shares the same business model, member benefits, and corporate parent as The Metropolitan.

Emerging players

• Spring Place: Modern private members' club with locations in NYC, LA, and London offering coworking, dining, and event hosting. Targets a similar professional/executive audience but with a contemporary-design positioning that differentiates from traditional clubs.
• The Core Club: Ultra-premium NYC private club targeting executives and creators with curated dining, workspaces, and events. Comparable high-price-point membership and premium hospitality positioning, though geographically non-overlapping.

Regional players

• The Standard Club: Private athletic and social club in Chicago's Near North Side with member dues, dining, and event spaces. Competes for overlapping Chicago professional/family membership but emphasizes athletics more than The Metropolitan.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/TheMetropolitanChicago
• Instagraminstagram.com/themetropolitanchicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Metropolitan