What Metropolitan Club does

The Metropolitan Club is a private social and business club occupying the entire 67th floor of Willis Tower in Chicago, operating for more than 50 years as a venue for affluent professionals and social members. The club generates revenue through three primary streams: recurring membership initiation fees and dues, food and beverage sales across its dining venues (notably Frame All Day Lounge and The Bar & Grill), and event hosting for corporate meetings, social celebrations, and weddings. Membership is quote-based and bundled with the Invited Clubs (ClubCorp) network, granting access to the City Club Collection of 17 premier city clubs and, with XLife upgrades, 350+ social and golf clubs worldwide.

The club's core products are the membership itself, premium dining experiences, flexible workspaces (private offices, conference rooms, boardrooms), and event hosting services that do not require membership. There is no proprietary technology stack; the underlying platform is the parent Invited Clubs/ClubCorp membership management system and a marketing website with inquiry forms. Go-to-market is sales-led and event-driven, combining direct membership enrollment via a website CTA and phone line with time-bound promotional offers (50% initiation discount with F&B credit rebate, and waived event room rental with up to $1,000 in complimentary AV) to drive urgency.

Customer segments include business professionals and corporate leaders using the club for networking and client entertainment, affluent social members seeking community and curated programming, corporate event planners booking meetings and conferences, and individuals hosting weddings and milestone celebrations. Distribution extends through the Invited Clubs network platform and ClubLine, providing multi-city reach. The club's competitive position rests on a prestigious trophy location, a five-decade brand legacy, and the network effects of the parent Invited Clubs portfolio.

Name

Metropolitan Club

Legal name

Invited Clubs (ClubCorp)

Website

https://themetropolitanchicago.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Metropolitan Club is a private social and business club on the 67th floor of Willis Tower in Chicago, serving affluent professionals, social members, and corporate and wedding event clients with dining, workspaces, and event hosting, and operating as part of the Invited Clubs network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Social Club

NAICS

Golf Courses and Country Clubs (71391), Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Corporate Hospitality, VIP Hosting & Client Entertainment (Internal-led) (THAHAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Corporate Conference Center Hotels (THAGALAF), Convention & Exhibition Centers (Public Convention Centers, Civic Centers) (THAHAAAA)

Keywords

• Private social club
• Membership club services
• Event venue hosting
• Private dining club
• Club network access

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Initiation and Dues: Members pay an initiation fee and recurring dues for access to the club, dining, workspaces, and the broader Invited Clubs network (City Club Collection with 17 clubs and XLife access to 350+ clubs). A promotional offer of 50% off initiation fee plus reimbursement as F&B credit was active as of the source date.
2. Event Hosting and Catering: The club generates revenue from hosting corporate events, social celebrations, and weddings for non-members, providing venue rental, AV equipment, and catering services. A limited-time offer provided waived room rental and up to $1,000 in complimentary AV for qualifying new event bookings.
3. Food and Beverage Sales: The club operates dining venues including Frame All Day Lounge and The Bar & Grill, generating revenue from member and guest spending on food, beverages, and private dining experiences. Dining credits are also used as membership incentives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Metropolitan Club operates a private social and business club on the 67th floor of Chicago's Willis Tower, offering paid memberships that include access to dining venues, workspaces, member programming, and the broader Invited Clubs network. The club also hosts corporate events, social celebrations, and weddings for non-members on a venue-rental and catering basis. Revenue is generated from membership initiation fees and recurring dues, food and beverage sales, and event hosting fees.

Product overview

The Metropolitan Club is Chicago's premier private social club located within Willis Tower, operating as a unified membership-based experience that combines dining, event hosting, and professional workspaces. The core offering is membership-based access to the club's facilities and the broader Invited Clubs network. Key products include: The Metropolitan Club (core social club with over 50 years of legacy), XLife Benefits (network-wide membership upgrade providing access to 350+ social and golf clubs), Frame All Day Lounge (signature dining venue), event services (Corporate Events, Social Events, Weddings), and Workspaces (flexible professional spaces). The City Club Collection extends the offering to 17 premier city clubs nationwide, creating a connected membership community across major US cities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Metropolitan Club Membership Paid membership to Chicago's premier private social club located within Willis Tower, providing access to signature dining venues, workspaces, member programming, and the broader City Club Collection network. Includes initiation fee and recurring annual dues.
• XLife Benefits Upgrade Membership upgrade program that unlocks access to golf and lifestyle amenities, curated experiences, and dining benefits across the Invited Clubs network, including 350+ social and golf clubs worldwide.
• Corporate Event Hosting Venue rental and catering service for corporate meetings, conferences, team events, executive presentations, and business retreats, featuring first-class service, delectable cuisine, fully equipped conference rooms, and panoramic downtown Chicago views. Available to non-members.
• Wedding Hosting
• Social Event Hosting
• Workspaces
• Frame All Day Lounge

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Invited Clubs (ClubCorp)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Metropolitan Club is operated by Invited Clubs (formerly ClubCorp), one of the largest operators of private clubs in the world. The club is part of the Invited Clubs network, which provides centralized technology, marketing, membership management, and the City Club Collection — granting members access to 17 premier city clubs and, with XLife upgrades, 350+ social and golf clubs globally. Invited Clubs provides the operational infrastructure, brand platform, and cross-network membership benefits that define the club's value proposition.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Soho House: Global private members club network serving creative and business professionals with dining, workspaces, and event venues. Broader incumbent at much greater scale (40+ houses globally) that competes for the same urban executive/social membership segment, though with a different brand aesthetic and pricing tier.

Direct peers

• The Core Club (NYC): Ultra-premium NYC private members club for C-suite executives featuring dining, workspaces, wellness amenities, and curated programming. Comparable in target member (top-tier executives), pricing, and offering mix to The Metropolitan's high-end positioning.
• Citrus Club Orlando: Sister City Club Collection property reinvented in 2024, offering same dining/events/workspace model under the Invited Clubs platform. Useful peer for assessing post-rebrand performance trajectory.
• Union League Club of Chicago: Historic Chicago private club (founded 1879) providing dining, library, athletic amenities, and event spaces to executive members. Same legacy brand positioning and competing for the same affluent Chicago business/social segment.
• University Club of Chicago: Long-established Chicago private club offering dining, lodging, athletic facilities, and event hosting to executives and professionals. Most direct same-city competitor competing for the same Chicago executive membership and event-booking wallet share.
• City Club Los Angeles: City Club Collection peer positioned as a high-above-LA social club for leaders and executives. Operates under identical membership dues structure, network benefits, and event hosting model as The Metropolitan.
• Tower Club Dallas: Direct sister club under the same Invited Clubs (ClubCorp) City Club Collection network - a premier city club on the 48th floor in Dallas offering comparable dining, events, and workspace amenities for executives. Provides the closest analog for member acquisition, pricing, and programming benchmarks.
• The Standard Club of Chicago: Chicago-based private member club offering dining, banquet facilities, athletic amenities, and cultural programming to business professionals. Directly competes for executive memberships and corporate event bookings in the same metro.
• University Club of San Diego: Another member of the City Club Collection, offering similar membership-based access to dining, networking, and event hosting under the same Invited Clubs operating platform. Direct network peer for benchmarking and cross-utilization.

Regional players

• The Cliff Dwellers Club: Smaller, artistically-oriented Chicago private club serving creatives and business leaders with dining and cultural programming. Direct Chicago competitor but with a more narrow cultural niche and smaller scale 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
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mclub

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 Metropolitan Club