Family values come first at new Jakarta American Club
Family values come first at new Jakarta American Club
By Dini S. Djalal
JAKARTA (JP): This dense, sprawling metropolis is destined to
be home to Asia's most affluent and cosmopolitan middle class.
Yet, as harried executives and manual laborers alike will
confirm, rapid urbanization has not come without costs in the
quality of life, environmental and social. The Jakarta jet set
may seem glamorous as they click by on their Gucci heels, but
even the well-coiffed suffer stress and fatigue from the city's
constant bustle.
An ideal setting for an industry seeking to soothe tired minds
and bodies, albeit at a pretty price. Willing to forego a few
afternoons of conspicuous consumption and you too can be a member
of one of Jakarta's exclusive clubs.
The newest addition to these oasis from urban chaos is the
Jakarta American Club. Here, members can rest their weary feet at
the club's plush surroundings and soak in the panoramic sights
from atop the city's tallest building, Wisma 46 at BNI city
superblock. The cost of such luxurious comfort is not cheap --
transferable family lifetime membership is US$7,500, whether
corporate or individual -- but pinning a precise price on peace
of mind is a particular art mastered largely by the hospitality
industry.
Hospitality
"But that's one of the things Americans are good at:
hospitality, casualness, openness," says Richard Ross, managing
director of American Club International. The Jakarta American
Club offers an extensive reciprocal network of over 100 clubs
worldwide, including the member-owned American Club in Hong Kong
and American Club in Tokyo, both of which were established in the
1920s.
Ross is in town to oversee the soft opening of the 5000-meter-
square clubhouse, which occupies five floors of Wisma 46. Only
the fourth floor, which comprises a fitness center, cafes, a
children's activity center and a shop selling American foods, are
currently open. The remaining four floors of dining and banquet
rooms will be unveiled to the public in November.
There has been a 3-month delay to the opening of the $12
million venture, owned by Wisma 46's proprietor PT Tri Handayani
Utama, the Salim Group and the Lyman Group. But the hired
management vows that, once open, the Jakarta American Club will
be the biggest, most impressive club in town.
"We're twice the size of the Mercantile Athletic Club," says
general manager Thomas Packard.
Competition is key. Packard acknowledges the growing
proliferation of clubs in the Jakarta area, but stresses that the
Jakarta American Club is a city club filling a niche no other
club has touched.
The first club in Jakarta, the Executive Club, opened its
doors in the 1970s to eager queues, but was largely a place for
the nouveau riche to close business deals.
"Before, private clubs were popular because there were few
places to entertain clients outside of hotel restaurants. But now
Jakarta has many fine restaurants, so clubs have to be more,"
said Packard.
And the Jakarta American Club distinguishes itself by its more
casual, family orientation.
"Other places in Jakarta don't like children. But we plan lots
of activities for families, like children's ballroom dancing
classes. We value family values," said Packard.
In this case, family values isn't just a creed, it's a sales
pitch.
"One of the secrets of merchandising is creating a market. And
we have a new product," said Packard.
This new product means setting aside ample space for the
children's activity enter, which has computers and Sega
playstations as well as trampolines and Lego sets. These
additional facilities, says Packard, sets them apart from the
more formal clubs in the city.
Creating a family atmosphere also means creating competitive
prices. Packard claims merchandise and food available at the club
are cheaper than elsewhere in Jakarta.
"We want our members to feel comfortable, to not feel taken
advantage of," said Packard.
The importance of providing comfort for its members is so
important that Packard has considered limiting membership to
prevent crowding.
"If people come here a lot, we'll stop membership sales," he
said.
The point of these considerations is to realize a community-
spirit club atmosphere similar to that in the U.S. In the U.S.,
he explains, a club is more than just an eating place, it is a
way of "discovering friends". Packard wants to transport this
tradition of camaraderie to Jakarta.
"I grew up being a member of a country club, and my father
used to say: 'I'm going to the club to pick up a game'. This
doesn't really exist in Jakarta. Here when you want to play golf,
you call up your friends and arrange to meet. You don't go down
to the club to pick up a game.
"We want to be a club in the true sense of the word, where
people of similar interest meet. A club is supposed to be
someone's second home," Packard saud.
What may impede Packard's goal of belonging is the very reason
private clubs are so successful in Jakarta. And he acknowledges
that those who can afford to join private clubs often collect
several memberships for prestige. They tout clubs as a means of
showing aspirational status but rarely frequent the facilities
they've paid dearly for.
"A lot of Indonesians join clubs for political, business
reasons, just because their friends are doing it," said Packard.
"Here people buy memberships but not use it. I prefer it if
people use the facilities we've built," he said.
Perhaps the Jakarta jet set are not yet weary enough of the
city's bustle.