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.