Why Makeready Is Betting on Columbus for the Next Generation of Members Clubs

Private members clubs have traditionally sold exclusivity. But hospitality brand, Makeready, is betting that the next generation will be more interested in something else: a reason to actually show up.

The hospitality company behind Clayton Hotel & Members Clubin Denver is bringing its next members club concept to The Merchant Building in downtown Columbus, with a model centered less around status and more around creating a place locals want to return to – to work, dine, meet people and participate in programming and experiences.

The move comes as the idea of the “third place” is having a resurgence. With younger generations spending more of their lives online, there’s growing interest in physical spaces that can facilitate the kind of spontaneous, in-person connection that’s increasingly difficult to find between home and work. At the same time, members clubs themselves are evolving beyond their historically exclusive roots, with hospitality brands looking at how membership can create a genuine sense of community and turn properties into destinations for locals as much as travelers.

For Makeready, Columbus is an important part of that story. Rather than bringing the concept to another traditional luxury market, the company sees an opportunity in a growing city with a younger population and an evolving hospitality, culinary and cultural scene.

Makeready first explored the model with Clayton Hotel & Members Club in Denver, which combines a boutique hotel with a membership community for locals. The forthcoming Columbus club will build on that experience while being designed specifically around the city and the way its residents want to gather.

If you’re exploring the evolution of private clubs, the return of the “third place,” or why hospitality brands are increasingly designing for locals, we’d be happy to connect you with the Makeready team to discuss:

• Why Columbus emerged as the market for Makeready’s next members club, and what the company sees happening in the city
• Why younger consumers are changing the traditional members club model from exclusivity and status toward access, experiences and community
• How digital fatigue and the renewed interest in “third places” are influencing hospitality design and programming
• Why hotel companies are increasingly thinking beyond overnight guests and building spaces intended to create long-term relationships with locals
• What Makeready learned from Clayton in Denver and how those insights are shaping its approach in Columbus