A Snapshot on Resort Memberships: Pool, Spa, & Gym Access for Locals

Do you wish you could visit your favorite resort all the time? TPG Content and Community Manager Ryan Gaines explains how you can, by joining a resort that offers a pool and spa membership.

Many resorts across the country have started to offer resort memberships for locals who want to live the resort lifestyle year round. This means members have full access to the resort every day of the year for use of the resort's swimming pools, gyms, spas and tennis courts. Some memberships even provide club lounge access and the ability to earn hotel points for membership dues. Here's a rundown of resorts that offer memberships:

The Omni Scottsdale Resort & Spa at Montelucia in Paradise Valley, Arizona offers a resort lifestyle membership. Some of the membership benefits include:

• Signing privileges resort-wide with monthly billing
• Access to main pools and resort-wide venues
• 24-hour fitness and workout area - approximately 2,242 square feet (with views of Camelback Mountain)
• Access to Joya locker rooms and spa facilities (which include the steam room, sauna, whirlpool, cold deluge, social lounges and quiet rooms, refreshments and amenities)
• One 50-minute Custom Massage or signature Facial at Joya spa for your birthday

Membership options at Montelucia include single and couple memberships, as well as a seasonal membership. A single membership is $1,500 to join with monthly dues of $149, while a couple membership is $2,000 to join with monthly dues of $200. They also offer a 6 month single seasonal membership that costs $750 to join and $189 a month. For couples, this option is $1,000 to join and $250 a month.

The St. Regis Monarch Beach in Dana Point, California offers a Resort Membership Club that includes the following access:

• Pools: main pool, adults-only lap pool, family lagoon pool
• Fitness: gym facilities and daily fitness calendar, including pilates and yoga
• Salon & Spa: The Salon and the five-star Spa Gaucin
• 20% discount toward personal training, massage & facials, salon treatments and boutique purchases
• 20% discount toward all dining at St Regis Monarch Beach

The St. Regis offers single memberships and family memberships with either a one-year or two-year commitment. A one-year single membership has an initiation fee of $600 with annual dues of $1,800 and a $300 per month minimum spend requirement. A one year family membership has an initiation fee of $1,000 with annual dues of $3,000 and a $500 per month minimum spend requirement. For their two-year commitment single membership, it's $1,000 to join with annual dues of $3,000, and the two-year family option is $2,000 to join with annual dues of $5,000. With the two-year memberships, the initiation fee is 50% refundable upon resignation.

The Club at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge in Scottsdale, Arizona offers a variety of membership offerings such as their popular Sports Membership, which includes the following:

• Access to 8 Tennis Courts, 5 heated pools (including lazy river & water slide), and 2 fitness facilities and complimentary group classes
• Access to all resort amenities, designated VIP parking and social programming, including facilities at other Marriott locations
• Tennis lessons, training classes, restaurants, events (and other top facilities) either included with your member dues or at a discount
• Resort-wide discounts
• Marriott Rewards points with every dollar spent

The Sports Membership at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge is $5,000 to join and $286 per month. The resort also offers more expensive golf and spa memberships that include unlimited golf or eight spa treatments per month. Some memberships also allow access to the hotel's club lounge, the Griffin Club.

The Club at La Costa in Carlsbad, California offers golf and sports memberships. The sports membership includes the following:

• Access to the 8,000 square foot Athletic Club
• Access to the resort's 8 swimming pools
• More than 42 group fitness classes weekly
• 17 courts tennis courts (including 6 lighted ones for night play)
• Discounted golf options twice a month

The Sports Membership at The Club at La Costa costs $6,000 to join with $311 monthly dues, plus $300 in required quarterly spend. They also offer a non-resident membership rate that has the same initiation fee, but only $159 in monthly dues and $150 in quarterly spend if you live more than 50 miles from the property.

The Standard Miami in Miami Beach, Florida offers Spa Memberships and Day Passes which include:

• Unlimited use of the pool, hamam,and gym
• Discount on valet parking
• 10% off of spa services, food and drink and personal training
• Discounts on hotel rooms and day passes
• Special invitations to events at The Standard Spa, Miami Beach
• Locker, robe and slippers upon availability

Monthly membership fees are around $200 per month, but to find out the current pricing of the Standard Club Membership you can contact the spa membership department. They property also offers day passes which includes use of our indoor and outdoor baths, gardens, pools and gym; Friday - Sunday $125, Monday - Thursday $75.

These are just a few resorts that offer memberships. There are many others, including the Peninsula Chicago, Langham Pasadena, Arizona Biltmore, and Sea Island to name a few. I think the best value on this list is the Montelucia membership option for $149 a month, as many gyms can cost that much alone. Considering that you get access to the hotel grounds, swimming pools, spa areas and tennis courts as well, the price seems reasonable.

Earning Points at Resorts

Even if you choose not to join a pool and spa membership, you can still earn points for when you dine at the restaurants by providing your hotel loyalty member when you pay. Starwood has launched their SPG Triple Crave promotion, where SPG members can earn triple Starpoints Mondays through Thursdays on purchases of $50 or more at participating Starwood restaurants through December 30, 2014.

With Starwood, you can earn two Starpoints for every eligible U.S. dollar spent including restaurants. Gold and Platinum members would earn three Starpoints per dollar spent on dining if the charges are greater than $10 USD. At Hyatt, in order for a Hyatt Gold Passport member to receive Hyatt Gold Passport points, the member must provide their Gold Passport number and pay for the charges. A maximum of one member may earn points for dining or spa charges, regardless of the number of members present at the time charges are incurred.

Have you ever considered a resort membership or are you currently a member? Do you feel like you got your money's worth? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.
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