Luxury Monte Carlo club eyes $14m in member fees

Monte Carlo Beach Club, the exclusive Saadiyat Island venue, plans to generate more than US $14 million in membership revenues within the next three years, its general manager has said.

The resort, among the first venues to open its doors on the island tourism spot, expects to attract some 400 members through to 2014, each paying a minimum fee of AED 35,000 ($9528) a year.

[Click here for behind the scenes photos of the club]

General manager Patrick Nayrolles said the club had seen a steady rise in membership, but declined to specify how many of its slots had been filled.

“There are a lot of people visiting to have a look,” he told Arabian Business. “When we opened it was very hot, so it takes time. In November, we think we’ll have more people coming in as members.

“We looked at Saadiyat and where it is going to be in 10 years, and it promises to be an affluent district of Abu Dhabi, home to many of the capital’s well-off community.”

The club is operated by SBM (Société des Bains de Mer), which has managed the Monte-Carlo Beach club in Monaco for around 90 years. Members can avail of private beach access, luxury spa treatments, dune and garden cabanas, and four food and beverage outlets.

Of the four outlets, two - the Sea Lounge and Le Deck - have been exported from the original Monte-Carlo Beach.

“What’s unique is that it is actually on the beach. Most others [in Abu Dhabi] are not,” said Nayrolles. “We are providing a club with a level of luxury and exclusivity that has not been experienced in the region to date.”

The 39,500 sq m club is also offering monthly memberships and day passes, he said, priced from AED 4500 per month and AED 400 per day.

The UAE plans to attract 15 million tourists by 2020 under efforts to diversify its petrodollar-driven economy. Abu Dhabi is spending billions on visitor attractions such as the Yas and Saadiyat Island developments.

Saadiyat is the future home of the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and a $500 million branch of the Louvre, alongside a Gary Player-designed championship golf course.

The Monte Carlo resort is the first beach club to open its doors on the island.