Reciprocal Club Membership: American Clubs, Tanglin and others

If you belong to a club in one country you can find a list of reciprocal clubs in another country.

In a city full of museums and attractions you might want to be out seeing the sights, not sitting in a private club. Why would you want to visit a club?

A city you have visited many times before - you no longer want to be amongst the jostling crowds. You just want peace and quiet.

A place to wait for your friends who are busy with business meetings or cannot say what time they will arrive.

You want to take your local friends somewhere they don't already know.

First, get a list of clubs which have reciprocal arrangements at your destination. Then email or visit your club's office and ask for a letter of introduction.

Your club might send a copy to the club you are visiting.

Restrictions may apply.

For example, the American Club in Hong Kong says you may visit only twice in one year, for visits of up to a fortnight.

That doesn't affect me, but it's a bit disappointing. In the old days I was under the impression that if you were a member of a club, but missed out by being half the year at a home or business in a second country, instead you could use one of the reciprocal clubs. After all, they are benefitting from your spend in their restaurants.

The other question is, can you actually make use of the facilities? My prime reason for going to the American Club in Hong Kong would be to use their swimming pool, because we are not staying at a hotel but with a friend in a small apartment.

If the club says you can use the restaurant but not the pool, and all we get is the chance to sit at a restaurant beside a pool or overlooking a bay we might be better off going to a hotel with swimming pool.

Another factor is that when visiting the other other club you have to remember to take along your letter of introduction and your passport. I don't want to travel around Hong Kong carrying my passport. I had my bag and passport stolen in Singapore. It took days of going back and forwards to the embassy to get a temporary passport, then in the UK to get a permanent one, plus money to obtain both the temporary one week passport and the replacement permanent passport.

In Hong Kong there are two American Clubs, both on the main area, although one is called a town club and the other a country club. I looked at them and the Country Club seems to be the one with the pool.

If you are a member of a club you normally show your card and sign the bill and get sent a monthly bill to settle. As a visiting member you will have to pay by cash, or credit card.
You might want to check the method of payment, whether they accept American Express cards, and if you can have a bill for tax purposes if you are entertaining a business guest.

At the American club in Singapore I used to go to the Ladies Bridge game, which was weekly,(men could attend - I once took my visiting father who was in his eighties - the price including the simple buffet lunch. I also went the Tanglin Club mixed sex bridge game, where the price included a tea.

At some events, if you did not arrive early, you missed the food. At other events, if you rushed off early, you missed the food.

You might be disappointed and find that you can attend only one restaurant. On the other hand, you might make a friend of one of the members. They might be happy to take you to the facilities as their sign in guest, and you can reciprocate by paying cash or inviting them to dinner elsewhere another day or another week, or in your home country, or continue by drinking or coffee the same day at a venue outside the club.

Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer.