It’s the holy grail of every exercise-obsessed Californian: a members-only club that combines the privacy of a place like Soho House with the fitness amenities of a gym such as Equinox and the spa services of a Swiss wellness retreat. Now, the Hotel Bel-Air has made the dream a reality through a new monthly program that opens up the hotel’s most coveted facilities, generally reserved for hotel guests only, to a new coterie of 50 members.

The program rolled out to Bel-Air residents first and is now open to all applicants on a first come, first served basis, and it has already triggered a more familial feel around the serene and secluded property. “There’s a strong feeling of community with this new membership program,” says Helen Storer, spa director at Hotel Bel-Air Spa by La Prairie. “There are people who have been living in the area for over 20 years and didn’t know we had certain things at the hotel. A lot of neighbors are excited that they don’t have to commute to get to a gym or pool,” she says.

For $242 a month for a single membership, or $459 a month for a couple, anyone who snags one of the spots in Hotel Bel-Air Spa by La Prairie’s Membership program is granted access to the fitness center, three signature treatments a year at the spa, and discounts at the property’s restaurants and guest rooms. But perhaps the most enticing aspect of this new program is the access it grants to the hotel’s perennially-heated-to-82-degrees pool.

While some only have eyes for the pool, others will be drawn to the spa or the complimentary valet. But there’s another membership perk that’ll lure industry insiders. Members get a card that serves as a house account for the Hotel Bel-Air and the nearby Beverly Hills Hotel. Who doesn’t want to tell their favorite bartender or waiter to charge each bill to a personal tab? The membership has all the makings of becoming the new status symbol for 2014.

By Melissa Magsaysay

Pictured: The mani-pedi lounge at the Hotel Bel-Air Spa by La Prairie.
Photo courtesy of Hotel Bel-Air

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