1880 Hong Kong members offered alternative club, but ‘not what we signed up for'
Members of 1880 Hong Kong, a Singapore-based private club that recently shut down after only seven months in operation, have been offered a luxury lifeline by landlord Swire Properties.
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The club told members on Thursday that they would be able to have joining fees waived for The Refinery, a club in Swire's Taikoo Place that is operated by The Peninsula, and a food and drink credit would be provided.
But the announcement did not appear to have pacified members, with some preferring a refund of their original joining and subscription fees. Some said they no longer trusted the company and had not given their consent to join the alternative club, which was 'not what we signed up for'.
1880 Hong Kong's email to members on Thursday did not mention whether they would have to pay subscription fees for access to the luxury Swire-owned club.
A member at The Refinery told the Post that her joining fee in 2021 was HK$50,000 (US$6,370) and the monthly subscription was HK$1,800, after a tenant discount.
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The email asked members to contact The Refinery directly to accept the offer of full membership.
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