Houston Club And Plaza Club Join Forces To Reinvent The Business Club

HOUSTON, Nov. 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Houston Club, steeped in 118 years of history, tradition and legacy, has entered into an agreement with the Plaza Club to relocate to the Plaza's Club's location on the 49^th floor of One Shell Plaza. The combined members will enjoy a reinvented club while retaining the historic name, "The Houston Club."  Looking to the future: Style, technology and innovative design lead a dramatic $3.5-million renovation project, creating the ideal setting for Houston's diverse and cutting-edge business, civic and social community.

This forward-thinking reinvention, scheduled to begin Nov. 2012, will offer more opportunities for members to connect, work, host, play and celebrate with extensive gathering, dining, meeting, learning and "retreat" locales throughout the new club. The dynamic event calendar will expand to include a wide range of social and networking opportunities, personal and professional enrichment programs, and entertaining activities for members and guests, realizing the club's mission of Building Relationships and Enriching Lives®.

The new Houston Club will feature exciting amenities along with inspired and fresh dining options:

• Grand, warm and welcoming lobby surrounded by floor-to-ceiling-window views of downtown
• A stylish "Anytime Lounge " where members can drop in for a quick latte, catch up on the news, work on laptops and iPads, meet colleagues, dine or just relax and hang out
• Allen's Landing, an all-in-one, innovative focal point for dining and networking in a variety of stylish settings with a few nods to the past including club memorabilia and regional artifacts
• Technology-equipped "Touchdown Rooms" for private calls, interviews or impromptu meetings with clients
• Power boardroom with state-of-the-art technology including HD video conferencing and world-class business amenities for high level and critical meetings
• Innovative "energy" room, a multifunctional, unique work environment specifically designed to boost creativity
• New upscale dining room with spectacular views of Houston  and new, innovative menus featuring the best of Houston and regional cuisine

In addition, the new club space, designed by Gensler, a global architecture, design, planning and consulting firm,  will offer an expanded private event space that is designed to accommodate up to 200 guests, perfect for celebrating sophisticated and elegant weddings and private events, business presentations, conferences, civic gatherings and other large events.

"This combination of members and reinvention of club space mark a new beginning for the club that will no doubt bring a fresh energy, new dynamic and so many more opportunities to showcase the club to family, friends and colleagues," said Max Cameau, member of the Plaza Club Board of Governors. "I am very much looking forward to all the changes."

"The Houston Club has served as a meeting place for Houston's business and civic leaders since 1894," said Matt Alford, president of the Houston Club. "I believe this change of venue, along with the combining of the clubs' memberships and the extensive renovations, will allow the Houston Club to be an even larger part of Houston's business and social culture. I am very proud to be a part of this exciting evolution."

"By joining forces with these two very established membership rosters of community leaders and transforming the existing space, we believe that we are creating a vital and relevant club that truly will serve as the keystone of Houston's business community for many years to come," said Joel Jaffe, ClubCorp regional vice president.

Even before the new club is renovated, members of the Houston Club will enjoy preview access to the broad list of clubs in ClubCorp's Houston Community network – including The Clubs of Kingwood, Downtown Clubs at the Met and Houston Center, Willow Creek Golf Club, Bay Oaks Country Club, The Club at Falcon Point and more.   While current Houston Club members can begin receiving use privileges at the Plaza Club location, the Houston Club Rusk Street location will remain open until the end of the year.

About ClubCorp
Dallas-based ClubCorp is The World Leader in Private Clubs®. Since its founding in 1957, ClubCorp has operated with the central purpose of Building Relationships and Enriching the Lives® of its members. ClubCorp owns or operates a network of more than 150 golf and country clubs, business clubs, sports clubs, and alumni clubs in 23 states, the District of Columbia and two foreign countries that serve over 350,000 members, with approximately 14,000 peak-season employees. ClubCorp properties include: Firestone Country Club (Akron, Ohio); Mission Hills Country Club (Rancho Mirage, California); Capital Club Beijing; and Metropolitan Club Chicago. You can find ClubCorp on Facebook at facebook.com/clubcorp and on Twitter at @ClubCorp.

About Gensler
Gensler is a global design, planning, and strategic consulting firm networked across 42 locations on five continents. Consistently ranked by U.S. and international industry surveys as the leading architecture and interior design firm, Gensler leverages its deep resources and diverse expertise to develop design solutions for industries across the globe. For its longstanding commitment to the advancement of sustainable design, Gensler received the Leadership Award from the U.S. Green Building Council in 2005. For more information, visit our website or blog, follow us on Twitter, or like us on Facebook.

CONTACT:
Patty Jerde
972.888.7790
ClubCorp

SOURCE ClubCorp