Arden Hills, longtime resort and swim club for families and Olympians, sold to fitness chain
The family-run Arden Hills private club and resort — which for generations has fostered Olympic swim athletes and professional tennis players among its Sacramento suburban member families — is being acquired by a national chain of athletic clubs and gyms after 69 years of local control.
“Sadly, after nearly 70 years, Arden Hills will cease its operations as of December 31, 2023,” the club’s acting executive director, Austin Favero, said in a letter to members. The Favero family has owned the club since 1985.
Terms of the sale for the Fair Oaks Boulevard icon, including the price paid, were not disclosed.
The buyer, Life Time — which operates 170 clubs in the U.S. and Canada, including facilities in Roseville and Folsom — will rebrand the 8.78-acre resort on the border of Arden Arcade and Carmichael as Life Time Arden when the company takes over next year, said Favero, whose family purchased the resort from legendary swimming coach Sherm Chavoor.
Arden Hills, which opened in 1954 as a modest neighborhood athletic club that has expanded over the years to include multiple pools, a day spa, lodging and manicured grounds, calls itself “the only resort-style private club,” in the capital region. Arden Hills was the go-to spot for events such as bridal showers and has hosted thousands of weddings, according to the club’s website. The operators stopped hosting weddings and other social functions earlier this year, according to Sacramento Business Journal.
In 1992, Arden Hills broke away from other private clubs in the region, such as Del Norte and Park Terrace, to embark on an ambitious plan to double its size and offer more amenities such as a 20,000-square-foot indoor pool, spa and dining facilities. It also sold some of its land to build luxury homes.
COVID dealt financial blow to Arden Hills
Despite the successes in transforming Arden Hills from a community private club to a year-round resort, Arden Hills suffered greatly from the COVID-19 pandemic, the owner said in the letter to members.
“As we approached 2020, the club was thriving, and our family was in the process of passing the torch to the next generation, eager to continue the club’s success for decades to come,” the family said. “Yet, as fate would have it, a curveball was thrown our way.”
The operators said that “every facet of Arden Hills, from the gym to the spa, weddings and events, restaurants, and lodging, found itself directly in the cross hairs of the worldwide shutdown.”
While the owners had received $1.2 million in federal funds through the Paycheck Protection Program, “it fell far short of making up for the losses,” they said.
“The club had never closed for more than a day for nearly seven decades. Yet, it took over 18 months to fully reopen the gym, the restaurant, and the spa, and three years to navigate the complexities surrounding weddings and events.”
The Favero family said it explored multiple options to weather the crisis including changing its “overall business model, rezoning the property to maximize refinancing potential, and pursuing new investment” but ultimately decided on selling the operations.
“As we diligently worked to recover, it gradually became clear that our previously very successful business model may no longer be viable in a post-COVID world. It also became evident over time that the likelihood of identifying potential investors/buyers for the Arden Hills business had diminished significantly due to the pandemic’s devastating impact on our resources.”
New owner’s plans unclear
The owners decided on Life Time, to “preserve the legacy of this property” and “infuse it with new energy, excitement, and passion.”
Life Time, based in Chanhassen, Minnesota, said in a statement it plans a “phased renovation and transformation of the space with the goal of minimal impact on members.” The new owners said they expected to updated the property, bringing in “best-in-class equipment” as well as “a future renovation of the spa and the dining areas.”
“We are excited to build upon the Arden Hills legacy to create an incredible, high-end athletic country club experience dedicated to empowering healthier, happier lives for members,” Brian Gaeta, a vice president with the chain, said in the statement. “As with all our 170+ destinations across North America, we will provide a breadth of incomparable programming, service and the best experiences as we serve this vibrant community.”
However, details of the plan — including the cost to be a member — remain unknown. Current memberships span the $300-a-month range with upfront initiation costing at least $1,000.
“In the coming weeks, further details on Life Time’s plans, renderings and opportunities to join will be announced. Life Time operates two additional locations in the greater Sacramento market, including Folsom and Roseville, as part of its network of athletic country clubs across North America,” the company said.
An Olympic legacy at Arden Hills
Arden Hills served for decades as a training ground for elite athletes. Swimmers who have trained there have won 22 Olympic gold medals, according to Arden Hills’ website.
The most famous of them: Mark Spitz, Debbie Meyer and Sue Pedersen. Spitz, a Modesto native, was the star of the 1972 Olympics in Munich by winning seven gold medals, each in world-record time. Only American swimmer Michael Phelps has won more golds. Meyer and Pedersen were trained by Sherm Chavoor at the Arden Hills in the 1960s before earning medals at the Mexico City Olympics. Between the two women, they have five gold medals and two silver medals from the 1968 Games and had set several world records.
More recently, tennis pros such as Jenson Brooksby, who battled current No. 1 men’s tennis player Carlos Alcaraz at the U.S. Open in 2022, have also played at the club.
