“A Complete Overhaul for the Better”: How Ann Arbor City Club Made the Switch to Clubspot

By Fritz Baldauf

 A Historic Club at a Modern Crossroads

Housed in a late-19th-century mansion just minutes from the University of Michigan, the Ann Arbor City Club (AACC) has long served as a hub for community, culture, and connection. Since its founding in 1951, the member-owned club has blended historic charm with a dynamic mix of dining, events, and programming, offering everything from intimate gatherings to large-scale social events in its ballroom and gardens.

Ann Arbor City Club blends historic charm with Clubspot’s modern digital presence, giving members access wherever they are.

But by 2026, AACC found itself facing a challenge that will sound familiar to many clubs, regardless of size.

How do you deliver a modern, seamless member experience when your underlying systems are anything but modern?

The Reality: A Patchwork of Systems

When General Manager Jaime Deal stepped into the role, the extent of the problem quickly came into focus. What existed was not a system. It was a patchwork.

The club was running a non-cloud platform off an aging back-office computer with no backup. The POS hardware was still operating on Windows XP. Membership billing and dining transactions lived in entirely separate systems, which meant members received multiple invoices every month. Accounting required someone to manually enter journal entries into QuickBooks every single day. There was no member portal. Communication relied on email and even physical mail. Reservations and event sign-ups were handled manually through phone calls or messages to the front desk.

“It was running off an old computer tower in a back office with no backup. We were paying someone to manually enter journal entries into QuickBooks every day. Communication was just email and snail mail, and all of our reservations and sign-ups were done the old-fashioned way, either email or calling the front desk. It was an archaic mess.”

This kind of setup is more common than most clubs want to admit. Over time, systems get layered on top of each other. Workarounds become processes. What starts as a temporary fix becomes the way things are done.

The Goal: Simplify and Modernize

A modern member portal empowers AACC members to register for events, manage accounts, and stay connected with ease.

For AACC, the goal was not just to upgrade technology. It was to simplify operations and build a foundation that could support both staff and members moving forward.

“I was looking for software that had membership billing and POS combined into one system. Our prior system was separate, so each member got two invoices each month. I was also looking for something cloud based so that we could log into it from anywhere, and something that would offer more modern technology for our members, but still be affordable for a smaller club.”

The Decision: Avoiding Another Legacy Trap

A redesigned website and member interface bring AACC’s experience online, making navigation and engagement seamless.

As Jaime evaluated options, a familiar pattern emerged. Many platforms could technically serve clubs of different sizes, but in practice they were designed for a narrow slice of the market. Some were built for large, complex operations and came with the cost and rigidity to match. Others were simpler, but lacked the depth needed to support a full-service club.

AACC also had the option to stay within the ecosystem they already knew. Their existing provider offered an upgrade, but it came with a significant upfront cost and would have kept many of the same structural limitations in place.

“Other softwares were membership-only or POS-only. Our current software was offering an upgrade that was going to cost us $7,500 just to start and then a monthly fee.”

At that point, the decision became clearer. Instead of moving from a patchwork of smaller systems into a legacy platform that still would not solve the root issues, AACC chose a different path. They chose a system designed for how clubs operate today, and how they will operate in the future.

“Clubspot was really the best choice for what we needed as a club.”

What stood out was not just functionality, but flexibility. Clubspot gave AACC the ability to unify its operations without forcing the club into a rigid structure. It could support the needs of a smaller, community-driven club while still delivering the capabilities typically associated with much larger organizations.

Implementation: A Supported Transition

Implementation, often the most daunting part of any system change, became a point of confidence rather than concern.

“We were assigned a designated rep from Clubspot that helped us through the process. We had weekly meetings via Zoom to get trained and set up. We were able to ask questions anytime and received very fast responses. Our prior software charged us a fee every time we needed to ask them a question.”

That level of support made the transition manageable for both staff and members. What could have been disruptive instead felt guided and collaborative.

The Impact: A Complete Operational Overhaul

Clubspot unifies billing, events, and operations into a single platform, eliminating the need for disconnected systems.

Once the system was in place, the impact was immediate.

“Everything has changed since switching to Clubspot. It was quite a significant change for staff and members, but it is all for the better, time saving, access, better technology, easy to use.”

Processes that once required multiple systems and manual effort were now streamlined. Staff gained time and visibility. Members gained a more modern and convenient experience.

“This has been a complete overhaul for the better.”

Looking Ahead: Building on a Modern Foundation

Today, AACC operates on a cloud-based platform that connects its core functions, from billing and POS to events, communication, and member engagement, into a single system. The club has already implemented key capabilities like automated accounting integrations, a digital member portal, and online event registration. Looking ahead, they are continuing to expand into areas like online reservations, ordering, and deeper member communication.

There is a recognition that modernization is not a single moment, especially for clubs with long-standing member bases. It is a process. With the right foundation in place, AACC is able to move forward at a pace that works for its members while continuing to evolve.

A Broader Shift for Private Clubs

From desktop to mobile, AACC’s new platform delivers a consistent, user-friendly experience across every touchpoint.

In many ways, their story reflects a broader shift happening across the private club industry. Historic institutions are no longer choosing between tradition and innovation. They are finding ways to support both.

Ann Arbor City Club is a clear example of what that looks like in practice. A club rooted in history, now supported by systems built for the future.

And for other clubs considering a similar move, Jaime’s advice is simple:

“It was relatively easy to switch.”

Want to find out what Clubspot can do for your club? Book a demo today.