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Courtesy AvroKO Interior Design

Exclusive: First Look Inside Naples’ Most Anticipated Private Club

Gulfshore Life unveils never-before-seen details of Sterling’s Club—the next-generation social sanctuary set to redefine luxury living in Naples.

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As Naples solidifies its status as a premier luxury destination, Sterling’s Club is poised to become the city’s most expansive private members club when it debuts in late 2026. First announced last summer by the McCabe family—developers behind the forthcoming Carnelian Hotel—Sterling’s promises an elite club experience unlike anything in Southwest Florida. Now, ahead of the club’s March 26 launch party, where membership applications officially open, we unveil the first look at the visionary developer’s detailed plans, striking interiors and membership structure.

Housed within the forthcoming six-story Carnelian Hotel, across from Waterside Shops, the elite social club will blend fine dining, optimized wellness, and sophisticated social and entertainment amenities. While several buzzy clubs have opened in Naples over the past few years, Sterling’s stands apart with its comprehensive scope, akin to internationally renowned enclaves, like Annabel’s in London and Casa Cipriani in New York. 

The latest vision from Gulf Coast Commercial Corporation, the McCabe family enterprise that has shaped Naples’ upscale real estate since the 1980s, the venture follows a strategic three-tier access model: There’s public dining and retail on the ground floor; second-floor wellness facilities and a rooftop shared by club and hotel guests (the 70 hotel suites span floors three to five); and an exclusive sixth-floor sanctuary reserved solely for Sterling’s members. 

Philip E. McCabe, the second-generation developer spearheading the project, sat down for an exclusive interview, sharing his nuanced approach to premium hospitality that draws from global inspirations while remaining distinctly Neapolitan.  

Inside the Club: A New Standard of Exclusivity 

Planned for the northeast corner of Pine Ridge Road and Tamiami Trail, Sterling’s spans 70,000 square feet across three of the hotel’s levels. The club’s heart lies within the sixth floor—a 23,000-square-foot members-only refuge of refined dining, cocktail lounges and social spaces.

“This whole floor is completely private to [Sterling’s Club] members,” Philip says, adding that a dedicated elevator bank ensures discreet, frictionless passage. A tech-enabled recognition system in the lobby further streamlines access, allowing members to stride in and even pre-register guests for immediate admission. Hotel patrons enter through a separate elevator, bypassing the traditional lobby model and heading to a rooftop reception area. The ground-floor atrium retains its function as a grand, tone-setting entrance—an elegant threshold between public and private realms. “From the second floor up, it’s 100% private to club members or hotel guests,” Philip says.

Standing apart from most Naples private clubs, Sterling’s positions itself as a complementary “everything but golf” enclave. “We don’t want to compete with golf,” Philip emphasizes. “We want people joining for experiences they won’t get anywhere else.” This includes a sophisticated environment catering to discerning grown-ups. “The whole brand is really a playground for adults,” he notes.

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Courtesy Smallwood Architecture

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Courtesy Smallwood Architecture

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Having quietly launched earlier this year, the club has already fulfilled its founding memberships through invitation and nomination, drawing from the McCabes’ deep network of influential Neapolitans—philanthropic board trustees, multigenerational business owners and friends-of-friends nominees. “The people our friends have brought along are the next generation; our average age is pretty young, which is exciting,” Philip says.

Applications will open beyond the founding circle at the March 26 event, with pre-construction membership rates available. Those interested in joining Naples’ most exclusive private club would be wise to get in now; pricing is expected to be well into the six-figure category when doors open in late 2026.

The Design: Gilded Dining Rooms and Jet-Set Ambience

The new renderings reveal a landmark architectural statement for Naples, conjured by an all-star team of design and hospitality partners. Smallwood—the internationally recognized firm that designed the McCabes’ downtown Fifth & Fifth building (home to The Vine Room)—drafted a structure of neoclassical elegance, generous terraces and a commanding motor court entrance. Visualizations show distinctive domed towers and elegant red awnings, evoking the timeless glamour of icons like The Breakers or The Beverly Hills Hotel, while the creamy limestone facade establishes a visual signature for the Gulf. 

Interior design firm AvroKO—behind New York’s 1 Hotel, Little Palm Island in the Keys and SingleThread in Healdsburg, CA—is handling the interiors. The firm’s narrative-driven approach comes through in the concept imagery for Jet Lag—a 30-seat speakeasy with a moody, high-gloss design, nodding to the golden age of air travel. Lacquered oxblood walls create an atmosphere of cocooned glamour, while geometric detailing recalls vintage first-class cabins and recessed lighting around the room’s architectural lines glows like a runway. “Everything is aviation-themed, from the menu through to uniforms and elements of the service,” Philip says.

Sterling’s 80-seat, fine-dining establishment, The Dining Room, on the members-only sixth floor, is rendered in crimson with brushed gold ceilings and rectangular crystal chandeliers, casting a warm glow over white-clothed tables. Philip references Thomas Keller’s theatrical The Surf Club Restaurant in Miami as the benchmark. “It’ll be a lot of table-side services like flambés, beef Wellington carving, cheese carts after dinner, drink and cognac carts,” Philip adds.

For oenophiles, the sixth floor also has a Champagne bar doubling as a crudo and sushi station, a cigar bar with sports viewing, more than 150 private wine lockers, and a wine cellar run by an in-house sommelier. “The cellar is going to house a $1 million-plus wine list from the day we open the doors,” Philip previews. 

Topping it all off is the swanky rooftop, which Philip envisions becoming a magnet for hotel and club guests. The space is outfitted with two pools (one adults-only for relaxation, one activity-focused) and an Italian trattoria named Riva. 

Beyond Dining: The Club as a Cultural & Social Hub

At the heart of the sixth floor, the 115-seat Club Room transforms into an entertainment venue in the evenings. Artis—Naples has been advising on the acoustics for the space, which promises a steady lineup of nightly performances and partnering shows with the nearby cultural icon and Gulfshore Playhouse. “We’re building the infrastructure to house world-class entertainment,” he says.

Renderings also reveal a boardroom for private luncheons and co-working space, as well as a library with board games and an extensive book collection (in partnership with Assouline). “We’ll host events that are a little bit more intellectual there—coffee with former CEOs, book readings, Ted talks,” Philip adds. 

Every element showcases Philip’s approach—hospitality as an emotional experience, not an exchange of services. Focusing on the subtle, often intangible exchanges between guests, staff and the environment itself, he’s designing Sterling’s as a conduit for ease and connection.

Five-Star Wellness: Naples’ Most Advanced Private Health Club

The property’s wellness concept far surpasses the traditional gym and spa. Accessible only by Sterling’s Club members and Carnelian Hotel guests, the 23,000-square-foot, marble-clad oasis, spans the second floor, integrating performance, recovery, longevity and five-star relaxation. Developed in partnership with Arch Amenity Group—the elite wellness operator behind the spas at Walford Astoria Washington DC and Baccarat Hotel New York—the facility over-delivers on the fundamentals of modern well-being, with fully stocked lockers and a healthy cafe for protein smoothies and cold-pressed juices. 

Recovery services include advanced thermotherapy circuits, with contrasting hot and cold therapies—from infrared and bio-saunas to a hammam steam room, hydrotherapy plunge pools, and sensory showers. For longevity optimization, IV therapy, compression boots and a hyperbaric oxygen chamber (for members only) provide access to treatments favored by elite athletes and wellness pioneers.

The fitness offerings include a Technogym-equipped studio, Pilates reformers and a sports suite with a golf simulator. A beauty lounge (also reserved for Sterling’s patrons) attends to manicures and blowouts, while dedicated treatment rooms deliver spa-grade facials, completing the holistic self-care package.

In a nod to historic private athletic clubs in New York and Chicago, Sterling’s plans to offer a turnkey wellness realm: members can arrive in street clothes, receive workout apparel, train, recover, shower and primp, and leave everything behind to be laundered. 

The Carnelian Experience: Beyond Boutique 

While Sterling’s Club anchors the project, The Carnelian Hotel itself aims to redefine luxury accommodations in Naples. “There’s only really going to be two five-star hotels in Naples for a while at least, and that will be Four Seasons and Carnelian,” Philip says.

Each of the 70 suites—none smaller than 565 square feet—features five-fixture bathrooms, walk-in closets and spacious seating areas. Glimpses of the Gulf begin from the fourth floor, while the fifth floor houses larger accommodations, including a 2,200-square-foot owner’s suite that can be converted into a three-bedroom stay with adjoining suites and used as an event space, with a full kitchen, for club members. 

Unlike traditional hotels where club access is an upgrade, all Carnelian suites come with club-level service, including a private lounge with continental breakfast in the morning, all-day snacks, evening hors d’oeuvres with a help-yourself top-shelf bar, and late-night desserts. “It’s sort of a hotel within the building,” Philip explains, inverting the typical model where a club exists within a resort.

He positions The Carnelian as an antidote to the corporatization of luxury hospitality. With many major brands diluting their prestige through scale, the developer envisions the all-suite, all-club-level model as a successful template, extending beyond Naples: “It has tremendous potential in other markets.”

Strategic Location: Extending Naples’ Luxury Landscape

Standing just past Old Naples’ traditional northern frontier of Pine Ridge Road, the building occupies what Philip calls “an ideal location” that bridges the gap between Naples’ traditionally affluent areas and its expanding reach into Northern Naples.

He plans to reimagine the fronting strip of Trail Boulevard, with a pedestrian-friendly promenade, enhanced landscaping and a deceleration lane that will create a more gracious arrival while improving the overall aesthetic of the area. “The idea is to take the level of this side of 41 up to what’s on the west side,” Philip says. 

With an opening projected for Q4 2026, Sterling’s represents the next chapter in Naples’ evolution as an international upscale destination. The next two years will see a series of strategic reveals—from culinary partnerships to exclusive member preview events.

Naples Legacy: A Family Vision Honored and Expanded 

In many ways, the club follows the successful blueprint Philip established with The Vine Room, his Fifth Avenue South cocktail lounge that transformed Naples’ nightlife by drawing inspiration from the world’s most celebrated bars. Sterling’s extends the idea from a single venue to an entire ecosystem. Rather than solely transplanting metropolitan club concepts, like Annabele’s, Sterling’s translates them through a distinctly Neapolitan lens—sophisticated and elevated, responsive to the local context. “The concept of a city club in in Naples really resonates with a lot of these people, because they are from Chicago, New York or Philadelphia—they have they have athletic clubs, university clubs, and they understand it,” he says, referencing his contemporaries, who have traveled the world and now seek the caliber of experiences they’ve encountered globally back home in Southwest Florida. 

For the next-gen McCabe, the project represents continuity and evolution—honoring his family’s legacy of elevating Naples’ hospitality while establishing his distinct vision. Where his father helped transformed Fifth Avenue South into a destination, Philip is extending the family’s influence into Northern Naples and creating a new model of private club life that positions Naples within a global context. “We’re kind of taking it to a whole different level,” he says.