Buyers comparing Waterclub against a boutique building nearby sometimes flag its fees as high without asking the more useful question, high compared to what it's actually funding. Here's how I'd actually think it through.
What the fee is actually paying for
Dual indoor and outdoor pools. A rooftop terrace with BBQs. A full gym, a library, a lounge, a party room, billiards, and fully furnished guest suites residents can book for visiting family. That's a genuinely resort-level amenity package, and none of it maintains itself. Staffing, utilities, insurance, and upkeep on shared spaces this extensive cost real money, and the fee reflects that.
The comparison that actually matters
Comparing Waterclub's fee against a boutique building like Admiralty Point without accounting for what each fee funds is comparing two different products. Admiralty Point offers hotel-shared amenities at a smaller scale. Waterclub offers a self-contained amenity package at a larger one. Neither fee is objectively too high. They're funding different things for different kinds of buyers.
Who actually gets value from this
Buyers who'd genuinely use a real gym, book the guest suites when family visits, or actually spend time at the pool get real value proportional to the fee. Buyers who want a quiet building and don't plan to use much beyond basic upkeep may find a lower-amenity building a better fit regardless of price, since they'd effectively be paying for amenities they won't use.
What to actually verify
Ask for a breakdown of what portion of the fee goes toward amenity operations versus the building's reserve fund. A building can have high fees and a well-funded reserve, which is a healthy combination, or high fees with a reserve that isn't keeping pace, which is a real concern regardless of how nice the pool is. The fee number alone doesn't tell you which situation you're looking at.
The honest verdict
Waterclub's fees aren't high for no reason. They're high because the building offers more than most buildings on this stretch of the Quay. Whether that's worth it depends entirely on whether you'll actually use what you're paying for, not on how the number compares to a building offering something completely different.