A look at the life of premium guests at private clubs
A ‘temporary member’ gets a glimpse of the amenities private clubs offer around the world
Despite being in the heart of London, just steps from the eclectic shops of Soho and posh restaurants of Mayfair, I decided to stay in, and retire to, my club. From my stout velvet club chair, I could see Bond Street, where a small group of paparazzi suddenly galloped off in pursuit of someone noteworthy.
The room was a modern art gallery meets Art Deco stunner, with huge colourful canvases next to massive stone columns and marble tables.
I was sitting in dim lighting on the cosy second floor, overlooking the main dining room below. I ordered both yellowtail tuna tartare and classic fish and chips, washed down by a glass of dry rosé. The table salt was Pink Himalayan, and the waiter often knelt to talk to me in a calm, low voice.
To be completely honest with you, my experience was only a rental. I’m not actually a club member. I was merely playing one for the duration of my stay at the elegant Hotel Café Royal. The hotel is just one of many that offers guests temporary membership to their private club — for a price, of course.
These clubs are typically extensions of sleek and luxurious hotels, with exclusive vibes and their own sets of rules. And now, at an increasing number of properties, hotels are offering club perks for non-members who can sneak a brief peek inside their restricted quarters.
This particular hospitality trend fans out around the world. I recently stayed at the only chateaux hotel in Paris, the Saint James. It’s a stunning private club that was transformed into a public hotel, but still maintains services for members (mostly concentrated around eating and drinking champagne while wandering the grounds). But there are other perks, too, including a restaurant, bar, spa, fitness centre and private lounge, with computers and smart cars available for rent.
At Brody House in Budapest, a private arts club that has been expanded into an 11-room boutique hotel, you can expect themed cocktail tastings, comedy nights, pop-up stores, dance parties and the company of “bibliophiles and literary superstars.”
The Clubhouse in Buenos Aires has four rooms available, all of which open up access to private dinners, film screenings and pool parties in the city’s exclusive Palermo Soho neighbourhood.
London, with a long history of private clubs, offers possibly the densest variety of options. The Hospital bucks the typically posh vibe, going instead for a hipster sensibility that deliberately appeals to the young creative class. Facilities include a television studio, screening room, performance space and art gallery.
The 15 boutique bedrooms also include a “turndown cocktail trolley” every evening. To further the artistic integration, the Bedroom Art Programme includes a selection of art in each bedroom, chosen by a member artist and available for purchase through an online gallery.
And while private members clubs often seem reminiscent of a bygone era, there are plenty of new properties being built.
The Gansevoort Hotel group is planning to open a new private club and hotel in Shoreditch this summer. The Curtain will have 120 rooms, making it much larger than most of the hotels attached to private clubs. (Exclusivity being the point, after all.) Plans include a rooftop bar and pool with retractable ceiling and full-service spa with Moroccan hammam.
Soho House is a private members club that started in London and now has offshoots around the world — including Toronto. In addition to hotel properties in Berlin, Istanbul and Miami, Soho House is expanding into Barcelona and, (rumour has it), Mumbai.
In addition, a new farm property — Soho Farmhouse — is a nice departure from the typically urban collection, and is the first property pitched at families. The Farmhouse occupies 100 acres in Oxfordshire, a particularly pretty patch of English countryside, and offers 40 cabins along with a sevenbedroom farmhouse.
Common spaces include two dining venues (including one in a barn), indoor and outdoor pools, a spa with gym, a cinema, tennis courts, horses and a Teeny Barn and Camp, for children aged two and up. Non-members who book rooms at Soho House properties typically pay higher room rates than members.
Many of these club properties also have restaurants and bars that are open to the public — even those who don’t want to shell out for a room. At Soho House’s Miami property, there’s a new Mandolin Beach restaurant right on the sand — a highly informal, beach shack vibe with ceiling fans and overhead white faerie lights. The food is an impeccable take on simple Mediterranean cuisine, with tender chicken marinated in yogurt and a massive “village salad” with hunks of tomatoes and cucumbers seasoned with oregano and dressed in light vinaigrette.
But let’s get back to the Café Royal. The 1865 property reopened as a hotel after a four-year renovation in 2012; followed by a full spa in 2013, and the club in 2014. Club benefits are extended to guests who book the pricey junior suites (or a higher category of room), which are a supremely tasteful mix of buttery baby pink club chairs, huge marble baths and butler’s pantry with Nespresso maker and that ubiquitous complimentary fruit that somehow always spells a welcome.
In addition to enjoying the club’s bars and restaurants, premium guests also gain access to a studio that doubles as a café, co-working space and screening room. For those who get too comfortable and hope to extend their stay, temporary memberships are available for three-month periods.