UPDATED Guide to Members-Only: the Coolest, the Oldest, and the Most Exclusive Private Clubs Around the World
By: Victoria Clark
Do you ever wonder where the elite trendsetters go to hang out and just chill with friends? Well, now you won’t have to, for we’ve put together the list of the coolest, oldest, and most exclusive members-only clubs around the world.
Originating in London, private clubs have been around for ages, however, now more than ever people are becoming more enthralled by the concept of meeting and hanging out in a cool space with like-minded individuals. And with the rise of ultra-trendy and impeccably designed places like Soho House, for example, the membership competition has become even more difficult in recent years.
On the flip side, if you do get accepted, we can assure you, it’ll be worth every penny.
Global
WHO: Members of the arts and creative industries
WHAT: Hotel, screening room, restaurant, lounge, workspace, studio
WHERE: East London, West London, Oxfordshire, Toronto, Chicago, New York, Miami, West Hollywood, Berlin, Istanbul, and Malibu
WHO: Members of the arts and creative industries
WHAT: Lounge, workspace, gallery, studio
WHERE: New York, Los Angeles, London
WHO: Members of the arts and creative industries
WHAT: Vacation homes around the world
WHERE: Tulum with more to come
WHO: Elite members of all industries
WHAT: Library, lounge, screening room, masseuse, barber shop, restaurant, workspace
WHERE: New York
WHO: Elite members of all industries
WHAT: Hotel, screening room, restaurant, lounge, workspace, studio
WHERE: New York
WHO: Car aficionados and those who enjoy the art behind the wheel
WHAT: Access to the world’s best and most exclusive car collection, bar, lounge, car storage
WHERE: New York
WHO: Persons who carry out or assist in field science expeditions to study unknown or little known destinations or phenomena in order to gain knowledge for humankind. Anyone supporting their mission can be a member at some level.
WHAT: Members Lounge and Bar, the Trophy Room, the Clark Room and Second Floor Library, Map Room, and LeFrak Terrace for your own events. This historic building is open for you and your friends to visit
WHERE: New York
WHO: Elite members of all industries
WHAT: Screening room, restaurant, lounge, workspace, studio, club car with chauffeur will be available on a “first come first served” basis, pampering room
WHERE: New York, Miami
WHO: A letter of recommendation from a current member is required. Under 28 applicants must be under 28 years of age at the time of acceptance. Based on character.
WHAT: Designed by William Sofield, who’s worked on Gucci stores and Tom Ford boutiques, to create Zero Bond’s sleek and contemporary interiors. There will also be a screening room, as well as a “library”—a long room lined with glass shelves like magazine racks, showcasing picture books from publisher Assouline, which is “curating” the space. Cultural programming may include events such as kids’ games in the mornings, wine tastings and stand-up comedy in the evenings, and an annual Oscars viewing party.
WHERE: New York
WHO: Unkown membership process
WHAT: Social club with cocktails & a menu of Italian-American classics in vintage surrounds.
WHERE: Philadelphia
WHO: Unkown membership process
WHAT: The Club was founded in 1889 and its magnificent Club House was designed by famed New York architect Francis H. Kimball, inspired by a palace on Venice’s Grand Canal. The Club House was completed in 1891 and its Venetian gothic architecture, carved mahogany woodwork, and beautiful stained glass windows remain its signature features.
WHERE: New York
California
WHO: Members of the arts and creative industries
WHAT: Pool, club, cabana, private bar
WHERE: Los Angeles
WHO: Actively practicing or involved with magic as a career or hobby and audition before the Academy’s membership reviewing committee. Associate members are people who love magic and the academy. Most of the members are in the entertainment business, law, finance, and medical fields.
WHAT: Performance venue, restaurant and private club
WHERE: Los Angeles
WHO: INVITE ONLY
WHAT: Private club, restaurant, nine suites, each with different wallpaper and decor, that are both in the middle of the action and hidden away.
WHERE: Los Angeles
WHO: To join you must be nominated by a current Member.
WHAT: This avant-garde enclave in a former candy factory bills itself as a “living social experiment”, accepting members from a range of industries and backgrounds. The five-story space opened in 2013, offering membership perks such as access to exclusive events. From wine tasting to live music (including a members-only appearance by Snoop Dogg). Membership also gives you access to a 120-seat restaurant, bars, a library, spa, gym, a wine cellar, and event spaces including the Battery Collection gallery.
WHERE: SF
Midwest
WHO: Anyone who can afford it
WHAT: Lounge, restaurant, and club
WHERE: Aspen
WHO: Anyone who loves the outdoors
WHAT: Ski lodge, spa, screening room, retail store, ski rental and repair
WHERE: Montana
Argentina
WHO: Those who love the arts and creative industry, but do not have to be a part of them as a career
WHAT: Guesthouses, pool, bar and lounge, chef series, rotating art gallery
WHERE: Buenos Aires
WHO: Those who love the arts and creative industry, but do not have to be a part of them as a career
WHAT: Restaurant, lounge, workspace, studio, club
WHERE: Ireland
London
WHO: Applications are accepted with all backgrounds as long as they share the same vision of luxurious libation and desire for late-night conversations.
WHAT: Blacks is a place to leave your career and ego at the door; it’s a place of simplicity, elegance and honesty, where members can congregate to set the world to rights while enjoying the setting of a beautiful 18th century townhouse. Blacks Club is a dog friendly members club.
HERE: London
WHO: Applications are accepted with all backgrounds as long as they share the same vision of luxurious libation and desire for late-night conversations.
WHAT: The decadent drinking room was the legendary playground of London’s rich and famous, “The Pinstripe Club”. Very popular in the Sixties, the luxury design was inspired by its colorful and rebellious history, Disrepute offers timeless cocktails, counterculture and a combination of freshness in the London scene.
HERE: London
WHO: Elite members of all industries
WHAT: Weekly members’ events including live music performances, international DJs, exclusive parties, dining experiences, tutorials, networking evenings, cultural talks and games nights.
WHERE: London
WHO: Elite members of all industries
WHAT: Restaurant, lounge, workspace, largest rooftop terrace, dedicated contemporary art program with two revolving exhibition spaces and the Club's own permanent art collection with works by Nick Relph, Julia Pfeiffer, Daniel Sinsel and Ryan Mosley amongst others
WHERE: London
WHO: Elite members of all industries
WHAT: Hotel, restaurant, lounge, pool, workspace, gym, two unique and historic clubhouses, one in the heart of London’s Pall Mall, the other at Woodcote Park, a peaceful estate set within 350 acres of rolling Surrey countryside, complete with two 18-hole downland golf courses.
WHERE: London
WHO: Elite members of all industries
WHAT: Hotel, restaurant, lounge, pool, workspace, gym, two unique and historic clubhouses, one in the heart of London’s Pall Mall, the other at Woodcote Park, a peaceful estate set within 350 acres of rolling Surrey countryside, complete with two 18-hole downland golf courses.
WHERE: London
WHO: Members of the arts and creative industries
WHAT: Hotel, restaurant, lounge, pool, workspace, gym
WHERE: London
WHO: Members of the arts and creative industries
WHAT: Hotel, restaurant, lounge, pool, workspace, gym
WHERE: London
WHO: Members of the arts and creative industries
WHAT: Swimming pool, live music venue, and screening room
WHERE: London
WHO: Ladies and gentlemen, and officers of the Armed Forces.
WHAT: Swimming pool, gym, sauna, solarium, massage area and the oldest squash court in London.
WHERE: London
WHO: Elite members of all industries
WHAT: 68 guest rooms, an incredible food and beverage program as well as amenities for members such as a private gymnasium, a winter garden with an adjoining cigar terrace and a summer terrace for al fresco dining and lounging.
WHERE: London
WHO: Elite members of all industries
WHAT: Two restaurants, three bars, a cinema room and the glamorous nightclub LouLou’s
WHERE: London
WHO: Members of the arts and creative industries
WHAT: Studio, screening room, live performance space, restaurant, lounge, and gallery over seven floors
WHERE: London
WHO: Elite members of all industries
WHAT: Bar, lounge, restaurant, live music performances, exclusive parties, dining experiences, tutorials and cultural talks
WHERE: London
WHO: Royal Academicians, architects, musicians, actors and writers
WHAT: Hotel, screening room, restaurant, lounge, workspace, studio
WHERE: London
WHO: Anyone who can afford it
WHAT: Hotel, screening room, restaurant, lounge, workspace, studio
WHERE: London
WHO: Members of the arts and creative industries
WHAT: Bars, two restaurants, 20 bedrooms available for members or their guests, a snooker room, and four event rooms available for hire
WHERE: London
WHO: Members of the arts and creative industries
WHAT: Piano lounge, a dining room (“The Drawing Room”), a wood-paneled library, a film screening room and entertainment space, a further private dining room seating up to 14 people, and a cigar terrace.
WHERE: London
WHO: Members of the arts and creative industries
WHAT: Described as ‘a green oasis’ springing from the hubbub of London. It’s rather a large oasis at that, sprawling across 17 hectares of immaculately manicured grounds. That offers first-class social and sporting facilities and a regal clubhouse with countless rooms and terraces.
WHERE: London
WHO: A combination of invitation and application; members can recommend acquaintances, but they will still be subject to careful consideration.
WHAT: Bacchanalia: Richard Caring’s (that’s the man behind Annabel’s and The Ivy) latest offering has been taking London (and so by default, Instagram) by storm with its outlandish interiors, which feature a Damien Hirst, no less.
WHERE: London
WHO: A combination of invitation and application; members can recommend acquaintances, but they will still be subject to careful consideration.
WHAT: A private members club townhouse on Grafton Street, Mayfair, dating from 1772. Owners Ennismore (who also own contemporary hotel group - Hoxton Hotels and Gleneagles) intends to offer “the traditions and glamour of country life” in a London setting.
WHERE: London
WHO: A community built on a shared love of music, culture and the arts.
WHAT: What used to be a concert venue and former theatre, the 123-year-old building has been revived to become north London's chicest venue with an impressive lineup of events, from launch parties to panel discussions.
WHERE: London
Berlin
WHO: Prelaxed atmosphere for the high society of culture, politics, media, and the economy.
WHAT: With meticulous care, initiator Anne Maria Jagdfeld and interior designer Richard Blight selected every single detail to create a unique atmosphere that combines the historic mundanity of the Belle Époque with the vibrancy of modernity. The interior was designed especially for the club; from her numerous trips to the Far East, Anne Maria Jagdfeld has collected precious treasures: contemporary art, porcelain from the Ming Dynasty, sculptures from the Han Dynasty and furniture from the 19th century, as well as objects from other eras, which give the club's premises their unique signature.
WHERE: Berlin
France
WHO: Members of the arts and creative industries
WHAT: A photo gallery, 24-seat cinema, a library, a smoking room, two bars, and performance stage
WHERE: Paris
Spain
WHO: A multi-activity club where you can have dinner and a drink, enjoy talks by architects and writers, or even watch the movie Casablanca in the club’s cinema. Not easy to find.
WHAT: A physical incarnation of the annual Spanish magazine Matador, this haven of a members’ club has a strong emphasis on culture and is located in an original, restored 19th-century dwelling, set around a peaceful garden. In-the-know and arty Madrileños stop by for the restaurant, which offers exquisite takes on Spanish classics, the delightful cocktail bar, where renowned bartenders take up residencies, the cinema, library and art exhibitions.
WHERE: Madrid
WHO: Anyone who can afford it
WHAT: State-of-the-art fitness suite, spa, salon, restaurant, lounge and cigar terrace, conference suite
WHERE: Monte Carlo
WHO: Anyone who can afford it
WHAT: State-of-the-art fitness suite, spa, salon, restaurant, lounge and cigar terrace, conference suite
WHERE: Monte Carlo
Switzerland
WHO: Entry into The Dracula Club is only to these life members and their guests on weekend nights during the winter skiing season with a strict dress code meaning men wear formal jackets with women in couture.
WHAT: Started by the late famous art collector Gunter Sachs in 1974, the Dracula Club is where Swiss bankers, celebrities, captains of industry and the like join as life members so they can let their hair down alongside others of similar social standing. The Dracula Club swings open its doors only to these life members and their guests on weekend nights during winter – and we are intent on finding a way to join them.
WHERE: St. Moritz
Asia
WHO: Trendsetters, influencers, creatives, and forward-thinkers
WHAT: Restaurant, lounge, workspace, studio
WHERE: Hong Kong
WHO: Trendsetters, influencers, creatives, and forward-thinkers
WHAT: Restaurant, lounge, workspace, studio, wellness space, hotel
WHERE: Hong Kong