Whether you’re seeking a sanctuary from everyday life, an alternative to the office or WFH, or simply looking to network with like-minded individuals, members-only clubs provide the perfect landscape
Private members clubs, by their very nature, are anchored by exclusivity. But these days it’s less about being in the club and more about being in the right club.
The relaxation of COVID-19 restrictions ignited an uptick in private club memberships, as they offer up safe havens by way of intimate, well-considered spaces in which to work, retreat, and socialize.
Here’s our curated edit of the best new private members clubs around the globe.
“The Twenty Two is a complete lifestyle,” says proprietor Navid Mirtorabi of the West End hideaway, a design-forward venue that promotes connection. It is, as its website has it, perfectly pitched for the creative and the curious.
“I want to redefine the face of hotels and clubs in Mayfair,” explains Mirtorabi, “to allow guests to be comfortable coming in night or day, even if just for a coffee.”
The Twenty Two is a complete lifestyle—Navid Mirtorabi
Founded on the principle of providing guests and members with a sense of belonging to a “dynamic network of nonconformists,” the design concept boasts rich textured fabrics, elegantly embroidered silks, lavish velvets, and bespoke wallpapers for a modern maximalist style that keeps guests cocooned in comfort.
Mirtorabi chose to partner with interior designer Natalia Miyar to bring his vision to life, creating fluid spaces that pay homage to the grandeur of the building in which the club is housed.
The club also has an Artist in Residence program, the first of whom was Laila Tara H, whose work was “showcased and celebrated” in its private dining room, which is available for breakfasts, lunches, dinners, and drinks receptions.
Situated at the famed Hollywood and Vine intersection in a well-appointed six-story building is L.A.’s newest members-only hotspot, The Aster. Part hotel, part private members club, The Aster is a destination designed to activate minds, bodies, and social communities—a place where individuals can work, play, and stay in the heart of Hollywood.
Among the club’s USPs are the rich, Hollywood-inspired interior decor, a private cabaret room, and a wellness suite, as well a recording studio. Another highlight is the Lemon Grove indoor–outdoor restaurant. Helmed by award-winning celebrity chef Marcel Vigneron, it is perfectly placed on a sweeping rooftop space inspired by the lemon groves that once dotted the landscape.
The club’s team wanted to give members and guests an authentic sense of place, a calm oasis in which to socialize and conduct business.
Programming at The Aster runs the gamut from creative screenings and live music to high-end guest chef collaborations such as the Food As Art culinary series, which began by teaming up with the co-founding chef from Noma, Mads Refslund. As a retreat for jet-setters and worldly go-getters, The Aster also offers access to 30 reciprocal partner private members clubs around the globe.
Despite its modern interiors, NeueHouse is well-seasoned in its delivery of beautifully executed gathering places.
“The founders are very much focused on co-working through design-first spaces,” says chief brand officer, Jon Goss, who details the inner nature of the club that primarily caters to creatives—from fashion designers and artists to tech entrepreneurs and everything in between.
“Here, you become part of a cohort,” Goss explains. “There’s something kindred about creatives—a shared curiosity to create—and NeueHouse facilitates these serendipitous collisions fostered within our tapestry of members.”
Perhaps it’s the brand’s German roots that play to the efficiency of their services, but NeueHouse is more of a solution than a lifestyle choice for its members. “Work is social,” says Goss, “and we provide the social platform for creatives to build upon—the connection point between culture and commerce.”
Hosting a location in New York City, several private members clubs in southern California, and soon to debut a five-story Miami hub at the intersection of the Design District and Wynwood, NeueHouse is careful to position itself as the point at which art and design unite—wherever the brand calls home.
Goss muses, “In recent years, there’s been a reunion around the notion of coming together—there’s magic in the alchemy of creatives gathering in comfort-first spaces, ripe with functionality and inspired by form.” All NeueHouse members also enjoy reciprocal memberships and access to a range of global clubs.
Joining this club provides an opportunity to mix with a hand-picked community of like-minded individuals—those with shared stories and interests, looking to spend time with one another in beautifully designed spaces.
As is the case with its sister venue, The Carlyle in New York City, discretion is at the heart of Hong Kong’s Carlyle & Co., and many people inquire for membership largely because there’s a notion that something great is happening behind closed doors—and they’re not wrong.
Prospective members are also well aware that the community curation is of the highest standard—Hong Kong is a small city, after all. The club bills its membership as “a collective that lives for exhilarating social encounters.”
Finding that members are often looking for a “third space” to connect with others, Carlyle & Co. has a comprehensive collection of spaces designed to suit its members’ needs, whether it’s to unwind, entertain, or work, enabling them to live their lives to the full at one address.
The next of our private members clubs is switching up the dynamic—offering the thoughtful amenities you would expect, but presented through a family-first lens.
“Members-only clubs offer a familiarity,” explains b_together founder Maggie Bolger. “It’s a home away from home, but with all the luxuries laid on to ensure the experience is the ultimate in relaxation and quality time.”
b_together caters to busy parents in search of somewhere inspiring, magical, and fun for kids to play, while providing adults with respite through a great cup of coffee and a delicious meal. That might not seem like much to ask, but often it’s not easy to come by.
Aimed to be an entirely different kind of family club, b_together takes a holistic approach to exclusivity.
“When I founded b_together I wanted something that catered not just to new mothers or toddlers and pre-schoolers, but to the whole family,” says Bolger, who aimed to create spaces that speak to all ages.
“The beauty is that each space has been meticulously designed to meet these varying needs—there’s the baby play, the toddler play, the lending library, the game zone, the club lounge, the build-your-own-play—and at its heart, b_together is a hub for families to hang out, chill out, and reconnect.”
A mere glimpse of the Cipriani logo conjures instant images of beautiful people sipping cocktails in stunning spaces. Casa Cipriani is self-styled as “a true private members club in the modern sense, bringing together a community of like-minded people who share life’s simple pleasures.”
Located on the water at the tip of Lower Manhattan, the 1909 Beaux Arts building itself is spectacular—the club is housed in the Battery Maritime Building, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976—with interiors designed by renowned French architect Thierry Despont to match. It is reminiscent of an elegant 1930s ocean liner, and as you enter, the magnificent spaces reveal Italian craftsmanship in their furnishings, Art Deco touches, and amenities.
The views of the East River waterfront, from the Brooklyn Bridge to the Statue of Liberty, are breathtaking and there are captivating vistas from many of the private balconies in the suites (there are 47 rooms and suites here, making it one of the larger new club openings).
Whether enjoying the spa, the state-of-the-art fitness center surrounded by the original architectural iron structure, or a variety of dining options—from the elegant Club Restaurant to the eclectic Pickering Room or the classic, intimate Jazz Café with its live entertainment—there’s no shortage of things to do within the walls of Casa Cipriani.
Looking for a home within easy reach of an exclusive private members club? Find a selection of superior urban properties from our collection, and read more from the Fall/Winter 2023 issue of Christie’s International Real Estate magazine here.
Banner image: The restaurant at The Twenty Two in London
