These days we’re bombarded with must-have memberships, from chic collaborative offices to Netflix (the new black, after all, is binge-watching). In a globalized world, member-based organizations have never mattered—or meant—more. One possible reason: A growing number of entrepreneurs, no longer office bound, who are looking for spaces away from home where they can work and mingle with like-minded people—either literally or digitally. “When you’re part of an elite group it can lead to networking, new friends, even relationships,” says VIP concierge Lia Batkin of lifestyle consultancy In the Know Experiences.
The new members-only clubs, however, rely less on pure cash (though there’s still plenty of that) and more on cachet. Some are deliberately low-cost, aiming to whittle down applications by word of mouth rather than by size of wallet. Batkin believes this highly curated method is perhaps the most exclusive approach. “It means,” she says, “members are more special than the average person.”
Read on for our VIP list of must-have memberships.
Courtesy Soho House and Co.
For Ocean Breezes: Little Beach House Malibu
This social staple has expanded radically since the Soho House brand began in a warren-like 18th-century tenement in central London more than two decades ago. The media- and fashion-crowd-friendly club now has houses from Berlin to West Hollywood, but its Little Beach House, in Malibu, is a cut above. This intimate, two-floor clubhouse (featuring a bar, dining room, sitting room, and terrace with dramatic views of the Pacific Ocean) has its own standalone membership: Soho House members must apply to Malibu separately, and the club is only available to those who live or work in Malibu or the surrounding coastal areas. Every House Memberships, from $3,200 per year (and $1,600 for those under 27); the Malibu Plus add-on is $1,500 (or $750 for those under 27); littlebeachhousemalibu.com.
Courtesy Omar’s La Ranita
For Culture Underground: Omar’s La Ranita
Duck down into the discreet basement entrance of a townhouse in New York’s Greenwich Village to enter the glamorously low-lit La Ranita restaurant. Breeze past the bar, turn left through the mirrored one-way doors and find the entrance to Omar’s, the private members’ club ringmastered by nightlife veteran Omar Hernandez. Onetime “director of spark and ambiance” for hotelier André Balazs, Hernandez has created his own VIP den in a 4,000-square-foot bar and dining room accessible only to its 350 members. It’s a modern-day riff on the boîtes of the 1960s like Annabel’s in London. Expect spontaneous, salon-style events in the fireplace-lit library bar, such as a screening of Oscar-winning director Paul Haggis’s latest film, Third Person. Memberships start at $1,500, plus a $250 registration fee; 23 W. Ninth St.; 212-677-5242; omar-nyc.com.
Courtesy The Jerry Thomas Project
For Defining Drinks: The Jerry Thomas Project
It isn’t cost that keeps the Jerry Thomas Project exclusive—after all, annual membership dues are just $7—but that’s part of the charm. The standout cocktail bar in Rome retains its elite aura with speakeasy-style discretion. Join in advance via the website, and you’ll be issued a current password, which changes every two weeks. The space itself is deliberately retro, a nod to its namesake, Jerry Thomas, a legendary bartender who wrote the cocktail-recipe bible How to Mix Drinks 150 years ago. Honor his memory by ordering a classic concoction like the Monsieur Negroni, made with gin, vermouth, and homemade bitters. Vicolo Cellini 30; 39-06/9684-5937; thejerrythomasproject.it.
Courtesy Langham Hotel
For Pointed Perks: Key-2 Luxury
Key-2 Luxury—which facilitates direct relationships between its members and its blue-chip partners—offers two membership options, one involving a heavy silver key ring ($8,575) and a mobile version ($4,300), with a virtual key ring for a smartphone. Either way, the fobs allow for spontaneous treats at hotels—room upgrades (when available), a portion of a room rate back as credit to spend elsewhere on the property, complimentary Champagne upon arrival—like the Langham in London and the Carlton Hotel Baglioni in Milan. Nightlife privileges are also available at places like the Roof Gardens in London. 44-870/735-0100; key2luxury.com.
Shaun Egan/ AWL Images Ltd / Getty Images
For Special Requests: Element Lifestyle
Michael Albanese, a former acolyte of hoteliers Ian Schrager and Andre Balazs, cofounded the L.A.-based team at Element Lifestyle, a lifestyle and travel consultancy, in 2009. Once a client hires the firm, the team issues an exhaustive 16-page questionnaire that mines for all manner of detail, from preferred water type to favorite travel magazines to dream chef. (He even asks about vices.) From there, Albanese becomes more consigliere than concierge. Past prestige experiences that he has arranged for members include closing down the Sistine Chapel in Rome for a private viewing and setting up a tennis lesson with former no. 1-ranked player Pete Sampras. Memberships start at $36,000; elementlifestyle.com.
Courtesy CORE
For Exclusivity: CORE:
Member clubs for the global nomad might be proliferating, but none bests the original CORE: in Manhattan, a rec room for the Fortune 500 and arguably the most exclusive club anywhere, thanks both to its hefty annual fees and rigorous membership process (one must be recommended by a current member to be considered). There are the more usual trappings—suites available for overnight stays, the luxe skin care center Dangene, an extensive library, a dining room and bar, a fitness studio—but the place is far from traditionalist. A cutting-edge contemporary rotating art collection (including works from Leo Villareal and Alexander Calder) festoons the walls, but its real hallmark is the more than 300 cultural experiences offered a year, including private concerts, exclusive art exhibition previews, conversations with global leaders and film screenings. $50,000 initiation fee, $17,000 annual dues; 66 E. 55th St.; 212-381-7878;thecoreclub.com.
Courtesy Beck and Score
For The Sports Fantatic: Beck & Score
The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil coincided with the launch of Beck & Score, a sports-centric club created by LA-based marketing agency, TRINE. Its program for the international soccer showcase included private suites at the stadium, and perks that went far beyond the games: During downtime, members could take surfing lessons from legend Garrett “GMAC” McNamara or play friendly five-on-five soccer matches with retired Lakers star Steve Nash. Today, the company’s VIP sports experiences extend far beyond soccer: the company has launched custom programs at world-famous sporting standouts like golf’s Masters tournament, the Kentucky Derby, New York Fashion Week, the Super Bowl and more. Each guest on any of their trips receives a B&S valet phone, programmed with the itinerary and registered for complimentary international calls, text and data. Complimentary introductory annual memberships with the purchase of a package; beckandscore.com.
Courtesy The Clubhouse
For the Love of Leisure: The Clubhouse
The Clubhouse in Buenos Aires, South America’s first homegrown private club, is one of the perks enjoyed by members of Oasis, which offers short-term luxury apartment, home, and villa rentals throughout the Americas. The clubhouse sits in a discreet former private home in Palermo Soho. There are three guest rooms for overnighting, but the focus here is socializing, whether around the pool on a summer Sunday afternoon to the tunes of live music or in the cozy candlelit living room decorated with Andy Warhol originals. Memberships start at $650; oasiscollections.com.
Courtesy Purple Dragon
For Polished Play: Purple Dragon
Think of Purple Dragon in London as the CORE: for kids. Onetime fashion executive Sharai Meyers founded the ultimate playspace for the internationally minded under-12 set in 2011. Membership here allows tykes to take classes like swimming in the indoor chlorine-free pool or to channel their inner Selena Gomez with a session at the in-house recording studio. An arts-and-crafts lab keeps things creative and cooking instruction is also offered. It’s a haven not just for children but also for parents, with its on-site restaurant run by a Michelin-starred chef, juice bar, adults-only library, and virtual golf simulator. In June, the company will open another location in Putney, South West London. Memberships start at $3,600; Bramah House, Grosvenor Waterside, 30 Gatliff Rd.; 44-84/4880-3580; purpledragonplay.com.
Gibeon Photography
For the Outdoor Enthusiast: Yellowstone Club
Located on 13,600 acres of private land in Big Sky, Montana, outdoor adventures abound year-round at this ultra-exclusive ski resort and residential village (members must own property on the land; offerings include luxury condos, ranches, and custom residences). In the summer, members can opt for golf, fly-fishing, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding; in winter, they can take full advantage of the club’s private ski mountain—which boasts over 2,200 skiable acres and 60 runs—by skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, or snow-cat skiing. Members can also tour Yellowstone National Park (located about an hour away by car) with one of the Club’s guides. Membership is notoriously exclusive; though it’s not mandatory that new members have referrals from current ones (which include Bill Gates and Olympic skier Warren Miller, for whom the village’s main lodge is named), the club conducts background checks during the application process. Annual memberships start at $39,500, plus a $300,000 membership deposit; additional Property Owners Association fees vary by neighborhood and property type. yellowstoneclub.com.
Courtesy The Wing
For the Working Woman: The Wing
The brainchild of former publicist Audrey Gelman (who is also the real-life inspiration for Marnie Michaels, Allison Williams’ character on HBO’s Girls), this women’s-only co-working space and social club opened to much fanfare in New York’s Flatiron District in Fall 2016. Already the millennial-pink couches in its 3,500-square-foot flagship space have hosted members like Lena Dunham, artist Marilyn Minter, Glossier founder Emily Weiss, and model-activist Hari Nef. The club is also expanding quickly: Three more locations (in NYC’s Soho, Brooklyn, and Washington, D.C.) are slated to open later this year. Annual membership, from $2,250; the-wing.com.
Alexandre Guirkinger
For the Creative: Silencio
Housed in an 18th-century building where several major French newspapers were once headquartered, this intimate, culture-centric club was conceived by David Lynch (the director also designed its interiors, including its furniture). With a variety of multimedia-friendly spaces—including a concert hall, cinema, and art library—the club hosts a variety of cultural programming like tastings, concerts (including classical music), and film screenings. Members also have the inside track to events outside the club’s walls, like exhibition previews, concert tickets, or private tours (the club’s partners are mostly Paris-based, but they also have international partners, like Frieze London). The main requirement for new members is that they must belong to the artistic and cultural community; new members do need to be recommended by current ones, but it’s the easiest way in. Annual membership, from $970; silencio-club.com.
Courtesy The Club at The Ivy
For the Socialite: The Club at The Ivy
This exclusive spot, which presides over one of the most A-list restaurants in theater land, has three floors, accessed by a beautiful glass elevator. Membership is as exclusive as it gets, which is no surprise when you’re likely to rub shoulders with Kate Moss (who famously climbed onto the piano one night to sing). The floors, adorned with art by Andy Warhol and Marc Quinn, include a piano bar, a drawing room with a lounge-y feel and a cocktail bar with heated seats on its smoking terrace. Membership fee undisclosed; the-ivyclub.co.uk.
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