Everybody Wants In
The social club is having a moment.
The social club is having quite a moment, and the guest list is getting interesting.
We have a working theory that every new place with a unique aesthetic and a particularly good interior designer now comes with a membership application.
A gorgeous restaurant behind an unmarked door, a private rooftop, a wellness club with an immaculate sauna and a suspiciously beautiful clientele. At this rate, we half expect our neighborhood coffee shop to start asking for references.
Private social clubs are certainly nothing new, but their recent resurgence is hard to ignore. New York in particular has gone a little wild for them. Chez Margaux, Casa Cipriani, and Zero Bond have become fixtures of the social scene, while newer arrivals are getting increasingly specific about who they're catering to and what, exactly, everyone is supposed to do once they get inside.
Take Moss, for example, where members can enjoy thermal baths, wellness facilities, private dining, and even pickleball. Othership has turned communal sauna sessions, cold plunges, and DJ takeovers into actual social occasions. There are clubs built around music, art, fitness, food, and just about every other interest you could imagine.
Apparently, we've found a way to turn having hobbies into a luxury experience. Honestly, good for us.
Vogue recently explored the idea that exclusive access has become something of a new status symbol, with the right invitation carrying as much cultural cachet as an expensive handbag. And we certainly understand the attraction of a beautiful room full of interesting people, particularly one equipped with your favorite photographer.
What we find more interesting, though, is how the whole concept of membership is evolving.
There seems to be a growing appetite for clubs that offer a real social life and community alongside beautiful interiors. The calendar has become part of the appeal, with everything from intimate dinners and cultural events to wellness experiences, creative workshops, and destination-focused gatherings.
Some of the newer membership concepts are even moving beyond the idea of a permanent clubhouse, building their communities around experiences that take place in different cities and destinations throughout the year.
Which, when you think about it, is a pretty fabulous proposition.
One of the stranger things about adulthood is how difficult it can be to make new friends while simultaneously accumulating an extraordinary number of acquaintances. You can know approximately 400 people and still spend three weeks coordinating a dinner reservation with four of them.
So there's something rather appealing about walking into an experience where everyone has already signed up for the same reason. You immediately have something in common, someone else has organized the logistics, and there's every possibility you'll meet people you'd never otherwise have crossed paths with.
And we think there's something especially lovely about the female-focused communities emerging in this space. The opportunity to meet women outside your immediate circle, discover shared interests, celebrate each other's wins, and develop friendships around doing genuinely fun things together is a pretty compelling reason to get involved.
Then there's the travel component, which might be our favorite evolution of the whole concept.
Club memberships have increasingly become a way to access beautiful places, curated itineraries, and experiences that might otherwise require a very enthusiastic friend with a spreadsheet and an unreasonable amount of free time to organize.
We love the idea of having a few extraordinary things on the calendar each year, particularly when there's an interesting group of people to experience them with. A weekend somewhere beautiful, a dinner you wouldn't have thought to arrange, or an invitation to try something completely outside your usual routine. Sometimes the best plans are the ones somebody else makes for you.
Frankly, we don’t see a downside. There is something about this whole membership movement that we find genuinely exciting. One where the experiences are thoughtful, the company is wonderful, and you're encouraged to participate in things you might never have organized on your own.
And perhaps that's what makes the new generation of social clubs so appealing. The possibility of meeting people who become familiar faces, saying yes to something unexpected, and coming home with a few more stories than you left with.
A very good way to spend a year, if you ask us.
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