The World's Best Private Members Clubs: How to Join, What It Costs, Who Gets In

The short answer: the world's leading private members clubs fall into two camps. Traditional clubs — White's, Brooks's and the Garrick in London, the Knickerbocker and the Metropolitan in New York — admit by invitation and nomination, rarely publish their subscriptions, and value social fit far above money. Contemporary clubs such as Soho House, Annabel's and 5 Hertford Street are more open about the application process, and Soho House sets its fees by home city. For wealthy, internationally mobile members, the usual answer is one of each.

Private members clubs have adapted significantly in the past two decades. The classic model — a St James's establishment, waiting lists measured in years, dining rooms of quiet distinction — has been joined by a newer generation of global clubs that emphasise contemporary design, curated membership and cross-border access. Understanding both categories is useful for anyone considering club membership as part of their lifestyle infrastructure.

How Membership Actually Works

Most serious clubs follow the same pattern, whatever their style:

• Nomination. Traditional clubs usually need a proposer and seconder who are existing members; some also expect letters of support from several others.
• Waiting. Waiting lists at the oldest clubs can run for years, and the social connections of your proposers matter more than your application.
• Election. A committee decides. Rejection is rarely explained.
• Fees. Expect a joining fee and an annual subscription. The oldest clubs seldom publish either, so the only reliable figure is the one the club gives you after nomination.

Contemporary clubs replace nomination with an application and committee review, publish more of their terms, and let many members pay monthly.

The Traditional London Establishment

London's traditional clubs occupy some of the most valuable real estate in the world and offer social environments with no contemporary equivalent.

White's (St James's Street): Founded in 1693 and widely described as the oldest gentlemen's club in London. Famously private — membership is by invitation through existing members, and the waiting list is effectively indefinite for anyone without strong existing connections. At this level the financial barrier is irrelevant and social access is everything.

Brooks's (St James's Street): Founded in March 1764 by 27 members, with roots in a society set up in 1762 by men who had been blackballed at White's. Slightly more accessible than White's but similarly tied to the English establishment. Ask your proposer about current fees.

The Garrick (Garrick Street): The theatrical and legal establishment's club, with members drawn heavily from the bar, the bench, the stage and the media. Waiting lists are long for anyone outside those worlds.

The Contemporary Global Model

Soho House: Founded in London in 1995 by the restaurateur Nick Jones, and now the best-known contemporary club brand in the world, with more than 40 Houses. It went private in 2025 in a deal worth about $2.7 billion led by MCR Hotels. An Every House membership gives access to all Houses; Local House covers your home club; under-27 pricing and a "Cities Without Houses" membership also exist. Fees are set by your home city and age and published on its application pages, and joining fees apply in some markets. The value proposition is consistency — reliable design, good food and a membership that skews creative and entrepreneurial. The criticism is that rapid growth has diluted the exclusivity that was the original point.

Annabel's (Berkeley Square): One of the most beautiful interiors in London. Membership is selective and not purely financial — a genuine social vetting process exists.

5 Hertford Street (Mayfair): Robin Birley's club, spread across several floors of dining rooms and a nightclub, and among the hardest in contemporary London to join. Admission is tightly curated and depends on relationships; its subscription is not publicly stated.

The American Institutions

The Knickerbocker Club (New York): Founded in 1871 and one of the most socially significant clubs in the United States. Membership is by invitation, rooted in the old New York establishment, with its clubhouse on Fifth Avenue.

The Metropolitan Club (New York): Founded in 1891 by J. P. Morgan and friends after one of Morgan's circle was blackballed by the Union Club. Its Fifth Avenue clubhouse was designed by McKim, Mead & White. More accessible than the Knickerbocker for people with the right professional standing.

The California Club (Los Angeles): The pre-eminent traditional club on the West Coast, founded in 1888. Membership skews towards established business and civic leadership rather than the entertainment industry.

Which Clubs Suit the Very Wealthy?

For the very wealthy, the financial cost of a club is usually the least important consideration. The relevant question is whether the membership provides genuine social, professional or lifestyle value.

For internationally mobile members, a multi-city network such as Soho House's provides practical value across many cities. For people rooted in one city with strong professional or social networks there, a traditional club with a genuine community offers social infrastructure that is hard to replicate. Many do both — and some also pair a club with a lifestyle manager who can handle bookings and access elsewhere; see what luxury concierge services cost.

Our Assessment

Two memberships — one traditional and one contemporary — are reasonable lifestyle infrastructure for people who are socially active in the relevant cities.

The value is social and professional, not financial. Those seeking a financial return on club membership are looking at it the wrong way. Those who value a reliable, beautiful setting for business and social life, with a curated peer group and good food, often find it among the better lifestyle decisions they make.

Related reading: what luxury concierge services cost and offer, the most extraordinary hotel suites and what they cost, Aman vs Rosewood vs Six Senses and where the ultra-wealthy are actually going in 2026.

FAQ

How much does it cost to join a private members club?

It varies enormously. Traditional clubs such as White's, Brooks's and the Knickerbocker do not advertise their fees the way contemporary clubs do; your proposer is the reliable source. Soho House publishes its fees by home city and age on its application pages.

How do you join Brooks's or White's?

Through nomination by existing members. Both are St James's clubs where your proposers and social connections matter more than your application, and waiting lists can run for years.

What are the best private members clubs in the world?

Among the most established are White's, Brooks's and the Garrick in London, the Knickerbocker and the Metropolitan Club in New York, and the California Club in Los Angeles. Among contemporary clubs, Soho House, Annabel's and 5 Hertford Street are the best known.

Which private members clubs suit ultra-high-net-worth individuals?

Usually a combination: a traditional club in the city where your professional life is rooted, plus a multi-city network for travel. Money rarely decides admission at the top clubs; social fit does.

Is Soho House still exclusive?

It is larger and easier to join than it was, with more than 40 Houses, and critics say growth has diluted its exclusivity. Its strength now is consistency across many cities rather than scarcity.