What Does A Private Members’ Club Look Like In 2025?
By
3 days ago
Exclusivity is over – these clubs are all about connection
From fusty men’s-only spaces of days gone by to the hedonistic hideaways of the ‘90s, private members’ clubs have a long and storied history – and we seem to have turned the page on yet another chapter. Long associated both with secrecy and extravagance, subtlety and indulgence, the long-standing members’ clubs of the 2020s seem to be shaking off their glitzy, exclusivity-based egos and embracing a few key pillars: community, wellness, and connection over shared interests.
‘There’s a fascinating shift happening in club culture right now and we’re lucky to be in the midst of it,’ says Luca Del Bono, founder of ONDA, a network of the world’s most desirable private members’ clubs. ‘What excites me isn’t just a new opening, but the types of clubs being created: purpose-led, beautifully considered, and rooted in a real sense of place.’
Here’s what that looks like.
What Does A Private Members’ Club Look Like In 2025?
‘The modern club isn’t defined by crystal chandeliers or a dress code,’ Luca tells us. ‘It’s defined by feeling. It’s somewhere you belong before you even say your name. The lighting, the pace, the people: everything signals conviviality, comfort, curiosity.’
It’s the return of the home-from-home vibe members’ clubs have long strived for. Think The Sloane Club and Home House in London, or even Los Angeles’ members-only wellness club Heimat, intended to complete the constellation between your home and workplace.
Welcome Home-From-Home
When it comes to private members’ clubs in 2025, people want ‘intimacy over grandeur,’ Luca says. ‘People are craving warmth, conviviality and depth – clubs that feel like a second home, not a showroom. The best ones manage to create that “homely” feeling the moment you walk in the door.
‘Some members’ clubs are sleek and design-forward, others are quietly classic,’ Luca adds. ‘But the best modern clubs are multifunctional. You might spend the morning working there, the afternoon at a wellness event, host a conversation over dinner and spend the evening dancing under the stars with live jazz on the rooftop. It’s the blurring of boundaries, between personal and professional, local and global, social and soulful.’
But this sense of belonging, this homeliness, isn’t restricted to just one location. ‘Increasingly, it’s about a network – a sense of belonging that travels with you,’ Luca says. ‘That’s something we really believe in at ONDA: the idea that wherever you are in the world, you should feel at home. The modern club is less about the walls and more about the world it opens up.’
ONDA is a unique network of private members’ clubs scattered across the globe, accessed with pre-vetted membership. ‘ONDA is not a shortcut but rather an invitation,’ Luca explains, with the platform giving its members the ‘opportunity to discover remarkable clubs around the world in a way that feels personal, intentional, and deeply respectful of the spaces themselves.
‘We often say ONDA is about creating a home away from home, wherever you are in the world,’ Luca says. ‘Whether that’s a rooftop in LA, a hidden garden in Mayfair, or a music club in Ibiza, our members know they’ll arrive somewhere that feels safe, soulful, and curated with care.’
Going International
This idea of having a home-from-home wherever you go has spawned a recent trend in the members’ club sphere: international outposts. ‘In the U.S., we’re seeing British clubs planting roots in cities like New York and Miami. At the same time, American founders are expanding into Europe and the Middle East,’ Luca says, as club proprietors notice – and cater towards – their frequent-flier clientele.
‘It’s a fascinating moment of cross-pollination,’ Luca says. ‘The Wild is opening next in LA, started by the team originally behind The Arts Club in London. Maxime’s is opening doors in New York. There’s a stunning new club in Sydney near Bondi that’s redefining the idea of barefoot luxury. So much is moving. There’s this quiet momentum of convivial ecosystems forming.’
Of course, it isn’t a totally new concept: Soho House New York opened in the Meatpacking District of Manhattan way back in 2003, less than a decade after Soho House first landed in London – a plunge that would shape the entire brand and its wholly international scope today. But, as we skate past the midpoint of the 2020s, there’s a palpable and renewed excitement bubbling across the industry. ‘In Milan, we’re seeing a renaissance,’ Luca says. ‘Six new clubs have opened recently, with another six in development. That kind of energy in a city that didn’t even widely use credit cards two decades ago tells you something about the appetite for belonging and discovery.’
As well as crossing borders, members’ clubs are straddling industries. ‘The blurring of hospitality, lifestyle, and culture continues,’ Luca says. ‘You now have fashion houses launching private clubs, hotels with serious cultural programming, and workspaces that double as social sanctuaries. We’re entering a new era; one that, at its best, captures the original spirit of why clubs existed in the first place: shared passions, inspiring people, and beautiful spaces that bring them together.’
The Rise Of Wellness – And Other Hobbies
Wellness trends are infiltrating each and every facet of our lives – and private members’ clubs are no different. But an interest in wellness is just one of many popular hobbies finding their niche audiences at private members’ clubs. ‘We’re seeing a fascinating return to specific interests and purpose,’ Luca says. ‘For a while, private clubs leaned into exclusivity for its own sake. But what’s emerging now is a new generation of spaces built around genuine interest and connection, as traditionally clubs had been set up centuries ago. It’s less about social standing, more about shared interests and values.
And of course, this does mean wellness takes centre stage in plenty of clubs, with luxury gyms, hotels and clinics expanding in scope to include more lifestyle options (Heimat, Bodyism, The Lanesborough Club & Spa), and members’ clubs expanding in scope to include more wellness (Lanserhof at The Arts Club, Mortimer House, Cloud Twelve). But it also means things like ‘longevity, gastronomy, music and even impact’ find themselves in the spotlight at other clubs, Luca says.
‘Places like The Conduit or the House of Koko that attract communities who care deeply about something,’ Luca says. ‘And it’s not just in London or New York – we’re seeing this energy in Milan, in Lisbon, in Singapore and the world over.’
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ONDA: Your Invitation To Remarkable Private Spaces & Extraordinary Experiences Around The World
Country & Town House is partnering with ONDA to introduce this unique gateway to a distinctive private network of over 250 extraordinary private members clubs, health clubs and creative workspaces in 90 destinations worldwide, selected to elevate your lifestyle. From London and Milan’s cultural pulse to New York and Los Angeles’ dynamic energy, this partnership invites you to engage with inspiring spaces where meaningful connections, creativity, and discovery come to life.
To celebrate our partnership, you are invited to join ONDA with an annual membership for $960, and enjoy a complimentary upgrade to Explorer (a saving of $640 annually), unlocking a year of deeper connections, global experiences, and inspiring private spaces.
Activate your ONDA experience today.
