The Two Growing Trends That Are Quietly Redefining the Future of Membership Clubs.
We were surprised to see how little these trends are being discussed amid the hospitality buzz around the space.
[Làila Social in Mallorca]
Hi everyone!
Welcome to our first BoE Deep Dive, where we’ll explore:
Two emerging trends in membership clubs that haven’t been widely documented.
An in-depth interview with Pablo Sánchez, a founder of Làlia Social, a buzzy new membership club in Mallorca.
A comprehensive ecosystem map of the membership club landscape, complete with links we think deserve a double click if you want to truly understand the future of this rapidly growing hospitality vertical.
A few standout job opportunities in this space that are worth sharing.
Why should you care if you work in travel and hospitality? Membership clubs are one of the fastest growing verticals in the hospitality space. The below trends are reshaping consumer expectations, influencing how we design experiences, and defining the future of hospitality itself.
Let’s dive in!
Katalina and Kelley
BoE Deep Dive: the Future of Membership Clubs
POV: Many of us have been there—sitting cross-legged in bed with your laptop, fielding the question, Where to meet up? As messages fly, someone inevitably mentions Soho House or another new local membership club. It’s no surprise; membership clubs have become the go-to “third space” for young professionals and high-earners, integrating seamlessly into daily life. They offer a convenient alternative to the hassle of snagging a Thursday-Saturday night restaurant reservation, which has started to feel like a competitive sport. These social clubs appear to be everywhere, and we find ourselves drawn (or maybe desperate?) to their promise of convenience, connection, and perhaps something more.
Why we wanted to dig into membership clubs.
We were curious to better understand what was behind the shift in the group chat. Naturally, the pandemic intensified our desire to reconnect and redefine where we gather, blending workspaces with social spaces. Add to that a longing for authenticity in a world of oversharing and nostalgia for pre-Instagram nights—when the moment mattered more than the documentation—and it’s no wonder membership clubs are multiplying. According to global real estate consultancy Knight Frank, more private members' clubs have opened in the past four years than in the three decades following the 1985 launch of London’s iconic Groucho Club.
According to global real estate consultancy Knight Frank, more private membership clubs have opened in the past four years than in the three decades following the 1985 launch of London’s iconic Groucho Club.
The evolution of membership clubs from Groucho’s era to now is striking. In 1985, Groucho was an outlier—a bohemian enclave in London’s Soho that stood apart from the buttoned-up formality of traditional clubs. It valued that its members had social and cultural cachet over family wealth, celebrating creative freedom amid Margaret Thatcher’s economic upheaval. This ethos set the stage for a place like Soho House to open a decade later in 1995, leaning into a more relaxed, lifestyle-focused approach that attracted a creative, trend-setting crowd.
Today, the trend shows no sign of slowing down. Membership clubs are projected to grow at an annual rate of 11% through 2027, with an estimated worth of $25.8 billion.
As we dug deeper to feed our curiosity, we noticed that much of the industry coverage in outlets like The New York Times, GQ, and The Guardian has focused on elusive, high-profile clubs—even those that haven’t opened yet but already boast waiting lists of 10,000 or more. Many of these clubs come with initiation fees and annual dues running into the several thousands of dollars. Yet what we were seeing trending through our own social and professional networks was a shift toward a new wave of membership clubs rooted in local communities or shared passions. These clubs are not designed around selling exclusivity but to create meaningful connections—whether grounded in geography or common interests—signaling that there’s more to this movement than what’s typically covered.