Clubs

Behind the Doors That Don't Advertise

The finest clubs in the world share one defining characteristic: they do not want you to know about them. Membership is not purchased; it is earned, inherited, or — in the rarest of cases — bestowed. From the wood-panelled sanctuaries of St James's to the converted lofts of Lower Manhattan, our guides decode the invisible architecture of private membership, city by city. If you have to ask how to join, you are already disqualified. But we shall tell you anyway.