Comparison · 15 material differences
Annabel's vs Soho House
This comparison was generated on request from the records. It carries no editorial verdict and is not indexed. The published comparisons are listed on the compare page.
Read down each column for one organization, across a row for the difference. A bronze mark at the left of a cell means the organizations differ on that row. A dash or “not published” means the organization does not disclose the fact; it is not a zero.
What the records say
- Maximum age at joining: Annabel's: Reduced under-35 membership rate; Soho House: Applicants under 27 qualify for Under 27 pricing.
- Geographic restriction: Annabel's: No published geographic restriction; Soho House: Local House membership is tied to the House nearest the member's home; Cities Without Houses is for applicants based where the group has no House.
- Annual dues: Annabel's: Full membership. Spear's reported £3,250 a year in May 2023; its January 2026 club guide gives £3,750. Annabel's does not publish rates.; Soho House: $6,000 a year.
Side by side
| Annabel's | Soho House | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Private club | Private club |
| Founded | 1963 (Founded by Mark Birley and named for his wife, Lady Annabel Vane-Tempest-Stewart) | 1995 (Founded by restaurateur Nick Jones above his Cafe Boheme restaurant on Greek Street in London's Soho, per Wikipedia's account of the club. The corporate parent is incorporated in Delaware; operational headquarters and the original House are in London.) |
| Headquarters | London, United Kingdom | London, United Kingdom |
| Geographic footprint | One clubhouse at 46 Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London; part of the Birley Clubs group. A New York club has been announced but is not open. | Houses across the United Kingdom, continental Europe, the Middle East, North and South America and Asia; the club states Every House members reach 48 Houses in 19 countries |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed by the club. Wikipedia, drawing on press reporting, gives about 1,000 members with 14,000 on the waiting list as at 2018, and 9,000 members in 2005; none of these figures is current. | 269,606as of September 2025 |
| Chapters | 1 | 48 |
| Primary audience | Not publicly disclosed: the club publishes no eligibility criteria beyond routing applicants through an online application and a recommendation from an existing Birley club member | People working in the creative industries, described by the club as "a home for the world's creatives to come together"; the application asks for occupation and interests rather than income or job title |
| Typical member | Reported as a socially prominent, international Mayfair membership. Wikipedia records that since the 2018 relocation membership has been allocated equally between men and women, and that 100 inheritable "Legacy" lifetime memberships exist, a quarter of them held by US residents. | Members are drawn largely from film, television, music, art, design, fashion, media and adjacent creative businesses. The club publishes no income, net-worth or seniority test, and Wikipedia records that the club has publicly emphasised creativity over net worth and job title. |
| Qualification | ||
| Maximum age at joining | Reduced under-35 membership rateSpear's reports an under-35 rate; Wikipedia records separate tiers for under 27, under 35 and over 35. The club does not publish the bands.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | Applicants under 27 qualify for Under 27 pricingThe club states the discount runs "until your 30th birthday", so the age test applies at joining rather than throughout membership. There is no published upper age limit on membership itself.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Geographic restriction | No published geographic restriction | Local House membership is tied to the House nearest the member's home; Cities Without Houses is for applicants based where the group has no HouseEvery House membership carries no geographic restriction.verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Invitation required | No | No |
| Sponsor required | Yes | Not documented |
| Application process | Applications are made through the Birley Clubs membership portal linked from the club's own site. Spear's reports that the online form is the only official route, that applicants provide a recent headshot and proof of age, and that a letter of recommendation from an existing Birley club member is required. The club publishes nothing about committee review or timescales. | Applicants complete an online form on the club's application portal, which the club says takes around 15 minutes and requires a recent profile photograph, credit or debit card details and information about the applicant's interests and occupation. The portal also offers a pricing calculator before submission. Soho House does not publish the criteria used to assess applications, nor whether proposers or seconders are required. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed. Spear's cites 2018 Barron's reporting that 14,000 prospective members were then seeking admission; no current figure is published. | Not disclosed as a rate. Soho House told members in December 2023 that it would stop accepting new members for New York, Los Angeles and London from 2024 after complaints about crowding; CNN reported the club then had about 185,000 members and 98,000 people on its waitlist. |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | Full membership. Spear's reported £3,250 a year in May 2023; its January 2026 club guide gives £3,750. Annabel's does not publish rates.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $6,000 a yearEvery House membership, New York or Los Angeles home House, standard (non-Under-27) rate. The club's own pricing calculator returns "Quarterly cost $1,500.00 / Annual cost $6,000.00".verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Joining fee for full membership. Spear's reported £1,750 in May 2023 and £1,850 in January 2026.verified September 2026 · source ↗ | $1,000 one-time"One-off House Introduction Fee $1,000.00" for Every House and Local House membership at New York and Los Angeles. The club states it "will be converted to Members credit and can be used on food, drinks and bedrooms across the Houses".verified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Annual subscription | Rolling membership billed quarterly or annually, plus a one-off House Introduction Fee |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | Clubhouse open daily into the early hours; parties and seasonal events | Houses are open daily; the club advertises more than 2,400 member events and experiences a month |
| Peer forums | Not documented | Not documented |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed | Could not be independently verified |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Not documented |
| Organized as | Clubhouse premises, Event-focused | Clubhouse premises, Chapter-based, Event-focused |
| Confidential peer forums | No | No |
| Local chapters | No | Yes |
| Virtual membership | No | No |
| Online community | No | Yes |
| Member directory | Not documented | Not documented |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | No | Partial |
| Leadership development | No | No |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | No | Yes |
| Family programming | No | Not documented |
| Spouse and partner programming | Partial | Not documented |
| Next-generation programming | No | Not documented |
| Investment discussions | No | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Partial | Not documented |
| Networking emphasis | Low | Medium |
| Social emphasis | High | High |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Annabel's · Soho House