Comparison · 12 material differences
Cosmos Club vs The Clubhouse
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.
Verified September 2026 Private club
APK · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 4.0Cosmos Club
The club describes itself as "a private Washington, D.C. social club for individuals distinguished in science, literature, the arts, learned professions, or public service" and…
Private club
The Clubhouse
The company describes itself as "the smarter alternative to a London office for fast growing SMEs and global organisations" and says it was "created by business leaders for…
What the records say
- Annual dues: Cosmos Club: The club publishes no dues figure. Wikipedia reports annual dues of approximately $2,000 as of 2015; not independently verified and likely out of date; The Clubhouse: Prices are published per month and exclude VAT; annual cost depends on the tier and contract length chosen..
Side by side
| Cosmos Club | The Clubhouse | |
|---|---|---|
| Profile | ||
| Type | Private club | Private club |
| Founded | 1878 (The club states it has "provided a prestigious environment for intellectual fellowship since 1878"; it was organised by John Wesley Powell and a circle of Washington scientists after Clarence Dutton asked why Washington had no club like the Century.) | 2012 (Founded in 2012 by Amanda Hamilton, with the first site at 8 St James's Square. The company's own pages do not state a founding year.) |
| Headquarters | Washington, United States | London, United Kingdom |
| Geographic footprint | Single clubhouse in the Townsend House at 2121 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington DC, with the adjoining Hillyer House and an annex | Three London locations: St James's (8 St James's Square), Mayfair (50 Grosvenor Hill) and Holborn Circus (20 St Andrew Street). Members also get access to IWG portfolio locations worldwide. |
| Members | Not publicly disclosed by the club. Wikipedia gives approximately 3,089 members across full, junior, senior and emeritus categories as of 2017; that has not been independently verified. | Not publicly disclosed. The Evening Standard reported more than 800 individual members and 250 corporate clients in March 2016; that figure predates the 2019 administration and change of ownership. |
| Chapters | Single clubhouse; no chapters | 3 |
| Primary audience | The club describes itself as "a private Washington, D.C. social club for individuals distinguished in science, literature, the arts, learned professions, or public service" and says that to become a member "an individual must demonstrate distinction in their prospective artistic, scientific, literary, public service, or professional career". | The company describes itself as "the smarter alternative to a London office for fast growing SMEs and global organisations" and says it was "created by business leaders for business leaders" |
| Typical member | Members are people with a record of distinction in science, literature, the arts, a learned profession or public service. The club says its members have included three US presidents, two vice-presidents, 14 Supreme Court justices, 36 Nobel Prize winners, 61 Pulitzer Prize winners and 55 recipients of the Presidential Medal of Freedom. | Business owners, executives and professionals who need a central London base for meetings and work between them, plus corporate accounts. The company names Deloitte, Amazon, Sky, Samsung, Santander and Tesla among its members. |
| Qualification | ||
| Invitation required | Not documented | No |
| Sponsor required | Not documented | No |
| Application process | No application process is published. The club states the standard candidates must meet -- demonstrated distinction in a career in the arts, sciences, literature, public service or a profession -- but publishes no nomination procedure, application form, membership contact or timetable. | Prospective members choose a tier and contract length and enquire through a web form or by telephone. There is no published application form, committee stage, sponsor requirement or interview. |
| Selectivity | Not publicly disclosed | Not publicly disclosed; no vetting process is described |
| Cost | ||
| Annual dues | The club publishes no dues figure. Wikipedia reports annual dues of approximately $2,000 as of 2015; not independently verified and likely out of dateverified September 2026 · source ↗ | Prices are published per month and exclude VAT; annual cost depends on the tier and contract length chosen. |
| Monthly dues | No fee schedule appears anywhere on the club's site. The only figure in circulation is Wikipedia's approximately $2,000 annual dues attributed to 2015. The club's own pages were read through Internet Archive captures dated 1 February 2026 and 1 September 2026 because cosmosclub.org returns HTTP 403 to automated requests. | £190–225 a monthExecutive Member (a London base five days per month): £190 plus VAT on a 24-month term, £200 plus VAT on 12 months, £225 plus VAT month-to-monthverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Initiation fee | Not publicly disclosedverified September 2026 · source ↗ | No joining fee is stated on the memberships pageverified September 2026 · source ↗ |
| Membership term | Not documented | Month-to-month, 12-month or 24-month contracts, priced differently |
| Structure | ||
| Meeting frequency | A continuous programme of lectures, concerts, literary conversations, study groups, wine tastings, brunches and dinner dances, listed on a members-only calendar | Daily access according to tier; the company runs a news and events programme for members |
| Peer forums | Member study groups and committees, including an American History Study Group, Civil War group, Art Committee and Associates luncheons, appear on the club's public events calendar | Not documented |
| Confidentiality | Not publicly disclosed. The club publishes a cell phones and electronics policy rather than a confidentiality rule. | Not publicly disclosed |
| Time commitment | Not documented | Tiers are defined by usage: five days a month (Executive), ten days a month (Club) or unlimited (House) |
| Organized as | Clubhouse premises, Event-focused | Clubhouse premises |
| Confidential peer forums | No | No |
| Local chapters | No | Yes |
| Virtual membership | No | Yes |
| Online community | No | Not documented |
| Member directory | Not documented | Not documented |
| Events | Yes | Yes |
| Programming | ||
| Educational programming | Yes | No |
| Leadership development | No | No |
| Retreats | No | No |
| Travel | Yes | Partial |
| Family programming | Partial | No |
| Spouse and partner programming | Not documented | No |
| Next-generation programming | Not documented | No |
| Investment discussions | No | No |
| Investment opportunities | No | No |
| Philanthropic component | Partial | No |
| Networking emphasis | Medium | Medium |
| Social emphasis | High | Low |
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Sources
Drawn from the sources listed on each page: Cosmos Club · The Clubhouse