First the proudest city, then the most attractive, THEN a top tourist destination for next year and now Brighton will play host to one of the most well-known private members’ clubs exclusively for those in the arts and media. Yesterday development plans were approved to allow the creation of another branch of Soho House, right here on Brighton Seafront. This members’ club has establishments in London, Berlin, New York, as well as Soho Farmhouses for those who want to escape to the country. The membership is highly exclusive, to the point that it has been reported that Kim Kardashian has been rejected many times, as have many of the ‘Real Housewives’. The memberships starts at £600 for those under 27, and you must be recommended by two existing members before even being considered.
The planning committee of Brighton and Hove City Council took almost two hours to discuss and decide upon the application last night. The private members’ club will be located on the roof and feature a sun deck, one metre plunge pool, outdoor bar and a currently unnamed fish restaurant. The café and restaurants would be open to the public, and according to developers would create more than two hundred jobs. Soho House has boasted A-list members such as Madonna, Hugh Grant, Johnny Depp, Harry Styles and Alexa Chung. Its reputation as a celebrity haunt has put itself on the ‘must-see’ tourist lists. However not all the publicity has been positive. In 2002, Sade Frost and Jude Law’s two-year-old daughter was rushed to hospital after swallowing part of an ecstasy pill at a children’s party at the club, after which Law threatened to boycott the venue in light of the incident. There is no word yet on when development will begin. However, we can look forward to seeing many an A-lister out and about on the streets of our seaside city soon enough.
Holly Martin
holly@brightonjournal.co.uk
feature image: Soho House
