Soho House to STOP accepting new members at its $4,900-a-year clubs in London, New York City and Los Angeles in effort to manage over-crowding and maintain exclusivity

• Soho House will stop accepting new members at its clubs in New York City, Los Angeles and London until at least the end of next year
• Founder Nick Jones issued a letter to members on Friday to say he was working on ‘making sure our houses don’t feel too busy’.
• It comes after Soho House has faced criticism for accepting too many new members and led to complaints it was losing its exclusivity

Soho House has announced it will stop accepting new members at its clubs in New York City, Los Angeles and London following complaints they have become overcrowded. 

Founder Nick Jones issued a letter to members on Friday to say he was working on ‘making sure our houses don’t feel too busy.’ 

It comes after Soho House has faced criticism for accepting too many new members and led to complaints it was losing its exclusivity.

The company was launched in 1995 from a townhouse in Soho, London, and has worked on attracting creative clientele instead of the bankers and financiers that have dominated other social clubs. 

In the United States, it costs around $4,900 a year to become a member of all 42 Soho Houses across the world. The pause in memberships for New York City, Los Angeles and London is expected to last until at least the end of next year.

Soho House has announced it will stop accepting new members at its clubs in New York City , Los Angeles and London following complaints they have become overcrowded

DUMBO House boasts expansive views of NYC from the rooftop pool, but starting in 2024 it will become more difficult for would-be sunbathers to apply for membership

A view of the lobby entrance of Soho House members-only club in West Hollywood

An exterior view of the celebrity hotspot SoHo House in the meatpacking district of Manhattan, New York City.

Founder Jones issued an email to members following complaints that the city center spaces were overcrowded. 

‘For that reason, next year we’re closing the doors to new members across our houses in London, New York and Los Angeles, and will only be accepting members in locations where we have capacity,’ he wrote. 

Between October 2022 and 2023, the company took on 21 percent more people. 

It had 184,542 members by October 1, which is a huge jump from 118,000 just two years ago. 

There have been complaints on TikTok about how busy Soho House clubs are, and how poor the service can be.  

An Instagram account called Soho House Memes has 120,000 followers and it captioned one post: ‘Love it when £200 leaves my bank account then I’m told to wait four hours for a table at 3pm.’ 

There are three Soho House clubs in New York City, four in Los Angeles and nine in London. 

The company also has locations in Miami, Austin, Chicago as well as Bangkok, Hong Kong, Barcelona and Paris. 

Its clubs often include communal areas, restaurants and cafes with some boasting cinemas and swimming pools. 

Movie stars including Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie have been spotted at Soho Houses.

Soho House founder Nick Jones issued a letter to members on Friday to say he was working on ‘making sure our houses don’t feel too busy’.

The company was launched in 1995 from a townhouse in Soho, London, and has worked on attracting creative clientele instead of traditional bankers and financiers

There have been complaints on TikTok about how busy and overrated Soho House clubs are

Accessing pool beds during peak summer months can be challenging for members, who complain of over-crowding at the clubs

The New York location was once featured in an episode of Sex and the City, when Samantha Jones, unable to get off the waiting list, posed as a member to gain pool access for her and her friends.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle had their first date at a Soho House restaurant in London in July 2016. 

Founder Jones stepped down from the day-to-day running of the company late last year as he recovered from cancer. 

He said he has been ‘spending a lot more time in our houses’ as he has the ‘space to focus more attention on the clubs themselves.’

Soho House previously paused new memberships during the coronavirus pandemic to allow people to socially distance at its clubs.

There was also an effort to cull some members to capture its founding spirit and attract more creatives.

The company announced it was purging 1,000 members in 2010 from its New York house with Jones saying he was ‘trying to get the club back to its creative roots.’

‘When I went there, it didn’t have the right feel anymore. It has always been a creative, friendly place with a relaxed feel,’ he said. 

‘If there are too many corporate types around then that atmosphere doesn’t occur.’

DailyMail.com has contacted Soho House for comment.  

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