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Slideshow
Top 10 HK private members’ clubs
From 20-year membership waiting lists to drinking dens hidden among Hong Kong’s high rises, we round up 10 of Hong Kong’s coolest private member clubs.
Nowhere else revels in secret members-only clubs quite like Hong Kong. Whether its ethos is on sports, culture or merely a safe haven for mid-week boozers, there are plenty of exclusive associations to join – or more likely try and wangle a free entry into.
Click through to see Hong Kong’s Top 10 private members clubs…
The KEE Club
A relative newcomer to the Hong Kong scene, the Kee Club was set up in 2001 in Central’s Wellington Street by a Hong Kong-based Austrian couple. Reminiscent of an opulent Venetian dining room, complete with antique mirror walls and leather chairs from the famous Harry’s Bar in Venice, there are also Picasso and Calder originals hanging on the walls.
With a variety of memberships on offer (via a strenuous application form and a proposer), the KEE Club at least offers a week’s trial version so you can sample the nightclub, restaurant and bar for a more palatable $200.
KEE Private Members Club, 6/F, 32 Wellington Street, Central; 2810 9000
The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
Founded in 1894, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Membership acceptance is based on sailing and rowing prowess —the club’s three bases all offer water facilities.
Kellett Island in Causeway Bay is the main one, and there are two smaller branches at Middle Island in Repulse Bay and Shelter Cove in Sai Kung.
The website notes that current membership is oversubscribed but one can enter as a guest of a current member up to the grand total of three times a year and on weekdays only.
The Yacht Club offers specially curated and subsidised wine lists for each of its bases and also its retail Yacht Stores.
The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Kellett Island, Causeway Bay; 2832 2817
Foreign Correspondents’ Club
A particular favourite among Hong Kong’s media (db HK included) as a cheap place to wine and dine, the FCC was formed in Shanghai during the turbulent war-torn 1940s by a small group of foreign journalists who wanted a club house to drink before moving to Hong Kong in 1949 and has been at its current historic Ice House location since 1982.
Strictly on a membership-basis only – though accompanied guests are allowed – the FCC has at least relaxed its rules on non-journalists being allowed in, though these “Associate Members” have to pay a hefty price for the privilege.
Regular wine dinners, jazz events and talks on current affairs make the FCC one of the best cultural hotspots in town.
FCC, 2 Lower Albert Road, Central; 2521 1511
Shek O Country Club
Wine and golf are natural pairings in Hong Kong, with the front nine holes overlooking the ocean and the back nine winding its way around a very tranquil and peaceful valley. Built in 1919, Shek O is only for its members and rumour has it that members have to prove that they are a property owner in Shek O or the the boss of a international company.
You also have to be invited by a current member to join who will propose your (hopefully) influential name at its next committee meeting. Once inside, expect heavily discounted wine lists and fine dining in the club’s panoramic restaurant.
Shek O Golf & Country Club, Shek O Rd, Shek O; 2809 4458
The Hong Kong Golf Club
Home to the prestigious Hong Kong Open, the Hong Kong Golf Club was opened in 1889 and boasts a 20-year-plus waiting list for membership though non-members can pay HK$1,200 to play a round.
Current corporate memberships stand at HK$11.5m but once you’ve wangled a way in, you’ll be treated to vintage Champagne in its various opulent clubhouses in Happy Valley, Fanling and Deep Water Bay.
Hong Kong Golf Club, Lot No. 1 Fan Kam Road, Sheung Shui, New Territories; 2670 1211
The Hong Kong Bankers’ Club
Founded in 1977 by 10 overseas bankers in Hong Kong who probably didn’t want to mingle with ordinary types, the Bankers Club is an exclusive association known for its lavish events and raucous wine dinners.
With several fine dining restaurants and extensive wine lists, the Bankers Club also offers a private limo service in case guests find it difficult to navigate their way home after a long lunch.
The Hong Kong Bankers Club, 33-44/F, Gloucester Tower, The Landmark, Central; 2521 2365
The American Club
Established in 1925 for a burgeoning American expat population, the American Club has two clubhouses: the Town Club in Central and the Country Club in Tai Tam.
The Country Club overlooks Tai Tam bay and has a spa, swimming pool, basketball court, tennis and squash courts whereas the Town Club has a plethora of fine dining restaurants overlooking the harbour.
Memberships are from $438,000 to join and each applicant has to be proposed and seconded by other members before meeting with the board of Governors to see if they pass muster.
The American Club, 48-49 Two Exchange Square, Central; 2842 7400
The China Club
One of the best places to people watch, the China Club is a Sir David Tang venture which boasts a shabby-chic, art-heavy bar and restaurant with a strict dress-code and reservation policy.
Decorated like a Shanghai tea house, the China Club is in the old Bank of China building and offers fine dining and an impressive wine list.
For members who are keen readers, the China Club also houses one of the biggest collections (over 5,000) of books on China and Chinese culture.
The China Club, 12/F, The Old Bank of China Building, Bank Street, Central; 2521 888
The Hong Kong Club
The Hong Kong Club is on everyone’s wishlist – though for those in the know, it is nonchalantly referred to as merely “The Club.”
Established in 1846 for the “tai-pans” – senior Hong Kong executives – the Hong Kong Club’s membership stands at 1,500 and new members have to be invited to join.
Once in, drinkers can plough their way through the long wine lists of exceptional vintages and Champagnes in the Hong Kong Club’s seven bars and restaurants.
The Hong Kong Club, 1 Jackson Road, Central, 2978 9500
Crown Wine Cellars
The number one spot for Hong Kong wine lovers, Crown Wine Cellars in Shouson Hill was established in 2001, when Jim Thompson, Chairman of the Crown Worldwide Group and Gregory De’eb, a former career diplomat, decided to create the first professional wine cellar facility and private clubhouse in Asia.
Tucked away in former British military bunkers, Crown Wine Cellars offers four membership tiers and state-of-the-art fine wine storage facilities in Shouson Hill and Tuen Mun for those who purchase investment grade wine.
‘Gold Members’ can enjoy unlimited use of the clubhouse conservatory and main bunker and can specify on-line which of their personal wines should be made available during visits, as well as how they should be presented – chilled, decanted, or as per personal request.
Crown Wine Cellars, 18 Deep Water Bay Drive, Shouson Hill, 2580 6287