Mayfair’s Mahiki acquired by EBH Holdings
The Polynesian-themed London nightclub frequented by celebrity cocktail-seekers has been acquired by leisure and entertainment company EBH Holdings. Is this the end of the tiki era as we know it?
In the mid-noughties you couldn’t open a tabloid newspaper without seeing paparazzi snaps of celebrities staggering out of Mahiki in London’s Mayfair. After its founding in 2006, the nightclub fast became a magnet for the glitterati, with everyone from Lady Gaga and Rihanna to Prince Harry sipping its famous cocktails served in Polynesian-inspired vessels.
db can reveal that the iconic venue has now been sold to EBH Holdings, with the acquisition completed this week. In a statement confirming the sale, EBH revealed that the iconic venue had “endured years of global uncertainty, hospitality sector instability and a series of ownership changes that ultimately led to financial management challenges, operational decline and insolvency.”
End of an era
Following what EBH Holdings describes as “a deeply forensic period of due diligence”, Mahiki’s new owner plans to “transform the business with decisive leadership and structural reform”. This includes “confronting significant legacy issues, unresolved creditor positions, complex contractual entanglements and the erosion of brand value.”
And what value that brand once had. Visiting Mahiki, at one point, was like a coming of age ritual for Londoners or those visiting London. Indeed, as EBH Holdings, attests it was “one of the most recognisable names in the global leisure and hospitality industry.” What made Mahiki stand out was its heady sense of escapism, with the venue decked out in island-inspired décor, offering a taste of far-flung paradises yet to be discovered.
Celebrity Kool-Aid
Rihanna celebrated the album launch of her hit record ‘Rated X’ at the venue, as well as heading straight there after the BRIT awards, and Beyoncé chose Mahiki to mark the end of her run of live London shows in 2009. Gavin and Stacey star James Corden threw his stag do there, while Mamma Mia! actress Amanda Seyfried once famously dressed up as a waitress and served cocktails at Mahiki.
It was also a bucket list birthday bash venue, with Jay McGuinness of boyband The Wanted holding his 23rd birthday party at the club, and Mollie King from The Saturdays marking her 24th birthday there, where according to The Mirror, King was seen “downing sambuca shots and doing dares”.
Partner Content
Katy Perry, Mischa Barton, Kelly Brook, Pixie Lott and The Only Way is Essex alumnus Amy Childs have all been spotted at Mahiki, where they rubbed shoulders with regular visitors Princes William and Harry, and the former Kate Middleton. The late Girls Aloud star Sarah Harding apparently loved the place so much that she became business partners with its owner.
Former Mahiki marketing exec Katsu Kay Hoshino summed it up perfectly when she said in 2012: “If your favourite celeb is in the UK, you’ll probably be able to track them down at Mahiki.”
Culturally relevant vision
EBH Holdings said it will “move swiftly to stabilise the business” and will begin addressing historic creditor obligations and drawing up a redevelopment plan aimed at “restoring Mahiki to its rightful position as a world-class lifestyle brand.”
A future relaunch (date unconfirmed) will focus on “reinvigorating the brand’s heritage, re-establishing Mahiki in key international destinations and blending the original escapist ethos with a forward-thinking, sustainable, and culturally relevant vision.”
“Mahiki’s story is one of creativity, joy and cultural resonance, but one that we believe has not reached its true potential, having endured the hardships and changes in the leisure hospitality industry over past decades” said Sylvester Iquaibom of EBH Holdings. “We are committed to restoring credibility and reimagining Mahiki for a new era — one grounded in integrity, partnership, and innovation.”
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