Soho Friends Membership: A Members Guide for 2024

Thinking about getting a Soho Friends membership and wondering what’s involved? You’re in the right place! I had a Soho Friends membership for a year before upgrading to a full Soho House membership.

So I’ve got first-hand knowledge of the application process, the membership perks, and whether it’s worth it.

In this guide, I’ll tell you what the Soho Friends membership is, the main differences between the Soho Friends and Soho House memberships and what you’ll be asked to do when you apply.

You’ll also learn about the benefits you get with Soho Friends, and the things that aren’t included.

Plus, I’ll explain why I decided to upgrade to the full membership, and whether I think Soho Friends is worth it. Ready to learn everything you need to know about the Soho Friends membership? Let’s go.

Soho Friends membership – FAQ

Can Soho friends members stay at Soho Farmhouse?

Yes. With a Soho Friends membership you can stay at any of the houses, including Soho Farmhouse. The Cotswolds retreat is the ultimate staycation. Set across 100 acres of countryside, with a pool, cinema, gym, cowshed spa and 5 onsite restaurants.

What’s the difference between Soho House and Soho Friends membership?

The main difference between a Soho House and Soho Friends membership, is that Soho Friends members can’t visit the houses unless they’re staying in the hotel. This means that there will be houses you can’t visit, as some don’t have bedrooms.

What is Soho House?

Soho House is a private members club started in 1995 by Nick Jones, in a bid to create a space for local artists and actors in London. It came from humble beginnings, with the first “house” opening in the space above Nick’s restaurant, the French brasserie, Cafe Boheme.

These days, you can still find Cafe Boheme in the heart of Soho. And whilst the restaurant remains relatively unchanged, Soho House has established itself as a global brand.

It’s a place to connect, be inspired and re-charge. Or, simply to while away the evening with good conversation and a picante.

Soho House locations

Soho House is a global brand that’s made its mark on the hospitality industry. What started as a small venue in London has grown to over 35 houses across Europe, the UK, North America, and the Middle East.

The one’s with an asterisk next to them have bedrooms, and will therefore be accessible with a Soho Friends membership. If there’s no asterisk, it means you can’t access them with a Soho Friends membership.

The UK

Little House Mayfair – London
Little House Balham – London
Redchurch Townhouse – London*
Dean Street – London*
Kettner’s – London*
180 House – London
Electric House – London
Greek Street – London
White City House – London*
Shoreditch House – London*
High Road House – London*
The Ned – London* (Hotel partner)
Babington House – Somerset*
Soho Farmhouse – Oxfordshire*
River House – Windsor* (Hotel partner)
Brighton Beach House

Europe

Amsterdam*
Barcelona*
Little Beach House Barcelona*
Berlin*
Copenhagen
Paris*
Rome*
Soho Roc House Mykonos*
Stockholm
Villa Dagmar Stockholm* (Hotel partner)

The Middle East

Istanbul*
Tel Aviv*
The Ned Doha* (Hotel partner)

North America

Little Beach House Malibu – LA
Toronto
West Hollywood*
Miami Pool House [Opening soon]
Nashville*
Holloway House – LA
Ludlow House – New York
Soho Warehouse – LA*
New York*
Austin – Texas*
Chicago*
DUMBO House – New York
Soho Beach House – Miami*
Soho Beach House – Canouan*
The Ned NoMad – New York* (Hotel partner)
Line DC* (Hotel partner)
Line LA* (Hotel partner)
Line Austin* (Hotel partner)
Line San Francisco* (Hotel partner)
Saguaro Palm Springs* (Hotel partner)

Asia

Bangkok
Mumbai*
Hong Kong

What is a Soho Friends membership?

In 2020, Soho House launched their Soho Friends membership. Designed to give people an introduction to Soho House, with less commitment than the full membership (it’s a LOT cheaper).

& how much does it cost?

It costs £100 a year for a Soho Friends membership.

Soho Friends benefits

Book the hotel bedrooms
Studio access
Bring up to 3 guests at a time
15% off Soho Home
20% off at some restaurants
Weekly events
25% Cowshed and Soho Skin

What’s the difference between Soho Friends & Soho House?

There’s 2 main differences between the Soho Friends & a Soho House membership.

The first is the cost. Soho Friends is £100 a year, whilst a Soho House membership is about £2,400 a year.

The second is that with Soho Friends, you don’t have the ability to just walk into a House. You have to be staying the night in one of the bedrooms to go in.

This might not seem like a huge deal on the surface, but bedrooms at Soho House aren’t cheap.

So whilst it feels like you’re getting a great deal paying over £2,000 less than a full membership, if you actually want to use it, you may find you end up spending a lot of money on bedrooms.

What I found happened with mine, is that I used it once to stay at Soho Farmhouse, and I quickly realised that not being able to use it in everyday life meant I wasn’t getting much value from it at all.

I wasn’t too fussed about this because it had only set me back £100, but it still felt frustrating that on average, I’d have to spend 3x that amount on the bedrooms JUST to use my membership.

My main frustration with Soho Friends:

I found it very difficult to book bedrooms on a weekend with my Soho Friends membership, and have heard the same from others.

When I emailed customer services at the time, I was told “We currently have availability for Soho Friends members to book weekday stays (Sunday to Thursday nights)”.

I queried this because it doesn’t say anything about Sunday-Thursday stays only upon sign up, to be told “Yes, this is correct. Please note, that there is a part, which states that certain rooms are subject to availability as well as there might be blackout dates.”

Basically, they claimed that the terms and conditions say that there “might be blackout dates” but they don’t explicitly say “you can’t stay on weekends”, which I imagine would have a big impact on people’s decision to choose the membership.

Can you use the pool?

Not unless you’re staying in the hotel. A huge draw of the Soho House membership is that you can access the gym.

If you’re paying for a gym membership anyway, the monthly cost might not seem so bad, as you can use the gym as much as you like, and get all of the other benefits too.

With Soho Friends, you can’t use the gym, pools, or spa facilities on a everyday basis.

Soho Friends membership requirements

Soho House started as a members club for creatives, and that will always be at its core. So you do have to work in the creative industry to get a membership.

That covers a much broader spectrum of jobs than it did when Soho House first started, but you’re not as likely to get accepted if you work in more traditional industries.

What happens during the application process?

The application process is really simple and only takes around 15-minutes to complete. You’ll need a recent photo of yourself, and you’ll be asked some basic details.

You’ll also need to fill in a brief description of why you want to join, and more specifically “what you’ll bring to the house”. It doesn’t need to be extensive – just a few sentences will do.

Lastly, you’ll also be asked if you know anyone who’s already a member, and you can add in up to 2 names here.

Can I upgrade my Soho Friends membership to Soho House?

No. You’d have to re-apply for a Soho House membership if you decided you wanted to change.

Do you have to pay anything upfront?

No, unlike the full membership, with Soho Friends you don’t pay a joining fee. With the Soho House membership, you pay a £550 fee to join*

*This is now redeemable against bedroom bookings, and food and drink purchased in the houses, within the first 3 months of joining. They never used to do this, so it’s a very welcome change.

Is Soho Friends worth it?

Having had both Soho House and Soho Friends memberships, in my opinion you’re better off going straight for the full membership.

That isn’t to minimise how expensive it is, but for me, I hardly got any use from the Soho Friends membership.

There are a few things I’d consider before making the decision though:

Do you live near a Soho House? When I first got my membership I lived in London, where there’s 11 houses. I now live in Barcelona, where there’s 2. I visit the houses regularly, and I love having the ability to pop in for a drink, or a swim if the sun’s shining. If you don’t live near a House, Soho Friends might work perfectly for you.
Do you travel a lot? If you travel regularly and want to stay in the hotels a lot, you might get lots of value out of Soho Friends. If you’re going to have to spend the money on hotels anyway, and you’re only spending an extra £100 to be able to stay at Soho House (which are some of my favourite places to stay), then maybe it’s worth it.
Do you already have a gym membership? If you’re already paying for a gym, the full membership might be better, as you can put the savings towards the cost of the membership.

Hopefully you’ve found this guide to a Soho Friends membership helpful. If you’ve got any more questions, leave them below and I’ll try and answer them as best I can!