Soho Friends Membership: What You Need to Know Before Joining
Soho Friends is the newest and most affordable membership offering from Soho House, giving you access to bedrooms at their locations around the world at a reduced rate.
You pay just £100 for a Soho Friends membership (MUCH less than the full Soho House membership), and in return get benefits such as discounted room rates, late checkout times, and money off food and drink.
It’s the perfect introduction to Soho House, but there are restrictions with this type of membership. I had a Soho Friends membership for a year, but ultimately decided to upgrade to a Soho House membership because of its limitations.
In this review, I’ll tell you everything you need to know about a Soho Friends membership – the cost, the application process, what’s included (and what’s not), and which locations you’ll get access to.
What is Soho Friends?
Soho Friends is the most affordable membership level offered by Soho House.
It was launched in 2020 with the aim of enabling more people to join the members club, without needing to commit to a full membership (it’s a LOT cheaper).
With this membership, you can stay in the bedrooms at Soho House locations around the world, but you won’t be able to access the houses if you’re not staying overnight.
Which locations can you visit with a Soho Friends membership?
With a Soho Friends membership, you can only access houses with bedrooms, which I’ve listed below:
The UK
- Redchurch Townhouse – London
- Dean Street – London
- Kettner’s – 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
- Paris
- Rome
- Soho Roc House Mykonos
- Villa Dagmar Stockholm (Hotel partner)
The Middle East
- Istanbul
- Tel Aviv
- The Ned Doha (Hotel partner)
North America
- West Hollywood
- Nashville
- Soho Warehouse – LA
- New York
- Austin – Texas
- Chicago
- 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
- Mumbai
How much is a Soho Friends membership?
It costs £100/ $130/ €140 a year for a Soho Friends membership. Unlike the full Soho House membership, there’s no joining fee with Soho Friends.
Soho Friends membership benefits
- 15% off hotel bedrooms
- 12pm checkout time
- Bedroom upgrade if you stay longer than 3 nights
- Discount on spa treatments
- 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 two main differences between the Soho Friends & a Soho House membership.
1. Cost
The first is the cost. Soho Friends is £100 a year, whilst a Soho House membership starts from £1,200 per year, so you’re saving a considerable amount of money by choosing Soho Friends.
2. Access to houses
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.
Soho Friends membership requirements
Just like the full membership, you need to work in the creative industry to get a Soho Friends membership.
This 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.
Soho Friends 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.
Is Soho Friends worth it?
To decide whether Soho Friends is worth it for you, consider the following things:
Do you live near a Soho House?
If you live near a Soho House and you think you’ll want to pop in and enjoy the space regularly, Soho Friends might not work for you, as you’ll only be able to visit if you’re spending the night.
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, which is one of the main reasons I changed to a full membership.
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.
If you don’t travel much, or prefer to find affordable hotels when you do (Soho House bedrooms are expensive), then you might not get much use out of your membership.
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.
With Soho Friends, you can’t use the gym unless you’re staying the night.
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’s the cancellation policy for Soho Friends?
Soho Friends is an annual membership, meaning you can only cancel at the end of each year. You won’t get any money back if you try to cancel part way through the year, which is something worth considering when you sign up.
Can you upgrade your 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.
Conclusion
Soho Friends is a great introduction to Soho House, and at £100 a year, it’s a much more affordable option than the full membership.
If you’ve never been to Soho House before, it’s a good way to figure out if it’s right for you, before committing fully.
If you travel a lot anyway, Soho Friends is a really great offering, as you’ll be getting to stay in beautiful hotels, as well as benefiting from discounts on restaurants, spa treatments and homeware.
