The private club landscape in LA is shifting. While everyone’s focused on member counts and amenities, the real changes are more subtle.
Gravitas opened on Camden this fall. It’s 28,000 square feet of understated wealth – wine lockers, recording studios, and private rooms. No social media moment in sight. Just spaces where deals actually get done. Managing Partner Seth Glassman notes their membership is deliberately diverse: “As the applications come in, we are accomplishing what we wanted in the respect that it’s not just this (industry) or not just that.” The founding members are setting a clear tone for the club’s future.
The Aster has already proven its model. They merged a hotel with 24/7 club access in Hollywood. Six stories, 35 suites, and most importantly, no closing time. The Lemon Grove restaurant has become the preferred spot for those late-night dinner meetings that matter. Their recording studio is booked through summer, drawing in serious industry players.
San Vicente Bungalows‘ new Santa Monica location makes sense. Jeff Klein saw the westward shift early. The ocean-view floor opening in 2025 isn’t trying to compete with WeHo – it’s creating its own ecosystem entirely. While the original location maintains its cachet, the Santa Monica property is quietly accepting founding member applications.
What’s interesting isn’t how many clubs are opening – it’s how they’re evolving. Less focus on networking events, more on actual privacy. The next generation of LA clubs understands that real exclusivity is about space and silence, not scene.
The biggest shift? These new clubs are prioritizing quality over quantity in their memberships. It’s a return to what private clubs were always meant to be, and it’s working.