They're not new, not by a long shot. In countries like the United Kingdom, they already existed two centuries ago. In them, the most exclusive members of British society gathered to converse, close deals, or place bets. Jules Verne, for example, used one of these clubs to depict the atmosphere in which his character Phileas Fogg wagered that he could circumnavigate the globe in 80 days. Beyond literature, social or private clubs were exported worldwide, and therefore also to Spain. Heavily industrialized cities like Bilbao and Barcelona were the first to have them, usually located in stately buildings. They arrived somewhat later in Madrid, but now many have opened their doors. We invite you to discover Madrid's newest private clubs .
They all share two characteristics: selective membership and restricted access. In other words, only members can enter a private club , and the rules for becoming a member are usually very clear and inflexible.
The underlying idea behind the founding of private clubs is to create relational ecosystems where people of a certain status can interact and, through membership in a particular organization, demonstrate that status. In other words, belonging to such a club becomes a tool for social validation.
Originally, these establishments served as meeting places for members of the aristocracy and the city's economic and political elite to converse, place bets, close deals, or hold private parties and other events. Today, some private clubs in the Spanish capital even incorporate barbershops, beauty salons, gyms, and other amenities.
Next, we will analyze the extent to which private clubs clash with the social idiosyncrasies of Madrid, and then we will take a tour of the most important private clubs in the capital of Spain.
Private clubs in Madrid and Madrid's social idiosyncrasies
Some argue that the recent increase in the number of private clubs in Madrid clashes directly with the city's idiosyncrasies. Throughout its history, Madrid's social life has been conceived as horizontal, spontaneous, and highly improvised. The regulation implied by membership and access rules for such a private entity would not fit well with this spontaneous and horizontal conception of social life.
On the other hand, those who are not in favor of the proliferation of social clubs in Madrid warn of the risk of market saturation when the pool of potential members is not, in principle, very large. When this happens, the risk of trivializing the offerings increases, especially when, in pursuit of quick profits, too many members are admitted. This practice goes against an intrinsic principle of organizations of this kind: exclusivity. It is precisely this exclusivity that gives the club its purpose. If this is lost, what is the point of such an organization?
Analysts of this phenomenon also highlight the lack of a specific regulatory framework for private clubs in the Community of Madrid, which, in their view, could cause legal difficulties in the licensing processes and in the applicable tax models.
In any case, and despite the aforementioned drawbacks, the opening of new private clubs in Madrid signals an interesting transformation in the city's social life. After all, a club is a space that enhances what the digital world has eroded: physical relationships. In other words, thanks to them, people can share experiences and converse face-to-face.
Traditional private clubs in Madrid
Talking about Madrid's traditional private clubs inevitably means talking about three places where exclusivity reigns supreme. These are the Puerta de Hierro Club , the Casino de Madrid , and the Real Gran Peña .
The Royal Club of Puerta de Hierro was founded by King Alfonso XIII and the Duke of Alba in 1895 and is located in the Monte del Pardo. This highly exclusive private club in the Spanish capital has not admitted new members for three decades. There isn't even a waiting list, and entry is by invitation only and must be accompanied by a current member.
Membership in the Real Club de la Puerta de Hierro is passed down from parents to children, and the club has 9,500 members who can practice sports such as basketball, tennis, horse riding, swimming, padel, croquet, polo, and golf. It is, in fact, home to the oldest golf course in Spain.
Its members include Isabel Preysler, Rafa Nadal, Esperanza Aguirre, and King Juan Carlos I. Inside the facilities, maximum privacy and discretion are guaranteed.
For its part, the Real Casino de Madrid , with over twelve thousand square meters of total surface area, occupies an architectural gem located on Calle de Alcalá, near the Puerta del Sol. Founded in 1910, the Madrid casino hosts conferences, wine tastings, concerts, literary gatherings, and more.
Membership at the Casino de Madrid is a privilege passed down from parents to children. To become part of this exclusive group, a one-time payment of 6,000 euros is required, granting the owner and their spouse the right to use the facilities and, on occasion, to be accompanied by one of Madrid's most popular escorts .
Belonging to the Casino de Madrid also entitles you to access more than 250 exclusive clubs abroad.
Belonging to the NH group, the Madrid casino boasts a substantial library with 40,000 volumes, as well as gaming rooms, billiards rooms, two restaurants, a bar, a heated swimming pool, a gym, a sauna, hair salons for men and women, a massage room, and more. Gentlemen are required to wear a jacket and tie to enter the premises.
Finally, in this post, we'll highlight an organization that stands out as one of Madrid's most traditional. We're talking about Gran Peña . Founded in 1869, it initially occupied a floor of the old Café Suizo, a legendary venue renowned for its lively discussions throughout much of the 19th century. In 1917, it moved to number 2 Gran Vía. The inauguration of the new premises was presided over by King Alfonso XIII. Since then, the King and Queen of Spain have been honorary presidents of the institution.
In its early days, it was a distinctly military club. Even Francisco Franco was a member. Gradually, members of the nobility, aristocracy, politics, and business joined (Santiago Bernabéu was also a member), and the club's president was always a Grandee of Spain.
The venue has social and leisure lounges, a restaurant, and a historic library with more than fifty thousand volumes.
New private clubs in Madrid
To talk about the most important new private clubs in Madrid is to talk about the following venues:
- Club Matador . Promoted by Matador magazine and located in the heart of the Salamanca district, on Jorge Juan Street, just a stone's throw from the exclusive Serrano Street, this 800-square-meter space, opened in 2013, brings together businesspeople, journalists, artists, and more. The entrance fee is €750. After that, general members pay an annual fee of €1,720. Members under 35 years of age have this fee reduced to €680, and members residing outside Madrid (more than 200 km away) pay an annual fee of €1,000. Partners of members pay €860 annually. To join the club, prior acceptance is required. This involves submitting an application through the registration form and being sponsored by a founding member or at least two general members. Photography and telephone use are prohibited inside this social club. To access the premises, you must have your fingerprint registered, as it serves as the access key. Once inside, you can enjoy a record library featuring the 300 best LPs in the history of jazz, as well as a library specializing in crime fiction, boxing, and bullfighting.
- Forbes House Madrid . This 2,000-square-meter private club is the first of its kind opened worldwide by Forbes magazine in collaboration with SpainMedia. Conceived as a space for leaders from the cultural, business, media, political, and sports worlds to connect, this exclusive club is located on Amador de los Ríos Street in the Chamberí district. Spread over five floors and featuring a rooftop bar, a library, a wine cellar, and a restaurant helmed by Michelin-starred chef Adolfo Santos, Forbes House Madrid boasts an auditorium and a series of flexible spaces suitable for hosting events of varying scales. Membership requires demonstrating "considerable achievements" in one's professional field and the support of at least two founding members. These members are pre-selected by the Forbes Spain team, making it an ideal place to bring a luxury escort .
- Monteverdi Club . Created and financed by the economist Javier Martí Corral, this exclusive venue is located in an aristocratic palace on Almagro Street. The second Marquis of Aldama once lived there, and it offers a small, intimate setting for lovers of painting, music, literature, and gastronomy who have been fortunate enough to be accepted into the club. Exquisitely decorated by Lorna Santos and spanning 1,000 square meters, the Monteverdi Club boasts ornate ceilings over three meters high, original pine floors, two pianos, a reading room, a champagne bar, an auditorium, a garden terrace, and a restaurant with a private lunch area and a seasonal menu. This private Madrid club hosts chamber music sessions, concerts, recitals, and exhibitions. The maximum number of members is 800, and the annual fee is around €2,500.
- Club Alma Sensai . Exclusive leisure, well-being, and personal and professional enrichment—that's what Club Alma Sensai offers. Located in a small palace built in 1910 on Príncipe de Vergara Street in Madrid, this social club is for women and "good men" who wish to enjoy a welcoming atmosphere where they can have fun and socialize safely. Club Alma could be described as the female version of gentlemen's clubs. The club has a capacity for 200 members and a total of 500 people. The club's rules allow each member to bring up to three guests. The venue houses a restaurant with a main dining room (the kitchen is run by chef Iván Sáez) and two private rooms, a coworking space, a gym, a barbershop for men, and a beauty corner for women. The club has a calendar of events that includes workshops, exclusive presentations, masterclasses, talks, conferences, and after-work sessions with live music. The cost of belonging to this exclusive private club for women in Madrid is 1,800 euros per year.
The already announced Soho House Madrid is expected to join the ranks of Madrid's private clubs this year. It is slated to occupy two buildings in the Chueca neighborhood, behind the Supreme Court: one on Bárbara de Braganza Street and the other on Marqués de Monasterio Street. The two buildings are planned to be connected by an interior courtyard.
This coveted chain of private clubs , founded in 1995 by British entrepreneur Nick Jones, already has two locations in Spain, one in Barcelona and the other in Ibiza. The Madrid venue is planned to have five floors facing the street, a rooftop pool, a gym, and other common areas characteristic of Soho House.
Soho House Madrid will be the jewel that crowns the extensive catalog of social clubs in Madrid, a list to which we can add the names of Argo , Around or Casa Club .
