Pullman Hotel’s Elevate private members’ club Melbourne’s answer to Soho House

Soho House is a legendary, exclusive club that has venues around the world for the rich and famous to meet and network in.

Harry and Meghan met there.

Emma Bunton (Baby Spice) got married there.

And Tom Cruise celebrated his 60th birthday there last year.

While there is still no official word on whether a Soho House will open up in Australia (though there are rumours about a Sydney location), the Pullman Hotel on Swanston Street in Melbourne’s CBD has just unveiled the Elevate club, which management hopes will attract a similar crowd.

At up to $5000 a year (roughly $A1000 more than the original Soho House charges), the bar has certainly been set high for who can join, leaving it to those who are rich – or can convince their boss to drop some cash on good work perks.

Walking in, it’s certainly a nice room with decor that skews towards an older generation, and perhaps with a bit more of a corporate vibe. It lacks the grandeur and expansive amenities of the Soho Houses I have visited, but it’s also the nicest hotel club lounge I’ve ever been in (and I have been in a lot). The large murals around it and the sweeping views of the city certainly give it more of a wow factor.

According to general manager James Muscat, “Elevate is a luxurious, members-only space that provides a place to relax, unwind, work, work out and focus. Unlike the American-style country clubs seen in movies, Elevate provides the same unparalleled service in the heart of the city”.

Also unlike American country clubs, there is no golf course and probably not too many events where a brooding teenager will punch a rival to help win the heart of his love interest (all my knowledge of American country clubs comes from US teen dramas).

Elevate is part of the Pullman Melbourne on Swanston’s $30 million rebuild project, which included four interior designers, $2 million of marble and many female street artists to give it a gallery feel.

The Elevate club lounge itself cost $4 million to fit out, including Baccarat crystal glasses, chairs with custom fabric and hand-carved American oak tables.

But, of course, when it comes to club rooms, it doesn’t matter what the room looks like so much as who’s in it and how you feel when you’re there.

When I went for breakfast, there was a pleasant atmosphere of old friends meeting, businesspeople in expensive shoes discussing business things and a couple of hotel guests clearly celebrating a milestone in a long relationship.

Hotel staff were attentive, making sure everyone had everything they needed. No celebrities, scandal or bohemian artists discussing exciting new projects – but it’s early days.

The breakfast buffet was a more limited selection than you’d find in other hotels, but all clearly made using better quality ingredients than you’d find in most other standard buffets.

There was also free-flowing, pricey Tattinger champagne, for those interested in starting the day with some bubbly, as well as a juice station.

When they arrive, members will be greeted at the entrance by a concierge who will know them by name and will have already made sure to take care of their dietary requirements before their arrival, so the food selection will change depending on who’s in at the time.

They will then proceed into the main lounge area, where there will be a champagne breakfast and cocktail hour each day.

Members can also book out private meeting rooms or dining rooms to cater for parties, work or corporate guests.

The main lounge area features a huge bar with an extensive cellar stocked with exclusive premium options not available in the rest of the hotel.

There are three tiers of membership. The “basic” $1000 per year Tier 1 membership gives daily access for a member and one guest, alongside coffee, tea and water. Tier 1 members will also get 15 per cent off food and beverages at Eva’s restaurant and the Blossom Rooftop Bar.

Tier 2 membership costs $1500 a year, and has everything from Tier 1, plus access to the hotel’s impressive gym, while Tier 3 costs $5000 a year, and includes everything from Tier 2, plus 52 passes a year to gain access to the champagne breakfasts or the canape and cocktail sessions, which cost $75 each for non-Tier 3 members.

It’s a similar pricing structure to Soho House, only for $A5246 members get access to every Soho House worldwide, along with discounts for hotel stays and invites to events. There is only one Elevate lounge.

If you thought $5000 to get access to a nice room and 52 quite good breakfasts was a big ask, the original price was going to be $10,000, until it was decided close to launch to knock down the price tag to make it a little more accessible.

Private members clubs like the Lyceum and Athenaeum clubs have a long history in Melbourne, particularly among the old-ish money elite. It’ll be interesting to see how this new club, located in a hotel chain, will fare at a time when everyone is tightening their belts.

While most private members’ clubs trade on exclusivity and are made cooler by who they don’t let in – Soho House wouldn’t admit Real Housewives stars or even Kim Kardashian back in 2015 – Elevate is walking a curious line. The club trades on its “exclusivity”, with the recent launch event populated by CEOs, TV presenters, minor celebrity chefs and former Miss Universe winners.

But Mr Muscat also makes it clear that the Pullman is “democratising the luxury experience” by allowing hotel guests passing through to buy day passes to the club to experience it.

Meanwhile, even Soho House appears to have dropped the exclusivity, now reportedly relying more on the size of a person’s wallet than their clout to become a member.

Despite the steep membership prices, Mr Muscat says here has been a lot of interest from all the kinds of people you would expect to want to join a private members club.

“We’ve had considerable interest from both businesses and celebrities. Actors, influencers and CEOs are all incredibly keen to secure memberships,” he said.

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If the right people joined, I can see how it would be worth it for people with the cash to become a member, given that the breakfast is delicious and everyone likes a designated place to network.

It now just comes down to whether the Pullman can attract the right crowd.

Alice Clarke is a freelance writer.