Carlton Club

What Carlton Club does

The Carlton Club is a private members' club founded in 1832 and headquartered at 69 St James's Street, London SW1A 1PJ. It was established as the original home of the Conservative Party by Tory Peers, MPs, and supporters, and retains a politically aligned membership base. The club operates from a Georgian, Portland Stone clubhouse designed by architect Thomas Hopper, relocated to its present address after the original Pall Mall building was destroyed in World War II.

The club's offering comprises two dining rooms (Wellington Room and Churchill Room), two bars (Macmillan Bar and Terrace, Thatcher Drawing Room, plus Cads' Corner), multiple private dining and meeting rooms (Disraeli, Morning, Cabinet, Wine Rooms), and 24 en-suite bedrooms. A curated wine list and an award-winning club gin anchor food and beverage operations. Members gain reciprocal access to 151 clubs across 36 countries, and the club accepts private event hire including weddings under a Civil Licence, accommodating up to 90 guests for dinner or 150 for cocktail receptions.

The revenue model combines undisclosed annual membership subscriptions with transactional income from food and beverage, accommodation, and private event hire. Membership is by application only, requiring a proposer and seconder who are existing members of at least two years' standing, with election by the General Committee following Membership Committee recommendation. The club reaches prospective members through reputation and word-of-mouth referrals rather than active marketing, and is governed by a General Committee and Membership Committee under traditional London private-club ownership, with no disclosed parent company or institutional investors.

Name

Carlton Club

Legal name

Carlton Club

Website

https://carltonclub.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1832

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Carlton Club is a London private members' club founded in 1832, serving affluent individuals, professionals, and political figures from its Georgian clubhouse at 69 St James's Street. It generates revenue through non-disclosed membership subscriptions, dining, a 24-bedroom hotel, and private event hire.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Members' Club (Hospitality Services)

NAICS

Drinking Places (Alcoholic Beverages) (7224), Traveler Accommodation (7211)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Membership Clubs (Category-Focused) (CRAEADAI)

Keywords

• Private members club
• London hospitality services
• Club dining and accommodation
• Private event venues
• Reciprocal club network

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fees charged to members for access to club facilities, dining, accommodation, reciprocal club network, and club events. Membership rates are obtained directly from the Membership Secretary and are not publicly disclosed.
2. Food and Beverage Sales: Revenue from dining in the Wellington Room and Churchill Room, beverages at the Macmillan Bar and Terrace, Thatcher Drawing Room cocktails, and extensive wine list. Includes signature cocktails like 'The Carlton' and club gin.
3. Accommodation: Revenue from 24 bedrooms comprising superior double rooms, double rooms, twin rooms, and single rooms. Full English breakfast included in room rates.
4. Private Event Hire: Revenue from hosting private dining events, conferences, meetings, and weddings. The club can accommodate up to 90 guests for private dinner or 150 for cocktail reception. Weekend events such as weddings can be held by non-members with member sponsorship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

The Carlton Club operates a private members' club from its Georgian clubhouse at 69 St James's Street, London, selling annual memberships that grant access to two dining rooms (Wellington Room and Churchill Room), two bars (Macmillan Bar and Terrace, Thatcher Drawing Room), multiple private dining and meeting rooms, 24 en-suite bedrooms, and reciprocal access to 151 partner clubs in 36 countries. It also generates revenue from private event hire including conferences, meetings, weddings (with civil licence), and cocktail receptions for up to 150 guests.

Product overview

Carlton Club is a members-only private club offering a comprehensive portfolio of hospitality and social services from its Georgian clubhouse at 69 St James's Street, London. The Club operates two principal dining rooms (Wellington Room for breakfast and dinner, Churchill Room for lunch), two bars (Macmillan Bar and Terrace, Thatcher Drawing Room), and multiple private dining rooms (Disraeli Room, Morning Room, Cabinet Room, Wine Room, Cads' Corner) for members and private events. Accommodation services include 24 well-appointed bedrooms ranging from single rooms to suites. The Club also facilitates private events including conferences, cocktail receptions, and weddings with civil licence, and provides reciprocal membership access to 151 clubs across 36 countries worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Wellington Room Dining The principal fine-dining room at the Carlton Club, open for breakfast and dinner to members and guests, serving classics such as Chateaubriand and Dover Sole as well as contemporary British dishes.
• Churchill Room Dining Ground-floor dining room adjacent to the Macmillan Bar & Terrace, open for lunch to members and guests, serving classic and modern dishes built from locally sourced ingredients.
• Club Accommodation (24 bedrooms) Twenty-four en-suite bedrooms comprising two superior doubles, five doubles, four twins, and thirteen singles, each with air conditioning, television, complimentary Wi-Fi, and a full English breakfast included in the room rate. Open year-round except Christmas and New Year.
• Private Events and Weddings Venue hire for conferences, cocktail receptions (up to 150 guests), private dining experiences (up to 90 guests), and exclusive weddings with a Civil Licence, including non-member weekend weddings held with member sponsorship.
• Reciprocal Club Membership Access Member privilege providing access to an outstanding list of 151 reciprocal clubs in 36 countries worldwide, enabling members to use partner club facilities when travelling internationally.
• Carlton Club Full Membership Annual membership subscription (rate disclosed only on direct application to the Membership Secretary) granting members access to dining rooms, bars, accommodation rates, private events, and reciprocal club privileges. Admission requires a proposer and seconder who are existing members of at least two years' standing and have known the applicant for two years, with election by the General Committee on Membership Committee recommendation.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• 151 Reciprocal Clubs WorldwidecoreOthersThe Carlton Club has established reciprocal arrangements with 151 clubs across 36 countries worldwide. This network allows members to access facilities at partner clubs when traveling internationally, making it a significant value proposition for members who travel frequently. Members make their own arrangements directly with reciprocal clubs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Brooks's Club: St James's Street private members' club founded in 1764 with a historically Whig/Liberal orientation. Directly comparable to the Carlton Club in building, scale, membership structure, dining, and event hosting, making it a direct competitor for the same affluent member pool.
• Boodle's Club: Prestigious private members' club on St James's Street, founded 1762. Directly comparable to the Carlton Club in traditional British gentleman's club format, fine-dining, accommodation, reciprocal club arrangements, and member-gated social networking.
• The Savile Club: Private members' club on Brook Street, Mayfair, with a more modern and less politically aligned identity. Comparable to the Carlton Club in member-only dining, bars, accommodation, and central London event hosting, but offers a useful contrast point on member demographics.
• The Reform Club: Pall Mall private members' club with a Liberal political heritage, founded 1836. Directly comparable to the Carlton Club in scale, traditional club format, dining and accommodation, reciprocal arrangements, and use of central London clubhouse facilities for private events.
• White's Club: London's oldest private members' club, located on St James's Street. Closely comparable to the Carlton Club in heritage, exclusivity, proposer-seconder membership model, central London clubhouse, and affluent Conservative-leaning professional member base.
• The Athenaeum: Five-star private members' club and hotel on Pall Mall, London. Comparable in offering members dining, accommodation, event facilities, and reciprocal club access, with a similar membership-by-application model and central London political/business clientele.
• The Garrick Club: Long-established private members' club in Covent Garden focused on law, literature, and the arts. Comparable to the Carlton Club in the traditional London private members' club model, proposer-seconder application process, fine dining, and central London location.
• The Oxford and Cambridge Club: Pall Mall private members' club for Oxbridge alumni, founded 1830. Closely comparable to the Carlton Club in traditional gentleman's club format, member-gated access, fine dining, accommodation, and event hosting in central London.
• The Travellers Club: Pall Mall private members' club founded 1819, focused on international travel. Comparable to the Carlton Club in clubhouse format, fine dining, accommodation, and a strong reciprocal-club ethos that closely mirrors Carlton's 151-club global network.

Broad incumbents

• Soho House: Global private members' club operator (publicly listed, multi-venue) that targets a younger, creative-class demographic with a more flexible membership model. Not a direct competitor on heritage or political positioning, but the primary structural threat and reference point for modernizing the London private club model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/carlton-club

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Carlton Club