LE CERCLE DE L'UNION
Le Cercle de l'Union is a private members club in Lyon, France, serving approximately 500 business professionals and community leaders through exclusive membership, gastronomic dining, event hosting, and reciprocal access to over 30 international partner clubs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1917
- HeadquartersLyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What LE CERCLE DE L'UNION does
Le Cercle de l'Union is a private social club organized as a French Association Loi 1901 (non-profit), founded in 1917 through the merger of three predecessor clubs (Cercle du Divan, Jockey Club, and Cercle de Lyon) and tracing its heritage to the original Cercle Bellecour established in 1750. The club operates from a single venue at 27 Place Bellecour in Lyon and serves approximately 500 members, who are admitted through a sponsorship-based process requiring approval by the Bureau and Committee.
The club's core products consist of the Table du Cercle gastronomic dining service (open daily for receptions and cocktails), private salon and event spaces for seminars, conferences, board meetings, and private receptions (capacity up to 210 seated guests or 300+ for cocktails), and reciprocal access to a network of more than 30 partner clubs across France, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and the United States. There is no proprietary technology platform; service delivery is in-person at the venue, with event booking handled manually through telephone and email. The club maintains a public informational website and a private member area.
Revenue is generated through two streams: recurring annual membership subscriptions from approximately 500 members, and revenue from restaurant and event catering services. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market model is community-led, relying entirely on member referrals (parrainage), with no active marketing or digital acquisition channels. Customer acquisition is therefore constrained by the exclusivity requirement, and growth in membership is intentionally managed to preserve selectivity.
LE CERCLE DE L'UNION firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- LE CERCLE DE L'UNION
- Legal name
- Cercle de l'Union et de la Table du Cercle
- Website
- https://cercledelunion.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1917
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Le Cercle de l'Union is a private members club in Lyon, France, serving approximately 500 business professionals and community leaders through exclusive membership, gastronomic dining, event hosting, and reciprocal access to over 30 international partner clubs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where LE CERCLE DE L'UNION is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
LE CERCLE DE L'UNION business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Membership subscriptions: The Cercle generates revenue through annual membership fees from its approximately 500 members. Membership is exclusive and based on sponsorship by existing members.
- Restaurant and event catering services: La Table du Cercle provides gastronomic dining services to members and hosts events including seminars, conferences, cocktails, and private receptions. The restaurant is open every day of the week for receptions and cocktails.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
LE CERCLE DE L'UNION product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Le Cercle de l'Union is a private members' social club founded in 1917, operating from 27 Place Bellecour in Lyon's Presqu'île. It provides dining, bar service, and event hosting to approximately 500 members, and grants reciprocal access through allied private clubs for members traveling outside Lyon. The club is constituted as a French Association Loi 1901 (non-profit association) governed by its membership.
Product overview
Le Cercle de l'Union is a traditional private social club founded in 1917, located at 27 Place Bellecour in Lyon, France. The organization offers a unified portfolio of exclusive member services: the Table du Cercle (gastronomic dining), private salon/event spaces for seminars and conferences, and reciprocal access to an international network of partner clubs. The club has approximately 500 members who are admitted through sponsorship and committee approval.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Club membership
Companies that use LE CERCLE DE L'UNION
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
LE CERCLE DE L'UNION technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
LE CERCLE DE L'UNION partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
38 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Der Uebersee-Club e.V. (Hamburg)minorReciprocal agreement allowing members of Cercle de l'Union to access services at Der Uebersee-Club in Hamburg, Germany. Located at Neuer Jungfernstieg 19, Hamburg.
- St Johann's Club (Vienna)minorReciprocal club access agreement with St Johann's Club located at Schubertring 4, Vienna, Austria.
- Cercle Royal Gaulois (Brussels)minorReciprocal agreement with Cercle Royal Gaulois at 5, rue de la Loi, Brussels, Belgium.
- Société Littéraire de LiègeminorReciprocal agreement with Société Littéraire de Liège at 5, place de la République Française, Liège, Belgium.
- Château Sainte Anne (Brussels)minorReciprocal club access at Château Sainte Anne, 103 rue du Vieux Moulin, Brussels, Belgium.
- Société Royal Littéraire ASBL – Club Falligan (Ghent)minorReciprocal agreement with Société Royal Littéraire ASBL at Kouter 172, Ghent, Belgium.
- Real Gran Peña (Madrid)minorReciprocal club access with Real Gran Peña at Gran Via 2, Madrid, Spain.
- Círculo Ecuestre (Barcelona)minorReciprocal agreement with Círculo Ecuestre at Balmes 169 bis, Barcelona, Spain.
- Círculo del Liceo (Barcelona)minorReciprocal club access with Círculo del Liceo at La Rambla 65, Barcelona, Spain.
- Sociedad Bilbaina (Bilbao)minorReciprocal agreement with Sociedad Bilbaina at C/Navarra 1, Bilbao, Spain.
- Automobile Club de France (Paris)coreFlagship reciprocal agreement with Automobile Club de France at 6, place de la Concorde, Paris. One of the most prestigious partner clubs in France.
- Cercle Anglais (Pau)minorReciprocal agreement with Cercle Anglais at Villa Lawrence, 68 rue Montpensier, Pau, France.
- Cercle Suédois (Paris)minorReciprocal agreement with Cercle Suédois at 242 rue de Rivoli, Paris, France.
- Maison de la Chasse et de la Nature (Paris)minorReciprocal agreement with Maison de la Chasse et de la Nature at Hôtel de Guénégaud, 60 rue des Archives, Paris.
- Union Club Bordelais (Bordeaux)minorReciprocal agreement with Union Club Bordelais at 8, place des quinconces, Bordeaux, France.
- Cercle Münster (Luxembourg)minorReciprocal agreement with Cercle Münster at 5-7 rue Münster, Luxembourg.
- The Travellers Club (London)minorReciprocal agreement with The Travellers Club at 106 Pall Mall, London, UK.
- The Savile Club (London)minorReciprocal agreement with The Savile Club at 69 Brook St, Mayfair, London, UK.
- Circolo della Caccia (Bologna)minorReciprocal agreement with Circolo della Caccia at Via Castiglione 25, Bologna, Italy.
- Circolo Aniene (Rome)minorReciprocal agreement with Circolo Aniene at Lungotevere dell'Acqua Acetosa 119, Rome, Italy.
- Società del Giardino (Milan)minorReciprocal agreement with Società del Giardino at Via San Pado 10, Milan, Italy.
- Cicolo Società dell'Unione di VeneziaminorReciprocal agreement with Cicolo Società dell'Unione at San Marco 3348, Venice, Italy.
- Casino Maltese (Valletta)minorReciprocal agreement with Casino Maltese at 247 Republic Street, Valletta, Malta.
- Gremio Literário (Lisbon)minorReciprocal agreement with Gremio Literário at Rua Ivens 37, Lisbon, Portugal.
- Sällskapet (Stockholm)minorReciprocal agreement with Sällskapet at Arsenalsgatan 7, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Cercle de la Terrasse (Geneva)minorReciprocal agreement with Cercle de la Terrasse at 4 rue Eynard, Geneva, Switzerland.
- Société du Jardin (Neuchâtel)minorReciprocal agreement with Société du Jardin at 18 Faubourg de l'Hôpital, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.
- Durban Club (South Africa)minorReciprocal agreement with Durban Club at 93-96 Victoria Embankment, Durban, South Africa.
- Melbourne Savage Club (Australia)minorReciprocal agreement with Melbourne Savage Club at 12-16 Bank Place, Melbourne, Australia.
- Melbourne Club (Australia)minorReciprocal agreement with Melbourne Club at 36 Collins Street, Melbourne, Australia.
- Tasmanian Club (Hobart)minorReciprocal agreement with Tasmanian Club at 132 Macquarie Street, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
- Sun Chateau Group (Shanghai)minorReciprocal agreement with Sun Chateau Group at 19th floor, 358 Dong Da Ming Road, Shanghai, China.
- KEE Club Hong KongminorReciprocal agreement with KEE Club at 6/F, 32 Wellington Street, Central, Hong Kong.
- KEE Club ShanghaiminorReciprocal agreement with KEE Club at 796 Huai Road Middle, Shanghai 200020, China.
- Yacht Club (Mauritius)minorReciprocal agreement with Yacht Club at Old Coastal Road, Grand'Baie, Mauritius.
- Tower Club SingaporeminorReciprocal agreement with Tower Club Singapore at 9 Raffles Place, Penthouse floors 62-64, Singapore 048619.
- The Nassau Club (Princeton)minorReciprocal agreement with The Nassau Club at 6 Mercer St, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA.
- The Pinnacle Club (Augusta)minorReciprocal agreement with The Pinnacle Club at 699 Broad Street, Suite 1700, Augusta, Georgia 30901, USA.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
LE CERCLE DE L'UNION competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- The Travellers Club: Historic London private members' club at Pall Mall with reciprocal access to Le Cercle. Directly comparable as a long-established, selective social club serving accomplished professionals.
- Cercle Royal Gaulois: Brussels-based private members' club with reciprocal access to Le Cercle de l'Union. Directly comparable as a heritage civic/dining club serving the Belgian business and social elite.
- Automobile Club de France: Flagship reciprocal partner and the most prominent Parisian private members' club. Comparable as a historic, elite social/dining club with reciprocal agreements, fine gastronomy, and a similar business-professional member persona.
- KEE Club: Hong Kong-based private members' club with reciprocal agreements in Shanghai and Hong Kong. Comparable as a selective, internationally connected business-social club serving traveling professionals.
- Círculo del Liceo: Barcelona's iconic private members' club on La Rambla, reciprocal partner of Le Cercle. Comparable as a heritage civic and gastronomic club with a refined cultural-event calendar.
- The Savile Club: London Mayfair private members' club with a reciprocal agreement. Comparable in terms of selective membership, fine dining, and a business/cultural-elite member base.
- Casino Maltese: Valletta private members' club and reciprocal partner. Comparable as a historic social/civic club offering dining, events, and reciprocal international access.
- Società del Giardino: Milan private members' club and reciprocal partner. Directly comparable as an established Italian social/dining club with a similar elite-business member profile and event venue.
Regional players
- Cercle Anglais (Pau): Pau-based private members' club with a reciprocal agreement. Comparable as a French provincial heritage social club; differs geographically but operates under the same membership-club model.
- Union Club Bordelais: Bordeaux-based private members' club and reciprocal partner. Comparable as a French provincial private club serving local business elites; regional rather than Lyon-headquartered.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
LE CERCLE DE L'UNION social profiles
Digital presenceLE CERCLE DE L'UNION financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
LE CERCLE DE L'UNION leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
LE CERCLE DE L'UNION funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
LE CERCLE DE L'UNION M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about LE CERCLE DE L'UNION
What does LE CERCLE DE L'UNION do?
Le Cercle de l'Union is a private members' social club founded in 1917, operating from 27 Place Bellecour in Lyon's Presqu'île. It provides dining, bar service, and event hosting to approximately 500 members, and grants reciprocal access through allied private clubs for members traveling outside Lyon. The club is constituted as a French Association Loi 1901 (non-profit association) governed by its membership.
Is LE CERCLE DE L'UNION a public or private company?
LE CERCLE DE L'UNION is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was LE CERCLE DE L'UNION founded?
LE CERCLE DE L'UNION was founded in 1917. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is LE CERCLE DE L'UNION based?
LE CERCLE DE L'UNION is headquartered in Lyon, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, France, in the Europe region.
How does LE CERCLE DE L'UNION make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Membership subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are restaurant and event catering services.
Who are LE CERCLE DE L'UNION's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are The Travellers Club, Cercle Royal Gaulois, Automobile Club de France, KEE Club, Círculo del Liceo, The Savile Club, Casino Maltese and Società del Giardino. Regional players are Cercle Anglais (Pau) and Union Club Bordelais.
Does LE CERCLE DE L'UNION have an API?
No public API is recorded for LE CERCLE DE L'UNION.