"The lines between hotels and members' clubs are blurring" - Daniel Kyriakides on the evolution of this model

Speaker A: Join the UK hospitality industry's leading voices on 3rd of November 2026 for the inaugural Hotel Owner Conference. Hosted by Hotel Owner Magazine at Prince Philip House. This flagship event brings together hoteliers, operators, developers and industry experts for a full day of insight, debate and high value networking. Attendees can expect thought provoking panel discussions, expert keynote speakers and valuable opportunities to connect with peers, suppliers and decision makers from across the Whether you're an owner, operator, investor or hospitality professional, the Hotel Owner Conference offers an essential forum um, to gain fresh perspectives, discover new opportunities and build meaningful industry connections. To find out more, visit hotellownerconference.co.uk today. This episode is brought to you by Howden, the global insurance group. Whether you run a boutique hotel, independent B and B or international hotel group, Howden is here to back your business every step of the way so you can focus on what matters most, delivering exceptional guest experiences. Welcome to Checking In, a weekly podcast from hotel owner, the UK's trusted source of hotel news and analysis. Each week we meet with seasoned hoteliers, industry insiders and hospitality entrepreneurs to share the real stories, lessons and ideas behind what makes great hospitality work. We'll unpack the decisions behind the success stories, the mistakes that shaped them and what you can learn from their experience. If you like the podcast, make sure to subscribe on your podcast platform of choice and for more information, visit hotelowner.co.uk or drop us a line at podcastotelowner.co.uk hi, I'm Heather, host of this episode where we speak to Daniel Kyriakidiz, a partner at law firm Reid Smith. We discuss why private members clubs are experiencing resurgence and what that means for the future of the hotel sector. From heritage buildings being reimagined as lifestyle destinations to hotels borrowing the experiential playbook of members clubs, we discuss how the lines between the two are becoming increasingly blurred and, and why global growth is on the horizon for the private members club model.

Speaker B: Hi Daniel, welcome to checking in and thank you so much for joining us.

Speaker C: Yeah, thanks for having me. Pleasure to uh, be here.

Speaker B: Uh, so yeah, to get us started, can you tell us a little bit about your career journey to date and

Speaker A: more about your current role at Reed Smith?

Speaker C: Yeah, so, uh, I'm a partner in the real estate department at reedsmith, which is an international, uh, law firm. Um, and um, I started, I actually started my career there m there many years ago. Um, having listened to a couple of your podcasts, I feel a bit of an imposter just given how much some of um, your other interviewees have traveled, etc. My story is a lot more boring unfortunately. Um, when uh, I came out, well, when I was deciding what to do at university, my mother was quite proactive so she said that I had to find a profession. And so the options were sort of accounting, law or uh, medicine I guess. And um, I wasn't very good at maths or biology so that kind of left me with law. Um, and yeah, initially I thought that I was going to probably go into something like international arbitration. Sounds very glamorous and like you're traveling around a lot uh, but ended up qualifying into the real estate department. And that was purely just because I, I really liked um, the transactional aspects of the job and working with like a broad range of different clients, all in different industries, um, and with a particular focus in central London which is great. You know, I live and work in central London so it's, it's been great to kind of see a lot of the projects that I've work on um, in the flesh and get a real feel for them.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker B: Wonderful. And what other aspects of the raw um, excite you? Obviously that must be very satisfying to see those projects come to life.

Speaker C: Yeah, yeah, I think um, working with a broad client base is great because you get a lot of different perspectives. So um, I'm kind of sector agnostic in the sense that I'll work with clients across all types of um, all different kind of real estate needs that could be um, in the hotel and private member's place, uh, but it can also be in a number of other areas, industrial development, um, uh, retirement homes, etc. And um, I think a particular area that I really enjoy is working with uh, entrepreneurs who may not have that much specialist real estate knowledge and just helping them really grow their business. It could be from them taking a new lease for a new flagship store in London or it could be looking at ways to raise financing for their business business so that they can then uh, look to grow that business. And some of my best clients uh, are the ones where I've been there from this, from from the very start and kind of seeing the business grow and feeling almost like an extension of their in house teams, um, is, is really good and I think that's probably the biggest compliment that clients can ever give me is when they uh, turn around and say that they just feel like, you know, that I'm an extension of, of their, their in house team. Yeah, um, just someone that they can run, run ideas past and things like that and um, you know, a Lot of my job is, is about presenting problems M. And they can be legal problems, uh, to the client, but then it's about trying to work out solutions to that.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker C: And um, yeah, when you, when you get to do that and see, see things through to when they finish, it's quite rewarding.

Speaker D: Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker B: And what would you say, I suppose, is the key to maintaining these, these strong client relationships? And what does that look like, I suppose in terms of communicating with them and like you say, presenting these solutions to ideas?

Speaker C: Yes, I think it's probably very similar to kind of how hotels and private members clubs operate. Actually, at the end of the day what I'm selling is a service and that's what people are essentially buying. It's, you know, there's a lot of lawyers out there or working for a lot of different good firms and um, there's not much to differentiate, um, between them, but actually it's being their person, the person that they trust and um, you know, providing a service to them. And doesn't matter when they may call you, you know, they may have needs outside of normal standard business hours. They, uh, mean, you know, a business might need to get a deal done by a certain time frame and it's just really working, um, with them and providing that service, I guess, um, that top quality service which is what my clients kind of expect.

Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Speaker B: Well, it sounds very successful endeavor indeed. Um, and I suppose it would be great to speak to you more about private members club. Um, obviously it's very exciting, exciting space and hospitality and we have seen a rise in it in recent years. So I wanted to ask you, what do you think is behind that boost in how our private members clubs redefining hospitality in the uk?

Speaker C: Yes, it's a good question. I think there are really two key forces at work. I think the first is kind of after the pandemic there's been sort of massive growth in the hospitality industry. I think people, you know, they really miss not being able to go on holiday, not being able to meet in person. And we've seen that growth, you know, people. One of the first things that people wanted to do once, um, you know, the lockdowns were finished is to try to um, go on holiday, ah, socialize with friends. So that's obviously been a key, a key factor and we've really seen sort of that growth exponentially since the pandemic. And then I think the second thing is, is ah, a move which is kind of linked to the pandemic, but it's also separate to it in terms of how we're seeing, um, people want more than just you know, the standard hotel experience. They're looking for that lifestyle, uh, experiential experience. Um, and I think part of that is, you know, Covid has played a factor in that because more, more people now work flexibly. Um, you know, they want somewhere that they can maybe take a business call, but at the same time they can socialize with friends. And um, I think what the private members space has done is, has really allowed that to grow, um, and develop. And yeah, like I said, I think part of it is Covid, but part of it is just how industry has changed from you know, 20 years ago. Yeah, um, you know, if you take like the tech entrepreneur of today, they, they don't want to work the standard 9 to 5. They want to be able to go somewhere where they can use the gym, socialize with friends. But then if they need to jump on a business call or meet a client, they can do that. And that private member space offering is something that really allows them that flexibility, um, and experience.

Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Speaker B: And I suppose, um, thinking about like you say the last 20 years, how has the sort of model of the private members club evolved? Um, obviously there are tenets that remain the same, but how have you seen that uh, evolving and what's driven those changes?

Speaker C: Yeah, so I think when people think of the traditional private members club, they, they often think of the kind of old boys clubs of Saint James's and Pall Mall where you know, you have to wear a jacket and a tie and um, you know, it was only memberships, only open, um, to men. Um, and I think it's really changed now um, because members clubs are like I said, a lot more about um, providing, you know, a number of different factors for someone, uh, you know, offering a gym, offering ah, different restaurants that people can socialize in, offering bars, um, and different experiences. And people want more than just um, the traditional offering. And I think as millennials and Gen Z, uh, generations, uh, um, have grown up and developed what they want is not that traditional model. They want something that they can really buy into and um, allow them, um, you know, if they're living in a central London flat, for example, you know, being a member of a private, private members clubs gives them the opportunity to maybe use a garden that that private members club has or a rooftop pool or you know, like I said with the gym, you know, lifestyle and health and well being has become um, massive and a massive industry. Um, in the past 10 years. I'd say and um, we've certainly seen private members club really um, kind of lean into that and you know being able to offer things like yoga and wellness retreats and spas um, is something that I think a lot of people want and like.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker B: And I was going to ask you about demographics for today's private members club. So is that something you're seeing in practice and that shift towards uh, more Gen Z and Millennials?

Speaker C: So certainly on the customer side, yes, it's, it's definitely um, an area of growth I think. You know like I said when, when you think of the traditional model it was very much a man of a certain age, um, a ah, businessman of a certain age who would be a member. But nowadays um, it's far more than that. And Gen Z and Millennials, I think they're big on having the experience and it's the all round experience that they want to buy into and it's being able to offer all of that um, in, in one place. Um, and yeah, hopefully giving them almost an extension of what they consider their home to be in a way. But um, I think on the investor side certainly the private members club has um, you know as a real estate lawyer what I've seen is a lot more attraction um, from uh, a wide range of investors on the investor side because, and they see this business model and it's great. You get a constant revenue stream uh from the fact that most of these clubs charge an annual fee and monthly memberships. Um, and then on top of that there's food and beverage, um, offerings, um, event offerings, et cetera, um, all the ways to generate income. Uh, and that's something that's certainly drawn um, a wide range of investors um, I think to the private members club space. You know it can really vary. So you have like ultra high, high net worth individuals and family offices who are very interested in the space. I guess. You know often these members clubs are uh, associated with kind of trophy Central London assets and so they're buying the asset and, and then obviously the prestige that comes with that asset and often the private members club, um, all the way through to foreign investors from the US and the Middle east, um, in particular. Um, and yeah, in terms of, on the financing side what we have certainly noticed a lot um, at Reed Smith is that um, traditional banks are not now the only lenders in the space. Um, uh, so what we're seeing is a lot of private credit wealth funds um, who are now investing into the hotel and um, private member space and they're able to um, provide kind of a more alternative way, uh, of financing things.

Speaker B: So is that quite a recent shift then you've noticed? And what do you think has sort of driven that?

Speaker C: Yeah, I'd say probably last five to ten years. Um, on that. I think there's a number of factors. Um, the more traditional, uh, lenders have kind of moved away from uh, real estate and um, businesses around real estate just because of their own internal processes. And so that's left a space um, for alternative investors to kind of come in. And um, you know, certainly when you look at hotels and private members clubs, they are um, very, they can be very successful businesses. And so um, that's attracted a lot of interest.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker C: From these types of funds.

Speaker B: Yeah, I suppose like you say, especially the, you know, the positives, um, that come with the revenue streams with this model.

Speaker D: Yeah, absolutely.

Speaker B: Um, and, and for you from your perspective, what is it like when you are dealing with this range of investors and how do you sort of adjust your, your approach if, if you do so?

Speaker C: Yeah, so I think it, it varies significantly from who, who you're dealing with. Right. So I have some clients who are restaurateurs and uh, entrepreneurs and they kind of leave a lot to me because they're relying. They've instructed me to kind of deal with it when it comes to the lease or their agreements in terms of um, that they've got in place, their legal agreements. They don't really, as long as you know, the key terms, they know about anything else they just want me to deal with. Um, but then obviously you know, when you're dealing with the, on the fund side and um, you know, more sophisticated investors, um, they may have their own in house legal teams who uh, want to scrutinize things and want to discuss things and um. So yeah, that, that level of sophistication, uh, can create a different dynamic in a way. Um, but uh, I guess what I really enjoy in my role is being able to have the mix and the balance. Um, and definitely one of the things that I enjoy most is probably advising uh, those people who have less kind of legal knowledge. And um, you're really kind of being able to delve into their business and find out more about their business and how I can. I think in that situation you, you as the lawyer feel like you're really adding value because you're providing something that um, that, that they don't have, um, in house.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker C: Um, and I guess as a lawyer I'm kind of quite risk averse. Uh, and most lawyers are and so um, you know being able to work with kind of entrepreneurs, restaurateurs, people like that, it's, it's quite cool and interesting and yeah, um, certainly, you know it can be uh, it can be quite different.

Speaker D: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker B: But it sounds like a very sort of symbiotic relationship where you both learn from each other.

Speaker C: Exactly. I like to think so.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker B: Very satisfying. Um, and I suppose, I guess thinking of risks, uh, sort of in today's market what are the biggest sort of risks and I suppose operational considerations when it comes to investors engaging in a hybrid concept like private members clubs would you say? And how do you help your clients navigate these? What's your approach to that?

Speaker C: Yeah, so there are a few, I think um, one of the biggest factors is the capital expenditure uh, which can put certain investors off investing in this space. Um, I would say that hotels in general require quite large capex expenditure uh from an investor side. You know, um, and um, a lot of the businesses moved away from the traditional lease model where um, a hotel group would take a lease of the hotel and just pay a rent to the owner, uh, and far more towards the hotel management agreement or a franchise agreement um, set up. And that definitely uh, requires a lot more in terms of capital expenditure from an investor side. Um but I guess the trade off is that the investor can then hopefully um, partake and benefit from um, any income that's generated. So um, that's certainly why um, I think it's been interesting to see sort of the rise of the private member hotel hybrid because um, you know for I think a long period of time, um, what you saw was you had a lot of five star hotels and they would have a restaurant offering um, which would be good and sufficient. But certainly now what we're seeing is you know those hotels, those, those top hotels, what they want to do is they want to put partner with um, kind of the brands that are uh, well established in the restaurant or private members uh space and that can really sort of generate even more income. Um and I think that sort of model, it really started I think in the Middle east and the Far east, particularly the Middle east because um, what happened was is that you had hotel, you had restaurant groups that wanted to operate in the uae, you know, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, etc, and the only way that they could get a license to um, sell alcohol was to attach themselves to a hotel. And um, I think quite a lot of the um, savvy hotel groups saw what the impact was by having a well established brand operating within their hotel. How Much that would drive uh, and generate income. And um, yeah we've just seen that grow massively and um, to the point now where also we see a lot um again another concept that started in the Middle east in terms of uh, luxury hotel residences being offered. So the Four Seasons Group Mandarin Oriental offering um, hotel residencies and that's now come to London. Um, and so again it's building into that people, you know, particularly in that ultra uh, wealthy high end luxury market, uh, people want to buy into a brand, you know they, they're willing to pay a price but in order for that what they want is brand consistency um, wherever they are, whether it's New York, London, Hong Kong, um, and, and so that I think you know some savvy hotel and private members clubs have really bought into that.

Speaker A: This episode is brought to you by Howden, the global insurance group. Whether you run a boutique hotel, independent B and B or international hotel group, Howden is here to back your business every step of the way so you

Speaker B: can focus on what matters most.

Speaker A: Delivering exceptional guest experiences. Join the UK hospitality industry's leading voices on 3rd of November 2026 for the inaugural Hotel Owner Conference hosted by Hotel Owner Magazine at ah, Prince Philip House. This flagship event brings together hoteliers, operators, developers and industry experts for a full day of insight, debate and high value networking. Attendees can expect thought provoking panel discussions, expert keynote speakers and valuable opportunities to connect with peers, suppliers and decision makers

Speaker B: from across the sector.

Speaker A: Whether you're an owner, operator, investor or hospitality professional, the Hotel Owner Conference offers an essential forum um, to gain fresh perspectives, discover new opportunities and build meaningful industry connections. To find out more visit hotelownerconference.co.uk today.

Speaker B: Yeah, I was going to ask if you're seeing that more in practice in the UK hotels borrowing from this model and adapting it for their own.

Speaker C: Yeah, massively. Um, and I think we can see it also kind of in the recent and also in the pipeline. If you look at the Six Senses Hotel which um, opened at the Old Whiteleys, um, you know they're offering as part of it residences, uh you've got the hotel and then also they're offering um a gym and a membership to Six Senses too. Um and then in the pipeline Cambridge House uh, in Mayfair which is uh, an asset that Reed AH Smith has been heavily involved in and we've advised um, a large team, not just me, have advised on kind of all aspects of um, that redevelopment. So we actually acquired that building for the client and have seen it all the way through now and it should open sooner. It's going to be an auberge, ah, hotel. And there will be a private members club offering there too. So that'll be exciting to see.

Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, amazing.

Speaker B: And, and I suppose for hotels that have done this successfully, um, how has that been achieved in practice? You don't have to name names, but could you perhaps take us through the kind of specific um, successes and, and tweak operational tweaks in practice that have made those who've shifted to this really succeed and strive out?

Speaker C: Yeah, um, I think there are loads of examples and I think a really great example actually is how the London private members club is now. Is kind of taken another step on from the traditional members club offering in terms of. We're seeing Estelle Manor open and Soho Farmhouse open and they've been such massive successes because you know they've, they've got the, these, these London clubs have a massive London demographic and a lot of the people who are members want to be able to go and have a country offering and they've just been massive successes. So I wouldn't be surprised if we saw even more of the. Those um, kind of pop up. Um, and uh, for me that's kind of one step on from the tradition, you know, how the private members club have really um, sort of moved on from just being uh, offering, you know, a London offering. And we're seeing certainly, uh, clubs like the Arts Club looking at expanding into Middle east and America. Um, and then obviously Soho House has expanded massively, um, and kind of from its origins as a private members club has now become a hotel group, a restaurant group and offering so much more. Um, and I think they're opening in Manchester now which will be the first time that they open outside of London in the uk.

Speaker B: Brilliant. Um, and yeah, Manchester in of itself is a very interesting space and hospitality right now. Um, yeah, and I was going to ask you because of course London being so intrinsically linked to private members clubs where you're, you are seeing more appetite for growth. So would you say Manchester or are there other markets that you think could be exciting?

Speaker C: So, yeah, I think London is in a league of its own.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker C: Just because of the population for starters. And also um, the number of people that come to London for business, for pleasure and uh, it's where the M. Private members club actually originated from. Um, we are seeing uh, in Manchester like you said. Uh, we, Reid Smith have also worked on the redevelopment of Newcastle city centre. Uh, um, and as part of that there's been um, hotel offerings and one of the hotels is offering private members, um, spaces. It'll be interesting to see whether that develops into um, a more established market. I would say at the moment it's still very much in the early stages and in its early form. Uh, whereas when you look at London, um, it's, it's probably, you know, I would, I would certainly say it's the market leader in the private members ah, space globally, not just in the uk.

Speaker D: Yeah, absolutely. It's. Yeah.

Speaker B: When you think of private members clubs, one can't help always but to think of London, um, and brilliant and you know, within the, within this market we're seeing more historic buildings being transformed into hospitality venues, um, including private members clubs. Uh, why do you think this model sort of lends itself so well to adapted adaptive reuse? And what is that like on your end when you're handling deals that involve this?

Speaker C: Yeah, I think it goes back to the branding. Right. Um, and so often um, when you think of private members clubs you think of old ornate buildings in central London. Um, and um, a lot of the buildings that they operate from are actually really beautiful inside and they're listed. Um, and that's great, you know, and I think it's a major draw for a lot of members is they, they like that and they're almost um, buying you know, a bit of history by becoming a member of certain clubs and being able to use those spaces. Um, so uh, that's definitely a draw and I think it fits really well with the brands overall. Um, I guess it's kind of trying to find that balance between modern and traditional. And I think that's where um, you know, private members clubs have been quite good at that. Uh, trying to fuse the two together and being able to um, you know, um, offer a range of services. And sometimes it, it means building. Um, for example, from my experience you can take ah, a very old building and then it's looking at ways to redevelop that in a sustainable fashion. Um, and uh, making sure that uh, you're compliant uh, with listing etc. All sorts of uh, planning considerations, uh, and bringing those complexities together, I guess.

Speaker B: And what would you say, is it about the private members club model in particular that lends itself so well to finding that balance and maintaining that flexibility without losing the core of its model?

Speaker C: Yeah, um, I think there are a number of factors. Um, the first is obviously the guest experience. Right. That's why people, people join, um, etc. So um, it's about maintaining that uh, level of feeling like you're part of something but getting the balance right in terms of exclusivity versus inclusivity. Um, and um, people want to buy into um, a brand. You know, um, particularly like I said in terms of the luxury side, um, people are willing to pay but they want to know about consistency of brand and having that consistency of brand. Um, it just really works well. And we see you know, private members clubs now what they often do is they'll have pop ups open in south of France or Ibiza, uh, Mykonos, um, and again it's, it's about servicing you know, their members across the globe almost. Um, and um, I think you know a lot of the clientele that they are, ah, attracting are people that want to uh, have, they want that same certain standard wherever they go and wherever they travel. Um, and they're happy to pay for that. Um, but yeah, just having that consistency.

Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Speaker B: And what a brilliant way to kind of showcase that consistency across the globe.

Speaker C: Exactly, yeah.

Speaker B: Um, and it's interesting that you mentioned sort of exclusivity versus uh, inclusivity um on the podcast a few weeks ago ago we had Andrew from Home House, I know, you know, and he, he spoke about that sort of need for inclusive exclusivity. Um, so I just, I suppose I wanted to ask your opinion on what is the best way to have that approach and ensure that you maintain that sort of community feeling and that sort of privilege of exclusivity without um, you know, shutting out certain, certain sectors.

Speaker C: Yeah, I think it's, I think it's really hard actually. And I think different private members clubs and different clients of mine, um, take different approaches on it and I don't think that there's one size that fits all. I think it really does depend again in terms of the brand of each specific private members club. You know, if you take Soho House for example, they want to appeal to a much younger demographic who uh, probably working in sort of more the tech or the arts. Um, whereas you have more traditional clubs like 5 Hertford street which is probably attracting an older demographic and I guess it's about finding the right balance for their clientele and knowing, I think it comes back to them knowing their brands really well. Um, because if they know their brands really well then they know who they can appeal to.

Speaker D: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker B: Um, and like you say, I'm sure it varies uh, quite wildly on a case to case basis. But I, I suppose that's the beauty of this model is it can be so flexible and varied.

Speaker C: Yeah, exactly. And I think what we've, what we've really seen is the expansion in terms of the, the number of different offerings. You know, you can, there's so many different types of, of private members clubs and how they operate. If you take home House for an example, they've got gym offering, uh, but they also have restaurant offerings. Um, a big attraction is having access to Portman Square as well and a tennis court there. So that could be something specific. Whereas for example, if you take a, ah, recently opened private members club like Roof Gardens, um, in Kensington, um, you know, a major pull there is the fact that of the Gardens, um, which are quite original on the roof and um, they've been completely transformed um, as part of that. And uh. Yeah, so it's about exactly that in terms of what people want and there's a wide variety and I think people kind of find what, what tribe they want to. Want to be in.

Speaker D: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker B: I was going to say it does seem like an area that really has the space to capture uh, the needs of all kinds of guests in today's hospitality.

Speaker C: Exactly, yeah.

Speaker B: Uh, brilliant. Um, and I suppose kind of going forward, as we continue to see this market evolve, will the sort of the distinction between hotels and members clubs continue to blur? Is that something that you think will, will see more of in terms of borrowing from perhaps each other's models and evolving in that way?

Speaker C: Yeah, I definitely think so. I think we're seeing it already, um, where you've got, you know, private members clubs going into the hotel space and then hotels looking to establish private members club branding to offer that as part of their hotels. So. And it, it works, it's a good model that works both ways. Right. Because, because uh, from the um, hotel perspective, it's able to uh, generate a new source of income from being able to offer different restaurant experience. The private members clubs offer, uh, uh, and from the private members club space they're able to um, service their members by providing rooms and expanding the business. So that it's not just the uh, traditional, traditional model that they're offering. You know, it's, it's, it's, it's, it's building on that and you know, you can see it almost the potential for it to go internationally. Um, which I think we'll see, we will see more of, um, in the next few years.

Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Speaker B: And, and we've touched on, you know, what hotels can borrow from, from this model in order to, to be a success in themselves. Um, and I suppose what other advice would you have for say a hotelier who wants to perhaps move m more towards this model and open up these revenue streams, but perhaps doesn't quite know where to start. What would your advice be for beginning that journey?

Speaker C: Yeah, I think it's important to first of all kind of establish what their brand to know their brand first and then find a partner who understands their brand completely. And that is often the hardest part I think. Um, and looking at it from clients perspective, it's often um, a key sticking point as well is finding that partner, um, who you can really build and grow with and make sure that your goals are completely uh, aligned. Um, uh. But yeah, I guess it comes down to knowing your own brand first. Right. If you know your own brand very well then um, you can kind of hopefully look uh, for opportunities with brands that you think will align with your own brand.

Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, absolutely.

Speaker B: That's good advice. Um, and I guess, yes, just to sort of finish off looking ahead. What excites you most about the development of this area of this model? I suppose in terms of from an investor's perspective, from a guest's perspective, um, yeah. How do you see that evolving and what are you uh, looking forward to in this space?

Speaker C: I think it's just been really interesting to see how this industry has grown, um, and it's expanded and it about offering that uh, lifestyle experience, uh, focused offering which is not just about the traditional hotel room but it's also not just about the traditional uh, private members club. And um, that's really exciting. I think it creates a lot of opportunities. Uh, we'll see a lot more kind of partnerships, joint ventures, things like that. So um, it's, it's definitely exciting. And then hopefully kind of seeing things expand on a more global um level um, in years to come. I would, I would hope, hope for that too. You know, um, I touched upon how I think London is, is certainly the global market leader in, in the private members club space. So seeing that kind of expand to the U.S. the Middle east, the Far east, that would be something that'll be very exciting and um, it's certainly something that I can see uh, working uh, particularly when you look at you know, certain areas like um, if you take for example Louisiana, New York, Miami, um, you know, the clientele that private member clubs attract, I think it would certainly work in, in those kind of spaces too.

Speaker D: Yeah.

Speaker B: Yeah, it'll be really interesting to see I suppose especially thinking of how far the model has come in exactly decades. Uh, it seems that it really lends itself well to, to change and like you say it will be very interesting to see that be globalized. Um, and finally, Daniel, we finish each episode with a question left by the last guest. Our last guest was Jackie Brown from Wyndham and she's asked what does exceptional hospitality look like in an increasing, interestingly digital world?

Speaker C: Wow. Um, that's a really good question actually. Um, so I think almost, um, kind of, you know, it's also not just about the digital aspect. I think one of the big things with private members clubs is the personal offering, um, that it provides. And so in a way I think it's trying to find the correct balance in terms of providing a personal service, but using obviously technology and digital technology to really generate growth and business. Um, I think one of the major draws and pulls why people want to join private members clubs is because they often want to get away from the digital world world or um, and the private members club space allows them uh, to do that and provide them with something different and almost an escape. Um, but from a private members club's business perspective, I think in today's world, um, there's so much opportunity in terms of digital technology and how that's shaping us and just the sheer amount of data that can be collected by the clubs themselves. Um, you know, most clubs now obviously they work off an app and they can pretty much track, you know, what their, um, different private member, their members are spending on, uh, how often they come to the club, what times of the day they come. And so there's so much kind of marketing material that's available and at their fingertips, tips. Um, and that will be something that I think, you know, that can allow them to kind of really get to know their client base even better and then be able to tailor maybe, you know, specific offerings to specific members, uh, as a way of generating, um, income and uh, increasing, uh, income.

Speaker D: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker B: I think something we've seen increasingly is sort of demand for personalization and hospitality.

Speaker C: So I suppose, absolutely, yeah, yeah. Everyone wants the personal, personal touch and the personal service, right?

Speaker D: Yeah, yeah.

Speaker B: And yeah, very interesting line for hospitality to toe between, like you say, the personal touch and harnessing that tech. So, yeah, be interesting to see how that develops.

Speaker C: Absolutely, yeah.

Speaker B: Um, and finally, Daniel, do you have a question to. For our next guest?

Speaker C: Yeah, so I did actually. Um, as the line between hotels, members clubs and branded residences continue to blur, do you think the traditional five star hotel model that was reliant upon just room, uh, the hotel room experience, um, will cease to be a viable business?

Speaker B: That's a really interesting question. Yeah, we will we will pass it on. It'll be interesting to hear the answer.

Speaker A: Thanks for listening to Checking In, a weekly podcast from hotel owner, the UK's trusted source of hotel industry news and analysis. If you're interested in sponsoring episodes of the podcast, drop us a line at podcastoteleona ah.co.uk. Join the UK hospitality industry's leading voices on 3rd of November 2026 for the inaugural Hotel Owner Conference. Hosted by Hotel Owner Magazine at Prince Philip House. This flagship event brings together hoteliers, operators, developers and industry experts for a full day of insight, debate and high value networking. Attendees can expect thought provoking panel discussions, expert keynote speakers and valuable opportunities to connect with peers, suppliers and decision makers from across the sector. Whether you're an owner, operator, investor or hospitality professional, the Hotel Owner Conference offers an essential forum to gain fresh perspectives, discover new opportunities and build meaningful industry connections. To find out more, visit Hotel Owner Conference today. This episode is brought to you by Howden, the global insurance broker. Howden is a proud principal partner of the British and Irish Lions and as well as being front of Jersey sponsor for the 2025 men's tour, is helping to make history as a series title partner for the first ever Halden Lions Women's Series in 2027. Whether you run a boutique hotel, independent B and B or international hotel group, there are 101 reasons why Halden's great for you. From tailored policies to true peace of mind, Halden is here to back your business every step of the way so

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