Private members-only business clubs come back to life across the country

New menus, hi-tech air filter systems, Zoom rooms to woo patrons

The buzz is slowly returning to private members-only business clubs across the country after a period of quiet resulting from the second pandemic-induced lockdown. And to woo patrons back to the premises, many of these exclusive clubs are going the extra mile with new menus and the promise of a safe environment.

Take, for instance, the country’s first exclusive club, The Chambers, at the Taj Mahal in New Delhi. It recently announced “Innergise”, a curated set of menus featuring home-grown ingredients with immunity-boosting superfoods and antioxidants.  The Indian Hotel Company Limited (IHCL) runs seven Taj Hotel Chambers in Mumbai (two locations), Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Dubai. Another is being opened in London by the end of the month. Also on the cards is one in Bengaluru.

At The Belvedere, The Oberoi’s private club that is located across five cities, members have started turning up for lunch, dinner and cocktails. Some of them, who frequent the club but requested not to be named, say stringent air ventilation systems and hygiene checks are all in line with a post-pandemic world at The Belvedere. 

Meanwhile, some players are even choosing to expand. Vivek Narain, who founded The Quorum in Gurugram and then launched one in Mumbai, says business is up. “Traction and footfalls have significantly increased post the second re-opening,” he says. “In fact, when compared to July 2020, our revenue and footfall are up by over 200 per cent in July 2021. We’re seeing an increase in ‘revenge buying’ with members wanting to step out for social occasions.”

The Quorum in Mumbai was conceived during the pandemic and so, features for members have been designed to serve the needs of a new world. “We created Zoom Rooms since video conferencing has become such an important mode of communication,” says Narain. “These rooms have been designed with great acoustics and curated artwork to help create the perfect setting for calls.”

The Chambers at the Taj Mahal in Delhi, too, opened after renovation some months ago. Among the new features here is a 60-seater restaurant, the Albero, seven meeting rooms of which one is designed by luxury brand Stefano Ricci, and a cigar lounge.

Members are also using these facilities as a sort of second office. “The Chambers served as my office away from office throughout the pandemic,” says Sharukh Katrak, managing partner at Bayarea Terminals. “Being in the essential business of logistics, I went to The Chambers for important in-person meetings as and when required. It was the only place I could trust, given the high standard of sanitisation.”

Events, albeit small ones, are now being hosted at these clubs. Sunil Narang, general manager of the Four Seasons Hotel in Mumbai, says “Yes, we’re slowly but surely seeing a return of smaller events. We’ve hosted a few intimate gatherings at The Club recently for our members and also for entrepreneur networking sessions.”

He adds, “With markets opening up and gradual ease of restrictions, we soon hope to curate bespoke, one-of-a-kind intimate events for our members that will enrich their experience and connect with them in meaningful ways.”

Narain says that “in-person events are very much on and post the lockdown, we have noticed that everyone is looking for more light-hearted content where they can socialise and have a good time rather than the heavier intellectual events for now.” He adds that there’s also been a sense of fatigue around virtual events, “so we’re staying away from digital programming”.

However, in certain cities such as Mumbai, the 10 pm curfew applies, which restricts offerings.

Has the vibe changed at these clubs? “The Chambers dining room had already reduced its seating capacity to less than 50 per cent even before the government set protocols," Katrak says. "With extremely limited footfalls due to the nature of the membership selection (by-invitation-only), the feeling was the same as always. But one can see social distance arrangements always in place, and that's a good thing.”