Private members’ clubs in Singapore eye aggressive expansion, despite 1880’s sudden closure

SINGAPORE – Private members-only club 1880 shut without warning on June 17, but other players are expanding here and overseas, as the appetite for such clubs remains healthy.

Mandala Club in Bukit Pasoh Road is growing its floor space by taking over a building next door, while wine-centric 67 Pall Mall in Shaw Centre has secured its next outpost in Shanghai, with plans to open a handful more sites within the next two years.

Last week,

1880 in Robertson Quay closed after eight years,

with its holding and operating companies placed under provisional liquidation. This followed the sudden shutdown of its Hong Kong branch in May, after less than seven months in operation.

In a message to members, the club’s founder alluded to misguided opportunities for expansion that he “could not resist” as contributing to its collapse.

Private members’ clubs typically have an international membership base, comprising professionals, creatives and the who’s who of society, among others.

With a joining fee that usually starts in the thousands and a monthly maintenance fee of a few hundred dollars, they have in-house food and beverage options, and programming ranging from panel discussions to themed parties.

While what happened with 1880 has prompted caution in the industry, other established members’ clubs in the scene tell ST they are well-capitalised and ready to grow.

“1880’s expansion decisions extended them a little bit and that led to what happened... but internally it also made us say, let’s be careful with our expansion,” said Mr Ben Jones, chief executive and founder of The Mandala Group.

“We have a lot at stake, and we’re building what we want to be around in 10, 20 years from now,” he said.

Mandala Club plans to acquire new properties and launch new ventures in the luxury experiences space.

But first up is the expansion of its Singapore flagship in the next three months.

With a current footprint of four shophouses, the club announced on June 27 its acquisition of a neighbouring 836 sq m unit, which will increase its space by 50 per cent.

The extension will house a ballroom with a high ceiling, for everything from panel talks to music performances, and all-day dining, among other facilities.

The $2 million investment is the latest in a series of major upgrades by the almost four-year-old club, which has also secured a beachfront property in Bali.

The club-hotel hybrid with 35 keys will target the local entrepreneur and wellness communities, said Mr Jones. It is the first of the club’s larger expansion plans that will kick off in South-east Asia, he added.

As with other private members’ clubs with international outposts, such as London-headquartered Soho House, members from Singapore will be able to utilise the facilities at Mandala’s other properties.

Mandala Club started in 2018 as Straits Clan, which was sold to The Mandala Group in 2021 and reopened the same year. In early 2025, it partnered ICON1C Group, a luxury hospitality group backed by Kuala Lumpur-based tech firm Catcha Group – a move that expanded its resources.

“We’re in the healthiest profitability and capitalised situation we’ve ever been... We can fund potential growth or merger and acquisition strategies, where we can acquire other businesses that fit the luxury experiences (scope),” said Mr Jones. These include luxury wellness, concierge and experience agencies.

Any new clubs will open in the region first, in locations Mandala feels its core membership base cares about.

Similarly for 67 Pall Mall, growth plans will take it to “where wine lovers want us”, said Mr Grant Ashton, chief executive of the members’ club that he founded in 2015, named after its location in the prestigious street in London.

On Jan 20, the club announced that it secured its first Chinese outpost in Shanghai.

The Singapore outpost opened in 2022. It currently also has venues in Verbier in Switzerland and Hong Kong, with clubs being developed in Melbourne, as well as Bordeaux and Beaune in France.

“We take what we can learn, and are always careful when our industry and sector is affected,” Mr Ashton said of 1880’s abrupt closure. But he stressed that 67 Pall Mall is a “very different brand”, with the product and model largely revolving around wine.

“It’s because of this niche and how we’ve honed it over the years that has led to not only our loyal membership base but (also) very steady growth,” he said.

With a 10-year strategy, 67 Pall Mall is positioning itself as a permanent fixture in the members’ club scene.

“Apart from establishing new sites, we have just purchased the freehold (lease) of our club in Verbier, and are negotiating further property transactions for our existing clubs that will strengthen the group’s asset base and secure our sites for the long term,” Mr Ashton said.

“If everything runs to plan, we will be delivering four new clubs by 2026, 2027.”