Sydney's Members' Clubs: A New Era

The Sandstones Club. Image courtesy of The Sandstones Club.

For more than a century, Sydney’s private members’ clubs have traded on heritage, exclusivity and old-world prestige. Today, a new generation of clubs is redefining what membership can mean. These spaces are no longer simply places to network over lunch or host clients; they are designed as environments where business, wellness, hospitality and social connection intersect.

Leading that shift is The Sandstones Club by Florence Guild, housed within the restored former Department of Lands building in Sydney’s Sandstone Precinct. Here, executive workspaces sit alongside recovery facilities, cultural programming and fine dining, reflecting a broader rethink of what modern private members’ clubs can offer.

The club’s interiors embrace a quiet form of luxury. Images released by Sandstones show soaring heritage ceilings, restored sandstone walls, warm timber joinery and leather furnishings, with lounge-style seating and intimate meeting spaces creating an atmosphere that feels closer to a private residence than a traditional office. The design is intended to encourage conversation and connection, positioning the club as a place where members can work, meet, and unwind throughout the day.

Inside The Sandstones Club. Image courtesy of The Sandstones Club.

The Sandstones Club occupies two floors of The Lands by Capella, one half of Sydney’s restored Sandstone Precinct, a landmark heritage redevelopment by Singapore-based Pontiac Land, which also owns the neighbouring Capella Sydney. Spanning approximately 3,500 square metres, the club is among the city’s largest private membership clubs, with annual memberships reportedly costing around $30,000.

At the centre of the offering is Spezia, said to open this winter, a 140-seat Italian restaurant led by executive chef Jae Bang, alongside a wellness floor built around recovery and cognitive performance and a suite of private offices for members. The project represents Florence Guild founder Soren Trampedach's largest venture to date. Over the past decade, the company has built its Work Club network across Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra before expanding into a club designed specifically for senior executives, founders and business leaders rather than a broader professional community.

The club's interiors blend heritage detailing with contemporary design. Image courtesy of The Sandstones Club.

A similar philosophy underpins The Pillars, a members’ club that opened at 11 Barrack Street in May 2025. Its founders have spoken about creating a space for established business leaders, arguing that while there are many communities designed for people building their careers, there are fewer tailored towards those who have already reached senior levels of business.

That approach also aligns with Tim Gurner’s wellness-focused Saint Haven, which combines luxury fitness, recovery and hospitality in a membership model aimed at high-performing professionals. While each club has its own identity, they reflect a shared shift in expectations: networking remains part of the appeal, but it now sits alongside wellness, cultural experiences and flexible workspaces.

The rise of these clubs also reflects a broader change in how professionals think about work and connection. As remote and hybrid working arrangements have become more common, traditional offices are no longer the only places where people build networks or establish routines. In their place, private clubs are offering a more curated environment, one that combines the productivity of a workplace with the social rituals of hospitality and the personal benefits of wellness.

The Sandstones Club occupies two floors of the heritage Department of Lands building. Image courtesy of The Sandstones Club.

These venues aren't built for a quick meeting. They're designed for members to spend real time in, working, socialising, recovering and connecting, all inside the one environment.

The Sandstones Club’s programming extends beyond dining and networking, with a calendar of talks and conversations designed to bring members into contact with leaders across business, law and public life. Recent events have included a discussion between human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson and Soren Trampedach exploring leadership, judgement and decision-making under pressure. These events reflect the club’s broader ambition to create opportunities for members to engage with influential figures and ideas beyond traditional business networking.

Of course, private members’ clubs are not new to Sydney. The Australian Club, founded in 1838, remains the oldest private members’ club in the Southern Hemisphere, built around tradition, discretion and longstanding social connections. What is changing is not the appeal of exclusivity itself, but what membership now promises.

The Sandstones Club, housed within the restored Department of Lands building. Image courtesy of The Sandstones Club.

The new generation of clubs has expanded the definition of belonging. Heritage and networking have been joined by wellness, curated experiences and thoughtfully designed environments that reflect changing attitudes towards work and leisure.

It is also no longer a category defined by a single institution. Sandstones, The Pillars and Saint Haven each represent different interpretations of the modern members’ club, while continued speculation around international operators such as Soho House suggests Sydney remains firmly on the radar of global brands.

Exactly where the sector goes next remains to be seen, but the recent wave of openings points to growing demand for premium spaces that bring together work, hospitality, wellbeing and community under one roof.