Back in 2003, British entrepreneur Nick Jones opened Soho House, the members-only private club and hotel that sits opposite the Hotel Gansevoort in the meatpacking district. Previously only available for events hosted or sponsored by an existing member, the venue is now being offered as a venue for corporate and nonprofit events as well as private social affairs. Membership is not necessary for event rental, although members are offered the spaces at a discounted fee. And to spiff up the six-year-old site, originally a 45,000-square-foot electronics warehouse, the club renovated its fourth-floor White Room last year and in August will give the fifth-floor Library a facelift.
Another new facet to Soho House is the menu, which was revised earlier this year by the new chef, Neil Ferguson, who previously worked as the chef de cuisine for Gordon Ramsay at the London and headed up the kitchen of Allen & Delancey.
The areas available to nonmembers include the screening room, the White Room, the Library, and the Cowshed spa. The White Room and the Library are suitable spots for cocktail parties, dinners, and meetings, and come fully set up with audiovisual equipment.
The largest space, the Library seats 80 or holds 120 for receptions, and has a built-in 52-inch LCD screen and projector. The refurbishment of this area will do very little to change the actual structure—the bar will stay in place—but will lighten the space and add a wall of shelves lined with books. More intimate events can take over the White Room on the fourth floor, which is often used in conjunction with the 44-seat screening room. The recent upgrade to this section of Soho House was mostly to modernize its look and outfit it with gear for meetings and conferences. The White Room seats 18 for business functions or private dinners, or holds as many as 60 for receptions.
Downstairs on the third floor is the Cowshed, which is offered for group spa activities. Packages billed by the club as "Pretty Parties," allow a maximum of 10 guests to take over the space for an evening and includes services such as facials and manicures as well as food and beverage.
The fabled rooftop pool remains available to members and hotel guests only, and the private dining room adjacent to the restaurant on the club's sixth floor is for club members only.
