Tucked away on the corner of Portman Square, just metres from the hustle and bustle of Oxford Street, the laid-back neighbourhood feel of Marylebone and the well-heeled streets of Mayfair, Home House is perhaps the capital's best-kept, and most debaucherous, secret. I say ‘tucked’, though in fact, once through the unobtrusive doorway from the street outside, the members' club in fact sprawls across three connected town houses, centered by an eye-catching helical, marble staircase.
Everything here carries its own intrigue, down to the basement gym, with equipment found in a veritable rabbit warren of rooms that once housed the original Georgian kitchens, including a small spa too with a sauna, steam room and relaxation space, and - through a vaulted door next to the weights room - a gold-clad nightclub (The Vault), a decadent underground clubroom for late-night revelry, dancing and raucous singalongs (in the private karaoke booth) until the early hours of the morning.
Above ground, a string of restaurants, bars and lounges offer a smorgasbord of atmospheres, from a civilised breakfast (lap trays optional!) in one of the drawing rooms - its oversized Georgian windows looking out over the more mundane offering of life outside - to an intimate candlelit dinner at The Restaurant, followed by cocktails at The Bison Bar, and in season, the Garden is an oasis that begs an afternoon set-up of a chilled bottle of something sparkling.
Upstairs (reached via a characterful, though rickety, old servants life), bedrooms pepper the upper floors, most named after people, and as unique in styling as the cast of characters that have lived in Home House. Picture quirky patterned wallpapers, original fireplaces, chaise lounges, statement beds (some four-poster, some sleigh, some half-tester), intricate tiling, reclaimed chandeliers, and gilt-framed artworks, with bathrooms bedecked in Penhaglion’s toiletries and oversized bath tubs (many of which look like works of art, rather than bathing facilities).
Staff here are friendly and personable, used to catering to the every whim and wish of their guests, and each with their own stories of parties and guests gone-by. And that is likely exactly how Elizabeth, Countess of Home, intended it back in 1773, when she commissioned the property be built purely as a party house, for visitors’ enjoyment and entertainment.
Membership gives you 24-hour access to the club, weekly member events at the House, including the legendary Member parties throughout the year, as well as discounted rates for private hire of their exclusive terrace, events spaces and meeting rooms, or complimentary hire for birthdays. Find out more about membership here.
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