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Soho House has finally arrived in Manchester, perched high above St John’s in the old Granada Studios building. It is the first house in the north of England for the internationally recognised private members’ club brand, which first opened in London in 1995 above founder Nick Jones’ Café Boheme.
Since then, Soho House has grown into a global collection of clubs, hotels, restaurants and cinemas, created mainly for people working in creative industries. There are now 48 ‘Houses’, as they call them, around the world, with London alone home to 11 of them. Manchester is the latest to join that list, becoming the 48th house in the group.
It feels like a big, defining moment. This is a building with real history. The Beatles performed here. The Sex Pistols were filmed here. Now the same tower is home to soft light, deep sofas, colourful artwork, polished service and a rooftop pool waiting to open. Primal Scream opened the Soho House Manchester with their launch party on 25 November.
The first thing you notice when you step into the lobby is the modern terrazzo style floor. It gives the space a mix of smart hotel polish and relaxed living room warmth, the kind of balance a members club needs if it wants to feel stylish without ever feeling stiff.
Walk further in and it feels like stepping into somewhere designed to help you breathe out. The colours are soft and earthy, the lights are warm and low, and everything has that comfortable, slightly vintage look that Soho House gets so right. Nothing feels sharp or showy. It is all curved chairs, deep sofas and little lamps glowing on side tables, making each corner feel like its own spot.
There is an instant sense of ease. Velvet, wood and brass give the whole place a warm glow, almost like a classy living room stretched across an entire floor. The big plants and northern artwork stop it feeling staged. It feels lived in already, even though it is new. You can imagine sinking into a sofa and losing track of time.
Credit Soho House
And then there is the staircase. It sweeps down in a smooth curve of timber and brass. Elegant, but not grand for the sake of it. It makes the space feel special in a low key way. Very Manchester. Nothing too polished. Nothing trying too hard. Just a place you want to settle into with a drink and see who walks past.
It already feels private and premium, but not in a way that puts a wall up. Warm, welcoming and quietly confident. You know straight away you are not in a normal bar.
A new life for old Granada studios
Choosing this building was clever. The district is growing quickly, full of cranes and new towers, but the Granada Studios name still carries weight. It is one of the most culturally important buildings in the north.
Credit Soho House
Inside, the house feels familiar if you know the brand: curved furniture, warm tones, northern art everywhere. But there is also something noticeably Manc about it. The attitude. The humour. The people. You can tell it is being shaped by the city, not imposed onto it.
Some floors are ready. Others are still being worked on. Being one of the early members means you get to watch the building settle into itself a bit more each month.
Floors, spaces and what is where
You arrive at level five. The staff take you through everything like they are welcoming you into a new home.
On level one is the future Soho Health Club, opening spring 2026. The membership team talk about it like it is their baby. They say it will be one of the largest gyms in the entire group. Proper weights floor, big studio spaces, pilates reformers, a steam room, a sauna, ice bath sessions and changing rooms that feel like part of the house rather than an afterthought.
Then you have the Mollie’s floors and the Soho House bedrooms. These will open soon with 22 rooms ranging from cosy doubles to large suites, plus an 80 square metre two bedroom apartment for longer stays or bigger names in town.
Level seven is the studio. This is the events floor with a central bar and DJ booth. It can hold about 140 seated and even more standing. One minute it hosts talks, the next it is a house party. The team had Wolf Alice in recently and said the whole floor felt like a proper nightclub.
On level eight you have the heart of the house. The drawing room and all day spaces, the house kitchen and the dining room. At the moment the house is running a global menu made from dishes across the world. The team actively encourage you to ask for favourites you have eaten in other houses. If the chefs can recreate it, they will.
At the far end of level eight is the rooftop pool under construction. It will be heated, with loungers and cabanas and its own bar. You can peek at it now but you cannot get in yet.
This will be the first proper rooftop pool in Manchester and the only rooftop pool across all Soho Houses with a full bar directly beneath it. The team said, with a grin, that it is because Manchester needs a bar more than most. They said it is the only rooftop pool in the world where you can warm up with a drink straight after getting out. Very Manc.
Climb the spiral staircase from the pool and you reach level nine. This is the late night space. Another bar. Soft seating. Low light. The orange room. This is where the mischief happens, though the team are very clear that everything must be legal. It has already hosted DJs and late night sessions and members are calling it the naughty floor.
The people behind the scenes
Paris, head of membership, and Gina, membership manager, lead the induction sessions. They know most faces already and greet everyone like old friends. They are warm, direct and informal. They want this house to feel like a community, not a club you dip in and out of.
They talk openly about the staff. Most had never worked in a Soho House before. Some had not even visited one. And that is deliberate. They want the house to be authentically Manchester. A few people have come from other houses, like Farmhouse and London, to support the launch, including a head bartender from London. But the majority are local. They talk about a waiter called Felipe with such enthusiasm that members now go out of their way to meet him.
They also ask members to be patient. The team are new and learning fast. And because they have not been trained in London, they bring their own style. The membership team are proud of that. They said they do not want everyone to head to London for training because this house should be its own thing.
The vibe: home away from home, not a laptop farm
Credit Soho House
They want this place to feel like home. Proper home. If you like the same table every Thursday night, they will try to keep it for you. If you get into a habit, they will remember it. Staff are encouraged to learn names, faces and rituals.
If you were thinking of ditching the hot-desk or office to just work from Soho House Manchester, think again. What they do not want is a sea of laptops. Right now, Soho House Manchester is a no-laptop house. Tablets without keyboards are fine. Phones are fine for emails or messages. But they are keeping the space focused on connection and presence – they want members to be ‘present’.
Credit Soho House
If they introduce laptop hours later, they will be short windows, likely mornings. They joked that the trial window would be until noon, but also admitted most people do not finish work by lunchtime. For now, it is a laptop free zone.
House rules in plain English
If you want to keep your membership at Soho House, you must follow a few simple rules. Some may change as they find their feet in a new city.
No obnoxious phone calls
As opposed to laptops, phones can be used for messages quietly. No walking around on calls. If you need to speak on the phone, go to the phone booth on level eight, the glass staircase area on seven, or down to reception. A short whispered “I am coming down now” is fine at the table, just keep it discreet.
No photos of members
Privacy is taken seriously. Someone once got photographed in New York when they were meant to be in the UK. It caused chaos. You can film DJs and performers but keep members out of it.
No drugs (or chewing gum)
Drugs are a full no. If you or your guest are caught taking, holding or selling drugs, membership can be revoked immediately. Even if you share a toilet cubicle with someone, you’ll be banned. Basically, anything that look suspicious on camera will be checked. According to Paris, someone once passed someone chewing gum in a way that looked dodgy on a zoomed in clip. It was innocent but the team still had to investigate.
Dress code is relaxed. Come as you are. Jeans, trainers, dresses, suits, ball gowns on the way to an event, all fine. The only rule is no football shirts.
No kids after 6 pm
Children are welcome until 6 pm. Babies under two are allowed any time except in bars. Anyone over two counts as one of your guest spots.
You’re responsible for your guests
You can bring up to three guests. You can swap them through the day. But you must be with them at all times. And you are responsible for their behaviour. They said, half joking, do not bring someone you just met at the sinks in the toilets. If they get you banned, that is on you.
No smoking
St John’s is a clean air zone, so no smoking or vaping anywhere in the building, upstairs or by the pool. If you want to smoke, you need to go down to the main entrance at street level. They will place subtle ash points outside.
The members app
Manchester now appears on the Soho House app. Soon you can book tables, events, the pool when it opens, and eventually gym sessions. Bedrooms and Mollie’s will also open in stages.
The Soho House app is basically your pocket guide to everything. Once you’ve downloaded it, just keep dipping in and getting used to it. It’s worth it.
The handy bit is House Pay. You can settle your bill straight from your phone. If you ever leave without paying, the app gives you a nudge and shows what’s outstanding. It’s quick, easy, and ideal if you’re dashing out on a bit of a mission.
You can also use the app to connect with other members. Think of it like a mix of LinkedIn, Hinge, and Instagram. You can post if you’re looking for a photographer, a model, a venue, or whatever you need. You can join groups, make a little feed of your own, and chat with people who share the same interests.
There’s also a feature that shows when other members are in the House. Just head to the home page and tap “show I’m here”. It helps you see who else is around and makes the place feel even more social.
It’s simple once you play with it, and it opens up the whole community in a really easy way.
Membership at Soho House
Membership is application based and aimed at people in creative industries or those with a creative mindset.
Prices
• Every house membership, giving access to all Soho Houses globally, £3,450 per year
• local membership for Manchester only, £2,400 per year
• under 27s receive a reduced rate
Soho House Manchester was first announced in 2019 and was delayed several times due to building issues. That chapter now seems closed, with membership applications fully open.
You can apply for membership now on the website.
Will it work in Manchester?
This is the big question. Manchester has tried private members clubs before and they have not always stuck. The Circle Club behind Barton Arcade was probably the closest we have come to a proper hit, with real character and a loyal crowd, but even that eventually faded. Then there was On The 7th in MediaCity. It looked smart and had the right idea, but it arrived too early, before the area was buzzing enough to support something like that. It never quite hit critical mass.
And of course, Manchester already has a long standing players’ club in the mix. St James’s Club has been part of the city’s story for decades. It is heritage based, quiet, polished and business minded. It feels like stepping into Manchester’s past and its old guard. It has its own charm and its own crowd.
Soho House is a completely different energy. Younger. Creative. Social. More focused on culture than commerce. It is built for the way Manchester lives now. Where St James’s offers tradition and boardroom calm, Soho House adds a modern hangout for people who want work, play, food, art and nightlife under one roof. They do not compete. They genuinely complement each other, showing that the city can honour its long standing institutions while making space for something fresh.
Nick Jones, Soho House, Speaking in 2022
Even Nick Jones, the founder of Soho House, has admitted he was unsure at first. Speaking at the northern restaurant and bar show in 2022, he said he had been nervous about bringing the brand here and had been naive to think Soho House would never work outside London. He spoke about how impressed he was by Manchester’s creativity, its food scene, its music and its energy.
That matters. If Soho House Manchester is going to work, it needs to feel like a northern house with its own character, not a London replica. It needs to sit comfortably in the same city as places like St James’s Club, offering something different but just as rooted. Early signs, from the staff to the atmosphere to the members joining, suggest they understand that completely.
Soho House Manchester already feels like something significant. A new creative hub. A place with personality. A house that wants to be part of the city, not above it. If it stays rooted in Manchester’s character and builds its own northern identity within the global brand, this could be the private members club that finally works here.
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