The 10 Best Private Members' Clubs in Hong Kong in 2027
By Kory White · Updated Oct 2026 · 5 min read
Direct answer
The Hong Kong Club is the best private members' club in Hong Kong, with The American Club at #2 and The China Club at #3. The ranking weighs heritage, clubhouse and facilities first, then how clearly each club publishes how to join; most do not publish a price.
Entrance fee $12,800 and $630 a month for Subscriber (Women) and Associate (Men); currency not stated on the page
Readers and heritage lovers who want a library, afternoon tea and a room in Central
Pick by what you want
Best overall
The Hong Kong Club
Best for families
The American Club Hong Kong
Best for sailing
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
Best for journalists
Foreign Correspondents’ Club
Best published fees
The Helena May
The ranking
1
The Hong Kong Club
Answrs VerdictThe city’s oldest private members’ club, still invitation-only.
Membership cost: Not publishedEstablished: 1846Address: 1 Jackson Road, CentralMembership: Around 1,550 resident members, admitted only by invitation and ballotDining: Four restaurants and three bars
The Hong Kong Club, established in 1846, has around 1,550 resident members admitted only by invitation and ballot. It runs four restaurants and three bars at 1 Jackson Road, and it does not publish a joining fee.
Go ifSenior professionals who want Hong Kong’s oldest club and a Central address
Skip ifYou have no member to propose you: a proposer and a seconder are required
Why #1 over #2: Its 1846 founding makes it older than The American Club, which opened in 1925.
2
The American Club Hong Kong
Answrs VerdictTwo clubhouses, one in Central and one in Tai Tam.
Membership cost: Not publishedOpened: 1925, on an upper floor of Rutton House, 7 Duddell StreetTown Club: Floors 48-49, Two Exchange Square, CentralCountry Club: Tai Tam, 25 minutes from the Town ClubMembership: Debenture and weekday memberships; privileges extend to a spouse and children up to 25 years of age
The American Club opened in 1925 and now has a Town Club on floors 48-49 of Two Exchange Square and a Country Club in Tai Tam, 25 minutes away. Privileges extend to a spouse and children up to 25 years of age.
Go ifFamilies who want a harbour-view town club and a resort-style country club
Skip ifYou want one clubhouse only
Why #2 over #3: Two clubhouses give it more range than The China Club’s single setting.
3
The China Club
Answrs VerdictThe art-filled dining club from Sir David Tang.
Membership cost: Not publishedOpened: 8 September 1991Address: 13-14/F, Old Bank of China Building, Bank Street, CentralSetting: Art-deco staircase, mahjong room, library, private salons and a Long BarHours: Monday to Saturday 07:30 to 00:00; closed Sundays and public holidays
The China Club opened on 8 September 1991 and now occupies floors 13-14 of the Old Bank of China Building on Bank Street. It has an art-deco staircase, a mahjong room, a library and a Long Bar, and it is closed on Sundays.
Go ifEntertaining clients in an old-Shanghai setting with Chinese art and classic dishes
Skip ifYou want pools, courts or a gym
Why #3 over #4: Its art-filled interiors give it a stronger identity for entertaining than the yacht club’s watersports focus.
4
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club
Answrs VerdictHong Kong’s sailing club, with three sites.
Membership cost: Single ordinary membership HK$91,800; individual debenture HK$1,875,000 (Tatler Asia profile, undated)Established: 1849 as the Victoria Regatta Club; royal warrant on 15 May 1894Sites: Kellett Island in Causeway Bay, Middle Island in Repulse Bay and Shelter Cove near Sai KungClubhouse: Kellett Island clubhouse built in 1939; Grade III historic building since 22 January 2010
The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club began in 1849 as the Victoria Regatta Club and received its royal warrant on 15 May 1894. It works from Kellett Island, Middle Island and Shelter Cove; Tatler Asia lists a single ordinary membership at HK$91,800.
Go ifSailors, rowers and paddlers who want a harbour clubhouse and two satellite sites
Skip ifYou do not want a club built around watersports
Why #4 over #5: It documents three sites and a price, where the Foreign Correspondents’ Club documents neither.
5
Foreign Correspondents’ Club
Photo: Smuconlaw / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictThe press club in a colonial depot, with a waiting list for associates.
Membership cost: Not published in the sources usedFounded: 1943 in Chongqing; in Hong Kong since 1949Address: 2 Lower Albert Road, Central, in the Old Dairy Farm DepotMembership: About 2,400 members; associate membership has a waiting list of several months to several years
The Foreign Correspondents’ Club was founded in Chongqing in 1943 and has been in Hong Kong since 1949, at 2 Lower Albert Road. It has about 2,400 members and a waiting list for associates that can run from months to years.
Go ifJournalists, writers and anyone who wants the speaker lunches and the Main Bar
Skip ifYou want sports facilities
Why #5 over #6: Its press identity and central heritage building outrank the Aberdeen Marina Club for city life.
6
The Aberdeen Marina Club
Photo: Exploringlife / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictA marina club with seven restaurants and a rink.
Membership cost: Upwards of HK$3,000,000 on the second-hand market (Tatler Asia)Address: 8 Shum Wan Road, Wong Chuk HangEntry: By invitation only; Tatler says there is no waiting list and applicants submit a letter of applicationMarina: 170 wet berths for yachts of about 30 to 100 ftFacilities: Seven restaurants, indoor and outdoor pools, a bowling alley, an ice rink and a fitness centre
The Aberdeen Marina Club at 8 Shum Wan Road is by invitation only, with 170 wet berths, seven restaurants, an ice rink and a bowling alley. Tatler Asia reports memberships upwards of HK$3,000,000 on the second-hand market.
Go ifBoat owners who want a marina and a full leisure club on the south side
Skip ifYou do not own a boat and want a lower price
Why #6 over #7: Its marina and rink go beyond the sport-only focus of the Hong Kong Football Club.
7
Hong Kong Football Club
Photo: Nath87 / CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Answrs VerdictA sports club with a 2,750-capacity stadium.
Membership cost: Not publishedEstablished: 1886Location: Happy Valley, next to the Happy Valley RacecourseMembership: About 3,500 members, some 10,000 users with spouses, partners and childrenStadium: 2,750-capacity Hong Kong Football Club Stadium
The Hong Kong Football Club, established in 1886, sits beside the Happy Valley Racecourse. It has about 3,500 members and a 2,750-capacity stadium, but it does not publish a membership price.
Go ifSporty families who want rugby, hockey, squash, bowls and a pool in one complex
Skip ifYou want a quiet business club
Why #7 over #8: Its larger membership and stadium edge out Kowloon Cricket Club for team sport.
8
Kowloon Cricket Club
Answrs VerdictKowloon’s cricket and sports club since 1904.
Membership cost: Corporate Nominee Membership offered at HK$1,300,000 (HK$1.3 million)Founded: 4 October 1904Address: Cox’s Road, KowloonOrdinary membership: Applicants aged 23 or above, endorsed by 2 Special Voting or Life members, join a waiting listPool: 25 m pool with 2 children’s pools
Kowloon Cricket Club was founded on 4 October 1904. It offers Corporate Nominee Membership at HK$1,300,000, and ordinary applicants aged 23 or above need two endorsements and join a waiting list.
Go ifKowloon families who want cricket, tennis, squash and a Grill Room in one place
Skip ifYou live on Hong Kong Island
Why #8 over #9: It publishes a price, which the Ladies’ Recreation Club does not.
9
Ladies’ Recreation Club
Answrs VerdictA Mid-Levels tennis and swimming club with 10 courts.
Membership cost: Not publishedAge: Welcomed members for over 140 yearsLocation: Mid-LevelsFacilities: 10 tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools and a gymJoining: Lifetime membership needs two proposers and a waitlist; debenture membership gives immediate access, depreciating 10% a year over ten years
The Ladies’ Recreation Club in Mid-Levels has welcomed members for over 140 years and has 10 tennis courts, indoor and outdoor pools and a gym. Lifetime membership needs two proposers and a waitlist.
Go ifFamilies who want tennis and swimming close to Central
Skip ifYou want an overnight stay or a hotel-style club
Why #9 over #10: Its tennis and pools give it more active facilities than The Helena May.
10
The Helena May
Answrs VerdictA heritage club with a 25,000-book library and the clearest published fees here.
Membership cost: Entrance fee $12,800 and $630 a month for Subscriber (Women) and Associate (Men); currency not stated on the pageFounded: 1916Address: 35 Garden Road, CentralHeritage: Exterior declared a monument in 1993Library: About 25,000 books
The Helena May at 35 Garden Road was founded in 1916 and has a library of about 25,000 books. It lists an entrance fee of $12,800 and $630 a month for Subscriber and Associate members; the page does not name the currency.
Go ifReaders and heritage lovers who want a library, afternoon tea and a room in Central
Skip ifYou want sports courts or pools
How we ranked these
We ranked each club on heritage, clubhouse and facilities first, then on how clearly it publishes how to join. Prices appear only where a club or a named source states them; the Tatler Asia figures are undated. Replaced from the old list: Carlyle & Co (its own site shows only illustrations, so a real clubhouse photo could not be sourced), Beas River Country Club (a Hong Kong Jockey Club facility rather than a standalone club) and the Hong Kong Country Club (its site would not load, so current terms could not be verified). Facts are taken from each maker's own published information; check the official site before you buy.
Questions people ask
What is the oldest private members’ club in Hong Kong?
The Hong Kong Club, established in 1846, is the city’s oldest. Members are admitted only by invitation and ballot.
How do you join The Hong Kong Club?
You must be proposed by a full member and seconded by another full member, and only shortlisted candidates are invited for election. The club does not publish a joining fee.
How much does it cost to join a Hong Kong members’ club?
Most clubs do not publish prices. Where a price exists, Kowloon Cricket Club offers Corporate Nominee Membership at HK$1,300,000, and Tatler Asia reports the Aberdeen Marina Club upwards of HK$3,000,000 on the second-hand market.
Which Hong Kong club publishes its fees?
The Helena May lists an entrance fee of $12,800 and $630 a month for Subscriber and Associate members, with a $2,200 life membership fee; its page does not name the currency.
Published or reported joining prices (HK$) at a glance
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (single ordinary)91,800 HK$
Kowloon Cricket Club (corporate nominee)1,300,000 HK$
Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (individual debenture)1,875,000 HK$
The Aberdeen Marina Club (second-hand, upwards of)3,000,000 HK$
Published or reported joining prices (HK$), as published by each maker. Picks without a published figure are left off.
