Members of Soho House are furious that the club’s iconic rooftop in the Meatpacking District is closed just as the weather is warming up.
On a recent Friday, well-heeled guests looking to spend the afternoon sipping Aperol spritzes by the pool were about to have a rude awakening when they discovered the rooftop floor was a scene of construction.
“Couldn’t they have done that in the winter?” annoyed a thirty-year-old in a flowered dress and denim jacket when she heard the bad news in the club elevator.
“Why couldn’t they do it during the pandemic like the L train?” her boyfriend intervened.
Others had been told of the closure when they checked in at reception and reluctantly chose to drink in the dark sixth-floor bar rather than outside in the sun.
“They must be losing tons of money,” said one member who finally settled into a couch by the fireplace.
Since the chic club, which caters to the city’s creatives, opened in 2003, its rooftop has become a popular outdoor destination. It was so exclusive that even “Sex and the City” paid tribute to it, with PR guru Samantha and her pals being unceremoniously kicked out after crashing on the pool deck.
Successful members pay around $2,500 for annual access to the club, or up to $4,500 for entry to its global sites. When it’s in full swing, the Meatpacking rooftop is packed with members (each can bring up to three guests) toasting glasses of rosé and gazing out over the Hudson River.
“I feel like construction has been going on for so long. May is practically tomorrow, and it’s still going,” said a 25-year-old hotel entrepreneur who lives in Brooklyn and declined to be named.
“It’s kind of frustrating because everyone pays extra to be at Soho House,” she continued. “I’m probably not as devastated as some people; for many people, the roof is a very important and special place. But I feel like if I’m paying for something, it should be there.
Soho House says construction, which includes the construction of two new bars and the installation of non-slip tiles near the pool, has been delayed due to weather conditions and supply logistics.
“We’re excited to open a refreshed rooftop experience in May,” a spokesperson said, noting that members also currently have the option to tour the rooftop of Brooklyn’s Dumbo House.
Azeem Khan, 34, a web consultant who became a member in January, said he accepted the club’s offer.
“Honestly, I was looking forward to the pool opening because everyone said how amazing it was,” Khan said. “But even if the pool doesn’t open until June, I won’t be angry.”
Other members flee to nearby perches such as Restoration Hardware’s RH Rooftop Restaurant, Catch, STK, and Hotel Gansevoort.
“We’re winning customers,” Sean Largotta, a Gansevoort partner, told The Post.
The hotel recently spent over $30 million renovating the hotel, including installing fireplaces and an omakase bar on its rooftop. So many people wanted to visit last week the hotel decided to push back its opening time from 4pm to 1pm
“This decision was 100% made because of demand – people were at reception begging us to let them come up,” Largotta said.
“It’s funny. I can look at the roof of Soho House from our roof,” he continued. “I see all the big blue tarps and piles of wood, and I’m like, ‘I wouldn’t renovations on my roof in April, but I’m not complaining if they do.'”