Trend: secret societies
A bar you can only enter with a secret password, a hotel where only guests who have passed a strict selection process are allowed to stay, or a restaurant where you can only dine by invitation. Secret societies are in demand, according to trend forecaster Vincent van Dijk.
Signboard
In the past, a bar or restaurant preferably occupied a spot on the street, with double doors, an immense signboard and flashing neon letters reading OPEN, in order to attract as many guests as possible. The rise of exclusive restaurants, bars and hotels shows something completely different. Namely, sometimes almost nothing. You really have to make an effort to get inside, and in some cases finding the door is already almost impossible.
Like-minded people
It’s just like starting a relationship. If you have to make an effort for someone, it’s much more exciting, isn’t it? Marketers are cleverly capitalizing on that. Establishments are making increasingly deliberate choices about which target group they want to focus on, such as young professionals, millennials or urban travellers. It’s easier to gauge what matters to such a group. People also like to feel special. Being a member of an exclusive club gives you status, and people always enjoy being among like-minded individuals. And receiving special extras that ‘ordinary’ people don’t get.
Hidden bars
It began in Amsterdam with hidden cocktail bars such as Door74 and The Butcher Social Club, where an apparently unremarkable door would only open after you gave a secret password. Based on the speak-easy bar from the era of Prohibition, when drinking alcohol was a mortal sin. Something we seem to be heading toward again, incidentally.
Hidden restaurant
We are also seeing these kinds of ‘hidden gems’ appear in the restaurant world. For example, Michelin chef Chris Naylor recently opened Naylor’s, a one-table restaurant where you can only dine by invitation from the chef. You can also submit a reservation request via the chef’s mobile phone. Earlier, Graphite in Amsterdam opened, a hidden restaurant that is only accessible with a QR code. Photography is not permitted in either restaurant, because what is secret must remain strictly secret.
Soho House
Even some hotels can no longer be booked through the usual channels. A year ago, Soho House opened its doors in Amsterdam. Soho House is a cross between a members’ club, restaurant, bar, cinema, wellness centre and hotel, with houses in various world cities such as New York, Istanbul and Barcelona. To become a member, you must work in a creative profession and pass a strict selection process. The club, with its rooftop pool bar, is a success, as there is a long waiting list.
KeyCardMember
A new phenomenon was launched last week: KeyCardMember. A members’ club for hotel fans, without a permanent location. If you manage to get hold of a KeyCard, it opens the doors to special Amsterdam hotels that remain closed to others. You receive invitations to exclusive hotel parties and a number of standard privileges. Because don’t we all want to be welcomed like royalty with a glass of bubbly, while the rest of humanity queues for a spot on an overcrowded terrace?
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