Private Members’ Club
By Courtney Caggiano
Located in the heart of the Dellagio estate on restaurant row, Orlando’s newest business venture is gaining more than just intrigue and notoriety, and for good reason. London House, Florida’s first-ever ‘high society’ private members’ club, is bringing the refinement and tradition of signature British social clubs to Dr. Phillips—and might even transform the city itself, with its elegance and esteem that is nothing short of completely and utterly enticing.
Founded by Adrian Everett, entrepreneur and former CEO of E-Lites e-cigarette company, his wife, Josie Everett, and Ben Becton, luxury real estate agent and investor based in Florida, London House is already making an unforgettable impression in Orlando. With a never-before-seen lifestyle experience for members seeking a community of like-minded individuals and a home away from home to gather with this community, this private members’ club offers the opulence and comfort of a five-star hotel.
Hailing from England, Adrian and Josie set their sights on fulfilling the longing for the ‘high society’ member clubs found in the United Kingdom, and when they realized their desire for a social club of a similar style in Orlando, they saw an abundance of potential.
“In the UK, private members’ clubs are very popular. In London alone, there are over 30 private members’ clubs, but we found that there just aren’t any in Orlando,” Adrian explains. “Orlando’s grown over the last 35 years into a very significant city, and we’re joining Orlando as a fresh set of eyes. We felt that there really should be a place like this.”
Yet upon their move to Orlando, the Everetts did not originally plan to start a business, let alone a private club. However, their desire for a member-driven society encouraged them to introduce this concept to those in their new city.
“We had absolutely no intention when we moved here of starting a Members’ Club,” says Adrian. “This has developed out of passion rather than anything else. We are creating an environment that we crave, and we’re bringing to London House global travel experiences, global dining experiences, and global service experiences that, in the 20 states that I’ve visited in the US, I’ve yet to find. And so we’re very excited to be able to bring that together into one location in Orlando.”
For Adrian, Josie, and Ben, the membership aspect of the club is the most foundational of its features, as it allows London House to purvey the city for the potential individuals, couples, and families who will most excitedly enjoy all that the society has to offer.
“I wouldn’t say we look for a specific kind of clientele; we look for the right clientele—the individual members of Orlando society who are going to really enjoy the place we’re creating here, and get the most out of it and bring the most to the culture, character, and the environment within London house,” Ben shares. “We really call it a social and lifestyle club. And that’s how we want it to be. We want to have a great member base…when we do invite someone [to become a member], we tell them we’re curating a special place just for them because that’s what we are really trying to do. What we’ve found is that we’re kind of finding each other already.”
“It’s like building an eclectic mix of people who have personality,” Josie adds. “It could be entrepreneurs, it could be sports professionals…it’s a real mixture of people all coming together, which is a lot of fun.”
Upon becoming part of London House society, members can begin to experience all that this social club holds within its doors, with amenities, activities, and events that offer more than one could possibly imagine. Whether you are landing from an international flight at 1:00 in the morning or just hoping to stop by for a bite to eat after work, London House always has a place for its privileged members.
According to Adrian, perhaps the most valuable asset of London House membership is the privacy and exclusivity of the club—which is reflected in the club’s no-photography policy. “The huge advantage of being a private members’ club is, first of all, it is private, so it’s only open to people who are qualified as members,” he states. “The membership element means that they’re contributing to the club financially, which gives us the ability to give members choice, to give them flexibility.”
Members have access to any and all London House properties at all times, including London House’s second location, The Penthouse, opening in 2021, in downtown Orlando. Centered around wellness and nutrition, this club features an open-air dining terrace, a fitness center, and a spa, just to mention a few of its stunning attributes, all with gorgeous views of the city skyline.
At London House Dellagio, members are treated to everyday amenities, from 8:00AM to 3:00AM, such as complimentary breakfast with beautiful pastries and exquisite coffees, as well as a hotel-style concierge desk. “We have simple but expected services,” Adrian explains. These include an on-site notary, a talented tailor, car detailing and refueling, fine and casual dining, table-side service, bespoke experiences, and even use of the house helicopter at cost, all accompanied by valet parking and private security.
“I think what you’re getting is access to a lifestyle and an environment which is not accessible by others,” says Adrian. “And it’s supported by an exemplary team of management and front-of-house staff, all of which are trained by the British Institute of Butlers, and formally accredited as English butlers, which is something that doesn’t exist anywhere in America.”
It seems as though Adrian, Josie, and Ben have thought of every little detail. “We just think of things that would make our lives better and then give them to our members,” Adrian expresses. “We look for any stress points in someone’s life, typically our own, and then convert those to positives. It’s really very simple.”
And members won’t want to miss London House’s premiere events, from their weekly Saturday night “London House” parties to exclusive themed affairs, such as a Vampire Ball at Halloween, a Mad Hatter’s Tea Party in March, and their celebratory opening event later this year.
The club itself is a world all of its own, with three private dining suites, a drawing room, a cocktail lounge, a piano lounge, and a hidden cigar garden at the end of the terrace. Whether you want to curl up with a book and a drink in the drawing room or party the night away, albeit elegantly, London House invites you to escape the normalcy around you and imagine all that life could be if it were handed to you on a silver platter with white-glove service.
That impeccable service is most wonderfully demonstrated whenever members choose to dine at London House, and the tantalizing dining selections feature delights and delicacies Floridians could only dream of, with five different menus suiting the five specific environments located within the club.
“We’ve pulled together an internationally inspired cuisine,” Adrian says. With authentic fish and chips and other British staples, French and Spanish delicacies, and even dishes as intriguing as scallops in white chocolate truffle risotto and venison loin cooked sous vide with blackberry sauce, the fine dining menu takes you around the globe with world-class recipes prepared by Executive Head Chef Grant, whose achievements include serving the King and Queen of Sweden and the Queen of England, as well as being named Chef of Europe in 1999, along with spearheading dozens of Michelin Star restaurants worldwide. Classically trained in French and molecular cuisines, Chef Grant brings a fresh approach of both time-honored and trend-setting tastes to the London House menus.
The ever-changing seasonal menus are sure to exceed any expectation with which you may associate fine dining, with ingredients that could not be fresher nor finer, such as game birds that are flown in from Scotland twice a week when in season. “The presentation is incredible too,” says Josie. “The performance, the drama behind all of the food is quite special.”
Bringing to the table more than simply vegan options, the London House staff has thoughtfully crafted a full vegan tasting menu that is as delicious as the club’s more traditional dishes. “The chefs are all experienced in molecular cuisine, which really takes vegetarian and vegan dishes to the next level,” Ben explains. “And since we’re a private club, it allows us to go out and source ingredients that you can’t carry on a commercial scale.”
Every menu item pairs brilliantly with the hundreds of drink options at London House, as groundbreaking mixologists prepare all your favorite classic cocktails, plus original house cocktails and concoctions inspired by Europe and Asia. With a wine cellar housing hundreds of wine options, and even a breathtaking water menu, beverage choices are bountifully endless, from the dining room to the drawing room.
An extensive Sunday brunch menu will brighten the members’ weekends as they enjoy a scrumptious English breakfast or even some lighter fare, such as gluten-free items or a morning mimosa. Also, in perfect English fashion, London House is proud to feature afternoon tea, with none other than the Ritz of London’s Pastry Chef crafting the most delectable creations. While the Ritz of London is the home of perhaps the most famous afternoon tea service in the world, Orlando residents now have the immense honor of enjoying the revelatory flavors of the Ritz tea room from the comfort of their hometown, served by one of the finest pastry chef’s in all the land.
The children of London House society certainly do not miss out on the fun, as they get to experience their own luxury at Little House, the select club for young members ages 12 months to 12 years. Founded by Josie, a mum of two beautiful children, Little House is a safe, secure place for parents to leave their kids as they savor the amenities of London House. Here, children will enjoy playing, learning, laughing, and discovering new activities. Run by a team of professional nannies inspired by the Norland Nannies in London who look after the Royal Family, Little House is designed to keep each child well looked after, while providing children with a similar treatment as their parents next door.
This London-esque-themed kids’ club features a life-size London bus that houses a gaming room for older children, a stage for performances that will feature special guests, magicians, comedians, and even master classes for the young members, and movie nights as well. With the same attention to detail found in the parents’ club, Josie has thoughtfully prepared a packed schedule of events and activities for Little House, such as cooking and gardening classes, and even opportunities for children to develop entrepreneurial skills through creating and selling their own products.
As a mother, Josie is passionate about helping nurture Little House’s young members, especially through their dining choices. “We wanted to offer something nutritional and still exciting for the children, something that they would enjoy…but really much more interesting options and things that would appeal to the parents too,” she shares. The Little House menu is far more thrilling than the expected chicken nuggets and hamburger, featuring items such as a mac-and-cheese scotch egg, or anything from the adult a la carte menu. With dishes as unique as a junior Japanese Wagyu steak, the children’s meal options are sure to please the club’s members both young and old.
With a background in performing arts, dance therapy, and working with children, including those with special needs, Josie has brought to life a refreshingly magical experience for children, as her heart of compassion and thoughtfulness overflows into the countless ways Little House will enrich the lives of the children who walk through its doors.
Although Little House sounds as splendid as scenes from Mary Poppins, the magic does not end there. The entirety of London House is practically perfect, as the club’s British flair fills each room with the wonder of refined luxury living, from the most extravagant services to the simplest practicalities of daily life.
Ben echoes this sentiment. “A lot of places have great service, great food, or great entertainment, but very few have all three, and we’re going to deliver all three consistently.”
“With lots of little extras that most people would never even think of,” adds Josie. “Where can you go in Orlando and have your shoes polished while you’re having lunch? They’re forgotten arts. These are things which should just really still be here, but they’re not, so we’re bringing them back.”
From the eight-foot chandelier above the valet drive to a doorman in a top hat opening the door upon your arrival, and even to the drawing room’s fireplace handcrafted from marble, the London House team has fashioned this stunning locale with traditional elements executed in a wonderfully modern way, all for your convenience and awe, which Adrian, Josie, and Ben all agree is entirely suited for the city of Orlando.
“There’s definitely a community of people in this area that I think are really going to respond positively to this,” Adrian shares. “And really, you know, our focus is to get people to come and use it regularly. It’s not a special occasion place. I’d be delighted to see people dropping in just for a fresh-squeezed orange juice and a croissant every morning. We just want to see our members; we want people to use it as a home from home.”
London House is truly one of the most excitingly unconventional yet precisely sophisticated clubs to ever grace the landscape of the City Beautiful. And according to Ben, Orlando is well worthy of its presence. “We’re doing this because we think Orlando deserves it, and we think Orlando will support it.”
London House is set to formally open to members later this year.
If you wish to learn more about membership at London House, you can request access for more details by visiting their website, LondonHouse.Life. For questions regarding general information, you can email the London House team at info@londonhouse.life.
