Luxury members-only club brand Soho House will be landing in the Bay Area in 2027, but not in San Francisco.
A property long rumored to be in Soho House's sights in Kenwood, north of Glen Ellen in Sonoma County, will become Soho Ranch House Sonoma. The company confirmed the news in an Instagram post this week, without giving an address, but showing photos of the resort under construction and various views of Sonoma Valley.
The 350-acre site at the foot of Hood Mountain is tucked off of Route 12/Sonoma Highway in Kenwood, on Campagna Lane, and has actually been under development for two decades, with the county having approved a permit for a 50-room hotel, spa, and winery at the site 21 years ago.
As the Chronicle reports this week, construction long ago stalled, and a private equity firm founded by billionaire Ron Burkle purchased the site in 2020, and then proceeded to lease it to Soho House — news of which reached valley residents years ago.
But now Soho House has publicly confirmed it, committing to a 2027 timeframe, and saying this is a Soho House "first," with more information coming next year.
"Perched at the top of a valley in Sonoma with uninterrupted views of our own vineyards, members will be able to stay in 50 cottages and villas scattered across acres of Californian wine country," the company says. "With expansive club spaces and restaurants, a central courtyard, Soho Health Club and two pools, there’s so much to look forward too."
Soho House was founded in London in 1995, and has gained a global reputation for its exclusive, primarily urban club properties — particularly their rooftop pools. On its website, Soho House says that all of its 40+ clubs are "designed to be comfortable and characterful, offering our members a unique yet familiar experience every time they visit."
The entry of Soho House will mark a sea change for this part of the Sonoma Valley, and will most certainly draw tourist traffic and attention south from booming Healdsburg — where, as the Chronicle noted this week, most of thesplashiest tasting room openings of the year in the Bay Area happened.
The area between the town of Sonoma and Santa Rosa, which are connected by Highway 12, is characterized by the humble town of Boyes Hot Springs, the quaint and quiet environs of Glen Ellen — the center of which is located just off the highway — and the unincorporated town of Kenwood, which includes a stretch of winery properties including Landmark, St. Francis, Kendwood Vineyards, and Kunde Family Winery.
Car (and limo) traffic to these wineries is steady in the high seasons of summer and fall, but less so than on Highway 29 over the ridge in Napa, and the wine industry at large has complained about the waning interest in wine among younger consumers. A new Soho Ranch House, exclusive though it may be, might shift the conversation considerably, especially for central Sonoma.
Soho House was also, as you may recall, rumored to have been eying the Armory property in the Mission, back when Kink.com was exiting San Francisco and off-loading it. The building has since been turned primarily into office space, though it does have a rooftop deck for office workers.
The rumor was fueled by the fact that a developer who had Soho House as a client was involved in the reimagining of the Armory, and in 2023 we learned of plans for a new jazz club in the ground floor spaces, with the Drill Court space once again returning to use as an entertainment venue.
