Club St-Denis 257SE: A rare look inside one of Montreal's historic private clubs

Private clubs in Montreal have historically been, well, private: Often found in discreet, heritage structures in the city's wealthiest areas and populated by the city's wealthiest people, the only way in was either by knowing a member who can either hand over a visitor's pass or being recommended for membership.

Many still exist, only standing out via a small plaque alongside massive doors, like the Mount Royal Club and St James Club for rich anglos, and the University Club of Montreal that's over a century old. Others have closed due to dwindling membership and financial issues, like the 130-year-old Montefiore Club, once an exclusive place for generations of the Montreal Jewish establishment.

Club St-Denis 257SE was one of those: Founded in 1874, it was the preferred meeting place for the French-speaking business and political elite. It was a gentlmen’s club for a long time until opening up to women closer the beginning of the millenium, and was an iconic space for those who knew it. Past members have been said to included Pierre Trudeau's father Charlie, media baron Pierre Péladeau, and a president of Jean-Coutu.

But after moving from an original location on Saint-Laurent Boulevard, it closed its doors in 2009 after 'falling on hard times', one member told the Globe & Mail, at its current location on Sherbrooke.

It's since been reopened by businessman Denis Lefebvre, it's shed its reputation as a place for older, retired crowds and now caters to newer generations with a concept based on sanctuary:

A home away from home to the tune of anywhere from $1,500 to $1,800 a year to use its wine storage, gym, office spaces, and heritage lounge and ballroom.

Now that's rich

Club St-Denis is exclusive, and in a few ways, it's not. It just depends on who you ask.

“Since we’re a new club, it felt unnecessary to take references (like we used to), and we wanted to start building a community. So now, we take applicants’ backgrounds and what they do into account and decide if it’s a good fit… 99% of the time, the fit is good,” explains the club's manager Alex-Ann Lefebvre, Denis Lefebvre's daughter.

“Today, we’re offering office space and wine storage so people can be at home when they’re at the club, an extension of where they live. Members can come without reservation and use offices or go into the lounge and spend time with clients, colleagues or friends.”

Club St-Denis doesn’t sell alcohol, only offering storage space for members' bottles, and encourage those among its ranks to use the common spaces of the club for events.

Membership largely falls on the industry members work in—think people working in finance, doctors, working in the TV and film industry. It’s a place where people can discuss business.

“We knew that we needed to change something to welcome new generations. It closed in 2009 because members were older and retiring, and younger members wanted something else. People have this idea that private clubs are too exclusive, and we wanted to change this concept to make it a more livable space,” Lefebvre adds.

Drawing in new generations brought new décor: Apart of its original lounge and ballroom that sport plush carpets and high chandeliers, much of the space has been revamped by Humà Design + Architecture.

“There are already a lot of places doing the gentlemen’s club look in the city, and we wanted to do something different. A lot of private clubs in Montreal are for older generations, so that’s why we’re going in this direction.”

It's a move that's indicative of how the private club scene of Montreal is changing. Mount Stephen, for example, had long been a private gentlemen's club before being turned into a hotel and prominent restaurant and bar, Bar George.

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So what's the value of a private club in Montreal?

"People don’t have as much office space right now, and we offer somewhere to get out of the house The value lies in the networking opportunities. Potential members are intrigued by who our members are, how many there are, and what they can bring to their lives," Lefebvre says.

"There’s also the refined lifestyle and having access to the club’s community, and then there’s money to save not going to restaurants and spending money on bottles that could be triple the price."

Likened to Annabelle’s Club in London, which prioritizes "service, first-class cuisine and unparalleled entertainment", Club St-Denis is looking to grow from its current standing as more of a rare gem for those in the know instead of an expanding global brand like Soho House.

As for how the space might continue to change over time? “We’re looking to add more value to memberships, and create partnerships with businesses in Montreal like personal designers who can shop for members, private coaches in the gym, and the concierge service of Arthur Majordome… we’d also love to eventually take up more space with more members, even outside on the rooftop,” Lefebvre explains.

As for whether new models like Club St-Denis's will weather changing tastes and still find a place among Montreal's city-dwelling elites—that remains to be seen.

More about Club St-Denis here.