The most elite dating clubs for young professionals in London and New York, ranked by price
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Social Concierge
- Elite dating apps are growing in popularity and physical clubs are expanding their international presence.
- We spoke to four of the core clubs offering "desirables" a place to swipe and flirt.
- Perks include free drinks and access to exclusive events.
Elite dating apps have well and truly caught on among young professionals worldwide. Many of the apps — which sometimes refer to themselves as "clubs" — are rapidly expanding to open their members up to an even bigger pool of potential matches.
We picked out the four most exclusive networks with a presence in both London and New York, where people can swipe and flirt, and ranked them by price, from cheapest to most expensive:
4. Raya: The celebrity hipster one — £5.99 a month.
Memberships start at £5.99 a month or $7.99. You can buy longer memberships at a reduced rate.
Christopher Polk/WireImage via Getty ImagesDespite having a reputation for exclusivity, Raya is the cheapest app on our list to subscribe to — if you can get in.
Who?
Raya is allegedly popular among celebrities, and first came to public attention in 2015 when Kelly Osbourne’s profile was leaked. John Mayer and Cara Delevigne are also said to have profiles. Demi Lovato recently praised the app in an interview with Yahoo Music, “It’s so cool. I love that app,” she said.
They say it’s for "people who design clothes, (who are) on our radios, televisions, writers, athletes, chefs, comedians, dancers, travellers, students, artists, and builders of companies."
Getty/Tristan Fewings
How it works:
As with a private members’ club, prospective applicants must be recommended by existing members. Each current member can share referrals with someone who they think would be a good fit. Without a code, you can’t sign up.
The app is linked to members’ Instagram accounts, and rumour has it you are unlikely to be accepted unless you have at least several thousand followers.
Once you’re in you can fill your profile with your best Instagram photos and stories, and even pick a soundtrack to play in the background.
Acceptance rate: Undisclosed.
3. The League: The Ivy League one — £12.50 a month.
You can only sign up to The League under a year-long membership for an upfront cost of $199/£150 per year, which equates to about £12.50 a month.
The League/Facebook
The League opened for business in London this summer after expanding to several U.S. cities. Founder Amanda Bradford’s goal is to keep the club "well-balanced, diverse, and classy."
Who: The League says it is for career-focused men and women too busy to swipe through hundreds of profiles. It’s designed by a "type-A, career-oriented ambitious female" — Bradford — who wanted to date men with those traits, and who are looking for the same.
How it works:
The LeagueThe League members hook up their LinkedIn and Facebook profiles which are examined by an algorithm that decides whether somebody can join. It also uses the data to stop you seeing work colleagues or friends on the app.
The algorithm takes into account dozens of factors, a spokeswoman explained.
They include education background and degree, past and current industries, social influence, neighbourhood and age.
It also has a "human review team" which ensures photos are appropriate and authentic before letting people join.
The League also puts on on social events, which users can pay to attend.
Acceptance rate: Upon launch in London The League accepted 2,000 initial member of its 10,000-strong waiting list. Spokeswoman Meredith Davis said the list is there to keep a constant balance of men and women and to "deter those looking for one night stands."
The League
2. The Inner Circle: The international one — from £20 per month.
Memberships are priced in favour of youth, with under 30s paying £20 a month and over 30s paying £40.
Inner Circle
The Inner Circle launched in Europe in 2013, and is now present in 20 cities worldwide. In the US it has a presence in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Houston.
Co-founder Michael Krayenhoff previously told Business Insider: "At the end of the day we are looking to create a close network of like-minded, inspiring singles who are kicking ass in their profession."
Who: The app targets singletons aged between 25 and 45. Around 95% of members went to university, the app said, and many work as entrepreneurs, consultants, advertising execs, and lawyers.
How it works:
The Inner Circle also uses LinkedIn and Facebook to vet candidates. The app claims to have half a million users, having expanded rapidly from 280,000 in May.
It offers members monthly social events at high-end venues, and lets users share their upcoming travel plans.
It has probably the biggest global presence of all the apps surveyed, and in addition to the cities mentioned above is present in London, Manchester, Dubai, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, Edinburgh, Madrid, Milan, Rome, Singapore, Stockholm, Sydney, and Zurich.
Acceptance rate: 40%, and it claims there are currently 450,000 people globally on its waiting list.
Inner Circle
1. Social Concierge: The party lover’s one — £40 per month.
Social Concierge
Nana Wereko-Brobby, also a professional matchmaker, launched Social Concierge in London in 2011 and Manhattan in February 2017.
Social Concierge
Users don’t have profiles and don’t swipe — instead the app puts on a series of events. Wereko-Brobby told Business Insider: "You have to get offline to chat."
The app has a calendar for upcoming events, the next of which is their flagship Vampire Ball to be held both in New York and London in October and November respectively. Admission is included in the price of the app, and many events include free drinks.
Who: Social Concierge is targeted at young professionals in the corporate sector, predominantly in law and financial services. It said 40% of its members are internationals, and 60% locals.
How it works: Again, decisions are made using Linked In and Facebook profiles. Wereko-Brobby said the app is highly selective according to education, and joked that she probably wouldn’t get in to her own club.
Social Concierge also has a matchmaking service. Clients can pay £200 an hour-long consultation followed by one date a month. Wereko-Brobby said: "It’s to a very high-spec, from I want somebody who is this height, to someone who speaks two languages and has lived in X number of countries —I’m essentially a headhunter.”
The club aims to open in Hong Kong next year.
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