Soho House sold to MCR Hotels and Ashton Kutcher-led group in £2b deal

Soho House is to be taken over by a group of investors including MCR Hotels and actor Ashton Kutcher in a deal worth around $2.7b (£2b).

The move will see the London-based members’ club move back to private ownership after a rocky four years on the New York Stock Exchange.

MCR is the third-largest hotel owner-operator in the US and owns London’s BT Tower and properties including the High Line hotel in New York.

MCR’s founder Tyler Morse will join Soho House’s board of directors alongside Kutcher, while existing major shareholders including founder Nick Jones and Ivy Collection boss Richard Caring will retain their stakes in the company.

MCR is paying $9 a share to acquire Soho House, which the company said represented an 83% premium to the price before investor interest was revealed in December.

Soho House has traded publicly since 2021 but has struggled financially and faced criticism from members that its clubs had become too overcrowded amid a push for expansion.

However, revenues rose 8.9% in the second quarter this year while adjusted EBITDA jumped to £34.3m, up from £23.5m in the same period in 2024.

Soho House chief executive Andrew Carnie said the company had opened in locations including São Paulo, Mexico City, Nashville and Paris over the last four years and was now a more “resilient” business.

Carnie added: “Returning to private ownership enables us to build on this momentum, with the support of world class hospitality and investment partners. I’m incredibly proud of what our teams have accomplished and am excited about our future, as we continue to be guided by our members and grounded in the spirit that makes Soho House so special.”

Morse said MCR wanted to “safeguard the member experience, drive sustainable international growth for House members and protect and expand the cultural and creative foundation that has made Soho House a global industry leader”.

Soho House was founded by Nick Jones in London in 1995 to act as a hub for people working in the creative industries.

It runs 14 houses in the UK and is planning to open its first club in Manchester in the old Granada Studios television building this autumn.

Photo: Copyright Soho House, Kettners Townhouse