No democrats, no women, no reporters basically sums it up. This is a very private mens club, but…read morewives are allowed to accompany their husbands by invitation and within specific constraints/conditions. Women are also allowed for specific parties/receptions, but again conditions apply. Meaning there are some places they are never allowed or only at specific times and they often are required to use the building's back door instead of the grand California Street entrance. Membership is strictly by invitation only and quite a grueling, long process (some people wait for 20 years to be considered and approved). If you are invited, you'll be among the very elite including business magnates, dignitaries, presidents, and some who just earned their money the really old fashioned way... they inherited it. As for the dues, you know what they say about having to ask how much things cost.
The building itself is grand, opulent, and ornate. It even smells like history. It survived the 1906 earthquake but, the interior did burn so everything you see dates from then. An interesting architectural fact it that when the Flood family did give it over to the respective Pacific Club and Union Club that then became the Pacific Union Club of today, the east and west wings on the ground floor were added. Prior to that the structure was square. The west wing contains the dining room with one of the largest wood carved ceilings I've ever seen. Very Bavarian castle like. The beams are massive, dark, and crammed with details. The east wing contains the lounge. It has multiple seating arrangements/piano/two fireplaces and another wood carved ceiling bordering a central fresco reminiscent of the NYC public library reading rooms. Both wings are the same size, enormous, and completely open without any interior floor to ceiling support beams/columns so one has a completely unobstructed view of everyone in the place. Around 350 were present for the reception I attended and you could see everyone. From the street it is deceiving just how long these rooms are because they actually start from the center hall and have only two windows that face California Street.
Anterooms off each wing in the front of the house are connected to the center hall which is part of the original design. For as dark as the woodwork, fireplaces, and furnishings are in the wings, the anterooms walls were light, had floor to ceiling mirrors, enormous windows, and contain lighter furnishings. The marble center hall/entrance from the front door leads to a large open marble center room (I'm sure used for dancing/parties at one time) with niches in each corner containing enormous urns holding palm trees. The ceiling is a massive glass skylight (partially stained, but mostly opaque) that acts as the central light source for all of the interior rooms on the 2nd and 3rd floors. The hall continues to the back of the house to the very grand central staircase which leads to a landing with palladium windows and then splits to either side and continues to the 2nd floor. Bathrooms were small and obscurely positioned, but clearly this is due to the age of the building and design aesthetics of the time. They were nice and contained individual cubicles with proper wood doors and hand towels, but certainly not the nicest indoor outhouses I've come across.
The only thing that did surprise me a little was the lack of paintings/art on the walls. There were none. However, this house is full of massive windows and in between each window were wall mounted chandeliers so empty wall space was really unavailable. It still looked a little odd like something was missing.
Service from the staff is exactly what you would expect. Men (some women) in variations of tuxedos and morning suits with gold and red waistcoats, tails, and white gloves. No idle chit chat from them, rather all business. The reception I was attending was only cocktails and hors d'oeuvres, but the food was plentiful, fresh, and good. You never had to wait for anything or even move to get it yourself. They were right there at all times anticipating your every need. Cameras and cell phones are strictly prohibited so if you get invited in, don't think you are going to be able to wander around freely taking photos and posting them on Facebook. You will be watched and not every nook and cranny of the place is available once you do get inside. This also explains why you can never find any pictures of the inside anywhere on the Internet. Don't push it with trying to sneak a photo or wandering where you shouldn't be. Just enjoy it while you can.
They don't make places like this anymore. It's like stepping back in time and a real treat so if you get the chance to attend an event, forget whatever else may be an option and just do it. Dress appropriately... your hoodie and sneakers ain't gonna fly with these people.
