In & Out Club

Formerly known as Cambridge House and home to the Naval and Military Club until 1996, this building is more commonly known as the In & Out Club, a nickname that came from the famous lettering found on the gateposts, which existed to guide London cabbies in and out of the club.

It was built in 1760 for Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont, and later became home to the patriotic Viscount Palmeston, the oldest man ever to become Prime Minister. From here, he used to walk to work despite taking up office at 70 years of age.

In 1996 the Naval and Military Club found new premises at St James Square and the building was put on the market in the hope of attracting a buyer from the Far East to convert it into THE boutique hotel in London.

The brief from the client required a number of computer generated images to be created showing what the potential hotel could look like. There was very little information to work with so a photographic survey was undertaken of the interior to obtain reference material that could be used in the images. Included in the brief was the requirement for all hotel staff to be dressed in period costume along with a request to “put in a sickening amount of gold… then double it!”

Agent: FPD Savills
Client: Adventis