Secret rooms, wine cellars, splashy social events, and a members list that's top secret.
San Francisco's booming tech industry has produced an array of gated societies throughout the city. The Battery, which opened nearly four years ago, is a members-only clubhouse dedicated to creating an innovative social networking space. The club is an intentional throwback to the social clubs of earlier eras and its opulent trappings complete the vibe.
Created by the husband-and-wife founders of early social network Bebo (which was acquired by AOL for $850 million), The Battery hosts a who's who of tech industry power players who dine at its restaurant, mingle at the establishment's various bars or attend the special events.
With its pricey entry and strict no-photos-allowed policy, few people have glimpsed the club's sumptuous interior.
Here's what it looks like inside:
The Battery is an exclusive members-only club that caters to some of San Francisco's most elite residents.
The membership, which is rumored to cost upwards of $2,000 a year, provides entry to the club's luxurious quarters as well as access to a variety of events including book signings, private lectures, and concerts.
While the club doesn't reveal its members, it typically attracts influential players in the tech industry including entrepreneurs and top venture capitalists.
The club bills itself as "a living social experiment" designed to inspire new ideas among its clientele.
In keeping with the club's ethos, The Battery has an "electronics curfew" which hits at 6 pm when members are asked to put away their cellphones and laptops.
The space includes a restaurant, a garden, a library, spa, gym, wine cellar, and eight different event spaces as well as several bars.
One of the bathroom areas features seven doors depicting the seven deadly sins.
The space is a former marble warehouse and candy factory with an opulent, bohemian interior created by celebrated designer Ken Fulk.
Inside one of the bars is a secret room located behind a bookcase. When you touch a specific statue, the bookcase swings open on a motorized door, revealing a room filled with acoustic instruments.
Questlove, Snoop Dogg, deadmau5, and Hosier have all given exclusive performances at the venue.
Events aren't strictly limited to the club, either. The Battery has featured events like racing professional race cars at a race car track and learning how to play polo at a polo field.
Each summer, the club hosts a multi-day getaway in Mendocino.
Aside from the members-only spaces inside, The Battery also has a boutique hotel with fourteen guest rooms, some of which command as much as $1,000 a night.
The venue is equipped with an on site gym that offers boot camps, guided meditation, personal training, and massage services.
The Battery's wine cellar has 600 labels from around the world and the full-service restaurant serves Cal-Mediterranean cuisine.
Currently, The Battery has nearly 5,000 members.
