New private club The Nanson to open on Oct 1 at former 1880 premises

[SINGAPORE] A new private social club called The Nanson is poised to open on Oct 1, taking over the premises of its predecessor, 1880, at Robertson Quay. A pre-selected list of potential founding members will be offered membership with joining fees waived until Dec 31. Thereafter, regular joining fees are pegged at S$6,000 for a single membership and S$9,000 for a couple membership.

The Nanson will be run by a large majority of the team from the former 1880 club. Key personnel include general manager Tsoler Jekalian, executive chef Colin Buchan and events director Sophie Fitsall. Word is that a new chief executive formerly from a Fortune 500 company has also been hired.

The Business Times earlier reported that most of the staff who used to work at 1880 – which abruptly closed on Jun 17 – will operate the new club with the backing of its landlord, RB Corp. The latter is a member of property investment and development firm RB Capital Group, whose flagship development at Robertson Quay includes the InterContinental Hotel and the 22,000-square-foot venue where 1880 was located.

It is understood that the team picked The Nanson as the club’s new name as it is located at 1 Nanson Road. The road is itself named after a 19th-century lawyer and municipal commissioner who defended principles even in the face of controversy, signalling the type of conversations the club is seeking.

“We are committed to supporting this passionate, dedicated and experienced team, as they look to raise the bar for social clubs in Singapore,” said a representative from RB Capital Group, who declined to comment on how much was invested to refresh the property.

A source said close to 1,000 interested parties have already enquired about joining the new club, most of them from the former 1880. Members of the former club can apply to join The Nanson with joining fees waived – subject to a membership committee approval. Monthly subscription fees are said to be similar to what the former club was charging.

It is believed that The Nanson’s new amenities include private dining rooms, as well as gym access and special members’ rates at the InterContinental Singapore Robertson Quay. Additional concepts are expected to be unveiled in phases.

To mark its launch, the club’s inaugural calendar will feature intellectual, cultural and wellness content as well as dining experiences with Buchan.

BT understands that the original date for the club’s opening last month was pushed to October as more time was needed to ensure the team was ready.

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The Nanson’s opening follows several developments since private club 1880 closed and was put into provisional liquidation. Founded in 2017 by entrepreneur Marc Nicholson, the local business was understood to be profitable. However, debt piled up after an aggressive but ultimately failed expansion to Hong Kong and Bali. A provisional list of creditors as at Jun 9 showed that the club owes S$4.1 million to more than 200 creditors, including RB Corp, DBS, HSBC, suppliers and staff.

Two weeks ago, BT also reported that Nicholson filed for bankruptcy, citing debts of S$1.5 million. Meanwhile, the club’s brand and intellectual property were sold to Icon1c – a lifestyle group that includes Mandala Club – which is looking for a new location to relaunch 1880. An 1880 WhatsApp community has been created to keep members engaged and connected, and a dedicated community relationship manager appointed to support members.