Prior to 1990, a guest house conjured up a vision of exactly that, a small house located at the back of a property that provided an accommodation for guests visiting the estate.  More recently, the Bed and Breakfast (B&B) market has embraced the term.  Modern B&B’s are the large homes and estates of early 20th century properties and usually feature a detached house or houses as part of the property.
Today, a traditional B&B is a property where both the owners and their guests live under the same roof.  A guest house was a property where the owner or manager lived in separate quarters from the guests.  The “House” concept which was originally derived from the guest house concept has expanded to include the now very popular Membership Hotels.  They are a cross between a Hotel and a City Membership Club.  They are places to conduct business or simply take a break from the busy city.  These places now include restaurants, spas, and private meeting spaces all available for day use or for over-night guests visiting the area.  Don’t expect to hear about these accommodations as exclusivity is usually part of the concept. 
Because of this exclusivity, memberships are usually very cost effective.  In cities such as New York and London, it is not about the cost of membership as much as being a place where you can be yourself and be seen.  The key is meeting the membership criteria.  The west coast is creating its own version of these “House Hotels”, with emphasis on being seen.  This is not to say that they do not offer utility as well.  The “House” concept caters to all sorts of individuals, including successful business persons, celebrities, people in the news and local VIP’s. 
However, there is great utility with membership and regular house members use the faculties frequently, hence making membership a value and a necessity. 

Jack Weyls

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