Limited access: 4 exclusive establishments in Atlanta

Want entry? Need money or power.
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Library at the Castle Club
Library at the Castle Club

Photograph by Christopher T. Martin

Royal Treatment
The century-old Midtown Castle was recently restored with two swanky new bars—and the private Castle Club upstairs, modeled after London’s historic members clubs. It’s expected to open this month to founding members, who’ve shelled out as much as $100,000 for a spot. Prospectives must be nominated and vetted.

Members Only
The exclusive backroom lounge at Chops Lobster Bar, simply called the Club, gives its high-profile (so we hear) members key cards and the option to bring a guest for dinner. There’s a special wine list and smoking room. Want to join? You’ll need two current members to nominate you. Oh, but even the waiting list has a waiting list.

Suite Digs
When the merely top-notch hotel room won’t cut it, there’s the Empire Suite at Buckhead’s St. Regis. Six thousand bucks a night gets you 2,800 square feet of prime 10th-floor real estate, boasting a full kitchen, a private exercise room, an accompanying butler service, and . . . a grand piano?

Power Players
The Atlanta Committee for Progress is populated by CEOs and top executives from Delta Air Lines, Turner Broadcasting, and about three dozen other companies and colleges. The blue-ribbon group meets quarterly to share intel with the mayor behind closed doors, with no press allowed and no published minutes.

This article originally appeared in our February 2015.
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