On a fashionable street in Shanghai’s former French Concession neighborhood, tree-lined with art galleries, shops and European-style cafes, sits a stunning reminder of the city’s glamorous past; a 1920’s mansion-turned-private members club, complete with a ‘secret’ garden and eclectic décor. The structure in question is called ‘Twin Villas’, as it consists of two identical 4-tiered houses, and is the headquarters of the Kee Club; the location

of some of Shanghai’s most exclusive get-togethers – since opening its doors in 2008.

The brainchild of Christian and Maria Rhomberg, the Austrian husband-and-wife team behind the first club of the same name, which opened in Hong Kong seven years prior, this incarnation boasts a number of dining areas and private rooms for lavish affairs. The original concept was based on the couple’s love of entertaining close friends in an elegant but inviting

environment, surrounded by art and diverse furnishings. They envisioned the grand sitting rooms of a Paris apartment at a time, long ago, when ‘salon culture’ – impromptu gatherings of like-minded sophisticates – was all the rage.

The club, which inhabits the top two floors, is reached via a winding staircase – dramatically bathed with the light streaming through vintage stained-glass windows. Upon entering the main lounge