The move follows a recent Hong Kong Jockey Club promotion to try to attract members from the mainland and offers by many of the once-exclusive clubs around town.

This year is the 90th anniversary of the Helena May, which has 600 active members and 900 life members. General manager Betty Simpson said the club was looking to attract at least 200 more by waiving the HK$3,000 joining fee until the end of September. New members would have to pay only the yearly fee of $3,840.

For that sum there is a restaurant and bar, private function area, reading rooms and one of Hong Kong's best-appointed English libraries with more than 25,000 books.

There are also fitness classes and lectures available for members.

Ms Simpson said membership was not suffering but they hoped to use the anniversary to promote the club to a new membership.

'We have about 40 per cent Chinese members now and we have changed as Hong Kong has changed,' she said.

Long-term member Edith Terry said the club had seen substantial renovations and was looking to do more. Ms Terry denied it was ever an exclusive club.

The club had always been a 'quasi-philanthropic organisation' with good quality, affordable accommodation for women.

Since the handover, the accommodation had become more important, especially for retirees, the elderly and those who could not afford their own home.

Some women stay at the Helena May for two years or more.

Ms Terry admitted the board of the club was at times 'stuffy' about modernisation.

'There is a trend toward change at the club but there was a huge struggle to get the renovations done,' she said.

'But it's definitely not some elite place like those where there are long waiting lists, barriers to entry and fees of perhaps HK$90,000 to join.'