A BEAUTIFUL woman sits blindfolded, tied to a velvet chair.

On a silver tray nearby, various instruments have been carefully laid out, including a bondage flogger.

13 This is Snctm, the most elite sex club in the world, where fantasies can become reality Credit: Edward Aninaru

As she leans back in ecstasy, a crowd of elaborately masked onlookers gathers to watch what happens next.

It’s like walking into a scene from the film Eyes Wide Shut, only this is real life.

Welcome to Snctm, the most elite sex club in the world, where fantasies — no matter how kinky — can become reality.

The club’s masquerade parties are a huge hit among Hollywood society — even Gwyneth Paltrow has attended for research purposes — and now it’s coming to the UK.

13 This exclusive masquerade club has been a hit in Hollywood, but now it's coming to the UK Credit: Polaris

Owner Damon Lawner tells The Sun: “I have members in the US who have homes in London and they’ve been saying I need to come over.

“I have been hearing it so much so I felt it was time to get over to the UK and do it.”

Damon, 47, came up with the idea for the club, which charges up to £50,000 for membership, after watching the erotic 1999 film Eyes Wide Shut five years ago.

Starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman, it features a married couple secretly questioning monogamy.

13 The club charges up to £50,00 for a membership

In one scene, Tom’s character finds himself at a satanic sex party held in a mysterious mansion.

At the time, father-of-two Damon was feeling the same disillusionment.

The estate agent had been with his wife Melissa, a model and actress, for more than 15 years but their sex life had dried up.

Keen to explore his kinkier side, Damon set up the club with just a Facebook page and was inundated with people wanting to join.

13 The club's owner Damon Lawner says he is excited to bring his club to the UK Credit: Polaris

The first event was held in Beverly Hills in 2013 and they have been held monthly ever since.

Now he plans to host two parties in London, on May 26 and August 26, and they will feature Snctm’s mix of sexual experimentation, burlesque and erotic theatre.

Damon, who is now divorced, says: “It’s like a very upscale black-tie cocktail party. But you’re seeing very surrealistic, ritualistic performance.

“Then after midnight it seems to evolve into this party where people want to get undressed and make love.”

13 The owner came up with the club after watching the 1999 erotic film Eyes Wide Shut Credit: Reuters

The parties are restricted to just 100 guests, and women always outnumber men by about three to one.

Men must wear black tie and women dresses or lingerie.

Masks are mandatory and phones are banned.

There is also a meticulous vetting process that sees Damon’s team sift through thousands of applications.

13 The owner's parties are restricted to 100 people and he sorts through a lot the applications

Chiselled Damon says: “The first step is fairly obvious.

“There’s an aesthetic appeal to someone if you look at their photos.

“We get applications from rich, beautiful people. Some applications are amazing . . . but others are not.

“It’s their dream to come to the party but they’re not really of the aesthetic or financial level. It’s not going to work for them to come.”

13 Damon's now ex-wife Melissa and him started this exploring this other world when their sex life dried up Credit: 2015. All rights reserved.

While he is keen to maintain Snctm’s promise of anonymity to its guests, Damon has said: “Wikipedia them and they’re serious business people, who are making the cars we drive and the movies we watch.”

And according to Damon, actress Gwyneth has attended one of Snctm’s events with her now fiancé Brad Falchuk, who co-created hit TV show Glee.

They were there in a professional capacity, and she has even featured Snctm on her GOOP website.

Brad is looking into producing a fictional series based on Damon’s life.

13 The owner is currently scouting places in the UK to host his party

Damon adds: “We’ve had very famous British musicians who have come to our parties in the US.”

He recalls an “amazing moment” at one of his Los Angeles masquerades with a “legendary English rocker”.

Damon recalls: “I was sitting outside on fur blankets next to him. Our girlfriends were sat on our laps and he looks over at me and asks, ‘Why don’t we share?’ And I smile back and say, ‘Yes, why don’t we?’

The four of us had a really beautiful experience.

Video lifts lid on 'Snctm', an exclusive sex party held in New York and LA

“It was one of the first times I’d done anything like that, as my relationships were always very traditional before I started my club.”

While membership for men ranges from £7,000 to £50,000, women don’t have to pay.

Instead, they must submit an application form, including full-body photos.

Damon, now in a new and monogamous relationship after “two years of exploring everything”, says: “People have accused me of being sexist because I don’t charge women but it works.

13 The owner promises anonymity to members but when he goes through their applications he can see how high profile they are Credit: Polaris

“There are women who insist on buying membership and that’s fine.

“It’s a party for women on many levels. We’re creating a safe environment to allow them to explore as they want.

“The men are often shy and it’s the women that are a little bit more adventurous.”

Women may take the lead but it seems they don’t always want to dominate. One of Snctm’s most eye-popping parties featured a mock slave auction, with the successful male bidder leading the submissive around on a leash.

13 Damon says Gwyneth Paltrow has attended his parties for 'research purposes' Credit: Getty Images - Getty

Damon recalls: “The wife of a prominent attorney said to me, ‘I’ve talked to my husband and I want to be auctioned off. It’s my fantasy — and his.

“Everyone has fantasies but there are not a lot of places to act them out.

“The husband didn’t bid. He just wanted to watch.”

She ‘sold’ for around £14,000, with the money going to a charity fighting real slavery.

13 The 1999 film challenged views as it was about a married couple questioning the idea of monogamy

Damon smiles: “We thought it was a bit tongue in cheek.” The couple clearly enjoyed their experience, as Damon says: “He just renewed his membership.”

The parties feature all-female performers known as Devotees who volunteer to take part.

One told how her first job was spent on her hands and knees acting as a human table.

At another party, the woman – who is a digital research analyst by day – wore a pig mask with a sign around her neck saying “touch me”.

13 Eyes Wide Shut was made with Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise Credit: Getty - Contributor

No matter what sort of antics they witness though, guests must stick to the golden rule. Damon explains: “You never touch without asking. We have security to enforce that rule but everyone spends so much money to be there, the rules don’t get broken.”

There are just 11 men and one woman who have an exclusive Dominus membership – the highest level – which ensures you special perks at the parties and entry to a secret room.

One of the youngest Dominus members is a 21-year-old guy whose dad paid the hefty membership fee.

For that, he gets to witness girl-on-girl action while another young woman in lingerie sits on his knee with her hand down his trousers.

13 One scene had Tom Cruise at a satanic sex party in a mysterious mansion

Membership should last a lifetime but one of the erotic club’s most colourful members was recently stripped of his.

Known as Bunnyman, because he favoured wearing a black leather rabbit mask to the US parties, Phuong Tran, 34, was accused of bullying the club’s creative director and told he was no longer welcome.

Damon says: “Then a few weeks ago, he messaged my 12-year-old daughter on Instagram.

“He described what I do for a living — stuff you don’t send a 12-year-old. That was it.

“I decided to send out his photo and full name. I don’t know what the retaliation will be.”

Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise shocked the world when they split after Eyes Wide Shut

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Later this month, Damon will travel over from his LA home to London, to scout for locations to host his party.

He says: “We’re not sure whether to hold it at a private residence or the presidential suite of a hotel.”

But wherever it will be, the location will remain top secret to all but an exclusive few.