Playboy Club

Playboy Club
	File:PlayboyLogo.svg
Company type	Subsidiary
Industry	Nightclubs
Founded	February 29, 1960; 66 years ago, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Founder	Hugh Hefner
Parent	Playboy Enterprises

The Playboy Club represented a series of nightclubs and resort venues under the ownership of Playboy Enterprises, initially established in Chicago in 1960. Each venue was designed with multiple distinctive sections, including a Living Room, Playmate Bar, Dining Room, and Club Room. Service was provided by the iconic Playboy Bunnies, some of whom had appeared in Playboy magazine. The clubs showcased prominent entertainers and comedians and expanded internationally with sites in London and Jamaica.

Operations ceased in 1991 but were revived in 2006 with a new club opening at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, followed by additional locations in Macau and Cancun in 2010. The Las Vegas venue closed in 2012, Macau followed in 2013, and Cancun shut down in 2014. In May 2014, Los Angeles' Commerce Casino launched a Playboy-themed lounge featuring gaming tables staffed by Playboy Bunny waitresses. A club debuted in Midtown Manhattan in September 2018 but closed after just over a year in November 2019.

History

The inaugural Playboy Club launched on February 29, 1960, situated at 116 E. Walton Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois, with performances by comedian Dick Gregory and then-teenage singer Aretha Franklin. Chicago jazz pianist Sam Distefano took on the role of Musical Director. The club moved to Lincoln Park in 1980 and ultimately closed its doors in June 1986.

Over a span exceeding twenty years, more than twenty clubs were established across the United States, including key metropolitan areas such as Miami, New York City, Los Angeles, and Detroit. Internationally, clubs operated in locations like Montreal and various Japanese cities (Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo), complemented by resorts in Jamaica, New Jersey, and Wisconsin. The final American club prior to the Las Vegas reopening was located in Lansing, Michigan, closing in 1988. Internationally, clubs continued until 1991 with the Manila venue; brief reopenings occurred later in Macao (2010–2013) and Cancun (2010–2014).

During its height, the Playboy Club membership system proved highly profitable; charging an annual fee of $25 per member generated $25 million for every million members enrolled. Access was controlled via the distinctive rabbit-head metal key.

In 1965, founder Hugh Hefner assigned Victor Lownes to spearhead Playboy's casino ventures in Britain following the legalization of gambling there. By 1981, the London casino at 45 Park Lane had become the most lucrative casino worldwide, contributing $32 million to Playboy's income. Additional casinos were established in Manchester and Portsmouth. A hotel-casino project launched in Atlantic City in 1981 but was sold three years later after gaming license approval was denied.

The Lake Geneva Playboy Club in Wisconsin (operating from 1968 to 1981) showcased architecture inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright and featured a ski slope equipped with one of the earliest chair lifts. This site is now known as the Grand Geneva Resort & Spa. Sam Distefano served as entertainment director for all Playboy Clubs and Hotels globally for twenty-five years before assuming a vice president position at the Riviera Hotel and Casino.

On October 6, 2006, Playboy reintroduced a club at The Palms resort in Las Vegas with casino facilities and bars; this location closed in June 2012.

International growth included opening a Macao club in November 2010 after conducting Australian auditions for Playboy Bunny roles. In London, a new club debuted on June 4, 2011, at Old Park Lane featuring a casino, bars, and upscale dining overseen by Iron Chef Judy Joo. This venue covered approximately 17,000 square feet across two floors.

In India, PB Lifestyle secured brand rights intending to open a beach club in Goa by December 2012; however, regulatory challenges halted progress. Subsequent plans for clubs in Hyderabad and Mumbai encountered difficulties due to obscenity laws restricting adult publications like Playboy. Uniform designs were altered to meet local legal requirements.

On September 12, 2018, a new Playboy Club launched at 512 West 42nd Street in Midtown Manhattan amid controversy related to its timing during the #MeToo movement. After operating just over one year, it closed on November 14, 2019, transitioning into a steakhouse and entertainment venue.

In popular culture

In Season 5, Episode 7 of the Dick Van Dyke Show titled "The Great Petrie Fortune", a Bunny Key is seen on Rob’s uncle’s desk and is promptly taken by Laura from Rob.
The 1971 James Bond movie Diamonds Are Forever shows Bond carrying his Playboy Club Member Card in his wallet, which Tiffany Case uses to verify his identity.
The 1982 episode "The Playboy Show" of Laverne & Shirley portrays Laverne working as a Playboy Bunny, despite her father’s disapproval.
The 1985 television film A Bunny's Tale, featuring Kirstie Alley, is adapted from feminist leader and writer Gloria Steinem’s critical 1963 article recounting her experience as a Playboy Bunny.
The 2000 TV movie A Tale of Two Bunnies (also known as Price of Beauty) follows the story of two young women employed as Playboy Bunnies in 1961.
In the 2008 film The House Bunny, starring Anna Faris, a former Playboy Bunny becomes a sorority housemother, focusing on themes of self-discovery and social change.
The 2008 television series Swingtown includes scenes where characters visit the Playboy Club.
A 2010 episode of Mad Men features Lane Pryce introducing his father and Don Draper to his girlfriend, referred to as his "chocolate bunny," at the New York Playboy Club.
NBC’s 2011 series The Playboy Club, set in the original Chicago location, was discontinued after airing only three episodes.

External links