[MartynSinclair]

Excellent review and pleased to see the return of this establishement. Takes me back to my younger and single days.

http://www.businesstraveller.com/news/playboy-club-to-reopen-in-london

I also paid for life time membership to the Playboy club back in the late 70’s early 80’s and still retain my membership card. I think there were 3 UK clubs then, London, Manchester and one somewhere on the South Coast.

Are you aware whether previous lifetime membership will still be honoured or is this new Playboy club going to insist on “new lifetime membership”.

[Anonymous]

[MartynSinclair]

I phoned the new Playboy club to ask the question. My previous “lifetime” membership for the Playboy Club does not provide ANY membership benefits to the new London club, despite the card quite clearly showing that it is valid in Playboy Clubs worldwide!

I accept that it is a different company operating the new club, but it is being promoted as the “same” Playboy Club.

[LuganoPirate]

I’ve also had lifetime membership Martyn, and I’ve still got my card. I’ve also got a bunny tail mounted on a wooden board.

Not sure I’ll pay £1,200 a year plus joining fee and certainly will not risk lifetime membership as I bet it won’t last more than three years! The market is much tougher these days with competition more plentiful than it was in our days from the likes of the Brickhouse, which do not require membership and offer entertainment.

The South Coast venue was in Portsmouth. Often used to go there since the stakes were lower and as I played using the same stakes as in London, they’d treat me like a VIP and give me free meals!

[robsmith100]

It may be worth having a word with Trading Standards.

[MartynSinclair]

I am not for one minute expecting to show my card and expect to obtain all the new benefits, after all, it cost £15,000 lifetime membership. This provides for some gaming chips as well as a credit within the establishment for food and drink. The annual fee is £1200. I think my membership was the grand toal of £20 + it entitles me to one free copy of Playboy per month. I must have nearly 360 back copies to read somewhere.

I would have thought that as the new company is a “franchise” of the Playboy Club and Hugh Heffner is apparently endorsing the club by being present on its opening night, that a card issued some years ago, which clearly states, membership to Playboy Clubs worldwide, should enable this 49 year to go and remember where he spent his younger days.

LP fancy meeting up there for dinner sometime?

[LuganoPirate]

Definitely up for dinner Martyn, though will we have to be members I suppose, or do you think they’ll let us in with the old cards?

I’d forgotten membership was just £20 at the time, but I never got the magazine, I had to pay for it. Only for the articles of course!!

[MartynSinclair]

I think it would be pretty poor show if they refused entry. It may be a different management company or franchisee, but bottom line is that the club is a Playboy club.

I may send an email, I have no interest in gambling but love to go for dinner, if only for old times sake.

Be good to book a round table, for 6 and see if any other forum members would like to join in.

[LuganoPirate]

If we can get in I’d love to go for dinner. I’ll know my travel dates this week and I’ll put them here. I don’t expect everyone’s plans to revolve round mine but if they coincide that would be great.

A good Sunday to all,

LP

[MartynSinclair]

Hi All,

I will go to the club when i am next passing and establish the position. I think it woul dbe very unfair if they were not willing to honour a previous lifetime Playboy membership, if I need to discuss this matter with Hugh, I may ask DS to prepare the strategy and Senator to diplomatically and eloquently present.

My suggested format would be a round table dinner for 6 sometime in September/October as I will be travelling for most of July and August.

Martyn

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Hi Martyn

A cursory webcheck reveals that the new club is operated by London Clubs International Ltd, does your card have the legal entity that owned the former club? I doubt it was this company.

I think, in all likelihood, that entrance to the network of clubs was probably dependent on the original London club being in existence and IIRC, the whole Playboy club network stopped for a few years.

So, whilst morally you absolutely have a good point, legally (as so often is the case), I reckon they will just fall back on the T&C’s.

I guess it would be like an airline going bust, the brand name being bought from the liquidator and then a new company starting up – “airmiles sir, you had 2,000,000 with Air Dodgy, but we are Air Dodgy operated by acme corporation 2011 sir, we have no connection.”

But I am not a lawyer.

[MartynSinclair]

Thank you DS for your views. Very much appreciated.

The only additional points are that the membership card clearly states:

“Valid for admission to Playboy clubs throughout the world, when affixed to Playboy keycard”

…as well as the fact that London Clubs International Ltd are probably only managing the club. The brand would still be owned by Hugh, whose club issued the intial card.

[cretabot]

Hi
I also was a member of the original Playboy club and went to London club every week and also visited the club in Portsmouth. and yes I am still alive.
So when the club opened in London I was very excited so decided to visit the club with my original card but was told it was not valid, I said Playboy said I had life membership but the person in the London club said its not valid and you will have to pay again to join.
Playboy you should of kept your promise to all the old members who supported your club before it closed as all the members were gutted it closed.

[MartynSinclair]

I would have thought the management & owners would have only been too pleased to allow revenue paying customers in for drink and a meal, which I doubt would have been cheap….

[PeterCoultas]

Impressive, Martyn, that U are still up 4 it. Maybe there are real benefits to jet lag !

[Author]

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