Playboy Club London
'Hi there'
Bunnies pose on the roof of the London Playboy Club. Courtesy Playboy. Pamela Anderson, October 1989. Anderson was on a record-breaking 13 Playboy covers—this one was her first. 10, 1964 - Playboy Club Bunnies in London: Seven beautiful bunnies from America's famous Playboy Clubs, have arrived in London for a week's visit. The girls all 'Bunny Award' winners chosen from over 700 bunnies who staff the ten Playboy clubs, were selected for their appearance, graciousness and popularity. The Playboy Club is an iconic London venue for gambling and late night entertainment. With the famous Playboy bunnies on staff, the club offers a wide range of options for gambling, dining and bars. The casino includes classic table games like American Roulette, Three Card Poker, Blackjack and Punto Banco – all dealt the bunny croupiers. Playboy Club London Casino Review Jump to comments The Playboy Club London Casino is located at the site of the former Rendezvous Mayfair Casino - 14 Old Park Lane, London, England. As the name implies the casino is not open to the public, however members may bring guests to the casino, and gamers (guests of members) are welcome in some venues. The Playboy Club London is a solid reboot of the legendary club. With the addition of Salvatore’s, it’s a clear upgrade from the Playboy Club Las Vegas at the Palms Casino. The vibe in the club is a nice mix of classic sixties-style club and modern.
| I was “Bunny Deana” at the legendary Playboy Club in London for nearly four years from 1969 to 1972. During this time I had many exciting experiences andI collected a large number of priceless and irreplaceable photographs. I now want to share my memories and my pictures with you, here in Bunny Deana's Playboy Photo Album. |
| This is me just before I decided to try to become a Playboy Bunny, at home and also in my business suit. I was working as a secretary in London in 1969, but I wanted a more exciting life. I had no idea that the next three and a half years were to be more exciting than I could ever imagine! |
| Before long I had given up the office routine and the Playboy Bunny costumes were my new regular working clothes as one of the Bunny Girls at the London Playboy Club in Park Lane, in the heart of Mayfair. |
Are you here?
| Wouldn’t it be amazing if you recognize yourself, or someone you know, in these pictures? Maybe you're anEx-Playboy Bunny yourself. Please be sure to let me know. Remember, they were taken at the London Playboy Club between 1969 and 1972. |
| A few weeks after this photo was taken I received a lovely letter from Jim MacLean (left). Jim was on shore-leave from the US Navy at his home in Little Creek, Virginia. He said his wife had seen the picture and had said nice things about me! I've often wondered where Jim and his shipmate Ed might be now. |
Playboy Bunny Of The Year
| I joined the London Playboy Club in March 1969. Just a few months later, in October, I was persuaded to enter the annual Bunny Of The Year competition. The prize was an all-expenses-paid luxury trip to America to compete in the first-ever International Bunny of The Year Pageant. I never dreamed of winning. I thought it would be just a bit of fun, then back to work next day as usual. How wrong I was! That evening I was crowned as London Playboy Bunny Of The Year, and two weeks of incredible excitement were just beginning. Here (above) I am receiving my crown from Myra van Heck, a former Playboy Bunny and Miss England 1969. |
Crowned by James Bond!
| I was crowned Bunny Of The Year by George Lazenby who was starring as James Bond at the time (1969) in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Does that make me a Bond Girl? |
See me on film,
winning Bunny of The Year
| This archive newsreel film (I'm 3rd from left) shows me winning the Bunny of The Year competiton. It mentions my real name 'Diana Turner'. When I joined the London Playboy Club in 1969 there was already a 'Bunny Diana', so I became 'Bunny Deana'. Click the picture below to watch the film. |
What the papers said
| My Union Jack Bunny costume was made specially for me so I could 'Fly The Flag' for Britain! |
At the Playboy Mansion in Chicago
| Bunnies from all over the world meet Playboy founder Hugh Hefner (that's me standing to his left) at the legendary Playboy Mansion in Chicago, before the first-ever International Bunny of The Year Pageant (lots of pictures here: see if you can spot me!). Just imagine - two weeks earlier I had never been out of England before; now here I was in the amazing city of Chicago, AND in the Playboy Mansion, AND standing next to Hugh Hefner, sipping a champagne cocktail... simply unbelievable! |
| In this picture I'm in the middle of the back row. The eventual winner and first-ever International Bunny of The Year for 1970 was the lovely Gina Byrams. She is sitting in the front row on the right. |
| Here I'm receiving my trophy at the International Bunny of The Year Pageant, held at the world-famous Playboy Resort at Lake Geneva, Wisconsin USA in November, 1969. The judges included Bill Cosby and British iconic super-model and actress Jean Shrimpton. I remember the gala dinner before the show and sitting next to Jean, chatting happily about England! All the Bunnies in the pageant put on an exciting musical presentation before the main show. We rehearsed for a couple of days and then opened the show with the brilliant song from the hit Broadway and Hollywood musical Sweet Charity, 'If My Friends Could See Me Now'. Truly, 'They'd never believe it'. (For the record, in the final judging I was third runner-up.) |
My 'Bunny of The Year' Trophies
| These are the two trophies that were presented to me for winning 'Bunny of The Year'. The smaller one was for the London Playboy competition, and the large one was awarded to me in America at the International Bunny of The Year Pageant. |
How Much Did It Cost To Join The Playboy Club
'Playboy 1' flies in
Playboy Club London Bunny Salary
| In 1970 I was invited to greet Hugh Hefner when he flew into London, in his own DC9 private jet airliner known as 'Playboy 1' and 'Big Bunny', to visit the Playboy Club. Just in front of me (on the right), wearing my Union Jack costume which I wore when I flew out to the International Bunny Pageant, is Anthea Redfern. |
| Anthea took a fancy to the costume and asked me if she could borrow it. She later hung up her Bunny ears and went on to a new career as a game show host on British TV (and eventually she became Mrs Bruce Forsyth!) |
All in a day's work for a Playboy Bunny
| Playboy Bunnies were often invited to take part in all sorts of charity events and promotions. Here you can see news film of me competing in a celebrity pancake race, near the historic old Battersea Power Station in London. That's me on the right. I think I finished second! See how many celebrity faces from the time you can spot. (Sixties fashion note: we were all wearing knee-high white patent leather boots - what were known at the time as 'Kinky Boots'. Not really ideal for running!) Click the picture below to watch the film. |
My official British Gaming Board Certificate
| For most of my 3½ years as a Playboy Bunny at the London club I was a Cocktail Bunny, serving drinks and food. However, for a few months I also became a Croupier Bunny. This was great fun, being in charge of exciting casino games. Here's my official British Gaming Board Certificate, issued in my real first name DIANA. |
I've obscured my date of birth only for ID security.
Revealed!
The real everyday life of a Playboy Bunny
Click the stories below to read more...Playboy Bunny Training Manual
| And just look at these rental rates for apartments at the top of the Playboy Club building in ultra-posh Park Lane! Just think what you would have to pay today. |
My collection of priceless Playboy Bunny mementos
| Rare gold & diamond Bunny Head Pendants, exclusively awarded to me to mark my 1-year and 3-year service as a Playboy Bunny. | Unique 1960s beaded and sequinned Bunny Ears actually used by George Lazenby to crown me 'Bunny of The Year'. |
| Very rare genuine vintage 1960s carved wooden Bunny Belt with unique Bunny Head buckle. | Official Bunny uniform item; 1969 chrome & black enamel Playboy Cuff Links, as worn by me at the London Playboy Club. |
| Rare genuine vintage 1960s Playboy Club dinner plate. I served countless meals on plates like this one! |
Swinging London 1969
| See my own personal home movie of everyday life in the 'Swinging London' of 1969. Click the picture below to watch the film. |
| Thank you for visiting today. I really hope you have enjoyed seeing my unique collection of Playboy Bunny photographs, and reading my personal memories and recollections of my time as Bunny Deana. Now, if you would like to comment, or send me a message, or perhaps ask a question, you can do this very easily by using myBunny Deana Message Pad. I would love to hear from you! All text and personal photographs are © Diana Turner/bunnydeana.com. All rights reserved. |
- Roulette
- Blackjack
- Three Card Poker
- Baccarat
- Slots
Branding itself an adult’s playground, the London Playboy Club is known as much for its ‘bunny girls’ as it is for its gambling. Following the closure of the original club in the 1980s, the Playboy re-opened its doors in June 2011 in upmarket Mayfair on Old Park Lane, West London, just off Hyde Park. Membership is not only costly (there is a joining fee as well as an annual fee) but not everyone is accepted. However, you can visit the casino with a member.
Drivers can avail themselves of the free valet parking in the Playboy’s underground garage or, if using public transport, Hyde Park Corner is the nearest tube station. Mayfair is about 10 miles west of London City Airport and 16 miles east of Heathrow. Given its location, there are a huge number of hotels to choose from – many within walking distance – the Intercontinental being the nearest.
The casino can be found on the first floor of the venue and is hosted by the aforementioned Playboy bunnies in their 1970s-inspired uniforms. Most of the classic games are on offer on the gaming floor and players will find American Roulette, Baccarat and Blackjack. The tables are complemented by electronic machines and slots. The only poker played here is Three Card variety. The casino features three private rooms and a Players’ Lounge for players, the latter has 24 hour food and drinks service as well as plasma screens to show major sporting events
Salvatore’s Bar, winner of the 2012 Best Bar in the London Lifestyle Awards, serves a wide range of beverages including cocktails in a live piano bar. You can also dine in their restaurant or privately. The Baroque is the Club’s flamboyant nightspot where you can enjoy big band jazz, eclectic cabaret, champagne towers as well as sumptuous food.
Map
User reviews
Glamourous enough for me!
This club is members only, and membership isn't cheap - over £1,000 a year plus an application fee according to the website, I checked :( - so if you're looking for somewhere to take your girlies on a night out then this isn't it.
I'm not a member so have never even seen the casino, but you must be able to get in to the cocktail lounge as a guest - either that or they let my housemate and I in because we're suitably gorgeous. :)
This place is fantastic though, one of the best bars I've been to in London. The cocktails are amazing, service is exquisite and it's so frickin' classy.