Playboy Back On The Strip

Playboy Bunnies the 70’s icons and hostesses of the famous adult entertainment nightclubs are set to hop back.

Playboy Enterprises Inc, reports it had partnered with Las Vegas' Palms Casino Resort to open a new club and boutique casino in the desert gambling Mecca during 2006.

This comes 16 years after the last of the Playboy clubs closed their doors in 1986, ending 26-years of tradition as the place to go for adult entertainment with hostesses clad in revealing bunny costumes, complete with white fluffy tail.

But while the Playboy bunny hostesses will make a return, the nightspot will not be an old-style Playboy Club.

Under the deal, Las Vegas's twinkling skyline will be dominated by the Playboy's trademark rabbit head and the venue will also feature a lounge, retail store, and a "sky villa" named after the legendary Hefner.

"The Playboy lifestyle is a natural fit for Las Vegas, but the key for us has always been finding the right partners to fulfill the promise of our brand," the Playboy founder said.

The Playboy bunnies skimpy costumes - which included a set of bunny ears topped off with a rabbit's tail and pair of shirt cuffs, will return, but they are likely to be brought up to date for the new millennium.

Sources say they are not going to try to replicate the original Playboy Clubs, this is not going to be a retro club, the venue would primarily be a dance club with occasional live acts.

The idea is to create provocative experiences that will be unique not just in Las Vegas but in the gaming industry," said George Maloof, president of the Palms Casino Resort.

The Playboy multimedia empire is now run by Hefner's daughter Christie, although her father still gets involved in deciding the content of the magazine from his Iconic Playboy mansion in Los Angeles.

The business which recently struggled against competition from the hard-core pornography industry which saw the likes of ‘Penthouse’ enter into bankruptcy is now well on the road to recovery.