244. THE PLAYBOY CLUB OF MANILA, Silahis International Hotel, 1978

On  August 26, 1978, the doors of the Playboy Club of Manila, swung open at the Siahis International Hotel, joining the sophisticated and uber-exclusive Playboy Clubs around the world. Hugh Hefner built the Playboy empire in Chicago in 1953, with the launch of Playboy Magazine. 

The men’s lifestyle and entertainment magazine is notable for its pictures and centerfolds of near nude and nude women, awakening America’s sexual revolution. Then-unknown Marilyn  Monroe appeared in the very first issue. 

Hefner parlayed the brand’s success by founding the Playboy Club,  which, initially was a chain of nightclubs and resorts. The first club opened in Chicago, Illinois on  February 29, 1960. The clubs were a big hit, and Hefner’s enterprise rolled-out the Playboy Club product internationally.

Businessman Leandro “Biboy” Enriquez, a known Filipino hotelier and considered as one of the pioneers of Manila’s night life, secured a franchise from the Chicago-based Playboy Club International, and began its operations by offering memberships. From 5,000 applications, an initial 3,000 members were approved, that included top Manila executives, diplomats, and male members of rich and prominent families.Members were asked to abide by the rule: “just look, don’t touch”.

That’s because the Playboy Club was manned by “Playboy Bunnies” dressed in revealing cottontail outfits, with trademark bunny ears and cuffs. Of the over 1,000 bunny applicants, only 50 were chosen, trained by the directress of the Playboy Bunny International, Harriet Bassler, who flew over with Playboy bunny mentors, Gabrielle Conklin, Rose Nickerson and Christine Shaw.

The imported Bunnies trained the locals on the finer points of Playboy club stylized service—like doing the “Bunny dip”when serving food and drinks. The training lasted for a month and a half.

The Playboy Club of Manila, located at the Silahis International Hotel along the Roxas Boulevard hotel strip, featured amenities and facilities like the VIP Grill, Living Room with Live Entertainment, Bunny Bar, Playmate Bar, Electronic Games Room, Dining Room, Library, Conference Room and an Open Terrace for private parties for 200 people . The Health Club has a gym, sauna massage room, hot and cold whirlpool bath.

The Playboy Club of Manila had a good run in the 80s  and its live entertainment that featured such discoveries as Gigi Galon and Dale Adriatico, were the talk of the town. But tastes were changing as Makati became the commercial and social hub of the rich and famous. 

The turbulent times in the 80s led to a downtrend in the economy and businesses, including those of Marcos cronies. The Enriquezes, who were a part of that circle, also felt the pinch. Manila’s Playboy Club closed down permanently in 1991. 

These few ads, created by Advertising and Marketing Associates (AMA) are the sole reminders, of the years when the Playboy bunnies came to town.

243. Vanished Landmarks: PINES HOTEL OF BAGUIO, 1934-1975 Ads

Known as “the grand old dame of Baguio”, PINES HOTEL was one of the earliest structures in the city center that were built between 1905-1910. The original hotel was known as “Hotel Pines” that was erected in 1909 on what is now the Gov. Pack Rd. area where the University of the Cordilleras (formerly Baguio College Foundation) now stands. Regarded as the first tourist hotel of Baguio, it was totally destroyed during the War.

The second, more well-known hotel—PINES HOTEL was built on Luneta Hill, which provided the most modern accommodations for Baguio’s wealthiest visitors. Its construction involved the employment of Japanese workers from Nagatomi Construction. 

American managers headed the new hotel, but in 1927, the first Filipino manager, Ciriaco Z. Cuenco of Sta. Rita, Pampanga was installed, replacing the previous head, a certain Mr. Best.

The “premiere resort hotel in the Orient”, surrounded with pine trees and terraced gardens, was the exclusive place to be for weary tourists to be in the 1930s. 

The  cluster of wooden and stone buildings that overlooked Burnham Park was later rebuilt and remodeled post-War, giving way to a modern, concrete building.

In the 1950s, PINES HOTEL boasted of 144 rooms with private bath, and main facilities that include the Ifugao Hall (Main Lobby), Bontoc Bar, Kankanai Tea Room, Kalinga Dining Hall, and Cañao Ball Room. But even with these, the aging hotel struggled keeping afloat given the rise of less expensive lodgings and newer hotels in the city.

The government, which administered PINES HOTEL, later sold it to the Resort Hotel Corporation  in 1968 for Php 6.8 Million. Legal disputes hounded the sale, as the balance was not reportedly settled.

Thus, the new PINES HOTEL, relaunched in 1969 became part of  a chain of hotels of the  Resort Hotels Corporation, along with Taal Vista Lodge, Hyatt Regency, Hotel Intercon, Philippine Village Hotel, among others. By this time, it featured a Gold Dining Room, Sadiwan Cocktail Lounge and Disco, Blue Fountain Coffee Shop and a swimming pool.

On that fateful day of Oct. 23, 1984, a fire razed down the popular mountain resort hotel—which by then had 4 stories and 423 rooms.  

The deadly 6-hour  fire  left 4 people dead, including 2 Americans and 46 others, mostly vacationing World War II veterans who were there on a nostalgia trip. PINES HOTEL was totally gutted, and its destruction marked the passing of an era.

The property at Luneta Hill was subsequently foreclosed and  auctioned off by Development bank of the Philippines, which was won by SM magnate, Henry Sy in 1988. In 2002, the SM City Mall-Baguio was opened amidst controversies.