Inside the LA club where Prince Harry and Meghan Markle hide out
When privacy-loving Prince Harry needs to get away from it all — including wife Meghan Markle and children Archie and Lilibet — he reportedly heads to one of Los Angeles’ most exclusive establishments.
Earlier this week, the Sun reported that the former royal had a room set aside at the San Vicente Bungalows — a members-only social club that’s become a haven for Left Coast boldfacers such as Elon Musk, Steven Spielberg, Leonardo DiCaprio, Miley Cyrus and Justin and Hailey Bieber — as an “escape place” from his young family.
While a rep for Harry later denied the rumor, the bungalows are indeed the place for A-listers looking for privacy.
Founded in 2018 by veteran boutique hotelier Jeffrey Klein, the hot spot is a hidden oasis in the middle of it all, tucked behind a thicket of lush greenery just below the bright lights of the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood.
Klein, who was uncharacteristically mum when contacted by The Post, is best known as the proprietor of the Sunset Tower Hotel just blocks away.
It’s a once-faded Art Deco palace that has hosted a Who’s Who of Hollywood — and countless Page Six-worthy sightings and parties — under his reign.
Things are decidedly more hush-hush at the bungalows, where members — who must be nominated by an existing member — shell out $1,800 for a membership fee, and $4,200 annually for access to a restaurant, pool, bar, well-coiffed grounds, private event spaces and nine guest rooms on property. Those under 35 get a reduced fee.
Harry and Meghan are rumored to be members, and the couple enjoyed a date night there in early March — their first public outing since the release of Harry’s memoir “Spare.”
Getting membership is nearly impossible.
According to GQ, Klein has a committee for the admission process comprised of high-profile people — Julia Roberts rumored to be among them — in art, fashion and entertainment.
An executive at a major Hollywood production company said he reached out to one of Tinseltown’s most prominent publicists for help getting a very senior, high-powered colleague a membership and was swiftly told “no chance.”
The publicist remarked that he couldn’t even get an EGOT-winner in and that the waitlist numbers were in the thousands.
(GQ reported in 2019 the club had around 750 members. Only members are allowed to make hotel and restaurant reservations on the property.)
But, while the bungalows attracts industry A-listers, insiders said it’s not your typical Hollywood spot.
“It’s a very non-LA, LA place. People are dressed as if they’re cool New Yorkers,” a member who has belonged to the club since 2019 and spotted J.Lo and A-Rod there, told The Post.
“It’s not too over-the-top, not too extra,” they continued. “You don’t see the extremely revealing dresses like you would at other LA parties.”
The member asked to remain anonymous given the bungalows’ notoriously strict rules against leaks.
In 2021, the club made a show of kicking out a member who brought a guest that snuck a photo of Justin Bieber.
Guests are required to place a sticker over both the front and back cameras on their phones to prevent such incidents.
“They put in the extra effort for privacy, but people still keep the stickers on even after they leave for a status symbol,” the anonymous member said.
The list of rules is extensive. No photos are permitted and members are encouraged to “be respectful in their choice of attire,” the club states on its website’s FAQ page.
Yoga pants and workout clothing are prohibited after 11 a.m. No children are allowed on weekdays (though guests under 18 are welcome for Saturday and Sunday brunch).
While laptops are permitted only if they’re used indoors, management urges: “we do discourage you from making this your home office for the day.” Plus, they’re banned after 5 p.m.
Another rule — don’t chat up guests.
“We ask that no one be approached or interrupted unless the interaction is clearly welcome by all parties,” the club states.
And what happens at San Vicente Bungalows is expected to stay there — guests are forbidden from discussing what they’ve seen or heard while at the social club.
Though, there was an exception in 2019, when Page Six reported that Spielberg and Netflix executive Ted Sarandos reconciled their Oscars feud. When the incident leaked, sources told Page Six the private club was looking to track down the loose lips and potentially repeal their membership.
Overhearing private phone calls at the club is unlikely, as phone calls must be taken in designated “Phone Friendly Zones” on the property.
The idea is that all the guidelines ensure discretion.
“I believe that privacy has become the ultimate luxury,” Klein told GQ.
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