Club Review : Trapeze (Ft Lauderdale, Florida)

If you were to ask Hollywood producer who has never been to a lifestyle club before to describe what he or she thinks a swingers club would be like, without fail they would describe a club that is nothing like any swingers club that we have ever visited. They would describe a huge club that resembles a high end night club in all regards. Multiple bars, high tech sound, lighting and video, high end furniture, bathroom attendants, and lots of staff. This club would be populated by hundreds of people who could easily be mistaken for swimsuit models, and they would all strip down to towels halfway through the night and get wild.

Of course most of us in the lifestyle know that Hollywood vision is far from reality at most swingers clubs. Over the years, a few lifestyle friends of ours had talked about the Trapeze club, and when we found ourselves in the area one Saturday night, we knew that we had to check it out to see if this unicorn of a club was in fact a reality.

On to the review....

Facilities:

The first thing you notice when you arrive at trapeze is a large sign on the front of the building reading "TRAPEZE". Most swingers clubs lie inside nondescript, run down looking buildings. Trapeze is loud and proud about what it is. As you pull up to the club, you will see a valet booth, with attendants ready to park your car for you. Yes, that is right, this club actually had a valet service, and yes, they do park the numerous Maserati's, Porsche's and Tesla's up front. Before you even walk in the door, it is obvious that Trapeze is unlike any other swingers club you have visited before.

When you walk in the door, you find a reception desk with several receptionist in matching dresses collecting nightly fees, and helping new members sign up. Membership is completed through 2 large touch screen computers, mounted out of the way on the wall as to allow existing members to enter without being held up by first timers.

Walking into the club, it would be very easy to mistake the club for a high end nightclub. There are three full bars, each staffed by at least 2 bar tenders (wearing the same uniforms as the receptionist). Trapeze, like most lifestyle clubs, is BYOB, but you must check your bottles in at the bar of your choice. There is no fee for beverage service, although the numerous bar tenders and cocktail girls (yes, they actually have cocktail girls going around getting people drinks) do expect tips.

The dance floor is actually not all the big, and is sunken down several feet from the rest of the club, allowing people sanding around the railings on the edge of the dance floor to look down and watch people dance. Around the outside wall of the club, there are numerous couches and other sitting areas, and all of the railings around the dance floor have small shelves built into them to place your drinks on.

Near the back of the club is the buffet, and several tables. Most clubs serve some snacks. Some clubs even serve something resembling a full meal. Trapeze serves a dinner that you would expect to find at a nice wedding reception. The night we went options included Salmon, roast cornish hen, garlic mashed potatoes, rice pilaf, steamed vegetables, and a full salad bar. Once dinner had been put away for the night, a full desert bar was put out, with many delicious options. Latter on in the evening (around 1:30am or so), the desert bar was replaced with a breakfast bar, service cooked to order omelets, eggs, bacon, sausage, and biscuits and gravy. The food was incredible, and makes the price for entry to Trapeze seem much more reasonable (more on that latter).

Of course, no club would be complete without a play area. The play area has about 6 small private rooms, 4 small group room, 2 large "orgy rooms"  and numerous beds and couches throughout the open areas. There is one bar inside the play area, so you dont need to stop drinking once you make your way into it. Early in the evening, the club closes the doors leading into the play area. From this point on, only people who are naked or wearing nothing but a towel are allowed into the this area. There is a large locker room right outside the play area. Lockers are issued by the locker room attendant. Each locker already has 2 clean towels inside of it, so there is no need to find a towel when stripping down. There seemed to be no shortage of lockers, and the staff was very organized in issuing them out to patrons.


Location :

Trapeze is technically located in the city of Tamarac Florida. This city is part of the greater Ft. Lauderdale area. The majority of people in attendance are from Ft. Lauderdale or Miami, although Trapeze attracts a high number of out of town visitors as well. Tamarac is not the best part of town, although by the standards of most swingers clubs, it is really not bad. The club is easy to find, and is only a 15 minute drive away from the Ft. Lauderdale airport. Getting to the club from Miami is easy. In fact, many club members routinely come from as far away as Orlando or the Florida Keys.


Clientele :

Where do I even begin on this one. Trapeze, without a doubt, has the most attractive membership base we have ever seen. Most members where in their late 30's or 40's, with no shortage of members in their 50's, and a few in their 60's. Most members were Caucasian, although there was a heavy Latino presence as well, with several African American and Asian couples mixed in as well. Virtually everyone in attendance was gorgeous. Maybe it is the close proximity to the beach, or the fact that Miami is the plastic surgery capital of the world, but no matter how you look at it, the people at Trapeze were much more attractive than what is found at most swingers clubs. The strict dress code at trapeze means everyone is dressed to impress, and looks even better. Many clubs have a dress code, but Trapeze actually enforces it, even for women.



We debated if this was worth mentioning or not, but one thing that did stand out to us was the number of men in their late 60's who got our of their Mazerati or Porsche and walked into the club with a gorgeous late 20's blonde that could easily work as a swimsuit model. Not that there is anything wrong with this (hey, we are all swingers after all, and being accepting of everyone else and their lifestyle choices is a big part of what we do), but we would by lying if we said seeing this type of arrangement did not make us feel a little uneasy. We did not get to talk to any of these couples, despite a few attempts to chat them up, so we will never know if they were sugar babies, escorts, or simply women who love their man, but we can certainly say that not every couple in attendance was a typical "lifestyle" couple.





Prices :

When we walked past the Mazerati's and valet station to get into the club, we knew this was not going to be a cheap night out. When we asked the receptionist what it would be for the shortest membership and one nights club fees, she immediately replied that the total would be $130, including a 2 month membership.

No matter how you look at it, Trapeze is an expensive club. An annual couples membership is $300, and nightly fees on a Saturday are $80. Week nights are a bit more affordable. Single men are not allowed on Saturday nights, and their membership is $100 a month, with a $75 club fee each night.

There are no two ways around it, Trapeze is expensive. That being said, when you take into account the food offerings provided throughout the night, the value does not seem as bad. South Florida is a very wealthy part of the country,  and Trapeze is priced to appeal to these weathly people. I had the distinct feeling that for most of the people in attendance, the price was not even a consideration, even if it did shock our Midwestern sensibilities.


Overall Impression :

Trapeze is a club that every swinging couple should visit at least once. There are a lot of great clubs out there, but we have yet to find one that offers the total experience that Trapeze brings to the table. There is simply nothing else like it. Visiting Trapeze is almost surreal, and your visit will certainly be memorable.

As incredible as Trapeze is, in may ways, there is simply to much of a good thing. Beautiful people are awesome to have at a club, but when everyone is hot, it takes something away from it. Multiple bars and 30+ staff members on duty is great, but it also diminishes the intimate "family owned" feel most clubs have. The food offerings are incredible, but the higher admission price that comes with them pushes the club out of reach for many people. We really enjoyed our visit to Trapeze, and would certainly love to visit again some day, but for all of its greatness, it simply is not the type of place that would make us feel "at home".


Have you been to Trapeze in Ft Lauderdale? Tell us your thoughts about it in the comments section!