New York Amy Sacco opened Bungalow 8 in 2001 in a small garage in
Chelsea, Manhattan with décor inspired by the bungalows at
The Beverly Hills Hotel. The club closed annually for renovations, which in part fed frequent speculation that Sacco was selling or closing the business. The club's popularity peaked between 2005 and 2007 before closing in 2009 under the guise of renovations. It was never directly announced that Bungalow 8 was permanently closed. The brand was purchased in 2012 by
LDV Hospitality and plans to reopen in another location were set into motion. Since the business still called itself a gastropub, LDV was able to circumvent neighborhood expectations for nightclubs and lounges. No. 8 again faced pushback due to community concerns about insufficient security for the number of guests and about garbage left out overnight. Despite this, No. 8 remained open until 2016.
London Sacco opened a second location in London's
Covent Garden area at the St Martins Lane Hotel in 2007. The new location was designed by
Winka Dubbeldam. It closed in 2013.
Sydney Bungalow 8 opened in Sydney in 2003. Located at the edge of a wharf in Sydney Harbour the interior of Bungalow 8 was designed as a 'pacific' taverna. Conceived as a sea of yellow light reflecting off a black split bamboo texture the interior space mediates the intensity of the Australian sunlight by day and becomes a magical painting by night with a dance floor that attracts the best movers and shakers in the region.
Pop-ups Sacco held a number of Bungalow 8 pop-ups at festivals including the
Venice Film Festival starting in 2010, the
Toronto International Film Festival, the
Sundance Film Festival, and the
Cannes Film Festival. The
Venice Biennale,
Art Basel, and the
Oscars have also been followed by Bungalow 8 events. ==In popular culture==