Wisconsin 'Snuggle House' Delays Opening Due To Prostitution Concerns

By Jon Graef in News on Oct 19, 2013 8:00PM

A Madison, WI, 'Snuggle House,' where patrons can pay to cuddle with comely employees, had its opening delayed due to concerns from city officials that the business was a front for prostitution. What could have possibly drawn them to that conclusion?

Originally set to launch Tuesday, the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reports that The Snuggle House has next Wednesday in mind for opening. Madison Assistant City Attorney Jennifer Zilavy told the Journal-Sentinel that the city needs a certificate of occupancy, amongst other requirements.

Such as:

"If they're snuggling with somebody who gets aroused and wants more, what do they have in place to deal with that? Because that's going to happen, there's no doubt about it," Zilavy said.

"We have to be comfortable that it's a legitimate business," she said. "We don't want our police department responding there for sexual assaults all the time. We need to know they've thought through protocols in that situation.

Owner Matthew Hurtado, however, compared the security at Snuggle House to that of Alcatraz's. Surely, no one compromised the security there.

The Snuggle House now has a manual that's more than 100 pages detailing the business' various procedures, Hurtado told the Journal Sentinel in a phone interview Friday.

Clients are prescreened and instructed about boundaries, and he said staff members received hours of training about how to react to possible scenarios.

There are eight security cameras in the 1,200-square-foot office

Lot of hassle for a snuggle, which, at the Snuggle House, costs $60 for an hour. Zilavy told the Journal-Sentinel that she couldn't say whether or not The Snuggle House will open next week.

Here's a news segment about The Snuggle House, via Gawker.