Clint (unregistered)
says:
(08.02.2008)
A complete sham!
Last night I went to a club near on W 19th st (between 5th and 6th ave) that turned out to be one of the most deplorable club outings I have been to in a long time. I heard about Discotheque (formerly known as Spy) on Craigslist. The advertisement touted this as a new chic club that would offer free buffet and open bar before 11:00 pm; admission would be free for ladies all night and men would be free before 11. Deals like this are pretty standard in NYC when a new club is trying to publicize. Let me detail for you this horrible experience so that those of you who were thinking of going will be spared this fate.
My group arrived at the club at around 10:15. A lot of clubs will allow people to come in free before a certain time (in this particular instance it was 11). I was well aware of the classic "bait and switch" most clubs do at the door, which is, a random promoter will tell you that if you get your group on a guest list everyone in the group can get in before a certain time for free. What they actually do is hold the line up at pretty much to a stand-still during the time of free admission and all of a sudden when the free admission period expires the line moves 4 times as fast. Then everyone in your group is stuck with having to pay a $20 admission on top of standing in line like a chump for 30 mins. This was why I had my group arrive at the club at around 10.
However, despite getting to the front of the line with 10 mins to spare. The doorman/promoter/ego-trippin' douche told us that we had to buy bottle service to get in for free; or everyone would have to pay the $20 dollars. Keep in mind that there were 12 people in our group (6 guys/6girls), we there early before 11, and was on their guest/"VIP" list. When I told the doorman this they didn't even have a list, nor did they know of the promoter (who used the name "Damion"), and kept avoiding the burden of owning up to an obviously false advertisement. On a sidenote: there was a group of 6 girls behind us who were also told of the same deal by the same promoter by email.
After arguing with bouncers, and multiple, power-tripping, arrogant pretentious prick doormen, they finally caved and allowed some of us to get in for free. Several of my friends in the group still had to pay a $20 cover. The open bar was of course was over. The place was completely gaudy and lacked any semblance of class. When I attempted to buy a couple coronas I was told that they only had another brand, Sol (if you've never tried it before it tastes like watered-down ASS sweat). The only thing it has in common with Corona is that they are both imported from Mexico; and of course since it was import it cost $8. When I attempted to pay with my credit card I was told that there was a $40 min with a 20% gratuity! I realize that a lot of place will have $25 mins, but $40 is extreme! Not to mention having to pay a required 20% tip! The tip came out to $8 for what amounted to having a rude bartender open 5 bottles of beer. Of course since all of this was told to me after the fact, my credit card and ID were held ransom until I paid. I've never went through highway robbery, but I imagine the feeling is comparable.
Adding to the shoddy, dishonest, and misleading service, the music sucked, the decorating was gaudy; and the crowd was pretty much a sausage fest even though they were letting ladies in for free. It amazes me that this club (Discotheque) thinks it can get away with this shoddy treatment of customers and expect to be in business for more than a month.