Advice

[theguardian]

Heading to Vegas over Easter Weekend with six other guys. I'm trying to convince them to get a table reservation at some of the clubs, but I'm getting serious resistance because a few of these guys don't drink (I know, it's crazy, but who am I to judge personal preference?) They still want to get to the Club (Rain, Tryst, Tao, Tabu, etc.) but don't want to spend the cash on table service for bottles they aren't going to drink?

So the question is which club is the best for non-drinkers (God! I feel sick just saying that word!) and where's the best place to go for a low table minimum (ie 2 bottles running $325-$350 instead of 3 bottles for a group of seven).

One last thing: I've already heard the "get new friends" piece of advice. These are old high school friends who I see once a year. Other than their lack of "liver pickling" they are okay to hang out with... once a year. This year, it's Vegas.

Please enlighten me.

Regards,
The Guardian

[GRIFF]

thing is, is that the money you are paying isnt just for the bottle. you have to take into consideration that when you get a table, you are now not paying a cover charge, anywhere between 25-50 for guys depending on which club you go to. on top of that you dont have to wait in a line. and trust me, without a table reservation, you will wait a long long time before 7 guys get in. the first time i went to vegas, it took 6 of us about 2 1/2 hours to get into pure. with a table, it doesnt take more than 5 minutes. skipping a line like that is worth at least 40 bucks a person. also, you now have a table to sit down at, and have a little bit of space for yourself inside the club. clubs in vegas get insanely packed, and they are open for a long time. it sucks standing and walking around the whole time. its nice to have a place to go back to when you wanna take a break from dancing, or bring a girl back to, so you can talk to her a little bit easier than next to a speaker. its all these things your paying for...not just the liquor.

also, on a weekend, most majors are going to have a 3 bottle minimum around 325-400, or at least a 2 bottle minimum but bottles will be closer to 400-450. id look into some of the smaller, or older clubs, or maybe some of the lounges if you wanna save a few bucks...54, tabu, vodoo lounge, to name a few off the top of my head.

[theguardian]

Thanks for the feedback GRIFF. Everything you told me is virtually verbatim what I told the group. I've even tried to break it down like this:

7 guys cover = $210 minimum
something for a doorman to let us through the line = $200
7 drinks x 7 guys = about $600 and that's being generous at about $12 a drink

TOTAL= $1,010 or about $145 a guy with no table

For table service:

3 bottles = $975
20% Grat = $195
taxes + tips, etc = $200

TOTAL = $1,370 or about $195 a guy with a table

I'm basically telling this group that for an extra 50 bucks, we get a table for the night. Unfortunately, most of these guys are going to be nursing their drinks all night and will probably only spend about $50 in alcohol, so as they see it, table service isn't worth it.

Basically, since the majority doesn't want table service, I'm switching to plan B and trying to convince two of the "potential drinkers" to join me and leave the 4 wusses in the line up.

[GRIFF]

tough situation there man. good luck getting a couple of them to go for it. its unfortunate they dont feel that table service is worth it. i personally will never go to a club in vegas again without having a table. it makes too much sense not to get one. anyway, good luck and have fun.