momentum stab-in-the-back. after our group of 10 each pre-paid the $50.00 momentum ticket for velvet in old port, we thought that it would be a guaranteed entrance without any hassle. we couldn't believe how much l'auberge screwed up on this one. luckily 6 party-goers out of our group decided to eat dinner there and just stayed in there with bottle service despite having bought the $50.00 ticket which may or may not have been needed at that point i don't know. but i do know that even if you bought that ticket that it was worthless as they didn't even let you in anyways! with 3 of us skipping dinner and showing up at 11:30 pm there was 2 short lines (only 30peoplein each) on both sides of the entrance one for the guestlist and the other for ticket holders.
we thought that all ticket holders would be let in because if a business is providing a product or service and sells you a ticket to it, it becomes a legal-binding contract for both parties. but for no good reason at all the ticket holders line and the guestlist line were not moving whatsoever and for the rest of the night! various groups ofpeopleknown by some of the bar's management were immediately let in as the appeared. yet there were long periods of 10 to 15 minutes of waiting when no one was being let in at all until those friend groups showed up. the guy in front of me whom was the first guy in line because i literally cut the whole queue told me that he has been standing there for 40 minutes. the first ticket holder there, he didn't get in.
the 2 door girls with guestlist clipboards were totally lost and absolutely useless. meanwhile they had a pocket full of maybe 100 purple and white wristbands hanging out of their skirt pockets and didn't hand out 1 of them to anyone. so after waiting 1 full hour with say only 30peopleof their closest friends being let in, all of the bouncers closed down the entrance and told everyone to go home. after many ticket holders complained one of the bouncers announced to the crowd to come back tomorrow afternoon to get their $50.00 reimbursed. how can someone bother with that when they have their flight back to europe or asia.
the persistent person that i am, i wasn't taking 'no' for an answer as usual and had to talk to whatever level necessary to get us inside which eventually worked only because our group already had dinner in there. the doorguy didn't even ask me for a ticket but i blurted it out too soon that we had them just to get us in, which he took them, so i still don't even know if they were a necessary purchase, and probably not if you have dinner in there beforehand. i feel angry and sorry for all the ticket holders whom were turned away.
so...we get inside, finally made it through that ridiculous battle. and i couldn't believe my eyes...half of the bar was completely empty...empty! what the freakin' hell did 100peopleout there wait for when it was totally unnecessary? that massive room at the left with a huge bar at the back was completely set up with bartenders and some breads or cheese snacks whatever against the entrance wall. but there were no patrons in it at all. you could have easily put 100peoplein that room alone, the entire amount ofpeopleoutside waiting without packing it in beyond capacity, and that doesn't include the whole front terrasse (on both sides) nor the front lounge area in the foyer which also had nobody in it...zero. i just can't believe it!
i do not see nor understand the absolutely poor reasoning behind these very poor management decisions besides the local police forcing a very strict person count which was far, far under the overall capacity and fire code of the building. every waiting patron outside could have been very happy in spending $1,000's of dollars in bottle services if the bar's management and/or the police were more accommodating. this has undoubtedly ruined some people's grand prix weekend, and probably some very importantpeoplein the grand prix fraternity or local community, but thankfully not mine, but only because i lucked out that night.
unnecessary tight security was as prevalent inside as it was outside. you had to get a tiny triangular stamp to go downstairs into the dungeon dance floor which i had to fight for but got my stamp in the end. and then once down in there, there was another bouncer and rope quartering off the mercedes party in the corner. i wonder how the code 20 party at cavalli was sunday. i would imagine all f1 personnel upstairs and all locals downstairs with bouncer / rope separation.