So...I work in the club industry as a General Manager of another Scottsdale spot I have been in the Bar, Club and Entertainment scene for 18 years. I would expect more from the management at this place....to say the least the Manager Jeff at this place pretty much needs to take a step back in time and remember that we are in the hospitality industry.
So for the most part I have heard good things about this place that it was the new hot spot up north. Bigger then Spanish Fly and set up right.
Well this Sunday me and some friends decided we would check it out and decided we would get a cabana there now granted it was not under my name but it was me and my friends plan to go there and who ever got there first was going to get it.
My friends got there first. So I show up alone in casual dress some basketball shorts and a golf shirt and some nikes...on my way in I get stopped at the door, the bouncer explains to me I can not wear basketball shorts, I explained that me and my friends were getting a Cabana by the pool they were already inside and that I had no plan on hitting the pool with basketball shorts. I mean this is a Cantina Patio Bar & Restaurant right???
He still says he can't let me in. So then I pull the industry card, and explain that I am the G.M. of a club in Old Town Scottsdale and even though we have a dress code exceptions can be made usually for celebrities or for VIP's.
I would consider myself a VIP...since I work the scene I don't go out much but when I do I usually spend money...case in point last tab at El Hefe $200. The Mint $450. So it's not like I am a one or two drink type of customer I will usually buy a bottle or two. I had already explained that I had a Cabana with friends waiting inside so one would assume that I am there to spend money.
So the bouncer says let me call the Manager Jeff. Who comes up and says pretty much the same thing and that if he were to make an exception for me someone would surely complain and it would not be fair and pretty soon everyone would be coming in out of dress code.
Hello... It's a POOL BAR...dress code...really I can go shirtless...but my shorts are a problem...really??!
Good thing I wasn't hungry...I am assuming you must need to wear a suit jacket to sit down in the restaurant.
So to make a long story short, I went over to Kierland spent $75 on shorts at Tommy Bahama and went back and got let in.
I went in to check it out and meet my friends. Service sucked...had three different people walk by me at the bar when I first walked in before some nice girl finally saw that I had been waiting at least 10 minutes for a drink. $8 for a Margarita in a 10oz plastic cup....really $8! Ridiculous!!!
Then I made my way over to the Cabana my friends were at. To say the least they explained the Cabana was $300 bucks which seemed descent but after they heard what happened to me. They pretty much all said f*** this place and we packed up all our stuff and left. They had already spent about $160. We probably would have popped some bottles, I know I had planned on that before I got there. And we would of made a go of the place but the manager Jeff dropped the ball on this experience.
This is the hospitality industry buddy!!! To say the least I can guarantee you I will not be back to this location... in fact I would like to say I am boycotting all Old Town Group businesses but unfortunately I love sushi at Stingray Biltmore to much to do this. At least they got it right there! Hospitality!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!