Among the few things I pride myself on knowing well and having extensive experience in is the stuff we do at night. No, I’m not just talking about sex. I’m talking about what happens before (if ever) we copulate: the rituals we perform as we drink and move to a calculated sequence of synthetic voices and beats.
The thousands of hours I’ve clocked in at clubs have been some of my best and of course some of my worst. I’ve been to the most underground hell-hole of a party, to the stinky rich glam-fests that your ears are drilled with every time you turn on your radio.
I don’t really drink alcohol and apart from Coke (as in Coca Cola) my only fix is clubbing. It is, as the wise Maxi Jazz (Faithless) put it “this is my church, this is where I heal my hurts.” I’m also fascinated by the many types of music, venues and of course people which engage in these nocturnal activities that separate us from our purely evolutionarily-driven animal relatives, and of course religiously-paralyzed neighboring countries.
After this elaborate display of my night-time pedigree, I’ll move on to the main course. I am, as of now, Blacklisting Sky Bar Beirut. Yes, take a few seconds to let that sink in… Readers who are by now accustomed to my writing, know I take pride in destroying the things people hold sacred and untouchable for silly purposes. It seems Sky Bar has become one of those things, and like every other person and thing who think they’re sacred, have become sloppy and stupid with their dealings.
I have been going to Sky Bar since 2009. This bastion of needless displays of extravagance and overly-absurd door policy was the go-to place if you wanted to be someone in the Lebanese clubbing world. Their notoriety at the door though, was simply that, notoriety. The fables you’d hear of the tragedies of not being let in, or blacklisted or whatever, were overly exaggerated. That worked well for Sky though, for if you heard that Sky Bar was like Fort Knox, you wouldn’t bother trying to get in except if your nose was held pretty high, or you enjoyed a slightly above average IQ to know that at the end of the day, its the dollar that speaks best, not your beauty genes. This made life a lot easier for the management.
Bit by bit, Sky Bar became more and more of a sacred temple that would always be awesome, always be the best, always be the biggest. The same happens with people who own Macs (myself included): if a mac crashes, we keep it to ourselves and pretend it was divine intervention, but if a Microsoft-powered machine hiccups, we burn it at the stake. That’s exactly what’s happening with Sky Bar.
I’m sad I’m the one that has to bring this up, but it seems no one else has the guts to do it. Why? Because those who get in covet their access like a prized possession, and those who don’t, suddenly pretend to be socialist heroes who are champions of humility and opposed to the lavish lifestyle Sky Bar represents.
Now, you’re probably wondering why I’m bringing this up. I’m definitely not a socialist, for starters. And the reason is because I have been denied access to Sky Bar three times this year. Here’s a detailed description of each time.
The first time, I came to Sky Bar at 12:30AM and my friends were already up. The new shell of a human being they’ve assigned to guard the door didn’t like the idea I was, according to her, “late” and “without a date.” This of course was said, as she let in groups of guys wearing glittery t-shirts. She was new to me, so I hopped back into my car and went to party elsewhere that night, not wanting to make a fuss.
The second time, I sinned and showed up wearing a polo shirt, pants and birkenstocks. Yes, horrible, I know. But, they had a point, it does not comply with Sky Bar’s dress-code. So, I was a good boy, shut up and went to change, came back a little while later. That’s when the incredibly intelligent female door master and her equally gifted muscly friends with iPads decided they were smart and witty enough to sell me “sa7eb el ma7al halla2 2alna ma baddo 7ada yfoot” (the owner just told us he doesn’t want anyone to come in).
Yes, they actually said that to me... They actually expected me to believe that the mythical owner sent them his thoughts and wishes telepathically, or better yet, came down his throne to physically inform them he didn’t want anyone going in anymore. Of course, some people did go in despite the royal order. Allow us to stoop to their level for an instant and believe that the owner did in fact give this order. Wow, brilliant order, denying paying customers that have a reservation and are abiding by your door policy!
The third time, I wanted to make sure it wasn’t my fault, and dressed in the same clothes I wore to my grandfather’s funeral and was there at 9:30PM. A shirt, suit-pants and formal leather shoes, could it get any more formal? We had a reservation and I made sure there was more estrogen than testosterone in our small group before going down. Yet, even this third time, the genius with the iPad decides I dont qualify for the dress-code. When asked which part of the dress didn’t fit the code, the answer of a person who never had the satisfaction of getting past the sixth grade was given.
Now, this is coming after my history last year in the club. There were some weeks in 2010, where 6 days out of 7, we’d be at Sky Bar. Heck, we even knew most of the waiters on a first-name basis. We grew accustomed to the playlists, our regular tables and seats and the whole Sky Bar experience which made summer in Beirut what it is.
This year, we’ve been graced with the new White venue and a brand new club, Pier 7, which rival Sky Bar on several aspects. Before you dismiss this as if you were some enlightened nightlife fairy, consider the differences between these 3, or better yet, what Sky Bar has to offer that the other two don’t have? I’ll admit Pier 7 is fairly new, and several hiccups have set it back somewhat in our minds. But White, well, in terms of capacity, entertainment, venue and clientele, it’s every bit as good as Sky Bar. Sky Bar’s feeble attempt at revamping its venue with the LED-screen walls, though wicked-awesome, pales in comparison with White’s transformation.
Anyway, we’re not here to compare the three, but deep down you know I’m right about Sky Bar not offering anything special anymore. Proof of this is plentiful, if you would just bother to look at the past “accomplishments” of the club:
- Sky Bar was NEVER, EVER, EVER number 1. There isn’t a chart in the world that lists it at the top, ever. I challenge anyone to find it.
- Sky Bar first entered DJmag’s rankings last year as the world’s number 51 club. It now stands at 62, tumbling an embarrassing 11 places, while clubs like B018 sky-rocketed from #68 to #40 (read more here + sources)
- You might say that DJmag’s polls are a bit old? Not recent enough? Well, the results of the poll I ran on the blog a couple of weeks ago corroborate the claim that Sky Bar isn’t really all that anymore (scroll up a bit)
What’s more important is that I’m confident I am not the only one that has had to put up with this deteriorating door policy, where the door staff are rude enough to admit the only reason you’re not getting in is because they don’t want you to, not based on something you’ve done wrong. That’s why, to avoid me looking like a child with a grudge, I am adding this poll for you to relate, or not relate to what I have explained above.
A club is an establishment aimed at entertaining, feeding and pouring drinks for paying customers. If someone has reserved and meets the requirements, the club has no right whatsoever to deny him or her entry. Moreover, they can teach their door staff manners.
(Rumor has it that the female at the door was bitch-slapped by an angry customer for denying her entry, too bad for the doorwoman the woman trying to enter was related to someone higher up. If the rumors are true, I salute the woman who dealt the slap, cheers to you my good lady!)
Till then, I strongly recommend you steer away from Sky Bar. There are plenty of other, funner venues where you are treated as a human being and where they know how to properly treat their customer, instead of denying a longtime Sky Barer friend of mine the table he wanted because he was a “child” and later sending the higher-ups pleading for his cold, hard cash again a day later. I am disappointed by this year’s performance, which is manifesting itself slowly, especially with the 9-DJ lineup dwindling and Sky Bar’s excuse for being liked: their dedication of Mondays to charities, slowly giving way to MixFM’s “decadance” events. Shame on you Sky Bar.
So, I am never setting foot again in Sky Bar except maybe on a Monday, when the door goons have no jurisdiction and the money is going for a good cause (not MixFM).
Rating: 5 fingers, and the only reason I didn’t add a sixth one, is because I encourage you to go on Mondays and support the charities!
Best blog post ever. The people who love Skybar just love to be seen in Skybar… that’s really all it’s about.
there’s one more option on the poll that should be there:
“Never cared enough about sky bar to actually try to go there”
im that
“The people who love Skybar just love to be seen in Skybar”
pretty much sums it up!!
Gino, ill bet they’re gonna call u tomorrow and give u a lifetime VIP card, cuz they’re sooo paying for this after people read ur post:P:P
Good move. It’s a live monument to the sickest side of our culture and society. A monument that, with a little reflection, is hard to admire and harder to visit a second time.
If they had let u in, in ONE of these three times, you wouldn’t be here writing this
A bunch of old people with cigars and women dressed up posing at the bar. SHOW-OFFS!! Gino, I couldn’t have said it better
Old people? this comment just proves you have a preconceived notion of a place that you have never set foot in
Lol I just saw this reply. I was just telling what I’ve usually seen there
Most defintely over rated, I still had a blast but by far what got me were the rude people at the door
its not that you arrived late, what you are wearing, anything…some people dont undersTand how much a simple please and thank you goes; one who works nights, and can only make it after his shift, 3adi, most think sky is about going and spending millions…in reality when you get to know the staff, get to know the philosophy, you’ll understand, say sorry, i wont do it again; regular or not. this comment is from someone that can easily get a table, and has time and time again, but in the them of sky, Sky Bar, would rather have his place on the bar with his favorite bartenders (who when are off shift by the way, are some of the most amazing people you will meet), or to just walk in…there are certain points about the negatives you fail to address, rather the article gino, as all of yours, are perfect, this one is one sided. The lady you are refering to, is doing her job, 2 years ago, the guy standing downstairs that allowed entry or not, was actually a graphic design teacher, who could spot a fake ID anywhere, and knows most of the ages because he teaches. In the end, at times yes it is extremely unfair for us clubbers, but per respect to the staff, they are only doing their jobs.
Club door policies are degrading to human beings. I will never put myself in a situation where another human being at some door would deny my entrance due to appearance or lack of Estrogen! This is bullshit.
I am very sorry to read that, your comments arr not convincing at all. I went a thousand times to Sky and the lady at the door bouncers welcomed me and my friends very well. I am happy that someone new at the door as Sky has a different customer target and they had to start filtering the poeple, they want to send that message clear, nothing against you
Also you are wrong that Sky is not special, Sky is still the best (I live in London and poeple talk abt it here!). In addition you are so wrong that it has not been selected as no1, pleaae check the new york times archive in 2008 and 2009.
Finally this why there is Pier 7 and white today, poeple who dont like the poeple at Sky, their music or even the doorwoman, will simply go to other rooftops. That means Sky is doing well in achieving its target of customers.
Best
James
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Holden_%28producer%29
Enjoy
Plzzzzzz Sky is for a bunch of plastiks with these in their mind, sex ,money and a rich a husband
Um, did it really take you that long to realize this?
Hi your post is very interesting especially for me because i am an addict of ” bad customer experience” and i couldn’t agree more although they let me in all the time, but they have a bad attitude.
but may i say something, we need to differentiate between skybar and the people that go there, the comments are really generalizing and offensive towards skybar clients. i personally go there and i don’t fit to the profile they described above i am not going to be seen or searching for a wealthy husband…. if i can advise all to focus on the bad experience rather than bad mouthing the people… after all it’s about skybar service and not the people!
thx
Very interesting post you have there. I actually have never been to SkyBar (I’d love to go someday though) but they told me about the rude-who-thinks-she’s-got-it-all lady. she’s the best friend of my friend and he told me about the slapping incident, they both “thought” it was something to brag about. huh, ridiculous much?
Gino i think all clubs have similar policies,Sky is no exception.same thing happened to me last summer @ White,i was @ Fly with a friend and we wanted to have a last drink @ White @ the bar.we were very well dressed up and didn t look like teens or kids trying to get inside.the bouncer just didn t let us in,but that night we made it @ Skybar.last Dec.,my sis and I wanted to go to BO18 a thursday night.we knew it was crowded,so we were there @ 9.00 to be able to sit @ the bar.the parking was totally empty,but the bouncer kept repeating:5alass mfawleen!it was incredible coz i knew there was no one inside.so to tell u the truth,i never went back to both places,except when BO is hosting a dj and i can get my tix @ the door.
what an idiot, if you had all that club experience u would understand how to deal with people, at doors and bars, and in general… stupid blog, i think they are all good places its just what u are looking for… that blog was sooo Lebanese shitty attitude
You need to learn how to write English. And instead of bashing a well-written and well-argumented article, give your true reasons of why he’s wrong and maybe it’ll make sense.
I agree with you, Anthony. I like how he called it “sooo Lebanese shitty attitude” when in fact his comment is not what i would call a good attitude”
YOU GO GINO!
I am afraid Anthony, that the ‘argumented’ is not a word. I think the word you are looking for here is ‘argued’ or ‘reasoned’. Time to put your bitch claws away and go back to English class! Also there are silly grammatical mistakes you have made, which generally nobody would point out, but since you are gunning for good English, then It must be highlighted.
If your aim was humour however, I salute you, as I certainly had a chuckle! Irony, it gets me EVERY time.
Good post Gino, though I do think Sky bars views (the water, oh and the girls) are great.
Umm..totally agree with you here! I’ve only been to Sky Bar once, and once was enough to swear me off from the experience. Overrated to the max! Didn’t have fun at all. I support your decision 100% gino!
Lol,
James Holden, they probably let you in because you and your friends did not look Lebanese. Did they say “WelcAm welcAm” at the door?
The thing is, there’s this ‘cultural thing’ in Lebanon, some people treat foreigners better than they treat Lebanese folks and that’s because we’re still stuck in the inferiority complex created back in the colonial period when we couldn’t rule ourselves (still can’t) and when we where colonialised. Of course they would let you in and treat your friends well
James, really?
“I am happy that someone new at the door as Sky has a different customer target and they had to start filtering the people, they want to send that message clear, nothing against you”
Shame on you for implying that Gino is not worth entering Skybar you shallow shallow person
Do you know Gino personally? I don’t think so.
Skybar, like you James, discriminates. At first discrimination was a smart marketing tactic to make the customers that DID get in feel like they’re ‘on top of the world’, ‘up on a cloud’ ‘elitist’ etc.
In the Arab world, people NEED to feel elitists through materialism and shallow tactics, it’s all about appearance. People open big champagnes, like to see their name with a welcome note on a screen etc. This also is a manifestation of the inferiority complex. In Lebanon, your citizen rights are nil, most of the people you see at Skybar look wealthier than they really are, most of them are employees with a standard paycheck, they come from a country that has nothing, that makes nothing (in terms of global manufacturing and decent export), it kills real artists and keeps showing people that look like the ones at Skybar on television, we even give them awards. We have nothing, so we like to flaunt our empty selves.
Skybar is a place for the country. created by people who live in it, and who resemble it
So, we deserve Skybar Gino
Gino, I would like to comment on this particular segment of the paragraph:
“I’m sad I’m the one that has to bring this up, but it seems no one else has the guts to do it. Why? Because those who get in covet their access like a prized possession, and those who don’t, suddenly pretend to be socialist heroes who are champions of humility and opposed to the lavish lifestyle Sky Bar represents.”
Now, I salute real socialist heroes, there are people in Lebanon that are truly like that
They exists in other micro-societies 
While I may not be one of them, I respect their thoughts a lot.
I suggest you mingle with real people, not pretend. Real people just exist and they are beautiful…I also suggest that you read.
Dakhilkon, all of you, READ…hmeloulkon shi kteb Allah!
P
This is very interesting. From someone who used to think SkyBar was the best club in Beirut, and a major competitor to clubs abroad, it has sadly lost my complete interest this year. Revamping the place was not enough. I beg to differ when it comes to clientele, because to me, this year’s door policy has been crap if anything. Shiny t-shirts, 18 year old brats, and any guy with a golden chain sitting on his chest hair is allowed in these days. As for the girl at the door, well, let’s just say she has gotten her share of degradation. I wonder why she thinks so highly of herself, when she actually doesn’t get into the club herself, but stands outside trying to act all cool. She should get a life, and a stylist for that matter! This year, White has offered a great ambiance, very cool clientele, and an overall awesome experience. I still feel like going to Sky sometimes, but always end up leaving early, disappointed at the level this place dropped to recently.
I’d like to you come to the resto/bar I work at. I have a feeling you might like the place, let me know if you’re interested in passing by.
This post demonstrates exactly why I don’t bother myself with places like that. The egotiscal, disgusting, higher-than-god behavior is what disgusts me….and the saddest part is: this is what works in Lebanon.
Well written, well said, and I challenge anyone to come and truly disagree with what you’ve just said.
Looking forward to hearing from you Gino.
very interesting post. let’s leave aside the socio-political aspects for a moment. Skybar has a huge opportunity here to generate a great loyalty / CRM program that would be great for business. Using the wonders of modern technology frequent guests could carry some sort of wristband, or token on their keychain which, when swiped on the ipad of the door staff, would reveal customer history. This could include frequency of visits, previous ordering history, number of transactions etc. With real time information from inside the club, one could make a better informed decision as to letting the prospect enter.
Similarly, once inside, your bill and activities would be added into this chip. Brands could pay to have access to this information again in real time to dynamically change their communications on digital display screens. If a certain brand of vodka was not being ordered enough, the brand manager could (remotely) push messages onto the screen, and even allow certain customers – based on demographics etc – to take advantage of certain offers. Think bundled offers and merchandise, rather than discounts and coupons.
Since various people come from abroad to go to Skybar, the company could tie in with the loyalty programs of certain banks (American Express, National Bank of Abu Dhabi, Commercial Bank of Qatar etc) which target high spenders. Also, they could partner with the loyalty programs of hotel chains (Rotana, hilton, ritz) and even airlines (skywards for emirates ). With access to multiple types of data about customers, Skybar would have a very powerful CRM system which would be much farther advanced than many of the databases out there.
Ultimately you could reach a scenario where a customer sitting in Doha, who is eating at a partner restaurant, and has recently purchased a watch from Al Fardan, loads this onto their “chip” and then receives preferential entry once reaching skybar. This model ensures that greater revenue is generated from more appealing customer segments, which covers the cost of occasional guests, or low revenue generating guests. More data means more customized service, which ultimately leads to loyal customers and more revenue from those customers.
Similarly another revenue stream could be generated by being able to offer brands the ability to see the purchasing habits of these customers, in the environment itself (skybar) and outside at partner enterprises. Brands will pay a lot to learn more about the customer DNA, and can offer much better targeted campaigns, and they will be more innovative.
In the interests of transparency I will state that I work at OgilvyOne Dubai doing digital strategy for clients. Commercial Bank of Qatar and American Express are clients.
Best regards,
@alextohme
thumbs up!!
IMPERIAL HUBRIS!
The mere fact that this has been your only post on the blacklist, in a country where most places deserve to be shamed, comes to prove that this entire section was created for the sole purpose of dissing SkyBar. Coming from someone who gives out the impression of a genuine blogger, I have to say, this section deserves you snapshot it, and categorize it under Fashal.
All of you should start listening to dirt nasty….. thats how everyone should roll!!
The door woman is getting dismissed on summer 2012. Eveyone complained about her, and people stopped going to Skybar because of her. She once said to the face of a highly ranked woman and who is a very good friend of khazen “charmouta” and didn’t ;let her in. This girl thinks she is a goddess just because she decides who gets in and who doesn’t,and she forgot that she is nothing more than a DOORWOMAN (and we say door woman to be respectful)
hi every1,just wanted to tell u that i’m in the middle of an extraordinary project,never such a club was ever made in the middle east,i will be definitely blogging u all about it as soon as i’m ready,especially Gino.
P.S I WOULD BE TAKING ALL YOUR COMMENTS IN CONSIDERATION.
G.S.
I m sorry I learned about ur comment late in a season however I believe it is a true one to say the least! I faced a very similar problem at the door and excuse me for talking about my self the NEW YORKER : I couldn t agree more with ur long long complaint! The admission policy they are adopting is very discriminating and it is no where near the policies followed in NYC. I vacation in Beirut and I tell you they lost my big business to put it simply!
Blacklist ignorance avoid skybar
tony
I have to agree with you there…
…NOT… she proceeded to look at all of our ID and decided to knock us back because we were under 21…which was quite funny because most of the customers heading into the club where under 21 and not well dressed. In my opinion that lady has major issues and needs to step down, get a reality check and realise that she’s only deciding who gets into a club and not curing cancer:) PUHHHLEEEZZ WOMAN!!!
a small group of us (all females) headed to skybar one night without a booking. Of course dressed up from head to toe. The lady at the door did us the honor of talking to us and asking for our ID. One of my friends asked if they accepted Australian ID as she is not Lebanese, the doorwoman made what seemed to her the smartest remark by asking “ooww is et fayyykke?”….by that remark im pretty sure it is obvious to you that she is a pro and knows what she is on about
Although most of my friends are regulars in Sky Bar, I’ve never been there and never cared of being there. I don’t see what’s the big deal, there are lot of other places with good music, atmosphere and people. Why go through all this trouble to get in or not
I also hate the fact that when people hear that I’ve never been to Sky Bar they look at me like I was a 40 years old virgin or something
i think clubs in lebanon are over rated anyway. i still prefer Gemmayzah night scene than the clubs. its a personal preference . love the post tho
All 3 bars own by the same person buddy
This is f*king true..and i agree with you 100% , from my side of this story im sure gonna share it to everyone arround !!we re human beings trying to get into it and this what we get ..they will pay for it trust my words..ONE DAY. They just let fucking snobs inside ! fuck them and their fucking place…WHITE ROCKS !!
ahem. well ppl i wanna say something , f**k lebanon, f**k arabic countries, and f**k their life style , whatever gonna happen to be so civilized f**kers u wont be like european, countries , coz ur roots r f**ked up , messed up in a horrid way , u r still , arabian shits , u wont be like euro. never ever ,everything in these countrie i mean the f**kin arabic is f**ked up based on sick minds and fakeness , show offs , aww so pitty ,f**k skybar , and all the nights in this lebanon ,