HILTON

EDWARDS

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2:- Hilton Edwards @ Spy Update  review  22.01.01

 As promised I said that I would check out the venue again to see how it has progressed since its opening night on new years eve.

So with two friends  I went along on Sunday night last which proved to be a nice relaxing evening of good company and surroundings. The entry price pattern is as follows. £3.00 before ten PM and £6.00 afterwards which for a club that will be shortly be open until 3 am isn't bad!

Because we were there early at 9.20pm, we had no trouble  leaving our coats in the cloak room, but ppl  that came in later had to carry their coats around as they seemed to have run out of room yet again. Don't know what is going on there , but they were able to accept a greater number of coats on New years eve than on a quiet Sunday night in January!

 Only a minor change upstairs in the top bar, that of an air conditioning unit being boxed in properly which allowed for more recessed lighting and some nice string curtains, which put an end  to the practice of  pint glasses standing on the low wall  over looking the entrance foyer below.

One or two  arm chairs removed from this bar too and replaced with more practical bench seating. Don't know if this is an indication of things to come or not, i.e. in the form of a dance floor proper? so we await  more developments. The other two bars remained the same as have the ever pleasant door and waiting staff.

"Hiya lads, do you know that Hamilton Edward's is a gay club on Sundays" ....sic grins all round! Luckily Karim  was on hand  at the door.

 Our nine thirty arrival ensured we had the best choice of armchairs  to ensconce ourselves and that we did until we left at one am. At that point there were definitely more staff than customers but it soon changed when ten P.M. arrived, it started filling up a bit. Probably more  to do with the post bingo brigade moving house than anything else.

Yes the age group is that bit more mature, i.e. over 25, the younger set of which there was a scattering tended to gravitate  towards the top bar where Panti seemed to be more at home with her admirers!

 U could fall asleep in the arm chairs with willing bar girls tending to your drink orders, u need not actually stir all night - except to visit the loo downstairs which had no queues and is still being kept spotlessly clean by the attendant. There appeared an even wider range of free pongs and breath freshners available at the  sinks. Next door some guys were engaged in a game of pool. Now try that in the George. The pool table was there on new years eve but needless to say  it got scant attention. Don't know the set up on it, if u pay through a slot or at the cloak room or what.

Up to about midnight one could hold a normal tone of conversation but what ever happened after that the volume was raised beyond comprehension to a point where it  got uncomfortable to talk. Either somebody complained or copped on, but Panit was seen with a staff member holding a cigarette lighter to illuminate the sound volume knob in our side bar. They have got to decide if they want a music bar and ppl with sore throats or a drinking/relaxing bar with lots of ppl. And it wasn't the type of music that was at fault, just the volume.

 Talking to staff as regards how it has being going since opening - its still early days but my own impression now, is that it will make it. At what threshold it will be viable for the promoters I don't know, but January is not a good month to be  opening a new club anyway. There were still ppl arriving in last Sunday night who  weren't there before and humming and hawing! I liked it at the beginning and I still do.... teething problems seem to have been sorted out (except the cloak)

Now that it has settled down , give it a try for a nice relaxing evening out.

 Reviewed by Pepsi_Boy 22.01.01

An Englishman's drinking club, Posh and a disaster were the various words  described to me by punters in the new Sunday night gay club 'Hilton Edwards'. But they were more directed at the premises/layout than the actual event itself.

As a gay night out in its present form "whats the point?" and "still don't like it"  predominated but lets be fair here, plus the fact that its my review not others :-)

 First nights are always going to be trying for everyone both punters and staff. Lets look at the place itself. Located in the Powerscourt Town House center, entrance from South William street is right in the heart of the city which in itself has a lot of advantages with loads of multi-story parking nearby. Very little evidence of a night club is available on the outside except for the usual video cameras and bouncers and the nice  touch of Karim Rehmani White resplendent in top Hat and dress code greeting the visitors. On the question of the bouncers, I have never met a nicer lot. Where did the get them? Not from the George school of ethics anyway!  Dressed in their 'Abercrombie and Fitch' coats they ensured everything moved smoothly at the door end anyway.

 Doors opened just after 8 and ppl started arriving around 8.30. £10 entrance  fee! As they said in a recent Irish Times article, "definitely not aimed at disco kids in tight T-shirts dancing". The foyer contained the cash office and cloak room with a corridor down to the toilets. The cloak room situation was a bit chaotic at our arrival time and it is also  tiny.  They couldn't take our coats until some twenty mins later - just a minor hiccup but either they ran out of hangers or just couldn't cope with the numbers of  coats as by  midnight the first floor bar, (to the right) was knee high with coats left along the wall?

 Entrance to all bars was up the stairs to the right which makes the whole place wheelchair unfriendly. One wonders the point then of bothering to comply with building regulations of  providing a disabled toilet on the ground floor! (more on that later). The first floor contained two bars in huge rooms, resplendent with art deco plasterwork of the original house and gas fire places which made the  heat over powering until one of them was switched off.

 Stairs continued on up to the mezzanine bar which proved to be the center of attraction as it  provided the only semblance of a dance floor. A quick glance on entrance showed that there  was no dance floor/area at all. A gay club... no dance floor???cough, cough. This was said to me over and over all night, but one  developed in the top bar  which  had a solid tiled floor as oppose to the luxury deep (Shag!) pile carpets in the other two bars.

 Seating was provided by large deeply set arm chairs and some bench type seating in the mezzanine bar coupled with tables. The same theme was carried on in the other bars. The actual number of seats available were restricted because of their virtual size, hence the English mans drinking club remark. Full marks for the bar design and lighting lay outs on which money was obviously spent. One can look out into the actual shopping center and south William street through the slightly ajar shutters which covered the windows. Remember that a few weeks ago the bar on the left of floor one was actually a barbers shop in the center.

 Drink costs were average club prices with lager at £3.00 a pint and splits at  £1.60 Interesting that a pint of alcohol is cheaper than the same of coke - but that's a gripe I always have. Receipts are provided with bar staff names being printed on them. Really the friendliness of the staff here was exceptional - never met the like of it b4 , very continental!

The toilets down stairs were unisex! What?? I hear u scream (remembering the recent dreadful rape in the George). The difference is that they are manned (sic) all the time by an attendant who provides all sorts of goodies from breath freshners to sprays and grooming gear and keeps the sinks etc  spotless. Reminds me very much of the IT club in Amsterdam (except they had hair dryers too) Container for tips provided which was full of pound coins.

Five cubicles of which four were only available (no water in one) plus the aforementioned disabled which was put to good use. Queues,as with any unisex toilets were common place and somebody must have complained as staff toilets were opened up as well.

 A good sound system pumped sound into  all the areas through un obtrusive speakers which was a mixture of funky soul, R and B and some disco. Dj on the night was Mark Dixon (apologies if I get his first name wrong) and he will be alternating with one or two others. Midnight was celebrated with a countdown, no holding of hands and singing! Just a hug in and kissathon. The bouncer beside me was in great danger so, no holes barred  Pepsi_Boy went for him and was rewarded with a bear hug  - too tall for a kiss, but his nipple sufficed :-o

 Organizers are aiming for an older age group but new years eve was frequented by a younger crowd who wanted to be seen at the latest new venue. A well dressed mixture of a predominantly gay crowd and females as opposed to Gurlz! Did see two  ppl in sneakers , so I don't know what to make of door policy. Its hard to judge a venue on its first night but at the same time when u see ppl leaving at twenty to midnight, it leaves one wondering?. Some how or other I don't think the same crowd will be back  the next or following Sundays but New Years eve is a once off anyway so the jury is out on that.

Prior to opening the rumor machine was running rife,... that the venue didn't have a drink license or else only had a wine one. Neither of these are true. It has a full drinks license but a discreet card above the fireplace in the bar indicated that due to the pressure on the courts system before Christmas they are unable to obtain a late bar license until the second week of February at which time they will be able to  open until three am.

  Methinks the cruise and cop off factor is not present at all. That and the lack of a recognized dance floor will give it an uphill battle to find a niche in gay Dublin on a Sunday. But then again, its the same organizers  that produce the popular HAM at the PoD so maybe!

Ironic or what, but the first song I heard on the radio on the way home in the car was 

 'Tocas miracle' can it be Panti's?

 Overall verdict then, a place to bring your friends, chill out, and relax in a bit of luxury but I will be back to check out ongoing developments including new bar/eatery downstairs. Stay tooned!

 Reviewed by Pepsi_Boy    01.01.2001