Ushuaia Beach Hotel Opening Pool Party - 28 May 2011 - full review
OK - I admit we arrived at the party about 10pm (having too much fun chilling at Yemanja) and might have got better value for a 60Euro entry fee if we'd managed to get there in daylight. But heck, a 25 minute crush at the bar for an 18Euro drink at a pool party where no-one was in the pool ?
Vodka redbull order came as a whisky-coke .. (bar staff looked 'out of it'). 8Euro beer amounted to a virtual tasting glass. Luciano no-show a real shame tho' understandable from explanation elsewhere on this page. I'm very broad-minded musically and have loved many forms of house to techno for years but what I heard was nothing short of unimaginative rubbish.
Atmosphere more like something out of Disneyland but loads of people looked happy just to be there watching each other look 'uber-cool'.
The metal-clad dancers were gorgeous (stilt-men in inflatable suits were not !) and the people on the 2000Euro daybeds looked as if they were trying their level best to have a good time - without losing their cool of course !
Hotel and door staff terrible - tried to leave 3 times and sent on a wild goose chase looking for the exit..
Ended up gatecrashing some sunloungers in a private guestroom garden area zoned off with bamboo fence near the VIP area (no-one gave a flying ****) to get out of the crush then climbing out of a window from the upstairs bedroom corridoor landing and lying on the terracotta tiles facing the DJ booths with a bird's eye view of the action below (again - no-one to be seen - our very own 'night on the tiles !). Glad I hadn't paid hundreds of Euros a night for a room with a view here !
Eventually it all got too much - couldn't hack another crush for a drink and, sobered as a judge, escaped to Aura for a fantastic night grooving till 4am with Ernesto Altes and a great crowd of people keeping it real.
This was commercialized glitz and daylight robbery. About as imaginative as a day with Mickey Mouse and friends. Emperor's new clothes springs to mind. The old Ushuaia was 10 times better than this and feels like the inevitable God of Greed has taken over yet again to ruin the day. Hope my DJ heroes find somewhere else to do their guest appearances this year..
RIP Ushuaia.