Review: Velour Lounge - NYC
By Christine Petralia
Image courtesy of velournyc.com
March 12, 2012
When I decided I wanted to throw my boyfriend an awesome birthday party, I immediately Googled lounges and clubs in Manhattan. And as in the past, I skimmed over and skipped the places that charged you a bottle per 3-5 a person. And then I stumbled upon Velour Lounge.
I have to admit, I was skeptical at first, as I am with most things, because there are bottle service deals and it offered tables with no bottle service too! I thought it was too good to be true, so I emailed them to inquire. I got such a quick response, which included a reservation form that explained, in detail, how reservations, as well as VIP service, work. Again, being skeptical, I emailed back a list of questions I had, such as the minimum to reserve some tables in the VIP section. And within an hour or two I got another response, where Andrew literally answered every single question I had. And it seemed that everything was too good to be true.
Essentially, to just reserve a table and get free admission, you just had to sign up. If you wanted to upgrade to VIP service, you just had to buy a bottle (per table). However, I was informed that as long as our group was spending money, a bottle for the group would be fine. But, after more reading, I noticed that it was cheaper if we got two bottles. So, after reading everything for the fourth or fifth time, I filled out the form and asked to be upgraded to VIP about two weeks before the party. I was also guaranteed that I could cancel up until three days before without any penalty, as I did not have to leave any deposit. The only reason I asked this was because I know my boyfriend, and sometimes he has a tendency to change his mind or ruin surprises. Turns out, I didn't need to cancel.
Since this party was going to be a surprise, I had asked Andrew if we could decorate some tables in the VIP area, which was absolutely fine. In addition, we could bring cake (or in our case, cupcakes) too. He was also accommodating in the fact that I was going to have someone arrive early to decorate; he said we could arrive around 8:30, about a half hour before the club opened.
About a week before the party, I emailed again to confirm everything and send Andrew my song requests, as part of the deal I could email any songs I wanted to request, and the DJ would play them at some point throughout the night. As with previous emails, Andrew was quick to reply and answered more questions that I thought of.
What I liked best was the day of the party, I got another email from Andrew confirming the party and asking if I needed anything else. I LOVED this. It sealed my approval of this place and made me confident that I made the right decision.
Once we got there, I was not disappointed. At first, Andrew suggested that we use the DJ VIP area, but when my friend arrived to set up, he gave us the entire front VIP section for our entire party, which consisted of at least 30-35 people at one point. Again, I LOVED this. It was so nice to be in our own section to mingle with my friends and dance without the hassle of pushing our way to the bar.
We did arrive a little early, as the club didn't really get full until around 10:30/11pm, which is to be expected in Manhattan. Andrew greeted me right away and brought out the two bottles of Grey Goose that I ordered, along with a huge bucket of ice and all the mixers (including Sprite, which I love mixing with vodka). He then asked when I would like our free bottle of champagne, as if you spend $100, you get a free bottle. I told him to wait until more people got there, which was fine.
And Andrew was very attentive the entire night, always checking that we had everything we needed. When we were ready for champagne, he brought out the bottle and then sprayed everyone for fun, which was awesome. Pretty soon, we were ordering two more bottles of Grey Goose. What I really liked was the fact that Andrew explained to me that it would be cheaper to buy two bottles, as at first, I just ordered a third. He then said that I could think about it and order the fourth later, and I would still get the deal. I quickly just ordered the fourth and another bottle of champagne, which he then comped for us! Loved it, loved it, loved it. In addition, we got a round of shots on the house too.
I really felt like I was pampered and definitely VIP at Velour Lounge. It was nice to also have free admission for all my friends throughout the night. And the DJ did play all the songs I requested. And the music was amazing the entire night. The decor was pretty cool too, with artwork all around on the walls. And despite only having two bathrooms, the line was never really that long. The mirrors on the doors are two way though, so you can look out while you do your business. Don't worry, you can't see in.
The lounge has food too. I wish I would have ordered some though, because I'm sure it would have been amazing too.
And if you still don't believe me about how awesome this place is, you'll be happy to know that Matt Damon and his wife showed up around midnight to party it up. It was a shame people were crowding him for pictures, because it would have been awesome to invite him into our VIP area.
I highly recommend Velour Lounge for any birthday, bachelorette, just because party you want to throw. Ask for Andrew, he will take care of you, I promise!
Velour Lounge
297 10th Ave. (at the corner of 27th Street)
New York, New York 10001
Email: VIP@VelourNYC.com
http://velournyc.com/loungegreetings.html
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