Hollywood Gold - Avoid - Manager Pulls a Gun on Patrons

[zasek]

I don't post much anymore but feel the need to vent about a place that CR should shut down, if for nothing else, the reason of embarrassment.

Having lived in Costa Rica for a while now and frequenting the country since 2000, I found myself wondering why nobody ever frequents nor mentions Hollywood Gold, in La Sabana. Having acquaintances that work in call centers nearby, I was quite surprised nobody ever stuck their head in to see what this place is all about.

NOW I KNOW WHY.

For starters, the place is a clip joint. Knowing how these places run here, and that 90% pad the bill each and every opportunity they get, I know what to look for and what to question when paying. I expect them to try to rip me off, and with the exception of Atlantis (Been twice and never had issues with bills) I normally send bills back 9 times out of 10 for corrections. I try to stay sober, and best yet, I usually have a driver who is sober overseeing the entire situation, should I get out of hand.

Secondly, the management was about as on point as the crackheads found downtown. honestly. The manager that was "taking care of us" all night, and was quite friendly in the beginning when he saw 4 gringos enter, was quite entertaining. After a few conversatins with him, and hinting we might want to spend some money, this guy vanished for 30 minutes, only to return more blown out that Tony Montana in the final scenes of Scarface. Funny thing, he went by the name of Tony as well. After initially hitting it off with my NY born friend, (Tony is from Brooklyn) the guy tried to get gangster and even flashed a gun at my friend over $20.

Anyways, here lies the story that every member should listen to.

A group of four of us arrived around 11:30, after having a beer and some wings in Escazu. Since it's a close drive, we figured we'd give this place a whirl. Again, 2 out of the four of us worked in an adjacent building for years, and didn't know a sole who had visited this place.

We paid our 10k colones and got our 3 free drink tickets. The girls were OK. One stunner and the rest respectable. After a few minutes, two of the four of us had girls dancing for us and we were ordering champagne. One of the guys bought two champagnes, and one bought 3. The last round he did not ask for, but he accepted the drink for the girl who was entertaining him and said "no more after this." So far everything was cool.

Tony, the manager (who I think suffers from either severe drug use or some sort of retardation) kept pushing the back room on us. "Cash, cash, cash...we have an ATM over there." he kept saying....Initially, his price was $250 for an hour, then it started dropping to "$200, CASH, and I will get you free drinks all night." My friend got excited, and I told him if he trusts this guy, I've got a bridge to sell him in San Fran. Tony then struck up a conversation with my friend from NY, and my friend mentioned that the girl on stage was cute. After she danced, she arrived at the table to talk to my friend, who made small talk with her. Out of nowhere comes a glass of champagne. My friend states he doesn't want it. Tony says "its on me friend," then vanishes to (we assume) hit up some coke or crystal meth somewhere else.

The girl slams the drink.......and my other friend, still curious about the back room, asks for Tony. we're told he left, but is coming back. Tony shows up and is WASTED on something. He starts pitching us on the back room again, and gives us a tour. Then he starts saying how they are building a casino in the back, et, etc. Then he says "hey I've been good to you, take care of me." Being sober, and having one paid drink ticket left on me, I said "we're going back to the table to have one last drink and discuss....we'll let you know."

10 minutes later, Tony returns, and we tell him we decided not to use the back rooms and we'd like our bill. He initially comes out and says "124k colones or $180." Not a math major but knowing a deal when I hear it, I said "we'll pay in dollars."

Among the four of us, one guy went over his 3 drink "free" limit. So he was on the hook for 1 drink. The other two drank their 3 drinks, and the two who got lap dances bought 5 total champagnes. So, an argument ensued between the four friends (us) over who owed what. So, I asked for a detailed bill....here's where it gets good.

Tony came back and said "$170 I can take right now...come on guys." I questioned how it got to $170 with 5 $20 champagnes, one rum and coke, and a pack of cigarettes. He came back with a bill for 6 champagnes, a $12 pack of cigarettes, a $12 drink, and a service charge. This added up to $180. We still had a variance of about $40 there, and the champagne that was not supposed to be on the bill remained. When we asked about that champagne in question, he said "hey bro she drank it, i gotta charge you." My friend was furious, as obviously this scumbag had comped it earlier. They started to argue, and my friend said "i aint paying for it and I wont let my friends pay either." The argument escalated, and Tony flashed his gun at my friend. My friend said "ok i'm leaving now." We had the rest of the money paid (reluctantly) and it was sitting on the table. We were short the $20 my friend refused to pay. Then Tony says "if you can get past him, you can go." (He pointed to a security guard who was now hovering around us.)

The whole clubs attention on four gringos with 3 security and a blown out "manager" was sort of making me uneasy. We reluctantly coughed up the extra 20 dollars and headed out. ON the way out, Tony challenges my friend to a fight. My friend says "sure lets go outside." We head outside, and Tony starts to take off his $10 tie. Tony then gets closer to my friend and says "I'll phucking kill you bitch, you no having money mother f*cker....your friends paid your bill." My friend says something like "yeah that bill you just made up out of nowhere." Here is where this entire establishment loses 100% of its credibility:

Tony says "yeah Phuck you, I charged you $40 extra because I don't like you. So what? Phuck you, you fuckin as$hole."

He kept taunting my friend, who would have destroyed this crackhead, before saying "no man, i have my security fight my fights." At that point, two gun flashing security guards stood in front of Tony and my friend wisely choose the high road.

Tony spouted at the mouth as we backed out peacefully and said to never come back. We gladly won't, and will ensure we tell everyone else what a sh*thole the place is. I expect to get raped on bills and have padded expenses, and I'm a pro at deciphering them. I have been here almost 8 years. But to have a cracked out "manager" threaten, pull a gun, and act like a toughguy (he is 150 lbs tops) in a near empty club, that just aint right. The guy is more crooked than a hockey players nose, and his chemical addiction ruined what was otherwise an OK night.

CRT members, beware.

 

[valir553]

Sorry to hear of your experience Lovelatinas. Club Hollywood has been know as a rip off joint for very many many years. In fact on the old CRS board it was on the banned list. How the place has survived for 20 years is a real mystery.

There have been a few warnings posted here about it but with the volume of posts it is very easy to miss the few that deal with a specific place.

Thanks for your posting as hopefully it will help some here who are relatively new to San Jose to remember the place and it's well deserved reputation should anyone suggest a stop there.

 

[Carina Gomez]

I had two non CRT friends who work in that area have a similar experience last year. They were threatened at gunpoint by someone who claimed to be Russian and slapped around. they did run it on a cc and then cancel afterwards. Bad news place.

BKTUNA
I am never going home

 

[Danger]

Sorry for your experience.....have not gone to a strip club in a non-English speaking country for fear of something similar happening to me...although on Saturday, 9/1 if any of the members of this board are going to any SJ strip clubs I would like to tag along....I guess I believe in safety in numbers....and figure those I follow will know what they're doing....

 

[billy rankin]

:shock:
Damn LL, glad you made it out.

 

[ccezzugqivsioqeow]

Stopping the bill padding is a simple act. Works every single time. PAY AS YOU ORDER THE DRINKS i.e. DO NOT RUN A TAB. Not to mention asking the drink price before you place your order. :idea: :idea: :idea:

Just a thought.

Berk....

 

[Druggy E]

Stopping the bill padding is a simple act. Works every single time. PAY AS YOU ORDER THE DRINKS i.e. DO NOT RUN A TAB. Not to mention asking the drink price before you place your order. :idea: :idea: :idea:

Just a thought.

Berk....

Berk, I hear ya. I use my drinks that come with admission, then pay for each individually as they come. however, I can't babysit my friends. In fact, I tried to avoid the situation in advance by telling my friend "kick her off your f-in lap and walk the drink to the bar NOW, that way EVERYONE will know you dont want it."

 

[setsue]

An ugly story. It's unfortunate that no matter how many similar horror stories happen, people keep going to the clip joints. Oh well.

 

[Me me me]

8)

That's wild. I guess I wont be going anywhere near there. I'd be one shot up motherfucker if it were me.


Cujo

 

[realityshowjunkie]

They were threatened at gunpoint by someone who claimed to be Russian and slapped around. they did run it on a cc and then cancel afterwards.

An extremely smart resolution to this type of situation.

IMHO, you put yourself in a very bad situatiuon that could have ended very badly...

Although you were right, remember you are in a foreign country, PAY THE bill and get out of there safe.

 

[Curagorodd]

...they did run it on a cc and then cancel afterwards.

Thankfully, I've never been in that type of situation. But if it were to happen, I think the above route is the way I'd handle it. Sign the CC slip with 3rd grade penmanship, obviously very different from your actual signature, then get the hell outa there. You're in a lose/lose situation, in a foreign country, and on their turf. It ain't worth it!

Phuck 'em. Let the $hitheads "think" they got their money. Then, when you receive your CC statement, simply dispute the charge. Then see who's laughing...! 8)

MG :wink:

 

[IncazyArrarma]

Another GREAT reason not to go to a strip club in CR. My question is why go when Zona Blue,New fantasy, Idem,Dell Ray,and sportsmans are known establishments with a decent amount of security for both parties.

 

[purple lover!!!!3]

Another GREAT reason not to go to a strip club in CR.

That's a bit of a generalization, no? I've never felt threatened in Pantera or Kamur, or Monaco for that matter.

I avoid ones where there are documented cases of trouble in the past. Not worth the risk with so many options.

 

[KURUVADA]

It is bad to hear that... I wanted to go there: Not any more! :shock:

 

[Smiley Face]

LL, Thanks for the heads up. One place I will never go.