Sources have been telling me that doormen at several clubs are clearing $8,000 to $10,000 a night before they share tips. So much cash is pouring in that some doormen are making $400,000 to $500,000 a year, several nightclub executives told me.
“Pure has guys at the door making more than the president,” said one executive with intimate knowledge of the cover-charge system. A Pure executive told me over the weekend that 5,000 people showed up for Paris Hilton’s 27th birthday party and her guest appearance with the Pussycat Dolls. About six months ago, on a busy night at Pure, I overheard two men bitterly complaining about the cover charge. “They wanted $1,000 per person. I said the highest I’d go was $800!” one said. It’s not just Pure, the largest club in town with a capacity of 2,400. “If people have been waiting all night, they’re not going to go somewhere else and start over,” said a club exec (not at Pure). “Club employees, usually the size of big league umpires, will go down the line and fish for people who really want to get in. The line guy might get $200, but now everyone in the group is still going to have to pay a $30 to $40 cover charge. Sometimes, the doorman demands more, maybe $50 to $100 per person.”
Then there’s bottle service, which means you have to buy a bottle to sit in the VIP section. The usual requirement is one bottle per three patrons. Two-bottle minimums are not uncommon. Bottles at most clubs are going for $350 to $650 a piece.
This is insane. Of course there will always be morans who stand in line like livestock to get into some trendy nightclub. So separating the idiots from thier money is probably a good thing. I won’t even stand in line for a movie if it’s more than 20 people.
[Comment deleted - Violation of Posting Guidelines. - ed.]
LV has always been a town where a lot of money changes hands, and not just the gamblers. I used to live there, though my job had nothing to do with casinos. We lived in a decent but not fancy housing development. One neighbor was a blackjack dealer. He made far more on tips than on his base salary. Another neighbor was a hair stylist at one of the Strip casinos; again she made far more on tips than on her normal fees.
I’m not surprised that the doormen at nightclubs get tipped very well to sneak people out of the line and beyond the velvet rope.
McCullough: I won’t even stand in line for a movie if it’s more than 20 people.
BubbaRay’s 3rd law of stupidity: Most things (nightclubs, movies, restaurants, etc.) are worth an amount inversely proportional to the number of persons in queue.
Somewhat akin to “This way to the egress.”
I agree with OFTLO that spelling and grammar are important but not everything.
Most regular contributors to DU are above average intelligence as evidenced by their thought processes. That some small errors do occasionally crop up must be tempered by the reminder that the DU Editors are not professional writers (to the best of my knowledge) and their postings are not vetted or checked by another editor.
Many times I have read works that have been written and edited by professionals that have errors. Although I never get my shorts in a knot, it usually gives me pleasure that with my own extremely weak skills, I found their error.
I might add that I get annoyed and have corrected others at DU whom I consider to have exceptional talent and should know better. When people of high writing skills don’t care enough about how they write it leaves me thinking that I shouldn’t care about what they write. Also a superior attitude sometimes requires a wake-up call.
On a personal note, I have long been one of the worst spellers that have ever used the Queen’s English (or the American version). My grammar was little better. My father is still amazed at that as I was such a prolific reader. I don’t know how I made it through school. That is until I started using spell checkers. I often wish I could redo my post secondary education with a computer.
It is also a pet peeve that more people do not use a spell checker at DU. I write in Open Office then cut and paste into DU. No, this does not allow me to catch every error, but the larger screen does make it easier to self edit.
I digress. Nam Rood is Door Man spelled backwards. It better be extremely important for me to stand in line for any length of time.
What I find interesting..
Is reading from some of the great authors of our past.
typing errors that the Author made and the company DIDNt take the time to Take out.
Once in awhile reading a Line, 2-3-4 times to figure out WHAT was said.
The rules in American language Are CRUEL.
Webster, the maker of the FIRST American Dictionary, HATED the brits.
He changed spellings, meanings, and Pronunciation of words.
Ya also got to admire Paris… I wonder how much money she charged Pure to hold her birthday there? I’d bet $1m or more. The club has to recoup that investment somehow. Fleecing dumb patrons for $1k a pop is a good start.
What a bunch of stupid losers. But, there is no law against stupidity.
I know that valets in Vegas make damn good money, some earn 6 digits or more.
#26, Ron,
Ya also got to admire Paris…
Really, do I? Can’t I just use an enema instead?
#27… if people are dumb enough to pay to “hang with Paris”, then good on her. I admire her. I don’t respect her, but I admire her ability to self promote and enrich herself.