XL Nightclub, Cabaret, & Lounge reviews, photos - Hell's Kitchen - GayCities New York - Gay Bars

Maybe a change for the better...

Grandstreet212

I'm giving XL 4 stars simply for getting rid of that relic promoter John Blair. Aside from that,I will acknowledge that the club is in dire need of some serious improvement in a few areas,like their staff. As far as those complaining about the club being "pricey", what NYC nightclub ISN'T pricey? You can't expect walmart prices in one of the most expensive cities in the world.And it's not as if XL doesn't offer ways to get discounts. I got into XL free before midnight,so what the hell is you guys' problem? That said,I was there this past Saturday night (2/16/2013) for Paulo and it was bonkers. The last time I enjoyed XL like that was when Peter Rauhofer headlined back in late December 2012. Regarding the statement made in the first sentence,there have been rumors floating around for the past week or so about John Blair being "ousted" from XL nightclub. Allegedly XL was his idea,which I'm sure it was, but considering his miserable track record with clubs over the past 7+ years, I'd assume XL was trying to cut the baggage that was causing the club some dead weight. Besides, back in mid 2007 (shortly after ROXY closed down) I heard from a few insiders that John Blair was part of the reason why Gene Denino (former owner of ROXY) was willing to give up the space outright as west Chelsea was being redeveloped for over-privileged yuppies. That in itself may or may not be true,but given the sagging numbers at ROXY prior to its closing,it's quite plausible. And to cite another example,for those of you who remember Avalon Saturdays (John Blair's pathetic attempt at "bringing back" Saturday nights) it ran from March 31, 2007 to June 23, 2007. He couldn't manage to keep the crowd sizes large enough to fill the space,so the management of Avalon axed his party from the club. Then he "moves" over to Splash (which as many locals will tell you,is hospice for no longer relevant promoters and parties in gay nightlife). All of this was taking place while Peter Rauhofer's weekly WORK! parties at the old octagon space on west 33rd was blowing up and drawing massive crowds. While it's great to have a new gay megaclub in Manhattan, John Blair's shoddy history with clubs was affecting XL nightclub. He was repetitively bringing in typical mediocre circuit cheese DJs (i.e. Manny Lehman,Tony Moran,and Tracy Young) who pretty much will play music that mostly circuit queens tripping on ecstasy and special K would enjoy. The city's megaclub scene has always been about House Music. I shouldn't have to go to straight clubs (i.e. Marquee,Pacha,Cielo,and soon to be open Sankeys and Ibiza's Space nightclub) to hear good music by world class House Music DJs. Apparently, the team running XL nightclub saw the dwindling crowd size on Saturday nights (which is one of their major club nights) so they did alittle house cleaning and ousted the alleged "king of NYC's gay nightlife". Evidently,it has not occurred to John Blair that the scene has changed and the "Chelsea boy" and "shirtless muscle queen" image is a horse that was put to death years ago. Besides,if people have been paying attention,they'd notice that the gay "party scene" has moved into Hell's Kitchen. Chelsea is dead! It's time to "think outside of the box". You cannot create something new and pull the same old crap that has failed in the past and will likely fail again. It defeats the purpose. Hopefully at this point,XL will improve and grow now that John Blair's stranglehold on the club is no longer. I'd like to look at this as a "new beginning" for the city's only large gay nightclub. They do have some new ideas and plans coming,so let's see where it takes them.

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In New York in April

fernand

Will try this place out on April 13 th. it's my birthday.

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Sub-par New Year's Eve Experience at XL Nightclub

massadrenaline

On New Year’s eve my friend and I decided to ring in the new year at XL Nightclub. We both purchased VIP tickets and made our way to the club prior to midnight. I had journeyed from New Haven, CT to experience the nightclub for the first time and he made his way from Brooklyn. While I was at Grand Central Station, I rang the club to find out what to expect once I arrived. The response I received set the tone for everything that was to happen that night. When I informed the contact at the other end of the phone that I had bought a VIP ticket and wanted to know if I had to wait in line, I was essentially told that I would find out what to do when I got there. Upon arrival, I was ushered inside and asked for my ticket. I advised the representative that the link that was texted to my phone was broken and so I was unable to pull up the ticket information. This scenario had caused me some trouble when I was trying to access 42nd street because the police officers wanted to know that I had a reservation for the venue that I was trying to get to. Ultimately, I was given a band and nothing else. I found my friend waiting inside but was clueless as to where to go, where to check my coat and very unimpressed by the treatment I had received so far. I went downstairs and paid $6 to check my coat. My friend, Kenny, advised me that this was what he was advised by the person at the VIP coat check area upstairs. I found this quite peculiar but decided not to argue because I was frankly exhausted after my travels. We went back upstairs to the buffet area to get some food to nibble on. I could sense Kenny was slightly irritated but I didn’t really understand why until the next set of events unfolded. I beckoned one of the staff members over and asked him about the free bottle of champagne I was to receive. He asked me if I had a table and I advised him that I had just arrived. Kenny had been at the club about 30 minutes to an hour before me and was not seated at a table. The attendant who was dressed in a grayish-looking suit with what appeared to be a white trim said that we could stand by the bar or sit in a corner area of the club and he would bring over a bottle of champagne. I was totally against standing any further and so I told him we would get seated in one of the corners. He brought over the bottle of champagne. Before he left, I asked him if he was going to bring over another bottle of champagne for Kenny. He said it was only one bottle per table. I found this confusing. I advised him Kenny had also paid for a VIP ticket and should also be entitled to a bottle of champagne. He, Kenny and I spent a good 5 minutes arguing over the logistics of how this process worked. Kenny and I honestly felt we were being duped…and disrespected because of the manner in which we were being spoken to. At this point, we were not being treated like VIPs but like hoodlums who had crashed an upscale party. We asked for the general manager and were told he was busy. I insisted he get the general manager so we could put this issue to bed. When the general manager arrived, we explained that we had both bought VIP tickets and didn’t understand the concept of sharing a bottle of champagne. I asked him if Kenny were a total stranger if I was still expected to share the bottle of champagne with him. He said yes. At this point, I was totally perplexed. Mid-conversation, the attendant and the general manager turned their backs on us and walked away. The attendant took the bottle of champagne with him. I thought that we were on an episode of Punk’d with Ashton Kutcher. I asked the attendant what happened to our bottle of champagne and he had the wait staff return it to our area. We were virtually ignored for the rest of the night. Kenny also advised me that the general manager uttered something to the effect of him forgetting about his f&^*ing bottle of champagne. I decided to put my rational hat on and speak with the couple seated next to us. She was a fabulous Latina who suggested I speak with her friend, David Lopez, who was the general manager of The Out – an ultra chic hotel within the same building. The heavens opened up and I thought that at last we would get an opportunity to speak with someone who could help us make sense of what was happening. David confirmed what XL’s nightclub manager and the attendant had told us. It was supposed to be one bottle per table. I told him that this was a rather confusing promotion and he did not disagree. Then, David did something that totally resolved the entire matter for me. He noted that he had VIPs at his table who had all paid for their tickets and were all sharing his bottle of champagne. Apart from that, David was courteous, an effective listener and truly a class act. He exemplified everything a small to medium business owner/manager should be. I explained what I had learned to Kenny and this calmed him down somewhat. David even offered to try and get us another bottle of champagne for all the aggravation we had been through. To give you a little background on who I am, my name is Oneil Williams and I am a writer and business consultant. I have traveled the globe and currently write for several websites that cater to small and medium businesses. I write extensively on issues relating to customer service, sales and organizational management. I’ve also been a VIP at some of the most impressive nightclubs in London, Rio de Janeiro, Miami and Las Vegas. Without question, my experience at XL Nightclub was one of the worst VIP experiences I have ever had and the only one that did not leave me with a positive impression. I am normally the last person to ever bring race into any equation, but I can’t help thinking if our experience would have been as difficult or as dreadful if Kenny and I had blonde hair and blue eyes. I think XL nightclub’s staff is in desperate need of customer service training. Kenny and I could have chosen to patronize any business that night. We certainly do not lack the means. We selected this nightclub and are ever so upset that we did. We will never patronize this establishment again. We would, however, visit The Out, where Mr. Lopez seems to have a handle on what superior customer service is. Your staff needs to learn the meaniXL Nightclub’s staff needs to understand the meaning of the word VIP and recognize that they do not get to select which paying VIP customers get treated like one based on their impressions. Not surprisingly, an email that was forwarded to managing partner, Mr. Brian Voss, has gone without a response for over a week which leaves me with the impression that he is about as concerned with our experience as his staff was.

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Horrible

bossof

The worst club experience in NYC. I wasted money and time... The bad things start at the entrance, when a troglodyte security check your ID as if you were a criminal. The drinks are water-added and don't worth a penny. The bathrooms are really dirty and stinky.

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XL

newyorkguy

gottest place to go to

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Love this club

johnthomas81

The big apple definitely deserved this club. Every night is fun, a bit expensive to get in but worth it! A MUST DO!

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Big and Spacious

TimTom

line may be discouraging but once inside, drinks are good music is good.

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bravo !!

ENRIKUS

great energy ,and fun

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Catering to the ENTIRE gay community

tagimitnyc

Finally, it seems like a gay nightclub worthy of the city it's in. I'm so impressed with the variety of events, guests and themed nights you offer. (And an amazing bathroom on top of that!) You really cater to the whole gay community. You'll always have my business.

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the biggest and the greatest!

mario.stara

my favorite club in NYC. no more to say about it! :-)

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Hottest New Club in NYC!

djcala

New York City is the top of the top, the best in the world - so the newest, biggest gay club to open in a decade better live up to that... and it does! Amazing space, fantastic DJs, strong drinks and the hottest crowd in the city, probably the country, possibly the world.

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Sinasohn0315

Love Xl, beautiful people, amazing promoters and great drinks

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Best Thursday Party in NYC

fawkx_insox

20something thursdays at XL Nightclub is the best weekly dance party in NYC. its always packed with super ot guys, the best music, and awesome entertainment. Plus the early night open bar is awesome for getting in the mood to party and have a super awesome night. If you havent checked out XL Nightclub yet you should definitely do it soon!

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xl

johncny

very clean,classy place,great atmosphere and everyone can have fun.best club in nyc

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So fetch

juan.biel

Always a good time!

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It's not even close

bobbyhaha

By far this is the most beautiful nightclub in N.Y. But the main thing is that John And Betto. brought back a lot of there old employe;s. And these well seasoned workers. Go out of there way to please the customers.They make all feel welcome. Thanks Bobby Haha

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Rebirth of the New York Disco

jeffgaster

xL is a fantastic guy night spot featuring lots of dancing space, music, entertainment and hot guys. The closest thing to what the bfabulous discos would have become in 2012.

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great place

rt9127

Just what the city needed- a fun, modern new gay club with shows, dancing and great music... unique decor

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Jordan Michael

smustin.justin

Jordan Michael is amazing! I love him.

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Jordan

klfield92

Jordan makes my nights there. He is so great.

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Love XL

vince.callaghan1

how can you go wrong with anything done by John and Beto, the best of the best....

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XL.....AMAZING!!!!!!!!!

jordanlovesmusic

I have so much fun at XL and Boiparty's 20something thursdays always top the previous!!!!

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Best NYC GAY CLUB!

ChicaChicaChooWA

So, I know every gay guy has their favorite bar, and this is NOT my favorite bar. XL how ever, is my favorite go to gay CLUB in NYC. For one, it is packed 1000's of people on their popular 20 something thursdays and saturday nights. You could also meet an array of gays from scene, to trendy, preppy, or just those huge muscley ones with their shirts off. The dance floor is great and you could feel the bass on your feet, and its pretty intense! If youre looking for a quiet night out, this isnt the place for you.... But if youre going all out balls to the wall....then head on over to XL!!

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Isaiah

Amazing venue with sexy bartenders

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Best dance club in NYC!

brianoakes

A must-go place for Saturday night.

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having fun!!!!!

tre.robinson.9

love it

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new york's premiere gay spot

clayadamwade

i basically live here. the venue is gorgeous, the staff is incredible and the parties are so much fun.

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mikeymonyc

Biggest and best dance parties in NYC!! Whether you are a young adult (20-Something Thursday / XL Saturdays), a club kid party boy (Rockit Fridays) or an old school circuit queen (XL Saturdays) there really is something for everyone!! ***Insider Tip: Sign up to be a member at the clubs website www.xlnightclub.com. It's free and you get a membership card in the mail that gets you discounts on the cover fee as well as drinks!!***

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rumors are

leQue

that XL is THE nightclub of the city that never sleeps.

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lightning707

:)

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The Tea

jchunters

THE NASTIEST STEREOTYPE FOR A GAY CLUB WILL NOT GO BACK THERE AGAIN! it is one of the crooked gay clubs in NYC.... 1. charges a cover 15 or more and then you have to pay for over priced drinks!! 2. the bartenders over charge you for drinks unless you are look like you are are steroids and/ or you are friends with them. 3 . they give you an UN-itemized bill not telling you that gratuity is included already so you over tip them for bad service. when you catch them ( which I did) they say " oh well too late , the charge already went through" 4, BASICALLY the staff ( bartenders and front door) are nasty and think they are better than everyone. 5. advertises an open bar but when you ask for the free drinks the bartenders pretend they have no clue what we are talking about!! 5. place needs to be shut down with the illegal practices

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Big Dancefloor. Overpriced drinks.

superstar

They include the gratuity with your bar tab. You need an Xl card to get a discount.

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Awesome music

Spaceboymoon

Wonderful awesome HOT HOT HOT what can I say guys

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Very good... could easily be made better

NYC1982

THE GOOD: The space is relatively huge. I've been waiting for a club this size to open up ever since Roxy closed and, well, XL didn't quite meet my hyped-up expectations, but I think it's the best NYC has at the moment if you're looking for the big club scene. The music is great. I love the stage-- no other stage that big at any other NYC gay club as far as I'm aware. Customer service is *generally* pretty good (see below for a contrary example). I especially enjoy interacting with the short, very skinny guy who works coat check Fridays and Saturdays-- always smiling and always polite. THE BAD: I hate to be superficial, but let's face it: sometimes we like eye candy when we go out. The crowd at XL just isn't that good looking for some reason. But I suppose it's a matter of personal taste. More importantly: who the hell do I have to sleep with to be able to get a martini in under 10 minutes in this place! Good lord. I've never had to work so hard to get a bartender's attention. You'd think since it's the main engine of any club management would be sure to have enough bars and enough staff for them, but no. The last time I went there I waited 10-15 minutes for a bartender-- that shirtless, Clark Kent-looking muscle guy in the lounge area who seems to care more about looking cute than actually working because he always mozies around the bar like he's taking a leisurely walk in the park. Very unlike his coworker, the very long-haired woman at one of the bars near the main floor who is always hustling and always friendly. Anyway, I ordered two drinks for myself just so I wouldn't have to go back to the bar. AND I snuck in a tiny bottle of vodka that I downed in the bathroom. I can't stress enough how aggravating this is. You're a club! Make it easy for me to pay you lots and lots of money to get drunk!

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Finally NY has an amazing place to dance and hang out!!!

Gymfan79

Just love it! Everything: the people, the music and the interior))) Must go!

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Love it!

jjkeyes

So happy to have a big old school club in midtown. I've only been on Fridays for RockIt but the crowd is great, the boys are cute, the music is solid (how can you go wrong with Corey Craig

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Gorgeous space, rancid service

FelixG

The Up
Wow - the space is cavernous, trendily lit and gorgeously spacious. It is a world apart from the other gay night life in New York and on par with the best the world's cosmopolitans can bring up in indulgence.

The space's photogenic qualities attracted a crowd which, despite the expanse they had to fill, gave the place a full feel before midnight (on a Thursday). I thoroughly enjoyed myself. Sure, the bar didn't have St. Germain and didn't know how to make a vodka Southside, but that can be fixed with time and, I thought, it's a stuffy reason to tighten up about a new bar.

The Down
Then came time to closeout. After waiting for about 15 minutes (which feels like an eternity at the bar), I finally managed to catch the attention of a bar-tender on the east side of the north ground level bar. No problem, I'm thinking, it's an upstart establishment still getting its bearings on un-expected customer volume.

But when I told him I wanted to close out my tab he informed me, no - spat at me, that he couldn't do that since I opened the tab with another bar-tender. I asked him if he couldn't just close us out for him. His eyes roll as he snaps back, "no, go to the other side". What? Is this normal? Am I so insulated from the doldrums of the street that this vulgarity strikes me as offensive? No, I figure, I just over-reacted - besides, I had two drinks. That's probably it.

So I patiently wait on the other side of the bar. For my bartender. Who has the exclusive ability to conjure up my credit card (and driver's licence). Ofcourse he spends a few minutes socialising with the Nuclear Turd from above no less than five (counted!) times over an elapse of a further 12 minutes. Finally, I get the bill.

Fuming, I head downstairs to retrieve my coat. My friend, who writes for the Times, and I talk about what just happened and chalk it up to one douche bag who slipped through an HR manager eager to fill slots for an opening. Our coat check-outs go smoothly. But to my horror I witness the coat check staff tell a person whose belongings are locked in a room that he needs to talk to someone else.

"We can't do that here, you need to go talk to the people in FuckKnowsistan."

The same air of condescension! The same pandering to their own egos at the expense of the customer! Why doesn't the gay community deserve more than catty, conceited dimwits?

My friend (no worries - he writes about European politics) said I'm too used to the Park and Columbus bars my colleagues frequent, that I'm not gritty enough to stoop down to 10th Avenue and accept that this won't be Michelin star service. But I object. I don't need to feel like I'm going to Per Se. But I shouldn't feel like I'm at the DMV (and I say this as an apologetic to the DMV, given my recent interactions). Heart-broken at the squandered potential.

The Wrap-up
The space is beautiful. The lighting, the sound system, the ambiance... I loved every square inch of if. But that bartender! And the venomous sting at coat check! Never mind that it wasn't directed at me, it was pedestrian and filthy in a way I don't want to deal with on a night out.

Tremendous potential. But strict changes need to be made in the hiring decisions if they want to attract a NYC base. Otherwise the hotel is going to have to supply a steady cattle call of oblivious foreigners. I really hope that they turn around fast because I truly want to love this place.

P.S. I believe in granting ventures exorbitant leeway in their nascence. This review will be retracted if I see a materially significant improvement.

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