In San Francisco, there are three nightclubs to speak of. Oh yeah, those of you who frequent places like the End-Up and Cafe Cocomo or others might quibble, but for me, there are three clubs of note. It used to be five, but the demise of the clubs at the tops of the Hilton Union Square and the Westin St Francis reduced the number to three: Harry Denton's Starlight (HDS) at the Sir Francis Drake, the Top Of The Mark (TOTM) at the Mark Hopkins Intercontinental and the Tonga Room (TR) at the Fairmont Hotel.
These three are the last surviving hotel nightclubs with a dance presence. What can we say about these three? Which one would you frequent? Will any other hotel step up and offer a danceable venue? Let's see.
Having gone to all three recently, here's my take. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. It depends on what you're looking for. I have my preferences and that would point towards the Top Of The Mark, but you're not required to follow my prescription. Let's go down the line of what is important and rate the three. Let's use the sliding scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best and 1 being "eh, skip it."
On matters of elegance, the TOTM is the most elegant with a strong rating of 8 out of 10. I can't give it 10 only because the patrons no longer adhere to the elegance deserving of a 10. If each and every one of the patrons of TOTM are dressed in black tie and tuxedos or gowns, I might bring it up to a 9 or 10. Alas, that was 70 years ago and we don't expect it again anytime soon.
Harry Denton's Starlight, HDS, comes in a distant second at 5 out of 10. It could be more, but the dark, dingy atmosphere does not lend itself to the black tie look. To be sure, there are a number of well dressed men and women there. However, the women there are dressed less elegantly and more skankily (nothing specifically wrong with that :wink:, :wink:). The plebian Tonga Room (TR) comes in at a lagging 3 out of 10. At the TR, you get college kids decked out in jeans and t-shirts, women in capri pants and flip-flops. On occasions, you might get a gentleman in double-breasted jacket with a well-dressed woman by his side. That's on a rare occasion, though.
On the dancibility front, the TOTM holds the lead with very danceable tunes, although it's very limited to the Natalie Cole style of music. Ricardo Scales does a bang up job, as well as the other bands that headline the TOTM. The TR and the HDS are neck and neck tied with each other with what they offer for music. The TR slightly edges out the HDS because the TR trio plays a bit longer before taking their break. The HDS band poops out after a paltry 35 minutes or so. All three live bands, when they take their breaks, have a decent DJ putting some danceable numbers up, although the Tonga Room's DJ music is almost inaudible. So, 8 for TOTM, 6 each for TR and HDS.
In terms of dance floor space, the TR has the best, only because there aren't anyone there dancing. At worst, you'll have 3 couples (6 people) there altogether. That gives the three couples a lot of floor to do their thang. The TOTM is second with a generous dance floor and a small number of dancers. The dancers at the TOTM are the most sophisticated with ability and appreciation for partner dancing. Dragging the back end is the HDS with the skanky go-go booted dancers and playaz looking to score some booty. The HDS also has the smallest space (or maybe it's the most crowded; most likely the latter) and is so limited that partner dancing is basically impossible. Freestyle it and have fun shaking your booty. Yeah, the HDS's dance floor curves around the DJ booth, and the band takes up a significant portion of the floor. Very little straight line to even do slot-type dancing.
The TOTM has a slower, more 40s to 50s style graceful, fox-trotty music. The TR plays more recent pop, but rarely the undanceable, unlistenable hip-hop mistake birthed the world in the mid-2000s. HDS plays a good number of R&B blues and throws in an occasional hustle beat. During the DJ portion, that's when it goes all to hell. Unfortunately, that moment in hell is about 30 minutes long.
How about the gustatory indulgences? For the sweet, islandy drinks, you can't miss with the TR. So on the scale of 1 to 10, TR rates a good 9 for island drinks. If you prefer a straight up scotch or a whisky neat, then the TR is not as good. For here, HDS offers a better option, but it'll cost ya. TOTM has the greatest variety of martini drinks. The costs for drinks are comparable among the three.
As for eating, TR again has an island theme. All three has generous portions, with TOTM offering a more sophisticated assortment. (Get the idea already that I prefer TOTM?) But really, TOTM has a larger selection on the menu. HDS's menu is limited, but very tasty; good choices in whatever you choose.
And don't forget, there's the view. The Tonga Room scores a 1 for view, unless seeing a floating bandstand and an occasional faux rain-shower floats your boat. TOTM has an astounding view, given that it's on top of Nob Hill and overlooks the whole city. HDS has some good views, but the Sir Francis Drake is at the bottom of the hill in Union Square, so it doesn't have a complete view of the city. Worse yet (or maybe better, if you're the voyeur) is the main views at HDS, aside to Union Square, are to the two neighboring hotels, the Grand Hyatt and the Westin St Francis. TOTM scores a perfect 10 here while HDS comes in second with a solid 7.
Back to the nightlife portion of these nightclubs. Both the Mark and the Tonga room are date places. Go there alone and you'll sit alone, male or female. Going alone or in a group without a date to the Starlight is not unusual. Many men circle the waters for a possible hook-up, and many women are willing to get caught. It used to be both the Hilton Towers and the Westin St Francis offered that atmosphere, but now, the HDS is the last of the breed. There are probably more guys looking at the TR, and among these two, the Mark is the least welcoming for the gawkers and the gawked, not that there's any official policy against it, though.
Needless to say, the vibe at the Starlight makes the ladies there dress the most provocatively among the three. The Mark has a more elegant look and the Tonga Room has either a businessy look or the family vacation look. The TR brings in college aged kids, so if you rather hang around people over the age of 25, the TR probably won't work for you.
My summary for the three places is: bring your gal (or guy) to the Tonga Room for a first date. Bring your significant other to the Mark for your first anniversary. Bring your wing-(wo)man to Harry Denton's Starlight for a pick-up.
These three are the last surviving hotel nightclubs with a dance presence. What can we say about these three? Which one would you frequent? Will any other hotel step up and offer a danceable venue? Let's see.
Having gone to all three recently, here's my take. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses. It depends on what you're looking for. I have my preferences and that would point towards the Top Of The Mark, but you're not required to follow my prescription. Let's go down the line of what is important and rate the three. Let's use the sliding scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the best and 1 being "eh, skip it."
On matters of elegance, the TOTM is the most elegant with a strong rating of 8 out of 10. I can't give it 10 only because the patrons no longer adhere to the elegance deserving of a 10. If each and every one of the patrons of TOTM are dressed in black tie and tuxedos or gowns, I might bring it up to a 9 or 10. Alas, that was 70 years ago and we don't expect it again anytime soon.
Harry Denton's Starlight, HDS, comes in a distant second at 5 out of 10. It could be more, but the dark, dingy atmosphere does not lend itself to the black tie look. To be sure, there are a number of well dressed men and women there. However, the women there are dressed less elegantly and more skankily (nothing specifically wrong with that :wink:, :wink:). The plebian Tonga Room (TR) comes in at a lagging 3 out of 10. At the TR, you get college kids decked out in jeans and t-shirts, women in capri pants and flip-flops. On occasions, you might get a gentleman in double-breasted jacket with a well-dressed woman by his side. That's on a rare occasion, though.
On the dancibility front, the TOTM holds the lead with very danceable tunes, although it's very limited to the Natalie Cole style of music. Ricardo Scales does a bang up job, as well as the other bands that headline the TOTM. The TR and the HDS are neck and neck tied with each other with what they offer for music. The TR slightly edges out the HDS because the TR trio plays a bit longer before taking their break. The HDS band poops out after a paltry 35 minutes or so. All three live bands, when they take their breaks, have a decent DJ putting some danceable numbers up, although the Tonga Room's DJ music is almost inaudible. So, 8 for TOTM, 6 each for TR and HDS.
In terms of dance floor space, the TR has the best, only because there aren't anyone there dancing. At worst, you'll have 3 couples (6 people) there altogether. That gives the three couples a lot of floor to do their thang. The TOTM is second with a generous dance floor and a small number of dancers. The dancers at the TOTM are the most sophisticated with ability and appreciation for partner dancing. Dragging the back end is the HDS with the skanky go-go booted dancers and playaz looking to score some booty. The HDS also has the smallest space (or maybe it's the most crowded; most likely the latter) and is so limited that partner dancing is basically impossible. Freestyle it and have fun shaking your booty. Yeah, the HDS's dance floor curves around the DJ booth, and the band takes up a significant portion of the floor. Very little straight line to even do slot-type dancing.
The TOTM has a slower, more 40s to 50s style graceful, fox-trotty music. The TR plays more recent pop, but rarely the undanceable, unlistenable hip-hop mistake birthed the world in the mid-2000s. HDS plays a good number of R&B blues and throws in an occasional hustle beat. During the DJ portion, that's when it goes all to hell. Unfortunately, that moment in hell is about 30 minutes long.
How about the gustatory indulgences? For the sweet, islandy drinks, you can't miss with the TR. So on the scale of 1 to 10, TR rates a good 9 for island drinks. If you prefer a straight up scotch or a whisky neat, then the TR is not as good. For here, HDS offers a better option, but it'll cost ya. TOTM has the greatest variety of martini drinks. The costs for drinks are comparable among the three.
As for eating, TR again has an island theme. All three has generous portions, with TOTM offering a more sophisticated assortment. (Get the idea already that I prefer TOTM?) But really, TOTM has a larger selection on the menu. HDS's menu is limited, but very tasty; good choices in whatever you choose.
And don't forget, there's the view. The Tonga Room scores a 1 for view, unless seeing a floating bandstand and an occasional faux rain-shower floats your boat. TOTM has an astounding view, given that it's on top of Nob Hill and overlooks the whole city. HDS has some good views, but the Sir Francis Drake is at the bottom of the hill in Union Square, so it doesn't have a complete view of the city. Worse yet (or maybe better, if you're the voyeur) is the main views at HDS, aside to Union Square, are to the two neighboring hotels, the Grand Hyatt and the Westin St Francis. TOTM scores a perfect 10 here while HDS comes in second with a solid 7.
Back to the nightlife portion of these nightclubs. Both the Mark and the Tonga room are date places. Go there alone and you'll sit alone, male or female. Going alone or in a group without a date to the Starlight is not unusual. Many men circle the waters for a possible hook-up, and many women are willing to get caught. It used to be both the Hilton Towers and the Westin St Francis offered that atmosphere, but now, the HDS is the last of the breed. There are probably more guys looking at the TR, and among these two, the Mark is the least welcoming for the gawkers and the gawked, not that there's any official policy against it, though.
Needless to say, the vibe at the Starlight makes the ladies there dress the most provocatively among the three. The Mark has a more elegant look and the Tonga Room has either a businessy look or the family vacation look. The TR brings in college aged kids, so if you rather hang around people over the age of 25, the TR probably won't work for you.
My summary for the three places is: bring your gal (or guy) to the Tonga Room for a first date. Bring your significant other to the Mark for your first anniversary. Bring your wing-(wo)man to Harry Denton's Starlight for a pick-up.
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