Getting into Miami Beach Clubs
The world’s top DJs count Miami as one of their most desired destinations which puts Miami Beach clubs at the forefront of the electronic music scene. If you want to be certain you can get into a hot club, here are some useful tips to help you get off the sidewalk and onto the dance floor in a flash!
1: Admiration - DJ fans often get favors
If you’re coming to South Beach and you want to spend the night at a hot club with a certain DJ. Google the DJ’s social media links and follow him. Many DJs have FaceBook pages and Twitter feeds—”Friend” and “Follow” them. Send a note, “Like” a link, or comment favorably on a SoundCloud upload. Fans often get favors and you may be one of them.
2: Preparation - Monitor event listings
Many big name performers are often booked into clubs at the last minute. As an example, Lady Gaga gave a major performance New Year’s Eve 2010 at the James L. Knight Center, then was hustled over to the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach for a special midnight countdown performance. What this means for you is that before your trip (but only about a week or two before) you should scan the local tabloids and event listings to see who’s booked to perform not only at all the hot South Beach clubs, but also at the larger venues, since it may turn into a special appearance at one of the many Miami clubs.
You should also keep in mind that music formats in Miami change all the time, so Friday’s banging hip-hop venue could be house music on Saturday. And last week’s hot club could be cold as ice the night you visit.
LIV Nightclub and ArKadia help make Miami Beach the hottest destination in America
3: Observation - Do Your Homework
Locate the website of the club where your favorite DJ is scheduled to perform and read up on the club’s door policy, dress code, possible guest lists, VIP reservation services and—most importantly—door & box office opening hours on the night you wish to visit. If you want to get in easily, know before you go. You need not pay a middleman if you learn what it takes to get in.
Contact the club directly, buy advance tickets if they are offered, and make a reservation if possible. If you’re part of a group (bachelorettes, bachelors, etc) tell the club when you’re coming and see if they have a group package available. Many clubs actually do have group incentives. No matter how exclusive a club may seem, money talks and your business matters. If you’re a hotel guest, find, consult and tip the concierge at your hotel.
4: Presentation (very important)
You may not look like a model, but there’s no reason you can’t dress like one. When you hit the club, dress smart and arrive before midnight. Wear something simple, dark and nicely tailored. No jeans, no tees, no hats, no athletic footwear, no flip flops, no shorts, and nothing with sparkling words on it. No matter what they told you at the mall, keep it simple. Dark trousers and a collared shirt for him, a simple black dress for her. Nightclub doormen in Miami Beach have complete discretion in deciding who’s in and who’s out. They are the one person charged with filling the club with the right people and they can be extremely picky at times. Some doormen tell us they even notice the type of watch a man is wearing, so don’t think you’ll be able to slide those boat shoes passed them.
You'll find non-stop entertainment in top Miami Beach clubs
5: Determination - Patience and a Smile go a long way
When you arrive at the club, smile warmly at the doorman, say hello and mention (quickly) if you made reservations, have tickets or booked bottle service. He may ask how many there are in your party, he may direct you to a nearby line or he may simply nod. He knows you are there and your fate now rests in his hands. Remember, clubs want to look busy by having a crowd waiting outside to get in. If the doorman says something along the lines of “There’s a private party just finishing up and it will be a few more minutes before we can start letting people in,” that’s actually code for “We need to let the crowd build up, then we’ll open the doors.” Stand by, don’t sweat the hold time and do not give the doorman a hard time or pretend you’re on a list if you’re not. He’s just doing his job.
6: Adaptation - Where there’s a will, there’s a way
Know this: Women are the currency nightclubs trade on. If your party includes only guys, the way past the velvet ropes is GIRLS. Find some lovely ladies waiting in line like you, and (politely) ask them to join you until you pass the velvet ropes. Be friendly and be honest about needing their lovely camouflage to conceal your overt maleness, and perhaps offer to buy them a cocktail or two once you get inside. Don’t confuse their temporary kindness with a desire to spend the entire night with you. Thank them, and move on, unless things work out otherwise, of course.
If your party is all girls, this is your time to shine. If you didn’t get picked first in gym class, if you didn’t get promoted at work, if your mom always gave your brother the big piece of chicken—at the velvet rope, girls always outrank the boys. You may not have to wait in line, you may not have to pay to get in, you may be whisked straight into the club’s VIP lounge. Enjoy it while it lasts.
7: Mitigation
Like the old Kenny Rogers tune says “you got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em.” If you’ve done all you can to get in and you still find yourself on the outside looking in past the point of all reasonable patience, simply move on. South Beach offers so many venues where you can experience great entertainment every night of the week, and there is no reason to waste your entire night standing in front of a club where you’ll never get in. We guarantee that just around the corner there is another place where you’ll have just as much fun with far less hassle. Move your party elsewhere and don’t look back.
Photo credits: Joseph Brown