The doorman at several of Miami’s most exclusive clubs, Stephane Kay is one of the most powerful men in Miami. His job controlling access to the best parties requires discerning taste. “At the door, I have to make a selection. I choose people who fit the club,” he says. Harsh as it may sound, “it is about the look. We cannot take everyone.”
Care to know his rules for gaining entrée to the most desirable parties in the chic, celebrity-heavy playground of South Beach?
See our slideshow of Miami's Most Exclusive Clubs.
One: dress sharp. “Don’t be the fat guy in Crocs,” Kay warns. “You don’t have to be king of the gym, but dress well. Wear a nice watch.”
Two: Bring an attractive female friend. "Pretty girls can come as much as they want,” Kay says. Males shouldn’t outnumber females in a party, but “we never refuse a nice couple.”
Three: Be ready to spend. Bottle service in Miami starts at around $100; at hotter spots, prices begin closer to $300. This arrangement can pay off, as hostesses in VIP sections will introduce shy guys to lovely ladies across the room.
Four: Don’t try to bribe the doorman. According to Kay, the city’s best are not corruptible.
If you don't like the sound of these rules, maybe you should skip the clubs altogether. Exclusivity, after all, is what club-hopping is all about—and getting into the most discriminating bars can be exciting. As one nightlife veteran puts it, “the door should be fierce, but not impossible.”
Any roundup of Miami’s most discerning hotspots must begin with the Gansevoort South hotel, an outpost of the Gansevoort in New York. This newly opened oceanfront property includes Plunge, a bar/nightclub beside a swimming pool—on the 18th floor—and the space is crawling with beautiful people. That’s partly because the Wilhelmina modeling agency moved its offices into the hotel, and the trendy on-site David Barton Gym is filled with so many toned bodies that it’s practically a club itself. It's hottest on Thursday nights (when Stephane Kay works the door).
See our slideshow of Miami's Most Exclusive Clubs.
Ever since hotel design power duo Ian Schrager and Philippe Starck redid the Delano Hotel, the Art Deco landmark has been an attraction in its own right. This grand and whimsical destination attracts visitors who make their way through its majestic lobby to sample cocktails in the orchard or play a game on the life-sized chess board. But the site’s most exclusive nook is in the Florida Room, an intimate club with a speakeasy feel, designed by Lenny Kravitz. Locals throw back highballs here before heading out to dance. Bottle service starts at $350.
The planning and subsequent opening of the nightclub Mokai was such a monumental event that filmmakers made an online documentary about it, called Clubland. Co-owner Nicola Siervo says that by designing the club as one single open space, “It’s like a house party in your living room every single day.” But because it’s so cozy, he adds, “we have to be very selective at the door.”
Bella Rose sprung up as an antidote to the velvet rope and bottle service scene. Co-owner Alfred Spellman says that when the beach became dominated by high rollers and celebrities, “I got sick of going out. And I’m only 29!” So he opened his own hangout—dark, creative and edgy, with “no bottle service pressure.” The crowd it draws is only for those hip enough to know about it. That includes Dennis Rodman, DJ and Lindsay Lohan gal pal Samantha Ronson and Danger Mouse (from musical duo Gnarls Barkley).
Once upon a time, The Forge steakhouse was frequented by Frank Sinatra, Richard Burton and Judy Garland; these days, it's Sharon Stone, Jackie Chan and Hulk Hogan who sing its praises. But after the grills are turned off and the dishes are washed, the site swings into nightclub mode and it’s called Glass, where a long-running upscale Wednesday night party is going strong. Owner Shareef Malnik hobnobs with everyone from Saudi princesses to comedian Pauly Shore, and is in the process of opening a sister restaurant in Dubai.
Socializing galore takes place around the restored Art Deco-era pool at The Raleigh, the stylish oceanfront hangout designed by hotelier and former Uma Thurman arm-charm André Balazs. Almost nightly, hipsters gather for outdoor movies, fundraisers and fashion shows. At Balazs’s other Miami property, The Standard, models pose for photo shoots amid the “water playground” and nightcrawlers recover (slightly) from the weekend by sipping Bloody Mary’s and playing bingo on Sundays.
Finally, there’s exclusive—and then there’s nearly impossible. Those who manage to find Casa Tua (the quaint, unmarked building behind the hedge at 17th Street and James Avenue) will probably not be allowed inside since it’s a members only situation. Two hundred and fifty of Miami’s most elite party people pay $4,245 a year for access to the club’s homey upstairs lounge and Italian restaurant. But for those who manage to charm their way in, or rent one of five guest rooms for $750 nightly, well… You just may end up doing karaoke or playing board games with founding members Roberto Cavalli and Boris Becker.