Stone Lotus

08/23/09

Stone Lotus bouncers and owner discriminate.

by jaejaedynomite at Citysearch

Last night 8/22/09, a group of myself and 4 other friends went to Stone Lotus. We are all African-American. We left a another club and bottle service to go to Stone Lotus. Upon arrival we stood outside waiting to be allowed in. Several white patrons were permitted to enter while we waited. After several minutes passed, we inquired about the wait. A bouncer said to my friend w/in earshot "She (referring to me) can't come in with her hair like that and wearing babyphat". My hair was natural (curly fro). Coincidentally, I've been to stone lotus before wearing another babyphat outfit but with my hair straightened. Since when does a woman's hairstyle bar her from entering a club? We asked for a manager who added insult to injury by denying that the bouncer said what he said. The manager further aggravated the situation by stating "there's a 2 bottle minimum" repeatedly even after we said that wasn't a problem. I guess the assumption was that we couldn't afford the bottle service. This type of blatant racism shouldn't be supported or allowed in 2009.

• Pros: n/a
• Cons: rude staff

06/29/09

These Guys Are Ridiculous!!!

by AnnaMarie at Citysearch

I set up a party a month in advance for my 26th Birthday. I intended to purchase 2 bottles at a minimum. Half of my party (all women) made it to the club before me and were allowed in for free under my reservation without any problems. I arrived with another group of friends and was told by the bouncer first that they had no reservation under my name. Then when I told them half of my party was already inside they said they couldn't let any of the men in, only the woman.

Everyone was dressed in proper attire and my friends were very insulted. When I asked if I could use the bathroom or at least go in and get my friends they refused to let me inside.

All of the people that came afterward male or female where turned away.

This place is beyond ridiculous!!!

DO NOT GO THERE!!!!

HORRIBLE SERVICE!!!

HORRIBLE PEOPLE!!!!

I WAS COMPLETELY DISGUSTED!!!

• Pros: None!!
• Cons: The Door Guys are Horrible!

06/07/09

Terrible service filing a complaint

by DLembesis at Citysearch

story of my 21st birthday

My friends went outside for a smoke and one of them would not be let in. I went outside to ask the bouncer why he would not be let in and he said he was too intoxicated. (Mind you he was only there for 30 minutes at this point he was completely sober)

I asked what did my friend do to seem too intoxicated and the bouncer did not answer he just ignored me. I asked him again what did he do and he said "Sir, I have no problem kicking you and your entire party out right now" (I made reservations for two tables and a month in advance and it was my 21st birthday). Then I told him that I did paid good money for the reservation and the bouncer opened the gate and said "Leave now".

I went back inside and complained and the bouncer told my friend he would only let him back in if he paid $400. My friend paid it because he did not want to upset me on my 21st birthday, and apparently my cousin paid a bouncer inside as well to try and resolve this.

So he was let in and moments later the manager said because they "let" my friend in they are taking away one of my tables and selling it to someone else without issuing any sort of compensation.

If anyone's had similar issues and want to start some sort of case you can contact me at DLembesis@mail.bradley.edu

• Pros: None
• Cons: They are very rude

03/23/09

Inconsiderate...Rude...Poor Accommodations

by SASSYSymphony at Citysearch

Initially I was working with Laura Faith to plan a birthday party for a friend. We had been planning this party for OVER A MONTH and everything was set. The night of the party, we arrive at Stone Lotus only to find that there is NO RECORD of us even being on the guest list. Her "front door staff" was rude and unaccommodating on this matter. Then they decide to send us to another club so we have to send texts and phone calls to ALL 30 GUESTS re-routing them. They promised that we would be well taken care of at the other place (no cover, table with bottle service), but WE WEREN'T. We practically had to FIGHT for a table.

After expressing my frustration with Laura Faith, she proceeds to blame it on US because we "were late" for the reservation. How about WE WEREN'T LATE Laura...you just SCREWED UP and won't own up to it!

• Cons: Too many to list in this small space!

02/03/09

Worst Bar/"Liquor Spa" Ever

by LotusSucks at Citysearch

Stone Lotus is aweful. I will NEVER go back. Doormen-->wanna be classy but really a stupid rude D bag. Drinks-->overpriced. Security-->what is this the presidents club? these sketchy dudes walk around like this bar is they are Secret Service men. I remember thinking, I wish this dude would stop looking at me and go jump in the dumpster out back.

• Pros: Nothing
• Cons: Everything

12/08/08

Why bother...

by nateb at Citysearch

I came to meet friends for a birthday party. I waited in line because the guy in front would not give me the time of day just to find out that I had to pay $50 for a "VIP" party package that allowed me to not actually wait in line. I went in and drinks were expensive an I had no room to move. Why do people do this to themselves on the weekends. We need to have an intervention.

• Pros: Nice decor
• Cons: Everything else is horrible

10/20/08

HATED IT! TERRIBLE CLUB EXPERIENCE!!

by MzLadyJ at Citysearch

HATED IT! RUDE RUDE RUDE. Yes, 3x.

Went here with some beautiful people (models, tv personalities), and a wedding party from the four seasons. We were subjected to door abuse and told we weren't getting in, by the doorman who was a joke. Our people had a table, and since we arrived after them, we weren't allowed in, even though it was our idea to go there. And, they were rude and kept shouting for no reason. I've partied at the best clubs in the world, since I'm from NYC, lived in LA, and Paris; this place is a rude for noo reason. Don't spend your money here to get treated terribly, or yelled at. Go other places in Chicago to have a good time. Stone Lotus deserves to shut down, the way they mistreat people. I will NEVER go here again.

• Pros: Location
• Cons: Doormen are the worst in the city! And, it's not that great!

05/12/08

Spent lots of money to be treated poorly!

by rollergirl17 at Citysearch

I warn you STAY AWAY from this place unless you like being treated poorly. We went here for my friends 21st b-day. She had talked to Melissa & planned it all. When we got in we saw the area set up for a b-day & were told that wasn't for our group. They said they couldn't reach her and her # was all the sudden disconnected the week of the party so they didn't set up an area for her or have the cake she ordered & now someone else was in her area for their b-day. Her 20 friends who came to the club to celebrate had called her at the same # all that week and got a hold of her just fine. The manager actually told us they don't make mistakes like that (double booking a party) and it was the b-day girls fault she didn't have a spot. Someone made a comment about race in a review below & my friend is the hot blonde that often gets into clubs for free & is the first to dance on the bar and live it up so they have equal discrimination there. We got to sit on the VIP couches but were moved around often when people got there who had reserved a table. Not the way you should be treated when you brought 20 people at $50 a pop. That's $1000! At the end of the night my husband was kicked out of the club because he tripped up the stairs. My husband is the least threatening guy you could imagine and there is no reason why he should have had to leave for that drunk or not. From reading these reviews & seeing what I saw it sounds like they pick people to kick out. As he was outside he told them he was disappointed with how the party happened & he wasn't coming back & the manager said "Can I have that in writing?" How rude and inappropriate! So just to let you know they are perfect like god they are the VIP & you are a nobody to them no matter how much you pay or what the occasion. If you like feeling this way definitely go to this place! The place looks like a 10 when you enter or see it online but the staff makes it a 0 & will run it into the ground.

• Pros: beautiful atmosphere
• Cons: beyond poor customer service

03/23/08

Rip-off

by br822 at Citysearch

We went to Stone Lotus for my brother's 21st birthday and we had an awful experience. After reading many of the previous reviewers' comments, I have to agree with all of the negative things people are saying about this place. We paid for a VIP package, but unfortunately, we were not treated as VIP guests should be treated. The security staff was extremely rude, the bartenders did not know how to make anything beyond the basics, and the space was small and empty (on a Fri). We also had a guest in our party get kicked out shortly after we had gotten there, because the security staff maintained that they had seen him stumble. Our guest was no more intoxicated than any other person in that club, and if anything, there were quite a few guests that were more intoxicated. The "so-called drunk guest" told the security guards that we had taken a limo to the club and that the limo would not be there for another three hours. He then proceeded to ask the security guard if he could sit there (and not drink) and wait for the rest of his party to finish up. The security guard said that his staff could not watch the "intoxicated guest" and informed our guest he would have to wait outside in the cold. It honestly would not have been difficult for security to tell the two bartenders working to not serve this guest and for security to watch him. Again it is a small space and If they can spot people they believe are highly intoxicated amongst the small crowd, then they can spot a person who doesn't keep his word in a small crowd as well. I thought our incident was isolated at first, but after reading about a similar incident happening to someone else, I am beginning to think this is a ploy used by Stone Lotus to get large sums of money from people and then not let them enjoy the packages they paid for. We paid to have an open bar from 10-1, but were forced to leave before 12. I have been to a lot of clubs in my day, and this is the worst one yet!

• Pros: nice decor
• Cons: EXTREMELY poor service, bad music, small space

10/06/07

Not worth it

by vkroshin at Citysearch

Poor and rude service. There is no room to move on weekends and you are treated like dirt as soon as you walk in. The smoke actually helps alleviate the pungent smell of sweat and euroT saturated in Armani cologne. Also it was great being swung at by the DJ after which I was being the one escorted out. Next time I feel like being attacked by the DJ and put into a headlock by security after dropping a hundred bucks, I know where to go...

• Pros: nice atmosphere without the people
• Cons: everything else