Are bath houses profitable?

[+ sniper]

The OUT hotel's troubles probably had more to do with the owners supporting Republicans than it not being a viable model.

[RM]

As far as I know, there are only two bathhouses in the Bay Area- Steamworks in Berkeley and Water Garden in San Jose. Both have been there for decades, both are big, nice, well-run places, and both are busy 24/7. Can't believe they aren't profitable.

 

 

Part of the reason that those places are so busy is that bathhouses are not permitted in San Francisco, so if you live in SF, you have to go to Berkeley or San Jose if you want to go to a bathhouse.

 

The barriers to entry for new players must be formidable because there haven't been any new entrants in the Bay Area.

 

 

 

There used to be a new bathhouse in San Francisco every other year. No bathhouses in SF now, but how many sex clubs?

[+ sniper]

I wonder how much of the sex club versus bathhouse thing has to do with the expense/effort of maintaining wet areas. Not to mention the bacterial issue of things like pools.

Also now that kids don't grow up using gang showers after sports or gym class, probably fewer of them are growing up with locker room fantasies...

[Bearofdistinction]

Always found it a nice venue, and wondered the same (e.g. when I win a lottery, I would invest in that sort of a venue near the Boardwalk), but never really found Atlantic gay-friendly, unless I brought the escort with me for the trip, though the room prices and sizes and amenities are worth it)

 

 

In its hayday Atlantic City had more than 30 gay bars and several gay hotels ---- One of the classics is back in operation == The Brass Rail

 

http://www.atlanticcityweekly.com/arts_and_entertainment/brass-rail-is-back/article_e2dd26f0-1bd6-52ca-8015-22f9eff86f9d.html

[Rockey]

Great gay fun in 1978-80. Play on the beach in front of the big hotel with the cock-shaped cupola on top, dancing at the Chester on New York ave, Snake Alley!

[Deadlift1]

Thats what I heard from the elder gays. It was a blast!

[+ FreshFluff]

The OUT hotel's troubles probably had more to do with the owners supporting Republicans than it not being a viable model.

 

Was the hotel doing well before that?

[Bargara Leatherboy]

I know that the ones in Sydney and Melbourne make a lot of money and have done over the years.

 

I guess business is a but slower than it used to be, but good marketing and having a great product always brings in the $$

 

I know of one venue TA often has 250 guys on a Sunday afternoon at $25 a head, thats $6k minimum on that day, and being in the downtown area, I understand it's busy at lunch time, after work, and evenings 7 days a week.

 

Yes high rent but apart from that not much in the way of operating expenses.

[Rudynate]

 

 

A few, not very many. What you see a lot of are regularly scheduled sex parties.

[+ WmClarke]

Generally there's a gay bath for about every dozen gay bars.

So that’s why the bathhouse in Milwaukee closed!

 

 

(OK, I made that up).

Eh, works for me.

[+ sniper]

Was the hotel doing well before that?

I'm not sure it was around long enough to tell before that. The owners also had some Fire Island businesses that got boycotted IIRC.