“It was about time a place like this opened
on the island,” said Rita Kristjans-dottir, a senior
from Sweden majoring in advertising at HPU. “I missed
this way of partying,” she added, referring to the popularity
of this kind of club in Europe.
Buddha Bar is an evolutionary step in Honolulu’s nightlife,
bringing it up to date compared to mainland and European standards
of socializing and lounging, said Victor Venson, director of
public relations and marketing as well as co-developer of Buddha
Bar.
“
It is a combination of a club and a bar,” he continued, “featuring
lounge music, Hip-Hop, house, and jazz, and offering the relaxing
ambiance of drinking, socializing, and dancing.
“
Hawai‘i’s night life is 10 to 15 years behind the
mainland and Europe,” said Venson.
Venson is a senior at HPU, majoring in public relations and
advertising. In the past he has organized parties for HPU
clubs as well as
for Indigo Restaurant and Royal Garden Hotel.
Buddha Bar provides the convenience of valet parking and
two floors for clubbing. Downstairs is the main bar, DJ booth,
and the VIP lounge with table reservations and bottleservice
for
those who choose to enjoy a bottle of Dom Perignon, Louis
XIII,
or some other top-shelf bottles. Upstairs is the chill-out
lounge where you can rest while still listening to music.
The original facility was a traditional Chinese restaurant
and elements of its roots still exist in lamp and candlelighting
and in deep red-colored rooms. However, it has been transformed
into a contemporary Euro-Asian club with a chic, chill-out
atmosphere.
Buddha Bar has a $10 cover per person and a strict dresscode
(clean tucked-in shirt for men and an elegant outfit for
women). It will regularly have special events, Venson said,
featuring
renowned DJ’s and live-act bands from the mainland and
even Europe.
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