Park aims to get visitors with 3 night spots

Kolkata's The Park has worked out a novel business plan to attract nightbirds of all ages and types by running as many three late-night establishments under one roof "" the Roxy, Tantra and Someplace Else.

Sources at the Park, a boutique property of Park Hotels chains owned by the Apeejay Surendra Group, said, "With the BPO boom, media houses and other offices that work late nights or overnights, footfall at nightclubs, especially after work, has increased".

Someplace Else was set up in 1995, but was remodelled and relaunched to accommodate Tantra which opened in 1999.

Roxy was born in 2005.

"What makes The Park so popular among people of all age groups is its nightclubs, each of which appear to be competing with the others, but actually supplement each other," claimed the source.

Someplace Else catered mostly to people between age groups 24 and 45 and concentrated on recreating the 1960's type live entertainment with mostly local bands.

Tantra was targeted at people in their 20s, whereas Roxy, labelled the cocktail bar, by and large aimed to tempt visitors above 30.

Among these, Tantra easily beat its other two competitors by attracting at least 800 visitors on weekends and 100 on weekdays, while Someplace Else managed about 300 visitors on weekends and 100 on weekdays.

Roxy was chugging at a shade over 200 visitors on weekends and about 75 on weekdays.

However, Roxy appeared to be delivering more value as the average bill per person at the bar was Rs 1,500.

It cost the hotel chain Rs 1.5 crore to do up Roxy, a 2,000 sq ft cocktail bar.

Tantra took a little longer to make a splash and was running steady at an average billing per person of around Rs 1,000.

It cost the hotel Rs 3 crore to do up Tantra.

At Someplace Else, the average bill per person was Rs 750, lower than the other two establishments, but then it was also smaller and required less investment to do up at only Rs 1 crore.

Someplace Else at present was going all out to promote local talent, permitting live bands to play the best rock music they could manage.

Selected groups were permitted to perform at special events at the pub.

Someplace Else also held jam sessions with Span every alternate Wednesday and Cassini's Division every Sunday to attract younger clientele, said the source.

Tantra aimed to get visitors through fashion shows and promotional events. The Bodhi Bar at Tantra was a private bar for members only, offering top-end drinks and cigars from around the world, the source pointed out.

Roxy was more focussed on wines and cocktails.

"The mezzanine floor done up in steel and leather contemporary furniture is unique", claimed the source.