Gay Sauna Write Off List 2
Sent in by a reader yesterday. Minor editing by FuelMix:
Hi FuelMix
How are you ? I have been following your blog for a long time now
and some of your recent articles raised my interest, for examples: Why Did We Write Off Some Saunas ? & Talking To Adam 14 .
I would like to share some of my opinions with you.
First Why Did We Write Off Some Saunas ?
It was directed from your other comments of Gay Sauna Write Off List. I have to agree with you. HK gay saunas used to be better value for money and more fun than they are now. The quality of the clientele also seemed to be better. There are a few reasons from my point of view that caused the deterioration of the saunas:
1. Mostly importantly, the invention of the gay dating and mating apps. In the past, gay sauna was the most straightforward way of meeting other gay guys and it had significant advantages : it's safer than to meet someone at home or a hostel; it's much more time saving than internet dating sites; it gave the opportunity to meet more than one guy at a time; it provides health and relaxation benefits; price was more affordable.... Now the gay app is the most direct and economical way to know other gay guys, especially for the hot stand-and- models, there's no need for them to be "taken advantage' and 'wasted money' in the gay saunas. Their attitude probably suits the gay apps better anyway.
2. The cost of running a sauna increased dramatically, therefore they can't but charge a higher admission in order to balance the profit. As you know, HK is one of the most expensive cities in the world and this is particular true for the rental. The competition among saunas is fierce as there were once 18 gay saunas in Hong Kong. In order to attract more desirable or regular customers, most saunas have to 'subsidize' these customers and charge higher fees for the less preferable ones or visitors.
3. Tastes. Hong Kong has a very short span when it comes to taste. That's why gay saunas seem not to invest too much in maintaining the facilities. When their rent lease expires they would rather just find another location and start again with another name. Examples such as: Double to Hutong and the more recent ABC to Arena. However, the number of gay saunas is still balanced at around 15.
4. In terms of the points which Adam14 makes about the saunas, I don't think some of his suggestions would work. Most saunas in Hong Kong are there the locals and their interests. Unfortunately, those kinky European style facilities wont work in HK. Apparently Arena seems an example of such failure.
First Why Did We Write Off Some Saunas ?
It was directed from your other comments of Gay Sauna Write Off List. I have to agree with you. HK gay saunas used to be better value for money and more fun than they are now. The quality of the clientele also seemed to be better. There are a few reasons from my point of view that caused the deterioration of the saunas:
1. Mostly importantly, the invention of the gay dating and mating apps. In the past, gay sauna was the most straightforward way of meeting other gay guys and it had significant advantages : it's safer than to meet someone at home or a hostel; it's much more time saving than internet dating sites; it gave the opportunity to meet more than one guy at a time; it provides health and relaxation benefits; price was more affordable.... Now the gay app is the most direct and economical way to know other gay guys, especially for the hot stand-and- models, there's no need for them to be "taken advantage' and 'wasted money' in the gay saunas. Their attitude probably suits the gay apps better anyway.
2. The cost of running a sauna increased dramatically, therefore they can't but charge a higher admission in order to balance the profit. As you know, HK is one of the most expensive cities in the world and this is particular true for the rental. The competition among saunas is fierce as there were once 18 gay saunas in Hong Kong. In order to attract more desirable or regular customers, most saunas have to 'subsidize' these customers and charge higher fees for the less preferable ones or visitors.
3. Tastes. Hong Kong has a very short span when it comes to taste. That's why gay saunas seem not to invest too much in maintaining the facilities. When their rent lease expires they would rather just find another location and start again with another name. Examples such as: Double to Hutong and the more recent ABC to Arena. However, the number of gay saunas is still balanced at around 15.
4. In terms of the points which Adam14 makes about the saunas, I don't think some of his suggestions would work. Most saunas in Hong Kong are there the locals and their interests. Unfortunately, those kinky European style facilities wont work in HK. Apparently Arena seems an example of such failure.
5. At the end, my verdict is that gay saunas in HK in the future will be further polarized. There will be more smaller ones and those with the wrong marketing strategies will shut down and the flow of customers will conjunct into the surviving saunas. Such as what is probably happening now Alexander to Hutong, ABC to Galaxy.
I hope you like my comments.
Regards
Your Loyal Reader
FuelMix says:
1. Your comments are generally correct. We like them. We would not be surprised if more shut down.
2. We have been hearing that since the closure of Alexander at the end of November 2016, its clientele of fat, Fugly Mainland Chinese have been showing up at Hutong.
3. Disagree that customers of ABC are going to Galaxy. We initially saw them in Arena, very pissed off with the place. Not sure where they've gone now but not getting reports they are in Galaxy.
4. Gay apps also have a high failure rate for hookups. The "Silent Treatment" and ignoring people who make contact is very widespread. From what we hear, the frustration rate is as high as online ads and higher than cruising around in the sauna.
5. While the gay apps may be free, we don't use them for security reasons. A customer has much more personal control when they are in a safe space like a sauna. Our friendly GAM-Throats-On-The-Street let us watch them while they scroll through Grindr, Jack'd, Scruff etc looking for hookups.
6. We have seen no evidence that the local guys in the gay apps are hotter than the guys in the saunas. If anything, we've repeatedly spotted the same people on the apps and in the saunas.
Thanks for writing in.
- Readers may submit reviews of gay saunas in any Asian city;
- We reserve the right NOT to publish reviews we deem suspicious, inaccurate or self-serving;
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