COMPLETED 31 JULY 2017
1/F Overseas Building,
417 - 421 Hennessy Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong (same location as Action)
MTR: Causeway Bay, Exit B
Telephone: 2893 7027 (same number as Action)
Web: https://sodasaunahk.wordpress.com
Price: HK$130.00
** OPEN 24 HOURS**
(Except Mondays when it closes at 11:30pm)
Curious as to whether the 3 allegedly rave reviews so far listed on TravelGayAsia had any merit (See
Soda Sauna 2 ), FuelMix showed up at Soda on a Wednesday evening about 6:30pm.
1. The Place Has Had A Makeover (For The Better)
(a) The Locker Room
1. We were surprised how different the place looked when we entered. The Reception area is much smaller. Pay coin, get a towel, pull the door open and.....
whoa..!! a much more expansive Locker Room that starts from the door.
2. In terms of visual appeal, the Locker Room is a success story. Every locker door is also a mirror. Effectively it's a wall of mirrors which, when combined with the black colour scheme, works surprisingly well. The smallest lockers are adjacent to the doors, the larger ones are in the main changing area, which now boasts an additional wall-mounted full length wall mirror and black faux leather benches - plus a small seating area with 2 individual chairs. The reflective qualities of 2 walls of mirrors, mean that the single light fixture in the main Locker Area results in adequate ambient lighting.
3. Our only gripe is that the
"large" lockers don't have a separate shelf for shoes. The new lockers are in fact smaller than the
"large" dark green metal lockers when it was Action. However, there are about 60 lockers in the main area plus the small lockers near the door. Remember,
Soda is now open 24 hours so the new management (it's been divorced from the ABC-Gateway group) are obviously expecting people - and we suspect, they're getting them.
4. For those familiar with what was previously Action, the renovations demolished the TV viewing lounge to greatly expand the Locker Room.
(b) The New TV Lounge
5. What used to be the food and computer lounge opposite the old TV room, has also been demolished and is the TV lounge and reading counter that merges seamlessly with the Locker Room. The striped colour scheme on the couches works well with the overall black decor.
(c) Drinks And Snacks
6. Water cooler, hot drinks and snacks are now within the Locker Area. There is enough seating there to socialize.
(d) Dark Area
7. The basic layout of Action / Soda remains the same. The expanded Dark Area has a neon sign proclaiming itself as the
"Nude Zone" and there are towel hooks on the wall all over the place. Gone is the sissy GAM fag that sat there collecting towels. That corridor in which he used to sit, has become a direct access corridor from the TV lounge to the Dark Room.
8. There are 12 private rooms (compared to Action's 9) plus some discreet alcoves and public seating in what used to be the porn room that is still showing Jap porn - except that the flat screen has been moved to the opposite wall.
(e) The Wet Area
9. The Wet Area has a small cosy seating space outside the Steam Room. And those hideous toe-breaking drain grilles near the showers are now covered with a non-slip rubber matting. Shampoo and Shower Gel now very clearly marked.
(f) Comment
10. We'll say this much: the new management is to be commended for bringing a new style and layout to what was a notoriously boring place.
2. What Hasn't Changed
- Steam Room, Showers and Sauna still there
- Toilets still there (new doors though). Urinals gone.
- Main Dark Area the same (but the room at the end on the left, now has a raised bed)
3. The Clientele
1. FuelMix last did a review of Action / Soda on 3 September 2016 (see
Action Sauna 19) and was not thrilled. Customer-wise, Action was going downhill for a long time. Subsequent conversations with friendly GAM-Throats-On-The-Street, confirmed it (see
Action Sauna 20 and
Action Sauna 21) FuelMix was ready to write the place off.
2. With the new makeover, has come a new clientele.....and they were coming in the door regularly, even on a weekday evening:
- Mainly local GAM office types in their 20s to 40s. Most were slim fit and gym fit. For a mid-week drop in, they were reasonably attractive;
- No bears or chubs during our visit;
- Some GAMs were overseas educated and spoke very good English when they chatted to FuelMix;
- 4 GWMs in their 30s, decent shape;
- Some gym Asians from Singapore;
- Less attitude than when it was Action;
- No Mainland Chinese during our visit;
3. Admittedly, it had been 10 months since FuelMix was last in Action / Soda. His first impression of clientele since it became Soda, was they were a lot less Fugly (but Fuglies and Chubs are everywhere, so you never know.
4. Verdict
1. Soda has a completely different vibe to the tired-looking, Fugly-infested, no-Action.
2. Soda's vibe (aided by the decor) is masculine and sexy. Whilst they now have 12 private rooms, they do not have the largest Dark Area in Hong Kong as they claim on their website. That honour still belongs to MyWay, Jungle and Hutong.
3. The absence of Fuglies and less attitude than before, was a relief.
4. We suspect that whites and white tourists will show up regularly. Compared to Central Escalator (the historical asylum for whites and their disciples), Soda has much more space to walk around in, sit and chat, or play. (The dry sauna is tight and dinky). At HK$130.00 entry (or HK$100.00 with the 6-visit / 7th visit free, card) Soda is cheaper than the HK$148.00 official entry fee charged by Central Escalator. Being open 24 hours means that Soda is not subject to CE's very limited
"window of opportunity" of 3pm to 6pm.
5. The decision to open 24 hours (except Mondays) is a potentially smart move. Soda is pretty close to MyWay that is also open 24 hours and which attracts hot guys. The HK$130.00 entry fee is cheaper than MyWay's official entry fee of HK$150.00.
5. Would FuelMix Go Back...?
1. Yes. On a mid-week visit, he got serviced 4 times by gym fit GAMs. FuelMix is curious to see what this place is like on a weekend.
2. The question is,
"should he wait another 10 months..??"
- 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;
- FuelMix no longer gives personalized sauna advice;
Copyright © 2006 – 2017 FuelMix All
Rights Reserved
ON A MOBILE DEVICE, VIEW THE WEB VERSION OF THE BLOG
