The Great Gay Sauna 9

Hollywood Vista
Back 114 - 116 Austin Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Hong Kong
MTR: Jordan Station, Exit D

This place shut down around the end of August 2014. An alleged police raid that netted drugs on the premises may have had something to do with it.

Actually this sauna was dying well before that, notwithstanding that it was said to be open 24 hours - and nothwithstanding the suspicious hype it seemed to be receiving on several English language gay sites.

A feature of the myriad English language gay sites that claim to list saunas in this city, is their extreme reluctance to actually admit business failure. It seems that "the community" must be hyped up at all costs - even at the cost of accuracy. 

We had long ago suspected that many of the local sauna "reviews" were fake and self-serving.  It was what propelled us to compile the Hong Kong gay sauna reviews that were accurate, comprehensive and dynamic in a way that has not been replicated anywhere else on the web. Once our readers saw the accuracy and detail of our reports, they started to contribute their own updates - which we strongly encourage.

1.  Readers may submit reviews of gay saunas in any Asian city;
2.  FuelMix no longer gives personalized sauna advice; 

© Copyright 2006-2015 FuelMix All Rights Reserved

Drugs In The Sauna

In an earlier post, Four Saunas In One Day, FuelMix mentioned he'd dropped into Central Escalator.  It was as usual - and even after a long absence - its underwhelming self.  FuelMix recalls seeing a notice pasted in the toilet warning about drug possession and drug use on the premises being criminal offences.  FuelMix shrugged and didn't give it a second thought. He'd never done drugs.

A couple of days ago, FuelMix ran into a friendly GAM throat on the street who casually mentioned that there was a recent report in the Chinese press that another gay sauna, The Great, had been raided by the Police. The raid had turned up crystal meth.

"Ahh...." thought FuelMix, "so could that explain the notice in Central Escalator's toilet...?" FuelMix's eagle eyes don't recall seeing such notices in other saunas and frankly, he wouldn't be surprised if they now started popping up.

To all those drug fucked fags: Thanks for ruining it for the rest of us.

Copyright © 2006 – 2014 FuelMix All Rights Reserved

Hong Kong Gay Sauna Reviews

A reader helpfully informed us that our blog has "disappeared" from Google's search results........

Yes! Please continue to post and give reviews. I'm sure there are lurkers out there who read your posts. A year ago if I googled "gay hong kong saunas" your site was ranked on the first page. Now it's no longer appears. Fuck utopia-asia. I got all my info from you and had so much ass and cock at the saunas.

Very best,

Your USA fan

 

FuelMix says:

 

Well....well......well..... what's going on here....??  For the longest time, our blog indeed popped up on the first page of Google's search results, right near or at the top when it came to search terms like:

• "gay hong kong saunas"
• "hong kong gay saunas"
• "gay sauna reviews hong kong" 
  
• "gay sauna hong kong"
• "hong kong gay blog"
• "gay hong kong blog sauna"
• "gay blog hong kong sauna"

And the reader's right........the blog has disappeared from Google's search results when we checked pursuant to his e-mail.

Instead, certain "established" gay sites suddenly show up touting "their" sauna reviews.  When we glanced at them, we became intensely suspicious of some of those "reviews".

 

We can only assume that our independent and dynamically updated reviews were powerful, correct and **ahem** influential that some people felt threatened, or they paid Google to increase their search ranking visibility, or Google changed its secret algorithm as to how search rankings are displayed - or all three.

Whilst we're pissed off at our "Google disappearance", we're also intensely flattered at the impact of our unabashed Hong Kong gay sauna reviews. 

 

Apparently, it's not the first time that certain websites have inexplicably disappeared from Google's search results.

We'll leave it to our readers to decide if we've added value with our gay sauna reviews and other writings. If you'd like to come to our assistance via your social media contacts, we'd encourage it.

The Great Gay Sauna 8

Hollywood Vista
Back 114 - 116 Austin Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Hong Kong
MTR: Jordan Station, Exit D

Tel: 2620 6844
Web: http://www.hongkonggay.info/archives/7336

Note: Open 24 hours ......???
We're hearing it's now open from 1pm to 1am

From a reader:

Hey FuelMix

So after dinner in the TST area on a Saturday nite I thought whether I should go to a sauna or to that Wally Matt Bar off Austin Road. Both were nearby but since I didn't feel like drinking,  I decided to go to The Great figuring a Saturday nite crowd might have some potential.  Got there about 11:30pm.

Big Mistake............

About 9 guys there all GAMs with lousy bodies and looks. Sort of in the 20 to 30 something range but really not attractive.

Around midnite some more GAM guys started coming in, all in that age range. One thing that I should point out is that many of the guys who were there before and after midnite had come with a buddy.  They'd hook up together then leave.

This place is really depressing.  Although I left less than an hour later, there were about 18 people there - and more coming in with a buddy - the guys there were not attractive.

I guess they have found their niche market i.e. ugly GAM goes in with another ugly GAM buddy.   I guess they use it like a Love Hotel and stay a couple of hours or more for about HK$140.00.

Cheers

FuelMix says: Thanks for the update.

Copyright © 2006 - 2013 FuelMix All Rights Reserved

The Great Gay Sauna 7

Hollywood Vista
Back 114 - 116 Austin Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Hong Kong
MTR: Jordan Station, Exit D

Tel: 2620 6844
Web: http://www.hongkonggay.info/archives/7336

Note: Open 24 hours 

A (paraphrased) report courtesy of one of our friendly GAM contacts on the street:

The place is still in business and open 24 hours but has changed ownership.  The big fat baldheaded guy [known as "Queen Nancy "- FuelMix] has left and there are new GAM staff members.  One is that skinny tattooed guy who used to man the Reception Desk in Alexander [that's where "Queen Nancy" also came from....- FuelMix].  One of the staff members speaks really good English with a mix of an English and Australian accent.  But he smokes a lot and looks pretty stoned.

They charge HK$140.00 to get in.  They are bragging that they get a lot of people coming in on a Saturday evening from 8pm onwards so that's when I showed up around 9pm.  There were about 16 GAM customers there.  They were not goodlooking and did not have good bodies.  Most just stood around, some played with their smart phones in the TV lounge.

I did not get any action.  It was pretty boring.  One of the GAM customers told me that it is popular with GAM couples.  I left about an hour later.  There were other GAM customers coming in but nobody good looking.

FuelMix says:

We just love it when we run into one of our friendly GAM contacts on the street.  They've turned out to be reliable and helpful.

Frustrations And Trends

Received from a reader:

Hi FuelMix

Lately I've had some lousy experiences in the saunas around town and thought I'd send you an update.

1.  Galaxy

Still as grubby as ever with even more Mainland Chinese guys. This is definitely not a place for the goodlooking or the hardbodied.  Age wise seems to be 30s and up.  Don't get me wrong I have nothing against older guys - it's just Galaxy gets them in such huge amounts and they're not even good looking.  To use your phrase they're FUGLY. (Although I agree Fugly can come in all ages too).

The place gets packed every evening between 3pm - 9pm, sometimes so packed you can't even move in the dark areas.  But there's nobody hot to play with!


2.  ABC

So out of desperation I went to ABC across the street.  OK the GAMs are marginally better looking - but only just.  But they come with waaaay too much attitude and that's a real turn off.  There's a lot of Stand And Model there.

It does get a variety of nationalities and while I was there, I saw 5 white guys who seemed to be in their 30s.  They were OK to look at, and as you earlier said in your blog, they looked like standard Central Escalator clientele.  Some of the white guys hooked up with each other, others tried to hook up with the GAMs.

Again, pretty disappointing and that pop/dance radio station they play is just awful.  Hadn't been to ABC for a while and just can't figure this place out.


3.  Follow Me

I was curious to see what this place was all about since you slammed it in your reviews. I went early in the week around 7pm. Whoa.......now I know why you slammed it......  There were just 4 GAMs there.  One had a nice tanned muscular body but he was so full of himself he told me and the others not to sit near him !!

I left after 20 minutes. 


4.  QQ Fitness

I hadn't been there for ages, must have been over a year ago so dropped in on a Thursday evening about 6:45pm  to check it out.  About 10 people all GAMs.  There was one very attractive brown guy maybe Pakistani or something with a really muscular body.  The other GAMs were circling him a lot and touching him as he walked by.  But that was it.  I could see wedding rings on the GAM's fingers so maybe that had something to do with it. The hottie didn't stay long.

Even though there were 10 people there, there was not much of a vibe. It's open 24 hours but not sure whether it actually gets hot guys who show up regularly.  Won't be going back there for ages.


5.  Gateway

I hadn't been to Gateway in over 3 years and after my experience at QQ decided to drop in.  I thought it couldn't get any worse.  I was wrong.............There was just me in a towel.  

A few minutes later this GAM with a US accent shows up. He opened his locker but remained fully dressed and then sat in front of one of the computers checking out the Mainland Chinese escorts on gayhk.com

OMG........The place was deserted.  Spotless and immaculate but virtually empty.  The staff were eating cookies and watching TV even though the place is supposed to be open till 1 a.m.

I left after about 30 minutes.


6.   The Great

This is the 24 hour one in Tsim Sha Tsui on Austin Road.  What a fuckin' disaster even at the end of the week after work. 3 GAM twinks, one in the TV lounge yapping on his phone, the other 2 vibrating in the massage chairs.  The place was so dead they'd even turned of the porn in the private rooms.  I'm thinking "WTF.....?"

The only exciting thing there is the jacuzzi.  You can play with the controls.

So there you have it, pretty lousy experience all around. Maybe I just picked the shitty ones...??


FuelMix says:

.......well...., Yes and No......

Gateway and ABC have nice premises and some people actually think The Great is nicely decorated too.

But by and large, the clientele that would show up at your 6 choices would be Fugly or attitudinal -  or in the case of Gateway, non-existent.  (And that's been an historical observation with Gateway - just ask any fag around town).  As for Follow Me, the less said the better.

Underneath your frustration there's a more serious point.......just what IS showing up at the saunas these days......?

The Trends

1.   More and more fugly married men for starters and not just GAMs. You're definitely not the only one to notice wedding bands on pudgy fingers.

2.   Then there's the Mainland Chinese infestation of Very Rich Megacity Anecdotally, many of these "recreationally gay" Mainland Chinese are married and word gets around that Galaxy is the place to go.

3.   Who hasn't noticed the expatriate Indian and Pakistanis from the UK and South Asia ?  They're showing up at ABC, Action, Alexander, Big Top, CE and Galaxy. This trend kicked in over 2 years ago and is set to increase.  Are they Out to their chauvinistic conservative families or their soon-to-be-arranged wives.....? Nah.....

4.   Expect more ex-European Union types falling over themselves to get here.

5.   Noticed the number of Russian tourists wandering the streets of Very Rich Megacity? Everything gay is illegal in Russia.  Here's a prediction........it's only a matter of time before Russian guys start showing up at the gay saunas in VRM.  You read it here first.  This blog is already being read in Russia.

6.   FuelMix is still waiting for the majority of his readers to twig that the gay sauna reviews are as anthropological as they are anatomical.

"Magnetic Hot Spots"

Whilst there's no shortage of venues, there is a shortage of "magnetic hot spots".  Sure, it's well known that ABC gets white guys but it's also well known that they're similarl to or in many cases, the same people, who show up at Central Escalator.  Are they hot...?  Nope.

Even at the "magnetic hot spots" circuit of saunas, one sees the same faces and muscular bodies ad nauseam. And it doesn't matter how long the gap has been since you last dropped into the place. It's Deja vu caught in a loop of attitude and discount entry.  Somebody once remarked that if you go into a sauna Dark Room and everbody knows your name, you're over-exposed.

The fag mantra used to be, "So many men, so little time".

FuelMix suggests, "So many men, so little choice".

Thanks for the updates.

Copyright © 2006 – 2013 FuelMix All Rights Reserved  

The Great Gay Sauna 6

Hollywood Vista
Back 114 - 116 Austin Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Hong Kong
MTR: Jordan Station, Exit D

Tel: 2620 6844
Web: http://www.hongkonggay.info/archives/7336

Note: Open 24 hours 

One would think that a 24 hour joint in Tsim Sha Tsui would be hopping on a Saturday nite around 10:30pm - especially when the incandescent FuelMix shows up..............alas, apparently not.

6 Fugly GAMs (and we do mean FUGLY) wilting with boredom in the draft of an electric fan heater ( ok, it was a cold nite but still.........) and the ebullient, full of bonhomie -  and bullshit -  manager mopping out the rooms who, only minutes earlier, had bragged on the phone that there were many people there.

Yeah........good one asshole.  Guess that makes FuelMix one too for having fallen for that crap.

Needless to say the Incandescent One took his luuv light somewhere else.

Copyright © 2006 – 2013 FuelMix All Rights Reserved  

The Great Gay Sauna 5

Hollywood Vista
Back 114 - 116 Austin Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Hong Kong
MTR: Jordan Station, Exit D

Tel: 2620 6844
Web: http://www.hongkonggay.info/archives/7336

Note: Open 24 hours 

The Great ( like Alexander, ABC, Action and Gateway) hands out a card valid for 6 visits. The 2nd, 4th and 6th visits attract a 20% discount. The 7th visit is free.  Then they'll hand out another card valid for 6 visits.

They got rid of that spindly step ladder near the hot tub and replaced it with more sensible wooden steps.

2012 FuelMix All Rights Reserved

The Great Gay Sauna 4

Hollywood Vista
Back 114 - 116 Austin Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Hong Kong
MTR: Jordan Station, Exit D

Tel: 2620 6844
Web: http://www.hongkonggay.info/archives/7336

Note: Open 24 hours
Currently advertised entry price: HK$140.00

The Clientele

FuelMix dropped in on a Wednesday night about 9pm and left at 10:30pm.  During that time there were 8 customers there, 7 local GAMs and an aggressively cruising Filipino tourist demanding FuelMix's phone number. (He didn't get it).

The GAMs were pretty average chain smokers.  They appeared to be the 30 something office crowd de-stressing.  The staff said to come on a Friday evening or on weekends.  Remember, this sauna just opened about 3 weeks ago so at the time of writing this, it's not possible to give a general indication of the type of clientele.  However, 3 or 4 more GAMs appeared around 10:30pm as FuelMix was leaving.


Pros

• Great location, really easy to find, well signposted and located in a discreet pedestrian lane between Austin Road and Hillwood Road.
• Finally - a 24 hour gay sauna in the Tsim Sha Tsui area.  FuelMix had previously written about the crying need for one in this area since ABC, Galaxy and NiChome are not open 24 hours.
• 24/7 plus Tsim Sha Tsui location plus easily accessible from all the TST hotels theoretically means it should attract tourists.  Would be fun if it did.
• Very close to cruisy Kowloon Park.
• Close to California Fitness in The One, Tsim Sha Tsui. That gym attracts lots of gay guys. So some potential for The Great to attract muscular guys.
• Decent sized private rooms with mirrors, easily accessible light switches, adjustable lighting, some with porn screens
• Nice showers
• Large well lit Wet Area

Cons

• Bizarre   Hideous  Irrational......what the hell......make up your own mind about the decor in the Locker Room and the TV Lounge
• Shortage of large lockers
• Seems claustrophobic when out of the Wet Area
• You like the crinkly satin vinyl in the private rooms.....??
• Expensive compared to ABC, Galaxy and NiChome

The Verdict:  Would FuelMix Go Back?

The blog has a policy of reviewing a sauna at least twice to ensure fairness and accuracy.  So yeah, given that this is a newly opened sauna - the 18th actively operating gay sauna in Very Rich Megacity -  for the moment FuelMix would go back in a few weeks to  see how it's panning out. (But he's not going back for the decor).

2012 FuelMix All Rights Reserved 

The Great Gay Sauna 3

Hollywood Vista
Back 114 - 116 Austin Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Hong Kong
MTR: Jordan Station, Exit D

Tel: 2620 6844
Web: http://www.hongkonggay.info/archives/7336

Note: Open 24 hours
Currently advertised entry price: HK$140.00

The Layout

The layout of The Great is easy to grasp.  It's basically a 3 sided narrow rectangle. In other words, it's U shaped.  The actual premises are not very large and may be described as "intimate" or "claustrophobic" depending on one's point of view.

Within the U-shaped rectangle, the layout is as follows:

1.  Dinky little Reception Area - a la Alexander style. Not surprising when one considers that the Big Fag Bald GAM with the Booming Voice used to work in Alexander.  Be nice to him.  He's the one with the business card that says Queen Nancy on it..............

2.  Locker Room

3.  An Alcove with 2 massage chairs and a flat screen TV

4.  A Snack Bar with a Mini-Fridge

5.  A TV Lounge

6.  The Wet Area and 2 Toilets

7.  A Not-So-Dark Area, accessible via the TV Lounge or the Wet Area, with 8 private rooms, some with porn screens


The Decor

Yeah well............ how should one put this...........?  Ah......how about Rococco-meets-Noveau Riche-meets-Liberace-meets OMG.....???

From the faux crystal locker knobs reflecting the light from the faux crystal chandeliers, to the reflective grooved brown and silver floor tiles, to the wall-to-wall leopard print tiles and faux suede sofas in the TV Lounge, to the swishy brown curtains, to the customer's absolute inability to identify a rational colour scheme..............

The decor in The Great initially screams..............EFFEMINATE !!!!!!

And THIS is supposed to be a 24 hour MEN'S SAUNA.....!!!!!

 **sigh**

Now, to be fair and accurate, the Wet Area is entirely masculine looking and quite spacious.   The narrow Not-So-Dark Area is in masculine  tones of dark brown and white and that's perfectly fine (subject to the unexplained sloping floor). It's just that the decor of the Locker Area and the TV Lounge is disconcerting. 


The Facilities

1.  The strange look of the Locker Room will hit the fag as soon as he enters. It gives an initially ambiguous impression of doubling as a Dance Floor. Must be that fuckin' chandelier. If there's one thing FuelMix demands are decent sized lockers and str8 up, The Great fails right there.  Most of the lockers are dinky square shaped.  There were only 6 large ones.  If coming in with a bag or a backpack, be aware.  They obviously got their cue from NiChome that pulls a similar stunt. Although Alexander also has a wall of small square lockers, most people are first given the larger ones.

2.  Open the lockers and there's a portable pouch containing 3 large towels and a small face towel.  Nice touch.

3.  The Alcove with the 2 massage chairs is dark and uninspiring.  It brings back memories of Central Escalator and vibrating fat white fags oozing out of them.

4.  The Snack Bar is the usual shit - bananas, crackers, bicsuits, Hot/Cold water dispenser, instant coffee packs to stir your own.  The MiniFridge has Coke, 7UP and iced lemon tea. (Sooner or later fags will be storing their Poppers in there......).

5.  Once the fag has finished giggling over the decor of the TV Lounge, fiddle with the wall mounted touch screen computers.  They're kinda fun.

6.  The Wet Area is large and the undoubted centerpiece of The Great.  It's well lit. There are adjustable showers with excellent water pressure, a jacuzzi with a control panel that needs a pilot's license to operate it but the water pressure is good, a Dry Sauna and a cubicle with 2 private showers..................

7.  But............hold on a second.  A fag has to climb up into the jacuzzi and climb down to get out of it via a spindly little aluminum step ladder that's an obvious afterthought.  Presumably, they couldn't get permission to sink the jacuzzi.  That step ladder is an accident waiting to happen.

8.  And there's another thing...........the Dry Sauna is not a custom built installation that one would find in say, Alexander or Central Escalator.  It looks and feels like something that was bought on the Home Shopping Network via a credit card.  If a fag thought that the Dry Sauna in Central Escalator was tiny, FuelMix has news for him.............the Dry Sauna in The Great can only hold 2 skinny chink twinks or one moderately fat white guy.  That's it. (But it's very brightly lit in case you wanna give a show to those in the jacuzzi).

9. Again, the 2 "private" showers are enclosed in a white capsule with 2 seats, adjustable lighting, adjustable pressure.  Not entirely clear what the deal is there.  Seems geared for the exhibitionist teaser who wants to flick the lights in the capsule on and off while showering and attracting attention from those in the jacuzzi.

10.  FuelMix would be grateful if a fag could explain why the floor in the Not-So-Dark Area slopes in a couple of places. It's annoying. There are 8 private rooms, reasonably sized with sliding wooden doors, some with porn screens and the usual condom / lube accoutrements.  Light switches are easily accessible, give good lighting and the rooms have mirrors.

11.  But the rooms are fitted with the most peculiar vinyl on the mattresses and pillows that FuelMix has yet encountered anywhere  It's a vinyl that feels like satin and is crinkly at the same time. HHHmmmm...........still haven't reached a decison on that one.

Coming up in Part 4:  The Clientele, Pros And Cons, The Verdict

2012 FuelMix All Rights Reserved 
 

The Great Gay Sauna 2

Hollywood Vista
Back 114 - 116 Austin Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Hong Kong
MTR: Jordan Station, Exit D

Tel: 2620 6844
Web: http://www.hongkonggay.info/archives/7336

Note: Open 24 hours
Currently advertised entry price: HK$140.00


View Larger Map

Getting There

This has got to be the easiest sauna to find here in Very Rich Megacity.  It's pretty much spitting distance from the corner of Nathan Road and Austin Road, just steps above street level and very well signposted.

Take the MTR to Jordan station and then come up to street level from Exit D.  That will be on the on Nathan Road.  Turn left immediately on leaving Exit D and walk south on Nathan Road for a few meters until reaching the intersection with Austin Road. The Baleno casual wear shop is on the corner and across the street will be the TSL jewellery shop.

Cross Austin Road towards the TSL shop and then face LEFT in order to walk Eastwards down Austin Road.  Shops such as Circle K, 7-11, Starbucks and Japan Home Center will be on your Right whilst walking.

On passing Japan Home Center, look up and spot the Salon Hair Code signboard in the foreground and the Watsons sign in the background. Keep walking.........just next to the Watsons shop are large signs, one of which is The Great with a crown logo. There are also steps on the Right leading up to a side lane.

Take the steps and look for the second door on the Left. It's green and imprinted with the crown logo. That's the place.  Ring the bell and wait to be buzzed in.

Simple huh?

Coming up in Part 3:  The Layout, The Decor, The Facilities
Coming up in Part 4:  The Clientele, Pros And Cons, The Verdict

2012 FuelMix All Rights Reserved 
 

The Great Gay Sauna 1

Hollywood Vista
Back 114 - 116 Austin Road
Tsim Sha Tsui
Kowloon
Hong Kong
MTR: Jordan Station, Exit D

Tel: 2620 6844
Web: http://www.hongkonggay.info/archives/7336

Note: Open 24 hours
Currently advertised entry price: HK$140.00

Apparently opened (quietly) on 31 August 2012, this is the lastest addition to the gay sauna scene here in Very Rich Megacity.  Interesting choice of name for a sauna huh? (Actual name is "The Great"). The website is in Chinese, but has lots of pictures of the joint.  Rumoured to be run by a partnership of people connected with Alexander, ABC, Action and Gateway, this sauna operates as an entirely separate business and is not part of the group.

This place is open 24 hours.

FuelMix will publish a review of this place in due course.  In the meantime, go check it out and write to the blog with your impressions.

2012 FuelMix All Rights Reserved