Page Six has reports of some nasty antisemitism that went down at the Hotel Gansevoort’s regrettably named G-Spa lounge. A witness tells the Post that a Jewish guest – who had paid for a ticket to the festivities – was insulted by the club’s staff for wearing a yarmulke.
When the man tried to enter the party with his friend, the doorman reportedly asked a fellow staffer, “What kind of people do you want in here?” This was followed by a bouncer’s more direct query for the partygoer: “Do you want to come in here, yarmulke?" We suppose this is what the G-Spa website means by "No card, no key, no secret word guarantees entry; it's simply doorman's discretion."
They were ultimately admitted, though required to wear Star of David armbands. Okay, it didn't go that far, but it does get worse: the Post reports that they were soon asked to leave, and an altercation with the club’s manager culminated with one staff member spitting in ‘yarmulke’s’ friend’s face! Happy New Year from your friends in the Meatpacking District!
Perhaps the G Spa website puts it best: "Something has gotten lost among the slew of large, impersonal late-night New York City spots in recent years. The glamour is gone, the intimate crowd is nowhere to be found." When considered alongside the recent news of an assault at the Arena nightclub, we’ve got to wonder: Why does anyone expect to be treated with dignity and respect at New York nightclubs?
UPDATE: On January 9th, the Hotel Gansevoort issued the following statement:
The Page Six item about a New Year's Eve scuffle at G-Spa in the Hotel Gansevoort was one-sided and patently false. After reviewing security camera tapes and interviewing eyewitnesses, it is apparent that an ill-behaved boyfriend of a member of Kid Rock's PR team was escorted out of the hotel at 3:30 a.m. after spitting in the manager's face and using racial epithets. He was not wearing a yarmulke, as reported, and the hotel is not anti-Semitic. Those charges, made by a disgruntled publicist, were meant to discredit the hotel and were disturbing to the hotel's owners who happen to be of the Jewish faith.
Photo of Aryans enjoying G-Spa's daytime amenities via their website.
