As dazzling spotlights shone down from the ornate golden ceiling, 50 glamorous hostesses ensured that the final night of a Hong Kong landmark, Club Bboss, went off in high style.
Loyal customers bid farewell to the nightclub last night, signalling the near-extinction of mega-Japanese clubs on the city's entertainment scene.
The 28-year-old club was a landmark in Tsim Sha Tsui East, covering 70,000 sq ft in New Mandarin Plaza. It was known as one of the world's top luxurious Japanese-decor nightclubs, with a dance floor big enough for 400 revellers.
Apart from the Rolls-Royces, Club Bboss was legendary for its hostesses. During its peak years, more than 1,000 locals - fluent in English and Japanese - were on hand to offer 'hourly conversation service' to guests. For an additional fee, men could take the women out, but they ran the risk of driving cars cheaper than the escorts' own Mercedes- Benzes; the women earned hefty amounts of money.
But entertainment culture changed, industries moved to the mainland and other cities became more competitive. One after another, the glamorous nightclubs drew their curtains for the last time.
Club Paris, also in Tsim Sha Tsui, will close at the end of this month, a person in the business says. That will leave Club de Hong Kong as the district's only mid-sized nightclub.