The Lava Club

After wrapping up a jam-packed four day conference up at Turning Stone Resort & Casino, several of us decided to cut loose at Lava, the full-on "nightclub" on the property.  

Armed with a good crowd, and thanks to some 50% off coupons, us guys ended up walking in for $5 cover apiece on a Friday night, with the ladies in our group getting in for free.  After traveling through what seemed like an endless red velvet-lined hallway, we finally made it to the dance floor.  The music was a nice blend of EDM, hip hop, and some throwback rap for good measure.  Throughout the night, we were treated to three surprise performances...A violinist playing over a groovy trance-y loop (pic: <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-lava-club-verona?select=S-z0m5qjkVFyrOzSN8tGxw#6UcZws3tuA4jYmQdMqKlbA">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>), a trapeze artist performing gymnastics from above (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-lava-club-verona?select=S-z0m5qjkVFyrOzSN8tGxw#CS4SMH-W7BTzzo_6suu25g">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>), and finally a set of fire jugglers on the main stage (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/the-lava-club-verona?select=S-z0m5qjkVFyrOzSN8tGxw#Xt3U_5deIlfeuaZe7i_qOA">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>).  The visuals were a nice accompaniment to the jammin' track selection.  

Outside, you'll find a handful of fire pits and a waterfall, with a cabana area that's sure to be filled during the summer months.  The sound is just as loud outside, so no matter where you're standing, you won't miss a beat.  The inside bathrooms were a bit weird, with mirrors literally everywhere, including on three out of four of each of the stall walls....strange.

Last call was at 2am, with the lights coming on at 2:15.  While this is understandable (the crowd was starting to wean out), the DJ made no effort in "transitioning" us to leaving.  No last call announcement, no "slower" song, nothing.  His last track was intense and had us all jumping around, then all of a sudden he's like "THANKS EVERYONE, GET HOME SAFE!"

From the bartenders to the bounders, even to the doormen, EVERYONE was super-friendly (a nice change from someone who's from NYC!).  Drinks were reasonable too, ranging from $5-$8 in price.  I'm sure a lot of locals head over here, and to Turning Stone in general, especially since its surroundings are pretty desolate...I mean Syracuse is the nearest city, and even that's more than 30 minutes away.  We all had a great time here, and some dancing at Lava was a great way to cap off another amazing annual conference!

Cover charge was extremely high. $20.00 to hear techno music the entire night. The DJ did not take requests and the turnout was horrible. Most people didn't know how to dance to it and ended up standing around. It was very disappointing to say the least. I would recommend if you want to go to a good dance club, go to local places that play music you can dance to. There are newer ones that opened up in Utica as well.

I feel like I entered the twilight zone...Rome NY has a Vegas-style club? hmmm it just doesn't seem to belong. My friend was celebrating her 25th so we hopped in a limo and prepared for a fun night out !

I was annoyed that I had to pay $20 to get into a club in the middle of nowhere (hey I grew up here I can say that) - but I did. I was actually pleasantly surprised that they had entertainers there (aerial dancers/dance numbers mainly). It crossed the line between really cool and really bizarre but I liked it and felt better about my $20...

I also enjoyed the fact that they did not allow smoking in the club - since you can smoke in other areas of the casino. They did have a huge (heated) outdoor area for those that do...but my lungs were very happy I didn't have to breath that in all night.  

What I didn't care for AT ALL was the poor service. My drinks were ridiculously priced for the area, and at one point they charged me for my friends drink although I said specifically she was just covering my tip portion since I had paid for her last drink..... the girl was really snotty about it and I just said forget it and paid for it anyway. Then we were told we could request a happy bday "shout-out" for our friend - which the DJ agreed to but then never followed through. He also refused to say just about anything we asked for - which wasn't anything that out of the ordinary...

Starting at $200 for a table for four - we opted out since ummm this isn't Vegas and we had a group of 14. My friend sat on the edge of the stage for a second while she fixed her heel and she was immediately yelled at ...I thought it was a little ridiculous- they didnt even have stools at the bar. Maybe this is the norm in Vegas or Miami but again this is upstate NY.

The venue itself was impressive for the area and all around pretty cool - but I guess I just prefer things to be a little more key. I thought this was a nicer club than the area is use to having but seriously many of the patrons easily could have doubled on the Jersey Shore...yikes.