The Club Orlando (450 E. Compton St.), part of the national “Clubs” family of gay bathhouses and saunas, underwent a change in management two years ago, and since then the popular Central Florida venue has made changes to the interior and exterior, making it a more welcoming place than it already is.
A number of major renovations began in January and will continue through October. Some of the updates you can see right now at The Club Orlando include all new landscaping outside, fixes to the pool deck, new mattresses in the private rooms, new televisions in common areas, and updates to the plumbing and air conditioning throughout the complex. One new addition that isn’t finished yet is the theatre in the middle of the complex, which will include an “adventure room” with a maze. By the time Pride rolls around in the City Beautiful, all of the changes and updates should be implemented.
“I’m excited that The Club has gotten a refresh,” manager Chip Braxton told Hotspots. “It had gotten to the point where things had become stale. Now things are being fixed and updated throughout The Club and people are more excited about coming back.”
The staff at The Club Orlando welcomes everyone from Central Florida and beyond to come in and see all the changes. Braxton told us at Hotspots that the most popular night of the week by far is Tuesday. Every Tuesday, all rooms and lockers are 50% off from 4 p.m. until midnight, and I’m told that the entire complex is packed every week due to this successful promotion. The crowds also come out in force on Sundays, when the staff presents a poolside cookout and buffet for its members and for visitors.
“The thing that I like about The Club is that it can be whatever you want it to be. People hear ‘bathhouse’ and think it’s just a place for sex, but a lot of our clients come here to meet friends, and they also have the chance to make new ones. Some people come during the lunch hour and bring their lunches to the pool deck. You can get whatever you like out of The Club,” Braxton told Hotspots.
The Club Orlando’s one-time membership costs $12 plus tax, and a six-month membership is priced at $35 plus tax. For locker and room prices, visit club-orlando.com. Memberships at one of the eight “Clubs” nationwide will be valid at any of the others; for example, if you have a Club Ft. Lauderdale membership, that will work in Orlando. For more information on The Club Orlando, call (407) 425-5005.