Amnesia

Amnesia has not been operated as a nightclub for quite a while, as older reviews will have you believe. It is now rentable banquet space. Seats about 100 people comfortably, or 150 people if it’s a strolling affair. It’s perfect for a chic, mid-​sized wedding or social gathering. Skyline views are gorgeous, especially at night.

Every nightclub isn’t created to cater to every clientele, so in short my tastes in upscale nightlife may vastly differ from your average 30-​something. So in saying that please take this review with a grain of salt around the rim of your plastic cupped Margarita’s
Amnesia.
The name itself deceptively conjures images of a «hangover» (first movie never the second) like escapade at a nightclub in Las Vegas. An encounter so surreal that the events experienced the conscious mind can barely conceive let alone retain. Yes the place lives up to the name, but I’m pretty sure you won’t be at all pleased with the reasons why.
The actual nightclub is suspiciously tucked on the 16^th floor high atop Motorcity Casino’s fabulous hotel which adds an aire of mystery to the venue with the enticing name. Two express elevators are tucked neatly in the corner bank of lifts and on a Saturday night are both relatively packed to the rim with clubgoers and curious voyeurs giving the appearance of a hotel party atmosphere. But as we skyrocket to the «entertainment» level of the place we find out that looks can be oh so deceiving. The artery to the club is narrow and dark with monitors flanking both sides flashing curious videos of things I don’t normally associate with clublife (e.g. fat albert, Jackson 5 cartoons, some odd looking face in a box). But hey… it’s different let’s go with it. Immediately at the end of the corridor you’re greeted by black clad security and a TSA looking metal detector, which isn’t necessarily out of place for a nightspot in a major metropolis (using those words very carefully) but does seem a bit odd considering you’re going to a place inside a place. My buddy and I shout our new favorite entry hype line BIG BOYS IN THE BUILDING!!! (see my post on Waves nightclub «coming soon» to get the joke) as we move through the snail like line. The comment gets no smiles from the patrons (hey it usually works) and more than a few jeers from the staff. They are not amused and quite frankly we are not impressed. Cover was $ 10 bucks (about average) and free if you have a Players Club card which I think explains a lot about the clientele. As my buddy young C and I stand shoulder to shoulder poised to enter the large ebon doors to the club that has been hyped as a «renaissance to party nightlife in the Motor City» I swear I hear the Jackson 5 playing from somewhere. Maybe the sound field dampeners are bleeding some of the audio from downstairs on the gaming floor. We enter.
No such luck.
The place is absolutely gorgeous and looks to be lifted straight from the pages of Hour Magazine! If you pictured an action movie set in Detroit «trendy, upscale nightspot» by Michael Bay this was it. Gorgeous views of the nighttime Detroit skyline through massive windows that surround the perimeter of the space. A super swank bar, plush seating and a VIP area that’s looks both pretentious and inviting at the same time. The dance floor is spacious with a huge video wall, and sexy (yet lackadaisical) dancers (sans cages). Though initially on entrance we couldn’t seem to find the DJ booth, but skip him anyway for abusing his power and spinning retro classics to a crowd who appears completely unenthused about his particular musical selections. The bar was easily accessible and the drinks were surprisingly moderately priced which was good because next the DJ put on some Crystal Waters and not «100% Pure» or «Gypsy Woman» either. So we needed drinks just to keep from immediately walking back out. The crowd was an odd mix of young (not old enough to know better) and old (too elder to be up in the club on a Saturday night).
Some of the lovelier ladies of the night, in search of far greener pastures, graciously gave my friend and I their front row chairs to view the action on the dance floor. Metro D girls are the best We should’ve followed them The floor consisted of two young women playfully dancing together to the painfully annoying and obnoxiously overplayed Fatman Scoop «Be Faithful» mix. Ugh. This party was going downhill fast so the inept DJ throws on «Single Ladies» by Beyonce which brings no one to the floor and is cue for the «hired gun dancers» to go on break. Annoyed I resort to something I’ve never done, approach the DJ booth only to find out it’s mysteriously vacant and the «Cupid Shuffle» is starting. Suddenly tons of mid 40 somethings and people who’ve only seen a nightclub on television appear out of nowhere and rush their collective uncoordinated assets onto the dancefloor almost knocking me over. I’m just about done with this fiasco when the DJ decides now would be a good time to drop some «Soulja Boy» on the place.
5 minutes later I’m staring off the roof at the ambassador bridge waxing philosophical on our cousins to the north.
18 minutes later I’m grinding with a Pakistinian model who wants to make love to my velvet blazer over at V in MGM Grand.
Where were we just @?

Its a cool looking night club. Went on a Friday night and was not crowded at all but since I had a few drinks it didn’t matter.

Yikes. I hate places like this. I was on the VIP list. Except the list was misplaced, so I couldn’t go to my VIP table. No big deal, and it was nice talking to all of the huge security people trying to convince them to let me upstairs.
The music is not very good, and is unbearably loud. It doesn’t compare to the funk music on the casino music stage. Or maybe I’m just old. The dancing was pretty lame also. I don’t understand the purpose of these sorts of places, not at all. As for the drinks, they were pretty expensive, but not bad tasting.
The best part of Amnesia is the view of the bridge in the night, which is beautiful (insofar as Detroit can be considered beautiful).

If only this place were as good as they think they are! I’ve only been here once, and I was not impressed.
The rope line for entry seemed like an unnecessary put-​on, since the place was half empty when we arrived. When we finally got in, after a too-​long wait, I was really impressed with the space. The décor and lighting are quintessential, classic high-​end nightclub. Unfortunately, the rest of the experience didn’t match up. The music was just OK, the drinks were expensive (which is not unexpected), and the waitresses were — with only one exception — pills. It’s as if the staff were trained that acting snooty equals exclusivity.
I would give this place a 2^nd try, but only if I heard that the music had improved.

I’m not a really clubber (if that’s a word) but its a nice place. I haven’t been here in years but now it’s an even MORE older crowd (like 40’s and 50′ people).
I’m not sure if you are into 70’s music but I guess that their thing now for Saturdays which was OK, I guess. So that night I just chilled back and watched everyone — lucky my friend had a VIP section. I believe VIP… you have to at least purchase $ 150 of liquor or something high like that.
I probably won’t go back unless I had to be supportive a friend. Also beer is $ 3.50 but bartender won’t give you your charge back; there’s a $ 5 cover charge for females and $ 10 for males.

Until this place drops the ‘70s music, don’t bother. I was with a group of around 14 people who were spending the evening for a pseudo bachelor/​bachelorette evening. We hung out in one of the top floor suites before heading up to Amnesia as part of our VIP arrangement. Heading up to the club around 11:30 — 12:00 on a Friday Night I expected it to be bumping. It couldn’t have been more dead. There were maybe a dozen people in the entire place, mostly comprised of people over the age of 50 and one younger group of women who were alone for obvious reasons. Unless Tony Robbins was there to cast a Shallow Hal like spell on the men in the room, there wasn’t going to be much action. I think there were 2 girls in the whole place in our age range (26 – 30). Things were so dire, as soon as we walked up to the bar they approached the group and promptly asked what guys in the group were single. Unfortunately, the answer for them was none.
The only positive was that it wasn’t hard to get a drink.
I will say this, if somehow this club can create a buzz and attract a younger crowd, it could be a really fun spot. The bar was big sizeable, there was plenty of space and seating, and best of all was the view. The entire south wall was glass up to the ceiling with a view of downtown. There was also a second level that could oversee everything but we never made it up there. I am pretty sure it was closed because of how small the attendance was.
Also a quick tip for smokers… there is no balcony or outside area. You literally would have to get in the elevator, go downstairs to the lobby and walk outside by the parking garage to smoke.

I went here for a 944 event. It has an outstanding nighttime view of the city. Great sound system. No food. Very limited choices at the bar. I expected better after subjecting myself to a metal detector to get in. On a different note, I must say there were a whole lotta hot chicks up in thurr though. Its was difficult compromise and who wants that. I parked outside a half a block away for free but I guess there lots of parking inside.

Wow, I thought I had already reviewed this place since I’ve been here a million times! I remember the first few times I went here, the club was sparsely occupied and the music seemed like it was playing top 40 from an iPod hooked up to their sound system.
Now, it’s bumpin’ every weekend with a line not only ouside the doors, but one that winds all the way down stairs to the main lobby. They revamped this place with real DJs that mix music and videos on the spot, hot go-​go dancers, local photographers that capture the see-​and-​be-​seen crowd, and tons more security to match the big crowd.
The security can be a big buzz-​kill sometimes, they won’t let u dance on the dance floor with a drink in your hand and they’ll escort you out if they think you look a little too drunk (even if you’re not causing problems), but when a wench throws her drink at your boyfriend for no reason, they do nothing…
Amnesia’s been fun for a while, but I don’t know whether it’s because I’ve been going there a lot, or that they’ve just become a little too haughty for my taste… but I would like to try new venues in the D other than Amnesia.

I don’t really agree with Liz H’s review from below. She’s from Ferndale and maybe she’s just used to a different vibe — different strokes for different folks right? I feel that Amnesia has a lot to offer that 95% of other Detroit (trendy, hip-​hop) clubs don’t. Hear me out.
So what if Amnesia has halls and elevators to get you to it? If you look at that in another light — it means that you will never wait in the Detroit cold in the winter to get to it — which is partly why this place gets so many people in the winter. So what if half of the view is the freeway from Amnesia? To the left and right, respectively, is downtown Detroit and Windsor — and let me ask you — how many clubs even have a view of ANYTHING other than abandoned buildings in Detroit? That’s what I thought. The 16^th floor view Amnesia gets is about as downtown-​flashing lights & picturesque as it gets here — and so I wouldn’t put that on the list of cons. This may technically be one of the only, if not only, international riverfront/​downtown views in our nation.
Recently the music has gotten better here, which is good as local up and coming DJs have began to spin favorite tunes here and they have begun mixing tracks together in a real club style rather than playing top 40 back to back iPod style like they used to. The huge video screens are a rarity in a Detroti club so if you’re bored, at least looking up at that is eye-​candy. The bar makes strong drinks at a slightly hefty but not outrageous price. The bathrooms are clean as heck. I mean most clubs are known for grimy sticky bathrooms with graffitti on the stall walls, piss on the floors, no soap, and stall doors that do no lock. Amnesia on the other hand has bathrooms that are up to par with the rest of the casino. Video screens, clean marble table tops and floors, fresh ventilation. This is the only club that I would not hesitate to drop a dukey in.
As far as the cons go — yeah there are some see and be seen pretentious folks there — but they are not in the majority as they are in most NYC, Chicago, LA, or Vegas spots. I come come on folks it’s a nice place but it’s still Detroit and there is a nice slice of the down to earth suburbanites here which is always a plus point in a city that has an otherwise overwhelmingly urban crowd in the clubs. Not that I mind urban, but since I’m not that urban — I want a crowd that I feel comfortable around.
The casino has bars, other entertainment, good eats, etc. all inside it. In fact if you are with your friends and out on a special night you can split and invest in a TOP NOTCH, world class hotel room or suite in Motor City and then you will be just an elevator ride away from your restaurants and Club Amnesia. Having a state of the art club and hotel in one building is usually something you would have to go to Vegas or NYC for and yet Motor City offers this.
Much of the staff can be rude black people (locals who may questionably not enjoy their jobs) but avoid the rude ones and work with the nice ones. Some of the crowd can be your cheesy, greaseball type but hey — it is what it is — and it’s metro Detroit demographics. For what it is — I think Amnesia does a great job at being a hip Saturday night spot.
Even though smoking is allowed at the bar (not on the dance floor or balcony) — this place is so big and ventilated that I have never smelled the smoke or felt it to be smokey. I think that’s a great feature.
As far as cover goes — I personally have never had to pay cover here — I have a few connections, usually you can work a deal out with them at the door, but at worst it’s $ 10/​person. If you go with a group, you can negotiate a cheaper per person rate. I have seen higher cover at worse places in Detroit so boo hoo! Cry me a river.

Five-​star setting at the tip-​top of the Motor City Casino Hotel.
Two-​star bunk experience.
What will make or break this club for you are the answers to these two questions: Are you rich? Do you like to show off your riches? If the answer to both questions is yes, you will *love* Amnesia. Otherwise, you’ll be impressed by the high ceilings, the top-top-*top*-shelf décor, and the 16^th floor view — but you’ll want to leave after 20 minutes.
==First of all, before I continue with the review, can I just ask you all to go to the Amnesia website?


Are. You. Serious?!? It’s like a subliminal brain tap urging you to go on a luxury bender, complete with orgy and blackout.
«I DO NOT RECALL… WHERE I WAS…» What!?! Really? And the way the little «a» logo changes into a question mark? It’s funny, ever since I had to review this place for The News, my dad and I have been making the joke, «Hey, what bar did you review last week?», «Oh, it’s this place in the Motor City Casino. It’s called… Shoot. I just had it on the tip of my tongue… Uhh… Gosh, I can’t remember.» Get it? Amnesia? Yes, my dad and I are funny.==
Anyway, Amnesia gets the award for Biggest Letdown, because even though it’s pretty cool for that first five minutes when you walk in and go, «Whooooaaa… Cool,» the build-​up is an exercise in psychological torture.
First you gotta find the hotel. Then you gotta ask how to get to Amnesia. Then, you gotta get somebody to take you to the 16^th floor because the elevators won’t go that high without a key. Then, you pass by the *gor*-geous restaurant Iridescence, with it’s sparkling globe chandeliers, and which you should probably be going to instead of Amnesia, because at least there you could get a good meal.
*Then*! You have to walk down an endless hallway of video screens. It has to be 200 feet long — do they really think they’ll have a line that big? Then. You have to wait to get looked askance at and pay your $ 20. Then, finally, you get into the club.
It actually feels like going to a club in Vegas if half the town just got hit with food poisoning from a bad shipment of prawns. It’s this huge, super-​mega-​triple upscale nightclub, with crazy chandeliers and velvet banquettes, and a sweet balcony that you can *only* check out if you get bottle service. Their bottle service isn’t even bottle service — they will make all your drinks for you as well (which actually makes sense). And they have some super-​expensive menu of bar food made upscale. It’s like a Top Chef challenge — Caviar-​Cake Sliders with Truffle Butter and a Fois Gras Foam, or something.
In fact, besides VIP areas that are literally roped off with velvet ropes, or guarded by security types, there is no place to sit down *at all* except a tiny seating area at the entrance to the restrooms. It’s like they are trying to tell the regular people, «Come on, it’s not really worth it to stay here, is it? You can’t even sit down. Why don’t you just leave and let the rich people have their playground?»
The only thing is, there just aren’t enough rich people in Detroit. At least not ones who want to go to a showy nightclub with ridiculously luxurious service and a ridiculous price tag attached. It ends up making for a sad place. So luxurious. So empty. So not in touch with the times and the economic landscape.
Other things I *do* remember from Amnesia: the bathrooms are these insane chrome jobs with nine-​foot tall stall doors that have video monitors in them (wait, can that be right?). Also, getting a drink was an annoyingly long process (even while I was being closely monitored — read: followed — by a casino employee because of casinos’ strict rules about journalists and photographers). Lastly, the people in the place tended to be either middle-​aged men and their 25-​year-​old Eastern European girlfriends, or skeezy guys in bedazzled jeans.
A $ 20 cover may not seem like much for a top-​of-​the-​line club, but to have a good time, you’d have to spend at least $ 200. Sure, the music’s pumping and you can see the whole city from the 40-​foot windows (well, most of the view is the freeway interchange), but, after all that rigamarole, you just wanna check out the view, dance to a couple tunes, then get the hell out of there and go have a pint.