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Cost of Partying Like a Boss in Singapore: How to Save on VIP Tables in Clubs

How much does it really cost to get a VIP table at some of the hottest clubs in Singapore? We explore this topic as well as a few ways you can make this grand endeavor slightly cheaper.

You may have seen it on TV. Perhaps, you already know people who have done it. For busy professionals who are constantly hard at work, going to a club on the weekend is one of the most popular ways of blowing out their stress. But, partying like a boss isn't cheap, especially in a city like Singapore, one of the most expensive cities to live in the world. Still, partying at a VIP table at a club with bottle service is something many aspire to do at least once. To find out how much it really costs to party like a VIP in Singapore, we surveyed several leading clubs in the country. As a result, we found a few ways party goers can maximise their dollars on VIP table service.

How Much VIP Tables Cost at Leading Clubs in Singapore

According to our research, a table bottle service at the hottest clubs in Singapore could cost at least S$400 to S$800 for a group of 4 to 6 people. However, these costs represent just the minimum spend requirement that clubs impose on those who reserve a table at the venue. In reality, a table could easily cost upwards of S$500 to S$1,000 given that a 750mL bottle of premium vodka (i.e. Grey Goose or Belvedere) generally costs about S$300. In fact, the minimum spend for a real VIP experience at a sofa table in some of the premium clubs like Zousk, Capital and Wan could go upwards of S$1,000 to S$1,500.

VIP table service at clubs in Singapore start from about S$400 of minimum spend

How to Save: Go in Big Groups

This is common sense, but it is worth reiterating the value of gathering a group of friends to split a table together. A sofa table that costs S$1,000 to S$1,500 should be able to sit more than 10 people. That amount of money is enough for 4-5 handles of liquor, which is equivalent to about 140 to 175 shots (mixers are generally complimentary). Even if every person at the table, including guests, were to drink 5-7 shots each, that is enough alcohol for around 20-35 people. If you want to go to a club and party like a boss, finding a group of like-minded friends is a way great way to reduce your cost while still getting an amazing experience. Even if you were to split S$1,500 among 5-7 people, spending S$200-300 per person to party in the comforts and glory of a table might be worth it considering that the alternative is spending S$50 to walk into the club and another S$100 to buy drinks all the while standing uncomfortably in the crowd.

How to Save: Smaller Bottles Are Better Value

Common sense would tell us that buying bigger volume of anything should yield better value. However, when it comes to bottle services in Singapore, the opposite seems to be true. For example, we found that a magnum bottle of premium vodka (1.75L) typically costs more per litre basis than a smaller bottle of the same liquor. While this isn't usually the trend in clubs in other countries, it may be possible that magnum bottles in Singapore cost more due to their "prestige." Singapore's nightlife scene is famous for its "show off" culture; given this, it may be possible for clubs to charge a slight premium for bigger products that give stronger social signal to other people.

Magnum bottle of liquor cost more per litre than smaller bottles at clubs in Singapore

How to Save: Earn Credit Card Rewards

Last but not least, bottle services at clubs are good opportunities to earn various credit card rewards like miles and cashback because they are relatively large ticket items for which several cards provide generous amount of rewards. In particular, miles credit cards are great for this spending big because they don't come with maximum rebate cap that most cash back credit cards tend to impose; since table services are expensive, a miles credit card like HSBC Revolution Card's lack of rewards cap and high entertainment mile rewards make it easier for frequent partiers to maximise rewards. Still, infrequent partiers can also earn very high rebates with cards like OCBC Frank Card and UOB YOLO Card, which provide 5-8% cashback on entertainment expenditures on weekends, as long as they go clubbing only once a month at most.

Duckju Kang

Duckju (DJ) is the founder and CEO of ValueChampion. He covers the financial services industry, consumer finance products, budgeting and investing. He previously worked at hedge funds such as Tiger Asia and Cadian Capital. He graduated from Yale University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics with honors, Magna Cum Laude. His work has been featured on major international media such as CNBC, Bloomberg, CNN, the Straits Times, Today and more.

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