By Mo Shah

Pink Elephant struts head and shoulders above New York City’s inimitable nocturnal landscape to easily secure its place as the singular hotspot of the moment. Owned and actively managed by youthful former Studio 54 doorman David Sarner, Pink Elephant attracts an international who’s-who of the professional, entertainment, art, and trust-fund-baby world. A vibe of uber-exclusivity and all-out celebration channels through every corner of Pink Elephant, akin to a night out in Saint Tropez or Monaco – complete with requisite European chatter, breast implants, couture fashion, and plush bottle service that surfaces in gleaming buckets as far as the eye can see. To the ordained few who are privileged enough to penetrate a door policy that might as well have taken its cue from a SWAT team at the White House, Pink Elephant unleashes a nonstop barrage of nocturnal charms and sensory delights to transport its patrons into a world of unparalleled entertainment.

Once ordained by the doorman, two stairways encased in a bridge lead revelers to the main club. A beautiful wood finish and red (not pink) hue are what first hit you. Take a quick look around and the interconnected sofas snaking their way through the club serve as a clear indication that bottle and table service are hallmarks here - not surprising, since owner David Sarner is credited with inventing the concept of bottle service at his former Soho nightclub, Chaos. Other than a small sunken area by the DJ booth, there is no traditional dance floor per se, but each table is allotted its own parameter of open danceable space that aggregates into an electric vision of beautiful people rubbing shoulders and dancing together in an undulated sensual environment. Negotiating your way through the crowd is both a challenge and a pleasure. Hydraulic smoke and aroma machines are initiated at key musical moments that heighten an already feverish club scene. Even the wooden beams that shoot across the walls of the club are adorned with leaves and fauna, making Pink Elephant an “organism” of sorts. It truly comes alive at night.

The club itself is medium-sized, sporting an average capacity of about 450 people. About 300 of these people will be sequestered to tables where they can expect to pay anywhere from $300 to $30,000 depending on what their definition of a “night out” entails. Owner David Sarner muses at a recent incident in which a young businessman was having such a grand time that he ordered a couple of $10,000 bottles of champagne. The next morning he called trying to juggle the bill between a myriad of credit cards. You might say that incidents like that particular one are endemic of rich-kid mentality; of course they are, but another way of looking at it is that Pink Elephant throws one hell of a party. In either case, I assume the gentleman in question may think twice before “livin’ large” or at least watch an episode of Pimp my Bank Account.

The heart of any party lies in its music, and this is where Pink Elephant delivers in spades. Sarner feels that the popular hip-hop anthems that trumpet their sounds through most of New York’s clubs and lounges are too rough and heavy for a truly celebratory atmosphere. He is a house music devotee and has scoured the market to bring in top names of the genre (including Deep Dish and Pete Tong) to set the club off on any given night. The resident DJs are fantastic – playing exactly the kind of soulful house music that can get any crowd jumping. At around the 3 a.m. mark the music steers towards supremely effective progressive house. For purists, the club has been furbished with a state of the art sound system rivaling any entertainment facility of its size on the planet – enough said.

Although the carefree days of Studio 54 are well behind us, there is still an attempt to capture the visual mosaic of that club and era through an inventive door policy. Once all the tables are filled with the obvious high net-worth clientele, about one third of the club is open to “regular” people waiting patiently at the door. Clint, the soft spoken and steely eyed doorman outside is responsible for selecting people who will embellish the club’s aura, much like the policy Steve Rubell formulated for 54. Sarner puts it best when he states, “What do we do if we see ten girls with white go-go boots and mini-skirts outside – do we want all of them? No. Would one or two add to the atmosphere of the place? Yes. And what if we see a completely disheveled person outside – we don’t want too many people like that – but one would certainly add to the vibe and make it unique.” To this end, Clint periodically makes a round of the club to see what elements are missing or too visible. He comes back outside and orchestrates entry into Pink Elephant accordingly. Once he says “no” to you (and that’s on a good day – on some days he might not even acknowledge you), it’s probably a good idea to start making alternate plans.

By the time 4 a.m. rolls around and the pearl strung chandeliers brighten, everyone staggers or strolls out in good spirits. Like any other club, Pink Elephant is very much a part of the hospitality industry – so making you feel superior is their job. That’s probably why celebrities like Drew Barrymore, Georgio Armani, Fergie, Axl Rose, P. Diddy, Jessica Simpson and a conglomerate of other Page Six names can be seen here. David Sarner chose the name Pink Elephant for a number of reasons. The obvious reference is to a prohibition era catch phrase alluding to the hallucinations people engage in once they drink more than they can handle. But if you take a step back and think about it, there’s nothing quite like a Pink Elephant. It’s ironic, whimsical, fun, and…for crying out loud…it’s a Pink Elephant! Doesn’t get more precious than that, does it? So, when you’re in New York and feel the need to take your partying appetite to stratospheric heights, drop into Pink Elephant, and get down tonight.