The Modern

Another Donnelly bar, hurray. I came here for a special event, so I can't comment on what regular nights are like at this bar, but I kind of hate the layout, and there are way too many stairs inside for drunk people like me, that's just an accident waiting to happen.

I had to use the ATM when I got inside and the freaking service charge was $4! I just paid 10% to a machine for the amount I took out! Ridiculous! It seemed like a really good idea for me to buy a bunch of shots for the ladies, but I can't remember if they were priced well or not, in fact buying shots kind of helps me forget how much I don't care too much for this bar, therefor I have a pretty good time regardless. I hate the glass railing/walls on the top floor that look down onto the dance floor. Seriously, when I drink enough I feel like I am just going to topple over onto the dance floor cuz my beer goggles like to fool me into thinking there's no glass there at all. Apparently I get confused easily.

The bathrooms in this place were super weird. They had one bouncer standing in front of them all letting you know when one was available and then one guy inside to hand you paper towel after you washed your hands. Ummm.... last time I checked guys weren't allowed in the ladies room. It would be one thing if it was one of my guuuuuurls, but this was like a bouncer dude. Am I supposed to tip this guy for helping me wipe? Is this bar trying to be all classy n shit when it borders on the line in Gastown between sketch-city and historical Vancouver? W.T.F? Maybe instead of handing me paper towel this guy should be helping me fix my makeup and hair, since I always end up looking like such a hot mess after a few drinks, and if I dance too much, lawd knows that ma weave might start fallin' out! In that case he would definitely need to be a sister.

This is a club I would only ever go to for a specific event, you're not going to find me hanging out here as a regular drinkin' my face off and high-fivin' the DJ.

Another club run by Donnelly the guys behind Bar None, Republic, and the Granville Room, the Modern is just as well put together.

As the name implies the decoration is modern chic with plenty of glass and metal and smooth leather.

There's generally quite a few good looking well put together crowd here. I came here for fashion week and it was the perfect setting for it.

Even after it ended, the club still has that catwalk high fashion feel to the atmosphere.

I second Brooke T.!
Expensive! Ridiculous line up even though we were on the guest list. $4 for each item of coat check?? wtf? No top 40s? :(
This is exactly why I don't go clubbing in Vancouver.

Hot hot hot!!!!! Not the "omg thing club is the hottest club on the block" kind of "hot" but the "ew, this place is so hot, i feel like I'm melting" kind. I don't understand why there is minimal/no air conditioning in the club. They also have fog machines going and that just adds to the condensation in the air. Everyone was sweating and sticky. Not at all appealing.

The VIP ordeal is utter CHAOS. Essentially you pick and choose your booth. But there is no reserved signs so randoms steal your booths and call it theirs. As a VIP, all you receive is a vase of Sprite, a few glasses and a huuuuuuuuuuuuge bucket of it. For what? There is no water (considering how hot it is inside) and very little to pop to drink let alone share with the rest of your VIP members.

It was just too damn expensive here. Value to money ratio was COMPLETELY off. Cover was 10 dollars for VIP and 15 dollars for your average Joes. Too expensive for such a crappy venue. Drinks were expensive and CLEARLY watered down. Coat check was expensive at $4 PER item. Expensive, expensive, expensive.

The residences living in the apartments in the intersections hate that there is a party going on in their neighbourhood so they have police telling people to "shut the hell up" whenever people were too loud outside smoking/waiting for cabs/grabbing food. Rude.

Probably the worst part of this club is the shitty shitty music. I'm sorry for trance lovers but seriously, how can one dance to trance without looking like a completely douchetard? One can only fist pump so many times until their armpits get sweaty, stinky and sticky. SoOoooo attractive *rolls eyes*. Anyways, the music was trance, weird rap music no one's ever heard before. Nothing party rockin' was playing that night.

I did not have a fun time because I spent too much money, had no ounce of fun and I obtained 5 blistering wounds on my feet with no reward. Yeeeeesh, next time, go to Shine nightclub down the block.

I was at the modern last night for a special event...and I'm glad I didn't read the reviews before I went, because I had a great time  

I got onto the guest list for free and added 3 friends (through their website) to the list as well, with no problem..the donnelly group folks wrote me an email within a day and confirmed things.

We got to the door at 11.30pm, they noted we were on the list and let us in within 5 minutes.  The door folks were super friendly - which is a new thing for me.

yes, cover for the place on this nice was a little steep.  however - they were giving away FREE drinks in exchange for your email address.  So that balanced out pretty decently...

Also - coat check was conveniently located by the entrance before you went in, so no crazy  search and rescue / massive line to merely check your coat.

We walk in and there is  bar immediately to your right, while the bar was busy, we were able to get drinks within a few minutes...service was quick and friendly.

We went to get our groove thing on, so we headed to the dancefloor which had some raised, lit square area - catwalk like.  might be slightly risky when wet...major downside her is that the dance area was pretty small, but still worked well for the crowd...you could actually move.  

What I loved about this place is that they have a downstairs area accessible off the dancefloor (2 sets of stairs) which head to the 8, yes 8 bathrooms so you're never waiting and a lounge area where you can sit down and chill / cool down - the couches weren't all "reserved" down there which was great.  As the the night when on, an impromptu dance floor arrived downstairs as well which was cool...

one more fantastic feature - they had fans above the main dance floor...solid move Donnelly

Only reasons it lost a star:

1. the music, while loud as it should be, was a little too loud - considering the size of the dance floor and adjacent bar

2. the drinks at the downstairs bar were more expensive but a $1+, not cool

The other patrons were not douchey and just out to have a good time..solid night out.

Most of the other reviews sum it up pretty well, but if you roll with the right crew, the staff actually treats you with respect, go figure! I've been here a couple times and although the decor is classy the people who attend are usually not.
Sometimes this place even hosts live shows but its so narrow you will be hard up to find a good spot to dance or view the place. I'm more about ambiance then I am about "feeling cool" in a club, so most of the time i'd rather pass by then stop in.

This is a horrible club. It is very small, most of the staff were rude and extremely disorganized. I planned an event there and was told that I had to stand at the back of the line even though I had made a reservation three weeks in advance. I was told that the girls in my party would get free coverage and this was not the case. Coverage was $16 dollars. I have never paid that much for coverage at a club.  

I know and understand that Vancouver is an expensive city; however, $ 16 dollars - give me a break. And the girls who were taking coverage had a tip jar at the front - REALLY!!!  

There was a guy in our group and somehow he got a free coverage ticket. He presented it and they told him because he was a guy he would have to pay - Discrimination! He managed to persuade them to give it to him for cheaper - so in the end he paid $10 for coverage. What a joke!

I will never be going there again.

Every time I come here I get diarrhea.  Not sure if it's a coincidence.

Big time lineup, big time cover, big time fun police Security that halted any semblance of fun we tried to have. Garbage oontz oontz music and not nearly enough hot people of either sex. And good luck getting a cab when you're done. I am not a club goer and this one night proved to me all the reasons that is so.

Bad Bad experience....

Showed up at like 11:15 and didn't get in till pass 12 to a club that wasn't even packed!!... why??? cause the coat check was really really slow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Would have left but it was for a friend's bday...