Very different, and with a high cost to play

I reviewed Diamonds right before COVID, and at that time I was impressed with my experience there. I visited again a few weeks ago, and much has changed. There were far fewer girls dancing. Maybe this was a function of visiting earlier in the week, but I saw only maybe half a dozen dancers. At least those I saw were on the more attractive side. Even though dancers still performed for tips on the main stage, the private dance area was totally closed, supposedly due to COVID. Despite this, I was offered a “tour” of the VIP “room” (it was actually more like a sectioned-off area behind the main stage). It was emphasized that this area was very private and that no one would be interrupting. If memory serves, the cost quoted was $200 for 15 minutes or $400 for half an hour. The cost of the dancer was in addition to this house fee, and that would be negotiated between the client and dancer. In my view, this all seemed as sketchy as it was expensive. I politely declined, leaving shortly with the couple hundred bucks I had in my pocket. Ordinarily, I might have spent at least half that on private dances, tips, and drinks. But since I didn’t really even have the bare minimum to play, and I didn’t even care to play at that price point, I simply left. Surely I’m not the only patron who can’t live with this business model.