Club 39: A picturesque retreat
No matter what kind of establishment you run, it seems like you have to shine brightly to draw any eyeballs on International Drive these days. With a first-class Ferris wheel (The Orlando Eye) opening soon and the world’s tallest roller coaster (Skyscraper) expected to join it in 2017, there soon won’t be a dull block on this Orlando street.
In this setting, the Rosen Plaza Hotel already has an advantage. The stately, tastefully decorated building does justice to its prime location just north of the Orange County Convention Center. Its lobby bar was something of an anomaly, though: For years, the Backstage Nightclub tried to draw sports fans during the day and dancing fools at night, an odd hybrid for such upscale surroundings.
In February, an extensive renovation turned Backstage into the cleaner, classier Club 39. The name is a nod to the 1939 birth year of hotel founder Harris Rosen, but the decor is rooted squarely in the present day.
Gone are the pool tables and dartboards. Pop and dance videos play on high-def screens and color-shifting columns light the way to the dance floor and a prominent stage. Although there is a food menu for the quieter daylight hours, Club 39 clearly wants you to shimmy off those calories after dark.
All good dance clubs have a quiet corner to chat up any new friends, and Club 39’s patio bar is better than most. The decor here is more muted than indoors, with caged vintage light bulbs and a stellar view of the pool area. The hot tub bubbles invitingly just steps away.
Either bar is a good place to enjoy one of the signature cocktails. Our drinks weren’t terribly original or powerful, but they did go down easy. The Cool as a Cucumber ($10) had just enough sweetness and elderflower notes to balance the namesake flavor, even if the gin got lost in the mix.
The bar staff kept them coming with a smile, though things weren’t perfect on our visit. Key ingredients for some drinks weren’t available even on a relatively slow
night, but the solid beer and wine lineup offered a good backup plan. Prices on most were about a dollar above average — or right on the mark, by I-Drive standards. If you go, be sure to try the Alligator Drool ($5.25), an American Pale Ale crafted exclusively for Rosen hotels by Orlando Brewing.
Don’t let the $13 parking fee scare you: Attendants will waive that for club visitors after hours.
Mega meetups
Club 39 gets a MegaCon makeover this weekend, and it won’t be the only place. In case you missed the hype, MegaCon is the annual pop-culture and comic-book convention that hits the Orange County Convention Center today through Sunday. As with most years, the wave of geek love will be too mighty even for that massive venue to contain. (For details, head to megacon vention.com.)
On Saturday at 9 p.m. Club 39 will host “MegaGalactic,” a MegaCon after-party. With burlesque performances, on-site gaming and “cosmic aerial pole dancers,” plus a $500 prize for best costume, this one should be colorful to say the least. Admission is $18 online at eventbrite.com or $25 at the door for ages 21 or older.
Also on Saturday, the ladies and lads of Skill Focus: Burlesque offer some themed titillation for the MegaCon faithful with their “Fan Fiction Follies” show at 9 p.m. at Sleuths Mystery Dinner Theater, 8267 International Drive, Orlando. Tickets are $12 advance, $15 at the door. For details and tickets, check out skillfocusburlesque.com.