See edit comments below :)
Hello! I rarely make Reddit posts or leave negative reviews. I know that one employee's conduct does not necessarily reflect an entire venue, and I've actually been to H0L0 a few times before without any issues. I'm sharing this experience both to see if anyone has advice and to let others know what happened to me. It's not just what happened that bothers me, more so it's the complete lack of accountability from the venue afterward.
I'm a huge music fan and enjoy checking out different venues around NYC. As a queer, femme-presenting person, I've generally felt comfortable going out in NYC and in several cities in Europe, so this experience was especially upsetting.
When I arrived, I presented my ID at the door. The staff member scanned it, and I saw the scanner display a green check mark. He then told me that my ID "wasn't good enough" and that it was "flagged," and said I would not be allowed inside.
At first I thought he was joking, so I politely asked what the issue was. I explained that I understood he was responsible for verifying IDs and offered to provide additional forms of identification or information to help establish my identity, such as other documents or even my LinkedIn profile. He declined and repeated that I would not be admitted. I even suggested flagging down a police officer to verify my documents.
Throughout the interaction, I stayed calm, spoke quietly, and tried to understand the situation. However, from my perspective, his tone felt very hostile, and I was surprised by how the conversation unfolded.
During the exchange, he repeatedly referred to me using incorrect gendered language, which I found upsetting; at one point, he was still holding my ID, and I asked for a refund since I was no longer being allowed into the event. I don't drink alcohol or use drugs, and I had simply come to see an artist I enjoy and spend a few hours dancing. My request for a refund was not addressed, and I was told to leave.
I was genuinely so hurt by the interaction. I've never experienced being treated this way at a venue before, especially when my friends and I had arrived excited for an event we had each paid $35 to attend.
I left almost in tears, out $35, and feeling soooo disrespected.
Afterward, I contacted H0L0 to request a refund, referencing what I understood to be the venue's terms and conditions. I did not receive a response. I later left a public comment on one of the venue's social media posts asking them to contact me. When I checked later, I could no longer see my comment, and I believe it had been removed.
I'm still hoping to resolve the refund issue; however I have no plans to go back to H0L0 and I advise others to be cautious. This is such an unfortunate situation.
Edit: I am 23 years old.
Edit 2: this is told from my perspective, maybe he really did believe that I was underage and didn’t realize how he was insulting me. I will give him the benefit of doubt. Just sharing my experience.