New Porto Alegre Sauna

[Xclay]

A new sauna called Lux has just opened in Porto Alegre!  Investors took over the seedy shell of the old Plataforma and have substantially renovated it, and I gather more upgrades are in the works.

The new manager is outstanding.
They have started a virgin Instagram account but no website yet:
https://www.instagram.com/saunaluxpoa/

Old location is now new again:
Av. Pernambuco, 2765 in Porto Alegre

Open every day except Monday.
Sunday when I was there, Lux had a good crowd of clients and maybe 10 (most very appealing) GPs. It seemed almost like time travel back to the building's glory days in the first decade of the 2000s. 

Alas on Sunday, it seemed like a wake at old Mezzanino which had few clients and few GPs in its big building. They have made a few decorative improvements on the rooftop terrace and elsewhere but it may be too little, too late.  Don't see how PA can support two such saunas these days when even SP can only manage to have one serious sauna.

[Xclay]

Update on new sauna Lux:

• Lux was going strong on Friday.
• Saturday it was packed with even more clients and GPs. 
• Lively, genuinely fun, upbeat atmosphere all weekend.

• Music was actually played at a tolerable level so you could talk without yelling.
• Steam room has been adjusted so it is hot but not scalding. 
• Happily, no lip-sinking while I was there. One phenomenal live singer only sang a couple of songs but both were dazzling.
• I met the owner who seems like a really nice guy.

• GPs tended to be more nice-looking "boy next door" types (not Iberian Idols as I called them elsewhere) but a few were more muscled.  As you'd expect in the far south of Brazil, they are mostly, but not entirely, a pale to olive mix.
• Rooms come with lots of gel and condoms on the table included in the 50 per hour price and have large bath rooms with hot, strong showers. I was not charged for the occasional extra towel.
• Some GPs will accept 100 without blinking an eye, but 150 might get you a more enthusiastic session.

Suggestions if heading to Porto Alegre:

• Focus your itinerary on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Thursday could be OK too but hit or miss. Depart Monday when both GP saunas are closed, unless of course you've lined up a carefully screened hotel visitor.
• Go to Lux early (by 5) on Saturday before it gets crowded and the top-tier GPs get exhausted.
• Don't announce that you are a short-term visitor. I find the prospects that you might be a longer-term repeating customer elevates you to the Platinum level for customer service. And of course you indeed may come back for more. I sure do.

[scott456]

On 7/2/2023 at 11:14 AM, Xclay said:

Update on new sauna Lux:

• Don't announce that you are a short-term visitor. I find the prospects that you might be a longer-term repeating customer elevates you to the Platinum level for customer service. And of course you indeed may come back for more. I sure do.

It would be difficult to pretend to be a longer term customer if you don't speak the language.  Not many tourists stay more than a few days in Porto Alegre.

[Xclay]

Scott, you are totally right that most people do not stay very long, certainly not ten days or two weeks like I often do, in Porto Alegre! (Recap here.)

Regarding the language, I know men who spend many months in Brazil (for work or pleasure) and have learned surprisingly little Portuguese. An Aussie friend was recently in Brazil for six months and still could not distinguish between chupa and chuva.

I do think it is interesting that one of the first question I invariably get asked by GPs is how long I will be around. That question is so widespread that I take it as more than a random inquiry. Maybe I'm wrong, but the answer (a couple of days vs. a couple of weeks) seems to me like the difference between the session being a one-night stand versus an audition.

Or maybe I'm imagining things?

[12is12]

U r not imagining. It makes sense. They care more if u r a potential LT customer.

[scott456]

So, how long is "longer term" that may lead you to a better service at the GP sauna in Porto Alegre?two weeks? one month?

[Xclay]

Scott, since you asked...
Generalizing and estimating here...

When I can say two weeks that tends to prompt raised eyebrows and "sim? muito bom" and another hug.  It feels to me like my status gets elevated and there is no rush to the shower.

But when I have to say I am leaving in a couple of days... then at least some of the wind goes out of the sail.

Of course all of us have different chemistry with different guys. And (based on guessing given the cool name Scott) you may get 100% without any marginal value added from this little angle. But for me, it seems to help a bit.