Futuristic club opens on K Street

(Credit: Stephanie Nissan)

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These days, “grabbing a drink” doesn’t come easy. In fact, just making your way up to the bar at a crowded club or lounge is next to impossible, not to mention actually getting the bartenders attention and placing an order. Even flagging down the cocktail waitress can be virtually impossible.

But, in D.C., where politicians, celebrities, athletes, CEOs and socialites party with the rest of us (albeit in the VIP area), a service-oriented hotspot has been long overdue. Enter Shadow Room, K Street’s newest top-of-the-line lounge (it just opened on June 27th), where luxury amenities are paired with the latest technologies to create a truly unbelievable experience.

“Basically, we wanted to create something that was better than anything else in the world—especially Vegas,” says the mastermind behind Shadow Room, 31-year-old CEO and President, Swaptak Das (a.k.a. Das). “To do that, we came up with 28 new innovations to remedy the problems that typically go hand-in-hand with sub-par service.” And when you first step inside Shadow Room, those modernizations are pretty hard to miss.

The club is split into three separate areas (one main dance floor, flanked by roped-off tables that go for up to $1,000 a pop), the lounge is a blend of clean lines and contemporary décor (the leather-upholstered seating was actually designed to be danced on) mixed with classic elegance, thanks to the mesmerizing chandeliers hung from the 22-foot ceilings. Take a closer look, and you’ll notice that every one of the 24 tables is equipped with its own touch-pad screen, which can be used to do pretty much anything you can imagine, from ordering drinks to requesting songs. Or, if you come carrying your own iPhone, you can simply log on to ShadowRoom.com and order a drink from the dance floor—a text message will be sent to you when your drink is ready at the bar.

Seem too good to be true? There’s more:

• Each area has its own waitress with their own iTouch. Step right up, and they’ll gladly order your drink for you, from $8 cocktails to $1,000 bottles.
• Curious about your bar tab? Sign in on the touch-pad screens to view your bill at any time. And when you’re ready to go, just pay by credit card at your table or request change from the bar if you’re paying with cash.
• Each table comes with its own flat-screen, where you can play Playstation, XBox or watch satellite TV. Or, if you’re there for a party, upload photos of you and your friends to the lounge’s web site and, upon arrival, you’ll be greeted by a personalized slideshow at your table.
• Want to always remember your night at Shadow Room? Simply request it and the cameras mounted on the wall will videotape you and your friends over the course of the night and send you a DVD in the mail.
• When you're ready to leave, you can even alert the valet with the touch screen or iPhone and have your car wating.

And they’re not done yet. With his two partners, longtime friends Steve Acott and Pat Khunachak, Das has big plans for the future of Shadow Room. “We cater to high-end professionals, not hardcore clubbers, so the little details that make this place so unparalleled are really important,” he says. Some of those ideas include projection screens, complete with holographic images (think “C.S.I.” style) and mirrored walls, so those on the dance floor can see themselves and those in the VIP section can, well, watch.

So, how do you get in?

Admission is prioritized with table reservations topping the list. Next comes the VIPs, regular customers and “people in the know,” which means that admission to the general public is not guaranteed—but don’t let that stop you from trying.

In a world where technology is king, these three former software geeks are reigning supreme. And even if you’re more of a hole-in-the-wall kind of person, this is something you definitely don’t want to miss. This is the wave of the future!