Spazio44: A Reggaeton Hotspot with Staying Power

Editor’s Note: As of September 2014, this club is closed.

In our eternal quest here at Medellín Living to document the best in the city’s nightlife, I finally bring you Spazio44.

Opened in late 2009, and located in the basement of the Diez Hotel, Spazio44 is an upscale reggaeton club similar to Dejavu on Las Palmas.

And like Dejavu, it’s been featured in several reggaeton videos, most recently, the extremely popular “Voy a Beber” released by Nicky Jam last year.

When I saw Plan B of “Si No Lo Contesto” fame were playing a show there May 31, I ordered a pair of tickets at 65,000 pesos ($35) a pop through the club’s WhatsApp account. For an extra couple of bucks, I was even able to have them delivered to my apartment, where I paid in cash.

I knew I’d be bringing a date, and we probably wouldn’t drink much between the two of us, so I asked the guy who worked for the club about the drink minimum the night of the show. He said $50 to $60, though I’d later learn that was a gross underestimate.

May 31 rolls around, and I suggest to my date that we arrive at 10 p.m. when the doors open in order to get a good table. It was my first time in the club so I didn’t know the layout, and without a large group of friends, the VIP area was cost prohibitive.

We weren’t the only ones to arrive early, and when the doors opened, we showed our IDs, received our wristbands, were patted down by security, and on the inside in less than a minute or two.

Entering the empty club, we went straight toward the small stage at the far end, taking one of the closest tables. I immediately noticed something strange.

There were no seats, only tall tables with buckets in the middle for ice. At the time I didn’t think much of it. I always pick on Colombian clubs for having too many tables and chairs, but I’d soon find out why that can be a blessing in disguise.

VIP sections, which lined the perimeter of the club, were the only places to sit down.

A waiter came over and I asked about the bottles on offer. No guaro or rum tonight.

On the more economical side of the scale were Smirnoff vodka and JP Cheney, the cheap French sparkling wine I paid way too much for at Dejavu last Halloween.

At 160,000 pesos ($85), I opted for the vodka. The juice was an extra 20,000 pesos ($10), bringing the grand total to $95.

Despite the cost, one thing I will say is the service was prompt and friendly. The staff was constantly coming around over the course of the night, filling our ice bucket as needed.

The club felt rather empty the first hour and a half. We danced to the DJs mix of reggaeton, and waited, and waited some more.

In the excitement over seeing Plan B, and finally getting to cover Spazio44 for the blog, I’d forgotten a cardinal rule of Medellín club owners.

They have the live acts go on as late as possible in the night to allow customers to spend more money on drinks. As a friend enlightened me, people aren’t drinking when they’re watching the show. And once the show is over, they start heading for the doors.

By 1 a.m., three hours into our night, the loud music was starting to wear me down, and the lack of seating didn’t help. By 2 a.m., thinking there’d be an opening act performing for 20 minutes before Plan B, I finally gave in, deciding it was time to leave.

It killed me to be walking us out just as I heard some of the crowd begin to cheer, but by then I was so tired and annoyed at having been there waiting for four hours, I figured it was best to cut my losses and call it a night.

They put out a promo video the next day to show us what we missed.

If I were to do the night over again, I’d arrive at the club around Midnight. We already had tickets, so entry wasn’t an issue, and once the show began, people abandoned their tables to move near the stage anyways. Having a table near the front offered little advantage.

I have no doubt that’s why the club felt so empty the first few hours, the Colombians knew how to play the night properly. Lesson learned.

Editor’s Note: As of September 2014, this club is closed.