NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A week after a New Years Eve party left many unsatisfied, partial refunds offered by the event producers are not enough to end some guest's dissatisfaction.
The party was held at the Omni hotel, but quickly turned into a social media backlash after party goers spoke out about the party's conditions.
The Gatsby's House New Year's Eve party promised to be the premiere event in Nashville to spend New Years, but many were unhappy with the long lines and an atmosphere they say didn't reflect the event's marketing.
"We were in line for probably 50 minutes. The people that were behind us were in line even longer and they still had not received their first set of drinks," said Steve Kalch, who traveled to Nashville for the event. Steve joined many online who were upset with the event. They complained it was too packed to enjoy themselves and that the drink lines were too long.
A Facebook page was even created for those who were unhappy to share details of what action the group should take. Many reported being offered partial refunds for their experience. The company VIP Nightlife offered $60 for General Admission tickets and $100 for VIP tickets.
However, it's just a portion of the nearly $500 Kalch said he spent on tickets for the event. He, along with others, want a full refund.
"I came from Oklahoma for this event," said Kalch. "I met my army buddy there. I spent three nights at the Holiday Inn. We did not get eight drinks each. I will pay for the four drinks that we got. We didn't get any food. We didn't stay there long enough because she could stand long enough."
A local man, Josh Reed, said the event was a mess. He and his friends almost missed the countdown because of the thick crowd and many waiting for drinks. However, past midnight many guests left. He and his friends were able to salvage the night.
"I got my fill of drinks," said Reed. "Cannot complain about that. Compared to the prices on Broadway and other areas around time, I definitely got my money's worth of drinks."
That said, Reed said the beginning of the night was enough to make him never go to an event for VIP Nightlife again.
A spokesperson for the company said the partial refunds take about seven days to process. In an email to guests, the company said the refunds account for any profit the company would've made.
