Woman 'pressured' into $12k spend at male host club, but club says 'no one coerced her': Stomp investigates
When Inez (not her real name) visited 龍宮 Club M, she was simply looking for a way to unwind and escape personal problems she had been dealing with at work and at home. Instead, the woman in her 50s said the visit left her with a bill of more than $12,000.
On Nov 18, she visited the club at 10 Coleman Street near Grand Park City Hall at the recommendation of a friend. This friend had also passed her name to one of the club's male hosts, Sky, who helped her make the reservation.
Inez told Stomp she went ahead as she did not have many close confidantes she could divulge her problems to.
"I felt it would be easier to speak to strangers about my situation, as doing so would avoid any potential complications that might arise from sharing personal matters with friends or colleagues," she said.
She was not prepared for what followed.
'Not in the right state of mind'
During the visit, Inez claimed that Sky, who is from China and was the main host assigned to her private room, engaged her in conversations and drinking games — which she acknowledged was typical of host clubs.
However, she alleged that he "repeatedly encouraged" her to buy garlands, which she later discovered were priced at "extremely high amounts".
Garlands are symbolic gifts typically bought as tips for hosts' time and company. They are common in establishments featuring male or female hosts, such as Thai discos.
Inez claimed that while she usually has a high alcohol tolerance, she found herself feeling giddy and nauseated after just a few drinks.
"Since I had consumed alcohol and was unwell, I was not in the right state of mind to make informed decisions to purchase the garlands," she said.
Inez further alleged that Sky "always" brought other male hosts into the room to "push" her into buying garlands for them as well.
The following morning, she discovered to her horror that she had paid the club a total of $12,461.58, with garlands accounting for at least $11,000.
She claimed the club did not provide her with a receipt, and that photography was not allowed on the premises, leaving her with no photos from the night.
"Despite my various attempts to verify the basis of the amounts (which could not have incurred), the Club has failed and/or refused to provide any response to date," she alleged.
She said her experience highlighted what she believes are common issues in similar establishments, including persistent upselling, opaque pricing, hidden charges, and what she described as emotional pressure to continue spending.
Detailed information about male host clubs in Singapore can be hard to come by. Singapore Boys Club, also known as Gentleman Club, is arguably the most public-facing, having given interviews to media outlets such as CNA and SG Daily.
These all-male host clubs typically cater to female clients seeking companionship, with activities often centred on karaoke and drinking games. Some market a "boyfriend–girlfriend" experience, though no sexual services are involved.
Stomp investigates
This writer visited Club M as part of a party of three on a weekday evening.
Upon arrival, we were led to a private room, where an employee named Long Yang explained how the club worked. According to him, these were the only items we would need to pay for:
- A one-time room fee of about $60
- A minimum of $200 worth of garlands per male host selected to keep us company, with garland-hanging taking place every two hours from 10pm to 4am
- Any drinks ordered
These charges had been explained in advance, as this writer had explicitly asked about pricing when making the reservation for a private room via WhatsApp.
As we arrived slightly after 8pm, there were only a handful of hosts available. Long Yang brought in four to five, who introduced themselves in Mandarin. Some also told us the Chinese cities they were from.
Manager Chen, a Fujian native, later said that apart from two Koreans, the male hosts were from China.
When asked if photos could be taken as keepsakes, Long Yang said photography was not allowed.
However, Stomp found photos and videos of Club M on Chinese social media platform XiaoHongShu that showed the club's interior and hosts' faces.
The designated server then asked us for our drinks order. Notably, the bespectacled server, whom we later learned was from Malaysia, only showed us the drinks menu on his phone upon request.
There were only alcoholic beverages on the menu, with prices clearly indicated. A welcome fruit platter was also delivered to the room.
We selected one host, identified here as Host B, who said he was from Shandong and had joined the club when it opened in May.
He appeared aloof and largely disengaged, declining to sing when we attempted to pass him the microphone to sing, claiming he did not like hearing his own voice over the speakers.
He also frequently checked his phone and appeared bored.
'Odd' to pick only one host
When asked what he thought of Singapore, Host B, who appeared to be wearing a Cartier ring, said: "Singapore's a great place for rich people. If you have money you'll be happy here."
Conversation stalled at times despite efforts from the group to initiate chats with Host B, leading this writer to wonder: Were we the hosts who should be given $200 garlands instead?
Long Yang also frequently brought in other hosts for the group to consider, though we declined each time.
Host B remarked that it was "odd" for a party of three to select only one host. He said most clients — mainly women — typically arrived in groups of two to four and selected one host each.
While the clients were mainly from China, Host B said the club also regularly saw Singaporean customers who were fluent in Chinese.
"Some who come alone pick more than one guy," he added, in his attempt to encourage the writer to pick another host. "Are they not your type?" he joked.
Frequent toasts and top-ups
Host B only perked up during a drinking game, teaching us to play dice while Long Yang and Manager Chen joined the room for karaoke. Throughout the evening, hosts and staff drank from what we ordered, calling for frequent toasts.
Our glasses were topped up dutifully by the Malaysian server, and we were alerted the moment the bottle of wine ran dry. He then looked at us expectantly, as if prompting us to order more. We asked to see the menu again and opted for a more budget-friendly choice — a bucket of six beers.
About an hour into the visit, we acquiesced to the club's multiple prompts to select another host — similar to what Inez had told Stomp she experienced — and requested Host W to join the room.
Host W did not confirm if he was from China, though he shared that he was of mixed-race heritage and could speak three languages: English, Chinese and Spanish.
It was also his first day of work, and he was noticeably more enthusiastic.
Shortly before 10pm, both hosts left briefly to get on stage. We watched the action from a screen in the room.
The Malaysian server then crouched beside us to ask who we would like to tip. While it was understood that Hosts B and W were to be tipped, the employee also suggested tipping Long Yang and Manager Chen a small token sum. He did not push when we declined.
Host W later returned to thank us for tipping him with a $200 garland. Shortly after, Long Yang popped into the room again to recommend yet another host, describing him as "really popular". We declined.
As the last bottle of beer ran dry, the employee in our room asked politely if we wanted to order more drinks. By then, our party felt it was likely the club would continue pushing for additional hosts and drinks, with another round of garland-hanging scheduled for midnight.
It was not yet 11pm, but we unanimously decided it was time to leave.
The bill
When settling the bill, the Malaysian server asked if we would like to tip him as well, stressing that it was optional. This writer also noted that garlands for male hosts were not subject to goods and services tax (GST) and did not come with receipts.
We were allowed to photograph only the chit that the club used to keep track of tip allocation.
Receipts were issued for all other items, which were subject to a 10 per cent service charge and GST. These included drinks, the room and the fruit platter — the only charge not mentioned during the initial briefing.
The grand total bill for the room, fruit platter, two hosts, one bottle of wine and a bucket of six beers? About $830.
Club denies allegations
After her evening at Club M, Inez blocked Sky and the friend who recommended him on WhatsApp. She also lodged a police report and has engaged a lawyer to help recover her money.
According to Inez, the police advised her to lodge a report with Consumers Association of Singapore (Case), the non-profit that oversees consumer-to-business disputes. She said she has done so, and is waiting for the outcome.
Inez said she hopes to raise awareness about what she described as "questionable sales tactics" so others do not end up in "similar situations".
In response to Stomp's queries on Inez's allegations, a spokesperson for Club M said: "We have settled the matter through legal channels."
The club added that based on CCTV footage, "everything was done out of her own free will".
"She went to the main hall on her own to hang the garlands. No one coerced her," the spokesperson said.
Stomp has reached out to Case for comment, but it had not responded at the time of publication.
