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[title]IN ASSOCIATION WITH GROUVLY
You can finally stop using superficial socialising apps to meet new people, it's time to try the new meet-up service that lands on our shores this month. Welcome to the ‘three-on-three’ social experience that’s just hit Asia. Yep... it's time to get groovy with Grouvly! (Sorry).
Grouvly claims that its service isn’t just about hooking up with a potential date. The service is also about enjoying a fun social experience with your pals at the same time. Enjoy a night out with your friends and meet new people in a relaxed atmosphere, with, of course, the possibility of romance. What’s not to love? Billed as an exciting ‘social club’ of sorts, Grouvly sets up a casual night of drinks between two groups – three girls and three guys, or two groups of the same sex if you’re gay. Grouvly then sends you all out to a top venue in Hong Kong for an easygoing night out that requires none of the pressure of one-on-one blind dating.
The process is simple – sign up online and you’re matched with another compatible person. Once you’re set, grab two of your best wing-friends and head on over to Grouvly’s designated venue, where you’ll meet the other group of three. The first round of drinks is prepaid – to make sure everyone turns up – and the rest of the evening is up to you!
Grouvly is officially launching in the coming days but we’ve been curious about it since the get-go. So to find out more, we send a couple of our members of staff out to try out the service. Nadia and Ian (the names have been changed to protect the innocent…) head out with two of their closest friends to find out more...
Before
Ian: Tepid anticipation is the consensus. The website looks sophisticated enough but signing up leaves us all – my friends and I – wondering exactly how we’re going to get matched up, given the somewhat sparse information that Grouvly asks about us. We dress up without co-ordinating – one of us in a pin-striped blazer with pocket square and another in a plain shirt and jeans. I meet up with my pals early, which is a good idea, especially as it takes us a while to find the venue. Some light pre-lash and utter disagreement on our ‘game plan’ ensues momentarily before we head into The Bisque seafood restaurant in LKF, where we’re all scheduled to hook up.
Nadia: Having never been on a blind date before, I round up two of my more adventurous friends and sign up. After confirming our date night, Grouvly sends us to our ‘secret location’ on the day of the meetup. We’re a bit nervous and don’t know what to expect. I mean, what if the guys are complete psychos? The Grouvly staff definitely ease any doubts we may have and help us go into the experience with open minds.
During
Ian: The Bisque has a few intimate booths and overlooks a rainy LKF. All in all, it’s a brilliant venue. The free rounds are a nice touch and we graduate from bubbly to whisky throughout the date. Our dates are chilled and the banter comes smoothly. It helps that we and our dates have a few mutual friends, it turns out, which is a nice touch. The evening isn’t anything too crazy – but far from boring either. Food is a mutual interest, so it couldn’t have gotten too dull, anyway! Towards the end, we and our dates could probably pass off as a group of friends getting over our Wednesday blues...
Nadia: Albeit we’re a bit late – our taxi driver gets lost – but we finally arrive at Shore bar and restaurant in Central, take a deep breath and go in. Having thought we may have stood them up, the three men who are our dates turn out to be very nice and we all have a good laugh about our tardiness. The first part of the evening is filled with the typical niceties and it’s cool getting to know complete strangers. We talk about our times in Hong Kong and I even learn about some new places that I must check out. All in all, it’s a pleasant evening where we enjoy meeting new people.
After
Ian: We all have busy mornings the next day so decide to call it a day before midnight. It’s definitely been a cool Wednesday experience for us and something we’d do again for kicks – although not, we agree, on our brief ‘post mortem’ chat, for anything serious. The company is great and perhaps we should follow up on the party our dates mention next week... However, this time, we’ll leave it at that. This service is definitely going to be lots of people’s cup of bubbly.
Nadia: After the meetup, we all go our separate ways. While there aren’t any love at first sight moments, the gentlemen are really nice and to meet up as friends in the future would be lovely. One of my friends enjoys herself so much, she’s preparing to go on more Grouvly experiences. Hong Kong is a busy, overpopulated place, whether you’re new in town or just want to meet a different crowd. I think this is a great way to step outside your comfort zone and meet new and interesting people.
Well, that’s what Ian and Nadia thought of the experience. We reckon, if you’re looking for a new kind of night out, you’ll get just as much out of the service too. Try it today. Who knows? You may find love – or a lot of fun, at least – tomorrow...
For more information visit grouvly.com.