Review: Club Oceano in Lugano, Switzerland

Club Oceano (formerly known as Bar Oceano) is a fully licensed bordello in Lugano, the largest city in the Italian-speaking part of Switzerland.

Prostitution is legal and regulated in Switzerland. Red light districts can be found all over the country, from Zurich to Geneva. Lugano alone is home to several brothels. Oceano was established more than a decade ago and at one point it was the only venue of its kind in the region. It has managed to remain a household name despite growing competition in recent years.

The venue operates on a similar model as the German FKKs: the management rents out rooms directly to the sex workers, who are then free to conduct their business on an independent basis and negotiate their own rates with the customers. As is often the case, the prettiest women tend to command higher prices. The working women and their prospective customers meet in a public lounge on the ground floor, eventually moving into a private bedroom upstairs for a romp in the sack.

The proprietor of Club Oceano is an elderly gentleman who runs it as a family business, aided by friends and relatives including a niece. According to him, the club brings in gross revenues of over $6 million USD a year, with taxes amounting to about $200,000 USD yearly. Being a legal operation, only women with a regular work or residence permit are allowed to rent. Oceano takes it upon itself to kick out women found in possession of drugs. All this goes to show what entrepreneurs and governments alike can achieve in countries where the sex trade is given due respect, as a business if nothing else.

That Oceano is doing quite well can easily be inferred from the decor in the lounge. The place has recently undergone some renovations and looks about as good as any executive club in Jakarta, although the layout is quite different. Plenty of couches and tables, a well-stocked bar, and a separate smoking area ensure that customers are made to feel comfortable. Close to 500 men find their way through the front door every day. As many as 90 percent of them are Italian nationals, who routinely cross the border to find respite from the sexual wasteland known as Italy.

The first expense customers incur is an entrance fee of 15 CHF/Euros ($17 USD), valid for a free drink, or alternatively 20 CHF/Euros ($22.50 USD) granting two drinks. Swiss Francs and Euros are used interchangeably at Oceano. The venue also accepts US dollars as a currency, along with all major credit cards. As they take a look around and acclimate to the place, new faces are likely to be approached by one or more women. This could be as overwhelming for inexperienced guys as it should be easy to handle for veterans of the game. Harsh as it may sound, common sense suggests to avoid women who appear desperate for business.

Oceano currently houses 62 bedrooms and manages to rent out nearly all of them. With so many women available, ranging widely in looks, experience, and outlook, it’s difficult to provide an average of their asking price. However 100 CHF/Euros ($112.50 USD) for 30 minutes of fun seems to be the standard rate for the better looking ones. Some women may ask a bit less and a select few ask even more. Longer sessions are possible but the price will rise accordingly.

Those rates are not necessarily outrageous when compared to the cost of living in Switzerland. In fact, sex sells at similar or higher prices in other developed European countries, like England and the Netherlands. Returning customers or charming guys with haggling skills could probably get away with a discount. In any event, it’s up to the customer to find a suitable companion and reach an agreement on the compensation.

After the obligatory bit of drinking and chatting, it’s off to the races upstairs. The rooms are nothing to write home about but they are spacious enough and serve their purpose well. They are usually filled with the women’s belongings, hence no two rooms look exactly the same. The standard shower box, towels, and condoms that one would expect are all provided.

The women at Club Oceano are of different nationalities, the majority hailing from Eastern Europe. Romania accounts for the bulk of them. Some girls claim to be Russian, even though they are just as likely to be from neighboring countries. There used to be many Brazilian girls in the past, but that changed after Switzerland tightened its immigration policies. Nationality carries little weight anyway, as it is the provider’s personality and chemistry with the customer to ultimately spin the session in a direction or another.

Long-time readers of Rockit Reports by now are familiar with the expression “your mileage may vary”. I’m sure they won’t bat an eye if I say that every session at Oceano is different. Deep French kissing and bareback blowjobs are pretty common, but they are not a guarantee. On the other hand, sex is almost always covered. Dining at the Y is certainly an option. Other than this, the specifics will always vary.

Some gals ask to be paid upfront while others leave it for last. A session typically ends with a shower and sometimes with a bit of chatting and cuddling, provided there is enough time left. After that the customer can leave the building, indulge in more drinking downstairs, or choose another woman and go for a second round. Oceano even allows customers to spend the night, sleeping with a woman of choice in her room. Safety in ensured by 24 hours surveillance on premises.

I have never been asked for tips but I would imagine it’s in the realm of possibilities. What I have noticed instead is that most women wish to be paid extras for any additional service aside from vanilla sex. Multiple pops are possible, as is anal sex with some women, but such things have to be negotiated in advance and they often come at a premium. That obviously includes fetishes of any kind.

All in all, Club Oceano doesn’t break any new ground, but what it does it does well. It’s a good example of a modern European brothel and it approaches the top of the food chain for ambiance, customer care, and quality of the girls. There are a couple other establishments in Lugano that are just as good or even better, but it’s hard to find any glaring fault with the venue under review.

If the women had lower asking prices, or if the prices were all-inclusive, I would have given Club Oceano a high score and my personal seal of approval. As it stands it still deserves three-and-a-half stars.

Club Oceano. Via Pian Scairolo 43, 6912 Piazzallo, Switzerland. Click here for a map. Open every day from 2:00 PM until late. Phone: +41 091-993-2298. Website: https://oceanotheclub.ch

This is a guest review by regular commentor European Guy