Review: Showpark DaVinci in Prague, Czech Republic

The Czech Republic is another country where prostitution is legal but the organization of things like brothels is not. While there are quite a few operations that seem to ignore the law completely it has shaped the way that some of the largest and most obvious sex shops like Showpark DaVinci operate in the country.

Showpark DaVinci is one of two Showpark establishments in Prague. It operates on a model sort of like the German FKK clubs. The owners of Showpark DaVinci charge guys an entrance fee. On the other side of things they charge women a fee to rent rooms inside. So when guys show up and shell out for a ticket they find women from all over the world inside willing to go to a room with them and exchange sexual services for money. Under this model the owners are not breaking the law since they are simply charging people to use the facilities rather than employing sex workers directly.

Showpark DaVinci is easy to find. It is houses inside of an old church right on the corner of a main street in the heart of Prague. The area isn’t very busy at night so discretion is possible even though it the place is so centrally located. The entrance is marked by a large yellow sign and there are often other advertisements placed outside in the street as well that make it even more noticeable.

Customers pay 220 Czech Koruna ($9 USD) for a ticket at the desk just inside the door if they did not buy a 99 Koruna ($4 USD) ticket in advance from the company’s website. The ticket is then scanned to activate a turnstile that lets customers into the main facility.

The main floor of Showpark DaVinci looks like many other regular pubs around the area though it is perhaps a little more on the grimy side. A large bar is located on the left side of the room. It is staffed by a few very large burly bartenders who look like they probably pull double duty as bouncers if any customers get out of line. Prices for drinks are a little on the high side with a beer costly nearly as much as an admission ticket. There are some other seats away from the bar including a set that circle a pillar in the middle of the floor. A stripped pole is located on one side of the room but it is rarely used.

The women who work the DaVinci hang around and wait for customers. Some pounce on new guys who enter without hesitation while others take their time. A few even wait on their own in different parts of the bar waiting to be approached. There is no real model of activity which is about what one would expect in a place filled with self employed sex workers.

The lineup of gals working Showpark DaVinci can change from one night to the next but there are quite a few regulars who seem to be in it for the long haul. All can speak English with some fluency along with any number of other languages. Women must have EU residency or citizenship to work at the club but gals from all over the world are represented. At any given time there can be ladies in the lounge from Ghana, Italy, Spain or any number of other countries. Looks range as much as male tastes do. There are usually some slim women around along with much larger gals and at least one or two women with fake breasts and lips who look like they are trying to do a Barbie imitation. Most of the women are in their thirties though some do fall outside of that range.

A majority of the ladies look like they have seen better days even though generally speaking they probably have a lot of small town strip clubs in the States beat. Their attitudes tend to match their appearances which isn’t so surprising considering the atmosphere and what they probably have to deal with. Some of the women seem like they may be unfit for the work altogether. I hate to make a judgement like that and I have genuine sympathy for anyone trying to make a living especially when it involves the sale of sex but I can’t help but think that women who talk to themselves aloud for hours or have serious body odor or obvious skin disorders might be better off somewhere else.

There are all sorts of women pictured on the Showpark website. Some of them look quite attractive. There is no doubt that there are some good looking gals working at the place from time to time but the women in the website photographs are not representative of the average service providers at DaVinci.

Customers have to strike their own deals with the women who work at Showpark DaVinci. A normal rate for a 30 minute session including condom covered oral and vaginal sex is 1,500 Koruna which comes out to about $61 US with current exchange rates. Extra may be requested from customers who want to do things like kiss or give their providers a facial. When an agreement is made between a customer and a lady they climb the stairs in back to one of several rooms. These are the rooms the ladies working in the bar rent. Even though they are pretty well kept and clean they are filled with the personal possessions of the women so customers may see things like a shaving razor in a shower or a box of cosmetics on a table. Payment is requested once a customer enters a room. If any change is due he may have to ask for it two or three times after the session though the service providers almost never ask for tips directly.

There is no standard level of service at Showpark DaVinci which probably has as much to do with the business model as anything else. Most of the women working there will put in some effort but superb services or standout performances seem to be pretty rare. On the plus side customers usually do get the amount of time they pay for even if it involves chatting or laying on a bed after the main event. Each room has a shower too and these are open for customer use.

Even though it offers a safe environment for sex workers to meet with customers the Showpark DaVinci simply isn’t that great of a place. The idea is sound but the execution is poor. This could be a result of any number of factors. Figuring it out would be beyond the abilities of a review like this. For whatever reason the place is like it is. As it is I think it deserves one-and-a-half stars.

Showpark DaVinci. Na Bojisti 28, Nove Mesto, Prague 2, Czech Republic. Click here for a map. Open every day from 6:00 PM until 6:00 AM. Phone: +42 060-139-3750. Website: http://en.showpark.info