Lakers and Hyde Lounge Make for a Great L.A. Evening

Going to a Staples game in Los Angeles is a Los Angeles Lakers experience whether you’re sitting in the rafters or in a VIP suite with your own waiter. It doesn’t matter if you’re in L.A. whether you live and go to the games frequently or just visit the city, watching baseball in action is a must see. Tickets for the game start at around $40 and are available through lakers.com. Advance seats are available and even season ticket holders can sell their seats by site, good seats are sometimes available on the day. games

I went with three friends to watch the New Jersey Nets on April 4, 2012, and as always, had a great time. We watched the game from the San Manuel Club, then the party after the game continued at the Hyde Lounge. Whenever possible, I recommend fans access to the San Manuel Club, the staples of the Private Center and the restaurant, with some seats and tables in the area threats and action. The seats are along the railings looking directly at the floor and I think they provide a better view of the court than many of the regular seats in the Staples Center. The San Manuel Club is for season pass holders and other holders of Premiere Seats or Luxury Suites.

The San Manuel Club offers full tables, but we always have a buffet. They offer a wide selection, and the food is delicious. The menu changes, but they always have a salad section with greens and salads of different kinds. they have cheese and meat with several types of hard and soft cheeses, olives, cereals and other types of snacks. They have a hot buffet section with several types of pasta, fish, and chicken, along with vegetables and rice. Main courses include a prime rib-carved station with a carved turkey roast. Both moist, flavorful, and really good.

I’m always impressed by the friendliness of all the employees and servers at the game, probably because they have as much fun as we do. We had a group of four and were given a table right next to the glass floor overlooking the floor, one level above the floor. The sight lines are excellent; food, drink, use, an unforgettable night. As usual, we spent the whole eating and watching the game from our table and didn’t even go to our seats. We used to play, and watched Kobe Bryant lead the Lakers to their second victory, defeating the New Jersey Nets, 91-87.

But the best will come. After the game, we retreated upstairs to the exclusive Hyde Lounge at Staples. Hyde Lounge offers an upscale nightclub experience within the confines of the Staples Center. The show space is open for concerts and other events, in addition to high school games. The 4,000 square foot space is simply luxurious and has multiple bedrooms, three bars, a dance floor, and a private room for the ultimate VIP viewing experience. The Hyde Lounge also features rows of bench seats overlooking the court or the stage if there is a concert. They literally took the hottest, most exclusive nightclub in Los Angeles and opened a branch inside the arena; and the match is perfect. The Hyde Lounge is operated by AEG, owners of the center’s staples, and expert nightlife gurus SBE. SBE operates some of the hottest hotels, restaurants, pubs and nightclubs across the country. The Hyde Lounge has a very exclusive door design, but fans can reserve a table with bottle service to enter.

Freddy Sherman is a world traveler and editor of the travel blog travel4people.com. You can follow him on Twitter @thefredsherman