Set on Lincoln Road between Washington and Collins is a high-end club that focuses on bottle service. Women congregate around their table which has six bottle minimum early Saturday morning. Photo:  Charlotte Southern.

Speak up!

If you want to get into the VIP rooms of South Beach nightclubs, show up with Missy, Diddy or Paris. Not the BFF of a major celeb? Then just make sure you have a credit card that isn't too close to maxed out.

Know that you have to buy at least one bottle of liquor or champagne to get behind the VIP ropes. A regular bottle of premium vodka will set you back about $300 at most clubs. Don't order the magnum of vodka unless you're prepared to pay closer to $700.

As a party of four or fewer, you might get away with ordering just one bottle (which yields about 20 drinks). But if you have more people with you, expect minimum consumption to be set at two bottles or more. Bottle rules can be arbitrary. On a big night during the height of the season, the minimum might be set at $5,000 for a table. On a slow night, that same table could go for $500.

Dress to impress. And be on your best behavior. T-shirts and sneakers might get you into the bar at Fridays, but they won't get you through the door at most designer- label-happy Beach clubs. And be cool at the door. If you're already throwing attitude on the sidewalk, doormen won't let you in because they expect that you'll get more aggressive when you start to drink.

The Ugly Factor is not a myth. Most club owners and promoters won't blink to tell you it's the pretty people who get into clubs first. If you're not a hottie, you could get stuck at the ropes for hours -- or be made to buy more bottles than the fabulous-looking folks at the next table.

-- Lydia Martin