Montreal a top stag-party stop as best men take bachelors on the road

They were trotting one of their their good friends in and out of nightclubs during a weekend of debauchery or what others sometimes call: the stag party.

Montreal's gaudy strip-joint lights and overflowing nightclubs beckon best men who aim to help buddies lay bachelorhood to a memorable rest.

"It was a fantastic time," Skrine, a childhood pal of the bachelor, said of last winter's stag. "Obviously, we just got absolutely stinking drunk."

Skrine, who works as a currency analyst, says Montreal is legendary when it comes to nightlife.

"Within Boston, it certainly has a reputation for being a party place," says Skrine, who learned about the city's 3 a.m. last call and its wealth of strip clubs when he was at Boston College.

"Certainly, in the bachelor-party department, Montreal has a reputation of being able to fill the requirements."

Cheaper than South Beach and as sinful as Las Vegas, Montreal is luring future grooms from abroad, says a local bachelor-party planner.

Jay Martin of Montreal VIP says stags have evolved from one night of partying the eve of the wedding to all-out, out-of-town weekend bashes.

"We're almost like the Amsterdam of North America," he says.

"The first attraction is definitely the strip club. I can tell you a lot of foreigners are always looking forward to the contact strip clubs in Montreal.

"Our rules in Montreal are very liberal."

The nine-year-old company provides essential party logistics, including accommodation, restaurant reservations and passes to avoid the long nightclub queues.

"It's a service that's always in demand," says Martin, who estimates Montreal VIP has planned more than 1,000 bashes for about-to-be grooms in the last two to three years.

Martin says 95 per cent of his customers travel from the United States - most come from New York City, Boston, New Jersey and, increasingly, California - for the luxury service.

Despite a low U.S. dollar that has kept some Americans at home, Martin says men are still coming in to eat and drink and to mingle with the city's beautiful women.

He says they also appreciate downtown streets that are considered safer than just about anywhere in North America.

"It's a growing trend that people go to different destinations (for bachelor parties)," he said.

Martin says stag partygoers travel as an excuse to take a short vacation with friends, to find a central rendezvous point for buddies spread out across the continent, and to escape their hometowns.

"It probably gives them a feeling where 'I'm not home, there's nobody to watch me,"' he says.

"Or people from the city won't hear about it."

A Montreal escort, who calls herself Kristy Temptation, says a big part of her clientele is made up of American tourists.

"(Americans) definitely come here for that because we've got some pretty sexy girls and we're pretty reliable and everything," said Temptation, 20, who charges $250 an hour for outcalls.

"We've been known for that for a long time. People come here to party."

She maintains a website and keeps a U.S.-based cellphone number for her American client base, many of whom book a date with her weeks in advance.

Still, Temptation, who got into "adult companionship" for the "fast cash," says the sagging U.S. dollar has hurt business.

"I don't know, this year it's pretty dead for the Americans," she says.

"This year, like, it's not much. It's more of the Montrealers."

Montreal's tourism department says the city is renowned for its adult attractions, but official statistics on how many people the industry attracts are not available.

Tourism Montreal also refuses to accept members directly linked to sexual activity, such as strip clubs.

"Montreal, since a long time, it's a fun, party destination," spokesman Pierre Bellerose said.

"But we don't use the sexual and adult entertainment in our brand. I think we have a lot of other things that can attract people in Montreal."

Angelo D'Ambra, the owner of a licensed travel agency geared for the city's partying scene, also organizes his share of bachelor parties.

Montreal Nitelife Tours' stag-party options include erotic massage and performances by strippers in the comfort of the hotel room.

He says strip clubs are "very popular" but not necessarily a critical bachelor-party component.

"Most people actually come here for the great restaurants and the reputations of the nightclubs and the reputation of the cute girls of Quebec," D'Ambra says.

"Believe it or not, the adult entertainment, out of all the bachelor parties that we organize, may make up only 20 per cent of their entire weekend itinerary. I think (that stat) should also be known, because a lot of wives out there really are worried."

D'Ambra says most of his clients come from New York City, but he's taken care of stag-party groups from as far away as Ireland.

"It's just evolved into a really good excuse to get away with all your friends."

D'Ambra says people are also drawn to the city because bars serve booze almost until 3 a.m.

"Montreal is the only Canadian city that people will think of to throw a bachelor party," he says.

"Nobody's going to say, 'Hey, why don't we go to Vancouver?"'