VENT Activity Rooms — Attraction in Portsmouth

Review: Smash Room Experience – 2/5 Stars

I recently visited this smash room, and while the idea sounded exciting, the reality was disappointing. The space, setup, and overall experience fell far short of expectations, making it feel like a waste of money.

The Space

The room was incredibly basic and unbelievably small—about 15x6 feet, which is smaller than a lot of bedrooms. Aside from some plywood-covered walls and three milk crates, there was nothing in the room to enhance the experience. The space was so bare that we had to spend time figuring out how to prop up our plates and other items, which took away from the fun.

Honestly, the only thing that sets this place apart from smashing things in your backyard is the plywood-covered walls, which you can’t even throw things at. For the price, I expected at least a thoughtfully designed space with proper setups or props, but this felt rushed and thrown together with minimal effort.

Pricing & Policies

This was the most frustrating part. We paid $60 for two sessions, expecting to have the space for two hours. However, we were told upon arrival that we couldn’t be in the room at the same time unless we paid an additional $50. This policy was not communicated upfront, and my attempts to negotiate (e.g., reducing the time to 90 minutes instead of two hours) were dismissed. Ultimately, my partner paid the extra $50, but it left a bad taste in my mouth and felt like a cash grab.

On top of that, the cost of smashable items was outrageous. They charge $25 for 15 items, which feels excessive considering they likely source them from donations. Instead, we went to a nearby Goodwill and got 30 items for $10. Plus, it was really fun getting to pick out our own items and we got two plates and were able to ride on it. The things that we wanted to leave behind in 2024.

The Experience

While smashing things was fun, the rushed nature and lack of effort in the setup made it less enjoyable than it should have been. The tools provided (hammer, crowbar, baseball bat, and golf club) were functional but didn’t compensate for the disappointing environment.

They also provided a small speaker for music, which was nice in theory, but we had no way to adjust the playlist once it started. It wasn’t a huge issue, but it added to the overall sense that this place is more about cutting corners than creating a great experience.

Final Thoughts

This smash room was far from worth the money. The room was so small it felt like being stuck in a bathroom, with nothing to make the activity more exciting than what you could do in your own backyard. Between the lackluster setup, hidden fees, and overall lack of effort, it’s hard to recommend this place.

Smash rooms can be a fun and cathartic activity, but this location does not deliver on its promise. I won’t be going back, and I wouldn’t recommend it to others.

However, should the owner need help coming up with ways to improve the setup, I’d be more than willing to share some ideas to make it a better experience for future customers. This has great potential in the future to be something really awesome

Edit to add.

Y’all can ready this business’s response to my review. Notice how they focused on one thing how I said her prices felt scammy and like a bait and switch. $120 for an hour long session for two people is crazy to me and it’s not even a full hour once you get in the room. It’s clear they can’t take any criticism or acknowledge that anyone would feel like the way I did if they were in the same situation.

I hold no it will towards the small business. I wish the best for all businesses. I just honestly don’t think that this one was worth what we paid for it and my review was honest and open and with no hateful, intent, merely informing others so they are aware if wanted, I can post the screenshots from our conversations so that you guys can see that you would’ve thought the same thing I did as for this owner I do wish them nothing but the best and hope for much success and hope that they take my feedback to heart and...

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