After just one visit, I’m ready to turn my one night stand into a full-on smash. My biggest takeaway from Smash Room is that it’s the stress-relieving version of Escape Room. You pay for a space that will guarantee you a good time —in many cases, a bonding time with friends or coworkers—and it’s pretty tough to replicate it in your own home.
You’re given a designated space filled with smashable items (old computers, glass, plates, printers), and you have at it. Your room comes with a set of golf clubs, axes, and baseball bats so that you can take every ounce of stress in your body directly to your culprit. Just kidding; you may picture your boss or ex-boyfriend throughout your activity, but it’s safe and destructively legal. In addition to inspiring every pun imaginable, Smash Room was a unique, interesting experience that I'd be down to do over and over again.
What to Expect Walking Through the Door
Smash Room is located off of North Nebraska Ave, closer to Lutz or Land O’ Lakes than Downtown Tampa. It’s a haul (approximately 30 minutes from Downtown), but it’s worth it. You’ll find a series of back-to-back warehouses, and after wrestling with your GPS you’ll pull into the shared parking lot of Smash Room. It’s split between a few other businesses.
Everything about Smash Room is humble and homegrown. The sign on the door looks like something you’d find from a Clipart design, and as soon as you enter the building, you’re greeted by its simple architecture. Personally, it was exactly what I wanted. I didn’t want a commercial vibe. Organic, homegrown and family operated was exactly what I was looking for.
My friend and I were greeted by a friendly desk manager. Come to find out, she was the owner. Her daughter was an employee, and her 1-year-old granddaughter was a young staple addition to the business (pacifier and all). Behind the desk was a full TV screen of surveillance videos, where you could watch each room's distress in real-time.
The Ins and Outs
The funny thing about Smash Room is that it works exactly how you would expect it to. I thought I would have more questions or less autonomy during my time in the room, but it really feels like you’re renting a room to smash shit around.
After signing a few waivers and going through safety guidelines, we were given a set of protective gear, including a helmet, gloves, a “coverall,” and boots. In other words, we were looking absolutely fabulous.
Once dressed and fully satisfied with the Instagram pictures capturing our adornments, we were escorted into a room to start smashing. Every smasher is allowed to bring a playlist to be synced up to a speaker, courtesy of Smash Room.
You can also opt to use one of the Smash Room pre-made playlists, but we brought our own playlist filled with Beyonce, Rihanna, and all things that scream feminism. After syncing up our music, our escort told us we had 30 minutes to smash, and then he left. Just like that.
The Experience
At first, it was weird. We brought with us so much excitement and so many questions. How hard do we throw these objects? Do we take turns? Should we be working so hard we’re sweating, or is it supposed to be a light toss?
Smashing random objects in a foreign room isn’t exactly second nature.
We both chuckled and sheepishly picked up a plate. I threw mine at the wall in front of me with so little strength that it bounced off the wall and landed on the floor. It happened pretty similarly with my friend. Shortly into the affair, though, we were both picking up any object we could find and throwing it with every ounce of might in our bodies. Who knew we had so much stress and pent-up anger?
Adrenaline kicked in, and after listening to a series of anti-patriarchy songs, we were channeling the inner Beyonce that everyone deserves to explore. By the end of the session, we were sweating and almost depleted of energy.
Would I Go Again?
Hands down, I would go again. Once, twice, 15 times! I absolutely loved my experience here.
At the end of the session, one of the employees motioned to the wall covered in handwritten notes. “You can write a review or leave a little note about your experience if you’d like,” she told us. Turns out, these notes were written by everyone who has visited Smash Room, spanning from “Best stress reliever,” to funny puns like “10/10 would smash again.”
My friend wrote down: “Smash room = cheaper than therapy.” Smash Room really is a great short-term substitute for therapy. Sometimes you just need to let out your stress and anger, and the chances of having your own room filled with smashable items are pretty slim. After this experience, I consider Smash Room well worth your time and money. If you’re looking to seek revenge without the legal (and moral) repercussions or you’re in for a fun outing with friends, Smash Room lives up to its 10/10 smash-worthy recommendation.