A popular tattoo artist has slammed eastern suburbs hotspot Club Rose Bay for allegedly denying him entry due to his visible neck tattoos.Marcos Mendez took to Instagram over the weekend to blast the Justin Hemmes-owned establishment for what he perceived as an unfair rejection. ‘It’s 2026, and I’ve been coming to this club for over a year, yet today I was refused entry because of my neck tattoos? How backwards can you be?’ he raged. ‘The security guards, who I believe were Lebanese, were covered in tattoos themselves???’ He went on to slam Australia’s culture surrounding tattoos and the way people with ink are treated. ‘In some ways, Australia is progressive, but in others, it feels like it’s stuck further in the past than Afghanistan.’ A popular tattoo artist has slammed eastern suburbs hotspot Club Rose Bay for allegedly denying him entry due to his visible neck tattoos Marcos Mendez took to Instagram over the weekend to blast the Justin Hemmes-owned establishment for what he perceived as an unfair rejection He then cryptically added: ‘And the obsession with burqas? Absolutely disgusting.’ Marcos added several throwing up emojis and tagged Club Rose Bay in his caption. Speaking to Daily Mail, the artist said he ‘hates this kind of discrimination’ and the perceived ‘relationship’ between tattoos and bikies. Marcos, who is not from Australia, said he was surprised by the negative attitude towards tattoos when he moved here. Club Rose Bay does not have an explicit rule banning visible tattoos in its official dress code, per its website. The code reads: ‘Patrons’ appearance must be clean, neat and tidy at all times and footwear must be worn. Obscene or offensive language, clothing or body odour will not be tolerated’. Untidy or frayed clothing, bare feet, swimwear, low-cut or revealing tops, bare midriffs, baseball caps, beanies, hoodies and gang colours or symbols are also forbidden. He slammed Australia’s culture surrounding tattoos and the way people with ink are treated Club Rose Bay (pictured) does not have an explicit rule banning visible tattoos in its official dress code, per its website Club Rose Bay is owned by Justin Hemmes who is pictured here with his partner Madeline Holtznagel Join the discussionShould tattoos still affect where people are welcome or is this outdated prejudice in modern Australia?What’s your view?The venue’s management says it reserves the right to make the final decision in all matters relating to its dress code.It is not illegal in Australia for private businesses or venues to refuse entry to someone with tattoos. However, refusing entry because someone has a tattoo can cross into illegal territory if it is considered unlawful discrimination as protected by anti-discrimination legislation. For example, if a tattoo is a traditional or cultural marking, refusing entry can breach anti-discrimination legislation.Daily Mail has reached out to Club Rose Bay for comment.