By LEELA AGUADULCE LANDRESS AND MARTA FERRER

Feb. 8, 2002

Making it past the gates of heaven might seem easier than getting past the velvet rope at some of New York City's most exclusive nightspots.

You can be fully clad in designer gear and have enough cash to buy a thousand apple martinis, but in the end it's the doorman who decides your fate.

No soul is guaranteed entry, but those with the power insist that the best way to get inside is by getting on their good side.

PHOTO: LEELA LANDRESS Henry Haile, a doorman at Lotus, says having a positive attitude is the key to getting in.

Surprisingly, being nice is as important as looking nice, according to Henry Haile, who prefers the title "doorman" to bouncer. Haile admits the crème de la crème into Lotus, an upscale lounge in the trendy meatpacking district.

"People don't get in just because they have money," says Haile in a French accent, "what kind of attitude they have is more important."

Alex Jimenez, one of the many doormen at Spa-an fashionable club close to Union Square-says it's important to be humble. "Don't act like you own the world," he says.

Although owning the world certainly helps.

"Joe Schmoe off the street can show up wearing Prada and not get in, he's still Joe Schmoe. But Oscar de la Renta can show up wearing JC Penny and he'll get in," says Jimenez, who, like the famous designer, is Dominican.

Who you are is as important as what you wear, according to Jimenez. But it's not that simple either.

"You also have to know how to carry yourself," says Jimenez. "It's the clothes and the person together."

OK, but what happens if you are Joe Schmoe, and you can't afford Prada?

Jimenez gives a run-down of what not to do.

"Don't show up in a white limo," says a smiling Jimenez, "white limos mean white trash."

In terms of what to wear, it's better to stay on the conservative side. "Don't be cheesy," says Jimenez. According to Jimenez, this means you shouldn't "show too much skin" and you should avoid clothes that are "too tight."

Next: Tales From the Other Side

Past the Velvet Rope
Tales From the Other Side
The Three Deadly Sins

A Round of Drinks Sway..........$35 Eugene........$35 Bungalow 8...$40 Lotus..........$39 (Data from Promo NY)