Las Vegas Nightclubs, Nightlife Bars Guide Pool Parties, Rehab Hard
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VEGAS: VEGAS PARTY NO LAST CALL! Text and photos detail Las Vegas' sinful nightlife and nightclubs.
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Clubbing in Las Vegas
Las Vegas' nightlife is defined by its pulse-pounding clubs. They are large, loud and full of energy. Well-danced sweaty dancers pack multiple dance floors, fog machines fills the air with smoke and modern go-go dancers pulsate in cages, platforms or even above the bar. Such entertainment does not come cheap: Cover charges run $15-20, even in winter, and drinks can cost $10. There's usually a long wait to get inside, although most clubs allow hotel guests to use a VIP entrance. These factors limit club-hopping mobility, so it's costly to hit more than one or two a night. The clubs include Rain in the Desert, Ghostbar Lounge, Risque', C2K, Studio 54, RA, Rumjungle, Club Rio, Tao,, Glow and the Beach. The Las Vegas Hilton, hangout for Willard White in James Bond's "Diamonds are Forever," is good if the right band is booked. Clubs are located in the casino/hotels because management fully realizes the financial bonanza of having a bunch of restless drinkers spill out into their casinos at 4 in the morning. Originated by the Luxor and MGM, the rage is now for hotels to put in a rockin' dance club, close it before dawn, then sit back and watch a room full of partiers spill into the casino. New ones seem to open almost on a monthly basis. Clubs are open Wednesdays-Saturdays and arriving before midnight is soooo
un-cool; 1 in the morning is more like it. But there's plenty to do until
that time. Our clubs guide is divided into four categories: PreParty Places
True nights out in Vegas begin long before Cinderella's bed check. For most, that means the Hard Rock Hotel Circle Bar. Framed by gaming tables, slot machines and the most comfortable sports book this side of a sports junkie's living room, the Circle Bar is the Acapulco Cliff Dive of Las Vegas. In other words, it's the jumping-off point for the night. The Hard Rock is THE place to see and be seen in Vegas. The mostly well-dressed and well-bankrolled crowd confirms that fact right away. Once the domain of everyone, it's a bit heavy on tourists of late. But locals, weekend warriors, athletes, celebrities, you name it, they've all been here. Peak times are 11-1 but it's active long before and long after those times. There is no dress code – although it's a good idea to be in vogue if you're looking to hook up or be a part of the scene – no cover and no line. One can stand and mingle, circle the Circle Bar or hop down to the tables for some gambling. At peak times, the bar is stacked three- and four-deep, which is great for meeting people but frustrating for quenching the inevitable thirst. A quick escape to the Pink Taco around the corner (adjacent to the restrooms) solves this problem. Getting a drink in this Mexican restaurant is so quick, it can have you back at your prime mingling spot without missing a beat. Occasionally, the Pink Taco itself goes off, making it something of a VIP party room. The food is good, too, and at $7 for a chicken enchilada dinner, it leaves plenty of wallet room for the really important stuff. There is a much more sedate scene - at least at first glance – at the Voo Doo Lounge. Located at the top of the Rio, has a spectacular view of the city. The outside balcony is especially popular on summer nights. A jazz band plays inside and the classy atmosphere, coupled with drinks such as the fishbowl sized smoking red voodoo mixture, makes it one of the most intoxicating lounges anywhere. This atmosphere lends itself to some serious socializing, making the Voo Doo Lounge one of the best places in Vegas to meet that special someone.
Dance Clubs
What's hot in Vegas now are a pair of bars at The Palms hotel. Rain in the Desert is a posh club with a fairly young crowd. The music is R&B, techno and house. Water, fire and fog are plentiful. It's open Thursday-Saturday with a $20 cover. Sometimes, it gets bands (like KISS) and the cover is adjusted accordingly. For a more mellow experience, Ghostbar is an upscale lounge at the top of the casino with 350-degree Vegas views and an outdoor deck. $10 cover Sunday-Thursdays and $20 on weekends. Don't expect quick entry into either. Patience is required, as well as continual passes to the casino bars to continually reload one's cocktails. Risque' in Paris is not a mega-floor dance club but rather a club/lounge. It's sleek and stylish, a place seemingly made for models and movie stars. The cool dance floor overlooks a multi-colored bar and near-private balconies face the Paris' front fountain. In the rear, there's a plush lounge. You'll find a cool staff & attitude here as well as a hip crowd – that's why locals love it. Fridays it features Latin and salsa music, making it unique among Vegas clubs. Getting to a club from the Hard Rock is as easy as walking downstairs. Baby's has been replaced by Body English as "the hidden nightclub under the Hard Rock." It's quite popular, adding nicely to the Hard Rock's bottom line.Take a break in this two-level club in the cave-like booths.
Lounge, restaurant, club, dance bar, you name it, Tao is it. This massive place in the Venetian has three separate levels and more rooms than some of Vegas' early hotels. Bar-goers are greeted by barely-clad girls in pools of orchards and from their it's either stay downstairs, go up to the second level or up to the third, which has large room with dance floor, a hallway of sorts with unique chairs, another bar or yet another room with couches and go-go dancers. Whew! Vivid is run by the famous (infamos?) porn company, in the Venetian Smaller than the mega-clubs, it has go-go dancers, holograms of dancing girls and plays dance music, hip-hop and top 40. Studio 54 has the name and the game to match the New York original. Located in the MGM Grand, with the entrance at Las Vegas Blvd. and Tropicana, it has been one of the most popular dance clubs for a few years. This three-level nightspot has a different theme each night (disco, 80s, etc.), and features four separate dance floors and four bars.The dress code is slightly more relaxed than at some other clubs, but t-shirts are not allowed and neither are loose-fitting "gang-style" clothes. Go properly attired and the friendly staff will make you feel like a VIP at the original Studio 54. Inside, the place pumps. The house music on weekends sends patrons directly to the dance floors, some of which look down on the first-floor mayhem. Studio 54 has a good guy-girl mix and is full of energy. For those requiring a rest, there's small lounge areas upstairs and downstairs, but most people don't stay seated for long.
Club Rio in the Rio is best on Wednesdays and Thursdays but does often get crowded on weekends. Even Caeser's has gotten into the club act with Pure. It's a little tight, (and tightwads should avoid the place because beers are $8 and bottled water is $7) with a dance floor between two VIP areas. Tuesdays are popular with locals. The Beach, once the king of Vegas, has made a comeback. Those familiar with Florida discos will immediately identify with the Beach (located across from the Convention Center). It has a casual, wild atmosphere , a howitzer that fires confetti and bikini-clad shot girls roaming the floor ready to whet your whistle. Longtime Vegas clubbers know Glow from it's days as the old Hop.
It gets big crowds on Fridays and Saturdays. It's off the beaten path and hardly high-tech, but locals land late at night at the Rainbow Bar & Grill. No, it's not a gay club but a sister of the Rainbow rock club in L.A. After 11, workers from other bars, the casinos or other Vegas jobs start rolling in for several drinks. The dress and demeanor is casual. It's across from the Hard Rock in a small shopping center. Live and Specific Music Clubs The best live music is usually found at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay. Various bands – including many big names – play here on a regular basis. The Hop (1650 E. Tropicana, open Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays) plays R&B, Mmaycayo Vegas, (four locations, including 1375 E. Tropicana) is about the only Salsa bar in town and country times can be had at the New Frontier in the Frontier hotel, which is owned by Gilley's, or even Gilley's itself (3120 S. Las Vegas Blvd). A favorite locals' band is Louie, Louie. This lively group attracts a fun, eager to please crowd. They often play at the Hilton, but bounce around to other spots. Check the entertainment sections of various papers to find them. After Hours There's never a last call in Vegas – ask anyone who has emerged from a casino or strip club to be greeted by the morning sun – but the clubs shut down hoping the patrons will go directly from the bar to the tables. There are two choices, however. The most popular is Drias. Located in one of the cornerstone casinos, Barbary Coast, Drias is a lounge with progressive house. As with many clubs in Vegas, don't expect to show up and waltz through the door. Waiting is required. It's open Friday & Saturday nights until dawn. A new rival to Drias is VooDoo Lounge, which is now open on Saturday nights. The Pool Parties It's Vegas, and that means it doesn't even have to be night to have nightlife. We're talking pool party. Thanks to the Hard Rock's hugely successful Sundays it's the newest Vegas phenom. Hotels are have turned their pools over to nightclub operators and they now include DJs and bottle service. Caesars Palace, the Mirage and Venetian have all added these "club pools" for lack of a better term. .And, unlike Mandlay Bay with its huge wave pool, cabanas and cocktails, you don't have to be a guest to be invited. A hot body (girls) and a fat wallet (guys) usually does the trick. Long considered the best pool in town, the Hard Rock (and we're talking rock hard bodies here, male and female) really cranked up the party level when it created Rehab in 2004. Within a week, the place was jammed and it's been so ever since. It's a Sunday afternoon experience and is so popular some actually stay in on Saturday night to go hard the next day. People start lining up as early as 8 in the morning; Rahab doesn't open until 11. When the Hard Rock starts to wind down later in the day, The Tao Beach Club at the Venetian starts to crank. It's called Sunset Sundays. The Venetian Pool at Caesars Palace is one of the many that offers a private area for topless female sunbathers (guys can go in for a heavy fee). Bare, at the Mirage, is not the massive thousand-person party but a much more intimate setting for about 250 guests. Girls who "release the twins" are given a free shot. And, just like their nightclub cousins, you just don't walk into these pool parties. Cover charges vary, at least $20 for women and $30 for men.
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It's
definitely off the beaten path, but locals in the know sure know about
it. The Fireside Lounge in the Peppermill Coffee Shop (across from
the Stardust) combines old and new Vegas. In the front is a typical 24-hour
coffee shop with waiters and waitresses moving to tables at the speed
of a craps game. In the rear is an old-fashioned lounge with a modern
touch – a Jacuzzi with a fireplace in the center sunken into the
floor surrounded by a sectional couch with TVs all around showing music
videos. If this were in a club, it would be the talk of the town. Since
it's here, it's good for getting the evening going and absolutely ideal
for a quiet post-club drink with that special someone. Locals file in
around 10 on weekend nights and also use it as a post-work meeting spot
on Fridays.
RA,
located in the Luxor, is a typical sophisticated dance club. It's dark,
has bikini-clad girls dancing in cages and a well-dressed clientele. High
rollers enjoy the VIP treatment with their own section. RA plays a mix
of music, from hip-hop to disco to rock, occasionally with a live band.
In keeping with the theme of Luxor, RA has huge Egyptian statues in the
bar. Thursdays is ladies night with free female admission and drink specials,
but the club is best Wednesdays and weekends. RA has a reputation for
its discriminating doorman, so be patient and friendly. Then cut loose
inside.
Next
stop on the Party Bus: PostParty