The Las Vegas nightclub scene is out of control. There, I said it. There are simply too many choices, most of which are too expensive, too crowded, and too intimidating for anyone other than 23 year olds with perfect bodies.
But they have to be doing something right to be drawing the kind of constant business they are, so it's time once again for a Vegas Club Crawl - a look at several new(ish) nightclubs that are competing for your dancing dollars.
Our first stop was in Downtown Las Vegas where we visited the Downtown Cocktail Room, one of several new bars and nightclubs that are springing up along the formerly decrepit and dangerous stretch of Fremont Street just east of the Fremont Street Experience.
Along with The Griffin and Beauty Bar, plus several other upcoming spaces, Downtown Cocktail Room is seeking to change the dynamic of Downtown with cool, friendly, and relatively inexpensive bars that offer a more convivial vibe than the packed and competitive clubs and ultra-lounges on The Strip.
Behind a big door is a small, dimly lit space full of warm Zen energy and sumptuous visuals. From the polished concrete floor to the deeply padded couches and seats to the leather and other textures on the walls and furnishings, the Downtown Cocktail Room is just as "cool" as those ultra-lounges on The Strip from a form and function level.
Music plays softly during the early evening to allow for actual conversations and a DJ booth kicks things up later in the evenings but since there is no formal dance floor it's still more of a soundtrack than a main act.
There is no cover and drink prices are anywhere from 20-30% less than what you'd pay at a similar place on The Strip.
The crowd is primarily a local one, drawing heavily from the Downtown business district. Thing suits and ties early with more casual wear later on as the people from around town come out to play.
The Downtown Cocktail Room is located at 111 Las Vegas Boulevard South, a half-block from The Fremont Street Experience and is open daily from 5pm until they feel like shutting the doors.
After that we had to head to The Bank, the highest of high end clubs now open at Bellagio. How high? On the night we visited the cover charge was $50 although that has gone down now to a still expensive but more on par with the competition $30. And mind you that's just to get in the door. Drinks are likewise very pricey and if you want to sit down in any of the comfortable booths you're going to have to get bottle service, which starts at $500 a bottle and on busy Saturday nights may have a three-bottle minimum. That's right, $1,500 to sit down.
But if you have that kind of cash to throw around and are looking for an exclusive, celebrity and power-player heavy nightclub experience, it's hard to think of a place that tops The Bank.
The space is gorgeous, a complete overhaul of the room that once used to occupy the Bellagio's former high-end nightclub Light. It's a multi-level room with several tiers of booths and plush seating overlooking a big dance floor and ultra-exclusive VIP rooms scattered about.
The place is built for partying with a state of the art sound and light system and fun touches like ice machines that rain snow down on the dancing throngs.
Due to the cost, the crowd here is a little more well-heeled than your average club-goer and a little older as well, so while you may not get sneered at for being over 40 here you may get sneered at if you're wearing something from Target.
Bank is located at Bellagio and is open Thursday through Sunday, 10:30pm until 4:00am.
Our last stop of the evening was across the street to the two new clubs at Planet Hollywood, Privé and the Living Room.
Both are from The Opium Group, the company that operates three of Miami's most successful nightclubs including the original Privé in South Beach.
The Vegas version of Privé is stunning, with an amphitheatre inspired layout full of comfortable booths and seating areas, a massive two-story fireplace, project screens for fun visuals, a slamming sound and light system, several bars, and plenty of other eye candy to keep you entertained.
As if the space itself weren't enough to get you jazzed, you have to factor in the complete lack of pretention that goes on here. Unlike most nightclubs (see The Bank above) where most seating is reserved for VIPs and bottle service, the bulk of the seating at Privé is open to anyone so it won't cost you a ridiculous amount of money just to rest what you've been shaking on the dance floor - or anywhere else for that matter. Dancing is encouraged everywhere in the club; feel like climbing up on a table or speaker and expressing your inner Go-Go Girl or Guy? Go for it - they want you to have fun.
On top of that there is no serious dress code here and the costs of the covers and drink prices are all much more reasonable.
The result is a truly friendly nightclub that doesn't have the kind of intimidating vibe that most others due, where people are just there to have a great time instead of standing and posing.
The same $20 admission also gets you into The Living Room, an ultra-lounge space adjacent to Privé that owns up to its name with an intimate homey vibe, if your home has leather couches and big fireplaces and chandeliers of course. The groove here is much more laid back than its neighbor but there is still a lot of energy amongst the clientele and the broad mix of people is an encouraging change of pace.
Privé and The Living Room are located at Planet Hollywood and are open Monday, Friday, and Saturday from 10pm until 4am.
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