Vegas does not seem to be wanting for places to go out and drink and dance and generally test out that "What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" mantra. But it seems like there are new places opening almost every week and it is virtually impossible to keep up with them. I went to go check out seven (!!) night spots that are either new or that I just hadn't gotten around to visiting before.
Haze Nightclub
I have to admit that I really don't understand the appeal of places like Haze at Aria Las Vegas. Don't get me wrong, I love a good nightclub - one that plays a good mix of dance beats, has a fun and lively energy, and serves up some wicked cocktails to keep things interesting. Heck, I worked in nightclubs for more than a decade so I know the scene inside and out.
What I don't enjoy is the trend most Vegas nightclubs are following, which is to put people into ridiculously long lines to get in, charge them exorbitant cover and drink prices, and then cram them into a space so crowded and overwhelming that the idea of "fun" is overtaken by one's instinct for basic human survival.
Or maybe I'm just getting old. That's possible, too.
Haze is the latter type of club, which means of course that in Vegas it is insanely popular already. Done by the same company that manages Bank at Bellagio and Jet at Mirage (along with several others), I could waste a lot of space talking about the decor (dark, multi-level), seating (only for VIPs getting bottle service), or sound system and lights (state of the art) but at a place like this it really doesn't matter. What does matter is that the crowds are coming in droves and they seem to be enjoying themselves immensely. It is worth noting that very few of them fall into the "getting old" category unless you consider 25 old.
Haze Nightclub
Aria Las Vegas
3730 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-693-8300
website
Open Thu-Sat 10:30pm-4am
Cover varies
Vanity
The premiere club at the Hard Rock Hotel used to be Body English, a dark and moody spot in the basement. Now the action has moved upstairs to this new club, Vanity, which lacks a bit of the drama of Body but is just as entertaining (or frustrating depending on your point of view).
The main room is divided into a series of cozy spaces with lots of lounging areas, a fireplace, and a big dance floor. Most of the seating is reserved for VIP bottle service so if you aren't a very important person, wear comfortable (but still stylish) shoes because you'll be standing on them all night long.
I liked the more intimate vibe of the place but it does create some traffic pattern nightmares. The upper level has the throngs trying to get to the main bar on one side, roped off VIP banquette seating on the other, and big support columns right in the middle. This leaves roughly 11 inches of room for people to try to get from one side of the club to the other and so major gridlock ensues.
One cool feature is the chandelier over the dance floor. Made of more than 20,000 crystal LEDs, the thing amorphous shape curves across the entire ceiling and down into the floor. Sort of like Viva Vision at the Fremont Street Experience, it can broadcast images so it turns the space into a dazzling display.
There is also a large outdoor patio with VIP cabanas and a fire pit overlooking the Hard Rock's expanded pool area.
The crowd is squarely in the young, pretty, party set so dress to impress.
Downsides include a chaotic horde trying to get in - the concept of lines seems to have escaped them - and very high cover and drink prices, which means it's just like every other club in town.
Vanity
Hard Rock Hotel
4455 Paradise Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89169
702-693-5555
website
Open Thu-Sun 10pm-4am
Cover varies
Piranha Nightclub and 8 1/2 Ultralounge
First off all, the piranhas are gone. It involved the city and animal laws and concern over the well-being of either the fish or the people who were near the man-eating beasts.
But the club still remains and still reigns as probably the best nightclub for other types of man-eating beasts.
The complex serves as two very distinct experiences in one streamlined package. 8 1/2 is the cheekily named ultralounge portion, which includes a full bar, lots of comfy booths and chairs, TV screens, and a fireplace. It's dark and cozy the way a good ultralounge should be. There's also a big outdoor patio with more lounging opportunity. It's nice to look at but may not be the best place to actually be, partly because of the weather (often too hot or too cold) but mostly because of the planes landing at nearby McCarran airport, so low over the building that it appears that you could reach up and touch them. Loud too. Really loud.
The other part of the facility is Piranha, the high-energy dance club. You access it through 8 1/2 down a hallway lined with now fishless aquariums. The two-story space features a sizeable dance floor (not so big that you'll feel like an idiot if there aren't many people out there but big enough for you and several dozen of your closest friends), booths and tables, and a ring of VIP lounges on the second floor overlooking it all.
The crowd is a mix of tourist and local but definitely leans more tourist because of the place's proximity to The Strip. It also skews young and pretty, so 40-somethings need to have a good sense of self and/or an active gym membership to not feel out of place.
Cover prices can be high - $20 on weekends - but of the three major gay dance clubs in Vegas (Krave and Gipsy being the other two) this one is probably the best from an atmosphere, energy, and design perspective so it may just be worth it.
Piranha and 8 1/2
4633 Paradise Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89169
702-791-0100
website
Open daily 10pm until dawn
Cover varies
Eve
This nightclub at CityCenter is part of Eva Longoria-Parker's Beso restaurant, so it shares much of the design aesthetic of the dining room meaning it is various shades of black (that's a joke by the way). It should be a dark cave of a space but there are giant windows overlooking the main CityCenter driveway so it winds up being pleasantly inviting.
There are big VIP booths on several tiers around the dance floor, which is pretty much just a big space in the middle of the room that you will probably have to pass through to get from one side to the other. Hold onto your drinks tightly.
Along with the requisite pounding sound system and dazzling lights are a ring of monitors above the dance floor that display videos, images, and other distractions. It's a nice touch that makes this particular boogie spot a little more memorable.
Despite being owned by one of the "Housewives," the crowd this club draws seems to be a little less desperate meaning that it feels more grown up than some of the other party pits in town. That doesn't mean that the patrons are significantly older or less stylish than what you'll usually find but they seem a little less inclined toward the drink-until-you-fall-down behavior that rules at most trendy clubs.
But Eve does have one thing in common with those places - cover charges and drink prices are high. Bring a big wallet.
Eve
The Crystals at CityCenter
3720 Las Vegas Blvd. S. Suite 260
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-227-3838
website
Open Wed, Fri-Sat 10:30pm-4am
Cover varies
Lavo
I'm going to keep this one short and simple because I don't want to be mean. Actually I do but I will allow my better nature to take over and try to keep the snarky comments about this nightclub at Palazzo to a minimum.
Located above a restaurant, there is absolutely nothing about this club that I could find to recommend. It's located above a restaurant, which means several flights of tricky stairs to get to it unless you can fake a limp and/or charm your way into the elevator.
Once inside, the relatively small room is basically a bar area and a dance floor with some VIP booths and tables scattered about. Taking up every single square inch of space (at least on the night I visited) was a human being. I will set aside my concerns about things like capacity limits and simply say that there were entirely too many people in the place and it felt less like a nightclub and more like Thunderdome, where your only mission is just to make it out alive.
I stepped inside and was literally swept into a line of people, pressed into someone front and back and continually pushed, poked, and prodded in less than enjoyable ways. Having no choice but to go with the proverbial flow, I suddenly found myself by the service area and had to get a big, burly security guard to help make a path back to the exit.
The crowd - what I could see of it in the blur of humanity - was not exactly what you might call high end. I'll let you have your own interpretation of what that means, sort of like the finale of "Lost."
At last count there were roughly eight and a half billion nightclubs in Las Vegas (give or take a billion) so you have many, much better choices than this one.
Lavo Nightclub
Palazzo Las Vegas
3325 Las Vegas Blvd. S.
Las Vegas, NV 89109
702-791-1800
website
Open Sun, Tue-Thu 11pm-4am and Fri-Sat 10pm-4am
Cover varies
Fun Hog Ranch
There is absolutely nothing special about the Funhog Ranch and that, precisely, is what makes it noteworthy.
This is the kind of bar found in just about every American city or town tolerant enough to have a gay bar. It's a single room dominated by a big central bar and a few cozy booths along one wall. That's pretty much it other than the video poker, darts, and jukebox providing the entertainment. No dance floor, no DJ, no velvet rope, no VIP booths with pricey bottle service. It's just a bar.
The clientele leans toward the levi/leather variety and its appreciators, definitely skewing a little older than your average trendy nightclub and a whole lot more casual. Friendly is the watchword; the kind of place where you can strike up a conversation with the bartender or the guy sitting next to you without breaking a sweat.
Prices are rock bottom - no such thing as a $40 cover and an $8 domestic beer here. Think free and $4 at most. What a welcome change.
By the way, in case you are wondering, the Funhog Ranch was the name of the establishment before it became a gay bar. Quite frankly it makes more sense now.
Funhog Ranch
495 E. Twain
702-791-7001
Open 24 Hours
No Cover except for special events
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