The Las Vegas Night Club Scene. What You Need to Know.

Chapter 6: Entertainment & Shows

6.1: Getting married in Las Vegas
6.2: After the sun goes down
6.3: Best long running shows
6.4: Getting the best deals
6.5: What or who is playing now
6.6: The hot Vegas night c lubs
6.7: Bars, lounges & comedy clubs
6.8: Seamy side of Sin City

6.6 The hot Las Vegas night clubs

Many vacationers go to Vegas to gamble ...some to see shows and sample fine dining. But for the 20 and 30 year old set, its dancing the night away! Las Vegas is the undisputed hot dance club capital of the world! The emergence of the sensual ultra-hip nightclub is a relatively new Vegas trend that started in 1999. And they are unbelievably popular (...and profitable!) Most dance clubs have superb “special effects” ...ultra-modern interior design, unique decor and state-of-the-art sound systems with video and varied lighting.

Dancing the night away

Once the sun goes down, the party begins and lasts all night. The turnover/ratio/"friendliness" of girls/guys going to these clubs can be different from one day to the next! Remember, the average stay in Las Vegas is just three or four days. So you can expect a different set of party people every time you go. The following is what you need to know to go “clubbing.”

The wait at the popular clubs can be excessive ...especially on Friday and Saturday night. Take note that most of the “hot clubs” are only open on the weekend ...from Thursday to Sunday. A few are open every evening. The action starts at about 10:00 p.m. and goes to dawn ...the real action starts after midnight.

You might want to make the rounds of the less than hottest clubs and see what is happening at each one. The top clubs charge a $20 (or more) cover charge ...double that for VIP (immediate) entrance. Drinks at the clubs range from $5 to $10 each.

Included here is a list of the top clubs in LV. Which one is the best is a matter of opinion. It is the caliber of the party-going public at the club (and not the club itself) that is important. But club "reputation" does "entice" and The Palms and Hard Rock are well known as being the hottest of the hot spots. (And both are located slightly off the Strip.)

There is a three tier pricing system to get into the hot dance clubs ...somewhat common in large cities like New York, LA and Miami but hardly anywhere else. You need to know the system.

Pricing policy at Las Vegas night clubs

(1.) The cover charge ($20 to get into the hot clubs) only gets you in PROVIDING there is room ...otherwise you wait in line ...sometimes two to four hours! A line pass you get over the Internet or buy through eBay doesn't make you a VIP. It just moves you from the General Admission line into the slightly shorter line. Get there early if you only want to pay the lowest cover charge.

(2.) The real VIP "ticket" (no waiting, immediate "front of the line" entry) usually costs double ...sometimes more ($40 to $50) It just gets you in quicker. Without it, you'll be waiting in the long lines with thousands of other frustrated would-be partiers. But even then, once you get in, you will probably have to stand up and just wander around. Not bad if Brittany Spear, Paris Hilton ...or other celebrities are there too. And sometimes they are! Available public tables are snapped up fast.

(3.) The third pricing tier is the "bottle or table service" ...at the nightclubs and "ultra-lounges" ...as in ultra-sophisticated lounge. In Vegas, you pay a lot of bucks to sit down. Table/bottle service gets you admission to a velvet roped-off area within a club when you purchase a bottle of liquor for $200 to $400 ... along with immediate entry for four people, a table and free mixers. There are different bottle service plans. But basically they all work the same way. Club goers pour their own drinks and they can invite friends over to the table. (Read this Forbes article on bottle Service.)

For example, the "Tangerine" at Treasure Island (now called “TI”) has a "package deal" costing $500 for a table, admission for four guests, and one bottle of Absolut Vodka. On average, each additional bottle will run you $200 or more.

Getting VIP Treatment

A big mistake people make when visiting Las Vegas is not planning ahead. Ideally you should nail down an itinerary for every day of your trip. Don’t wait until you get to Vegas to line up your shows, major meals and the attractions you want to see.

Getting into a hot night club can be difficult or impossible ...especially as it gets closer to midnight. By then, the good ones are packed wall-to-wall. No one wants to waste away half the night standing in line. A way around this is to use the services of a VIP host.

VIP hosted entry to hot clubs and hosted entry plus transportation is big business in Las Vegas. And it is getting bigger all the time, so big that it is hard to keep up with who is offering what. “Hosted Entry” is where, for a fee, a provider with the right contacts will get you fast entry into night clubs. Many will transport you there in a limousine. Some offer bachelor and bachelorette parties. You name it, someone provides it in Sin City!

Here are some online addresses of companies that offer hosted entry. Be aware that it is not cheap ...it can run $50 and more. And even when you pay the fee, it is still customary to tip the club doorman. ($10 is about right, more for special favors.) Click on any of these websites and decide if paying for guaranteed entry is worth the price. (Most have toll-free phone numbers. Call them and see what they can do for you.)

Bachelor Vegas
Vegas VIP
Bachelorette Vegas
Vegas VIP Services

What should I wear?

It makes a difference what sex you are when it comes to Las Vegas clubbing. Women get all the advantages! In order to improve the female/male ratio, girls are given a price break or other benefits ...such as ladies night, free to local fems, reduced cover charge, etc.

Unlike most everywhere else in Las Vegas, most dance clubs have dress codes. For women, the dress code is listed as: “Stylish nightlife attire” (which in everyday language means “sexy.”) Most gals at the hot clubs dress to impress; they show a lot of skin and wear ultra-chic, fashionable dresses. The clubs want to be full of very hot girls, high rollers and celebrities, especially on Fridays and Saturdays. The host with the clipboard at the door controls entry ...and he is fussy.

So gals, look the part. Bring a black cocktail dress if you want to go clubbing at the hot lounges. (It can double as a fancy dress for one of those high dollar celebrity chef restaurants.) If you don’t have one, make a trip to

Victorias Secret before you come to Vegas and get one. (They have many sexy dresses at very reasonable prices: $50-$150. Click on the link)

And Guys: Bring a lot of money if you want to get in quickly ...and for that certain to be hefty bar tab. Tip: Men should go alone or with a gal! Three or more men usually end up outside looking in ...and never get inside! Male dress code is “business casual.” You don’t have to wear a tie, but dress like you are applying for a management position. (That means: no hats, tennis shoes/sandals/work boots, shorts, T-shirts, jerseys, athletic attire, denim jeans, baggy pants, etc.) A collared button-down shirt and nice slacks is ideal.

List of all Las Vegas Nightclubs
Quick Guide to Las Vegas Nightclubs

All clubs are open on Friday and Saturday and several are open Sunday through Thursday.

If you want to go to the best, hit the Tao Nightclub at the Venetian. It is a high energy DJ driven club. Tao has to main rooms and an outside terrace with a great view of The Strip. Features attractive go-go dancers and state-of-the-art audio and lighting systems.

NEWS: 1OAK ("One of a Kind") nightclub coming to Vegas! Confirming earlier rumors, the Mirage's Jet nightclub closed on Tuesday, Sept. 6, 2011. The club will reopen on New Year's Eve as 1OAK ("One of a Kind"). Las Vegas' leading nightclub developer, The Light Group, is partnering with The Butter Group, New York's premier lifestyle and hospitality company to bring a "One of a Kind Nightlife Experience" to Las Vegas. (1OAK New York and 1OAK Brazil boast visits by the world's biggest celebrities such as Beyonce, Jay-Z, Madonna, Katy Perry, Cameron Diaz, Kanye West, Calvin Klein and many others.)