Las Vegas Nightlife
Despite the recent rocky economy, Las Vegas's nightlife remains relatively hot. Still fueled by the "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" advertisements (read: "All your sins here get expunged completely as soon as you pay your bookie, loan shark, and/or credit card bill"), nightlife impresarios on the Strip keep dipping into their vast pockets in order to create over-the-top experiences where party-mad Visigoths—plus, well, you and me—can live out some wild fantasies. The number of high-profile nightclubs, trendy lounges, and sizzling strip bars continues to grow, each attempting to trump the other in order to attract not just high rollers, but A-list celebrities and the publicity that surrounds them. Gambling? Why bother when you can lounge beside the pool by day and bellow at the moon by night while dancing half-clad at a club until noon the following day (when it's back into the pool you go)?
In the late 1990s, once the Vegas mandarins decided that the "family experience" just wasn't happening, Sin City nightlife got truly sinful again, drawing raves from clubbers worldwide. A wave of large dance clubs, such as the Luxor's (now-defunct) Ra, opened their doors, followed by a trendy batch of cozier ultralounges—lounges with dance floors—like the MGM Grand's Tabú.
The game of one-upmanship has continued—recent additions that have kept the city hopping include Victor Drai's glorious new nightclub XS and the Palms' sensational twofer of Moon and the Playboy Lounge. What's more, bawdy '50s-era burlesque lounges are continuing their comeback with a gaggle of clubs now dedicated to the art of striptease.
Few cities on earth match Vegas in its dedication to upping the nightlife ante. So with all these choices, no one—not even the Visigoths—has an excuse for not having fun, however you define the "f" word.
Las Vegas Hotel Reviews
The world of Vegas-area casino hotels changes constantly. In the early 2000s, just about every resort was investing heavily in family-friendly accommodations and activities. Today, however, most places have refocused squarely on decadence and debauchery.
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino
This resort is actually three hotels in one—the namesake Mandalay Bay, THEhotel, and the Four Seasons-Las Vegas. Each brand is distinct, and each has a separate entrance.
Mirage Las Vegas
The Mirage rang in the modern era of Las Vegas, but then started to look a little too "1989," thanks to modern hotel trends. So the casino and restaurants received an end-to-end makeover, all timed to the mid-2006 opening of Cirque du Soleil's Beatles-theme show. Even the campy exploding volcano (it erupts every 15 minutes from 7 pm until midnight, shooting fire high into the air) received some souped-up special effects; it got a complete overhaul in 2009.
Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino
The hotel formerly known as Aladdin underwent a makeover in 2007, and was reborn as Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Nearly $300 million later, the resulting property offers some of the trendiest and most exclusive clubs and restaurants in Vegas, and is considered by many to be the "it" property of today.
Bellagio Las Vegas
After more than 10 years, Bellagio remains a top getaway despite the considerable competition from upscale properties. It's impressive more for its refined elegance than for gimmicks, although hipsters and minimalist-minded travelers may find the gilt and glitter too much to stomach.
Luxor Las Vegas
Welcome to the land of the Egyptians—Vegas style. This modern world wonder is topped with a xenon light beam that burns brighter than any other in the world and can be seen from anywhere in the valley at night; for that matter, it's supposedly even visible from space.
City Center
It took the better part of ten years, $8.5 billion and a cash infusion from a company in Dubai, but CityCenter, the largest privately funded construction project in U.S. history, opened in late 2009 with unprecedented fanfare.
Wynn Las Vegas
In a city that keeps raising the bar for sheer luxury, the Wynn—monolithic in both name and appearance—has taken a new, more discreet turn for the tasteful.
The Venetian Resort Casino
This theme hotel re-creates Italy's most romantic city with meticulous reproductions of Venetian landmarks—including the Grand Canal.
Planet Hollywood Resort and Casino
The hotel formerly known as Aladdin underwent a makeover in 2007, and was reborn as Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Nearly $300 million later, the resulting property offers some of the trendiest and most exclusive clubs and restaurants in Vegas, and is considered by many to be the "it" property of today.
