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Are You Ready For The Grand Opening Of Tao Beach?

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Anyone who knows anything about the Las Vegas club scene is buzzing with excitement as Tao Beach gets ready for their grand opening on March 18th. Tao Beach is set to be one of the largest dayclubs in Las Vegas (which is an extremely impressive feat especially by Las Vegas standards) and has undergone some massive changes to become what it today.

Tao Beach Dayclub is the brainchild of the brilliant creators of the Marquee and Tao Nightclub. They have reportedly said that the renovation has left the venue unrecognizable to anyone who had visited before the transformation. Everything from the decor, sound system, DJ booths, bars, and more has been revamped to reach the next level of the clubbing experience, and in our option, all of the effort they have put into its creation has been well rewarded.

While other nightclubs were hit hard by Covid, Tao actually used it to their advantage. Before Covid had hit in 2020, Tao had closed down their top floor to get started on the renovations. While Covid did slow down the project’s construction, that only gave them more time to perfect every detail of a plan that had long been in the works. Thanks to their patience and dedication, Tao Beach has now been fully converted into the most anticipated pool party of the year!

It took more than $50 million to construct what could only be called a monument to what a great party should be, and by the looks of it, that was money well spent. Every painstaking detail has been carefully designed to enhance the experience for the guests. They wanted to make getting in and having a great time as simple as possible, so the construction team had to face some gigantic challenges along the way to make that happen. Jason Strausst, the co-CEO of the Tao Group, said it was a “herculean effort” to construct the escalator that went through the roof of the Venetian directly from the restaurant and nightclub. 

Tao Beach first opened in 2007 with a venue that was just 18,000 sq ft. The small size had always posed a problem and prevented it from being a major player in the dayclub sphere, but since the renovation, the club has expanded to 44,000 sq ft and can now hold over 3,000 people. This is a game changer, and the club has already built up a movement of people who are anxiously counting the days until its grand opening.

Located right on the strip, this personalized tropical paradise really captures the Balinese influence through its exotic and lush design, while the beautiful views allow you to fully take in the wonders of the city. Tickets and cabana/daybed reservations for the grand opening of Tao Beach are going extremely fast, but luckily, there are still some available.

To secure your spot at the most exclusive pool party in Las Vegas, you can use the free Discotech app or you can click here to see upcoming Tao beach 2022 events and purchase your tickets or reserve a cabana/daybed today!

The Sahara Las Vegas to Debut Azilo Ultra Pool Party this Summer

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The Sahara’s pool gets a facelift as it gets ready to open for summer parties in Las Vegas. Now called Azilo Ultra Pool, the renovations to the pool bring sexy Moroccan décor to immerse visitors in a desert sanctuary.

The 35,000-square-foot Azilo will include VIP cabanas with HDTVs, private pools, spas, and restrooms; daybeds; lily pads; three bars; and plenty of lounge seating. Azilo Ultra Pool will be open to both resort and outside visitors daily, with events on Friday and Saturday nights as well.

Giant LED walls that are two stories high wrap around the outside of the pool and span the south end of the complex. The 10,000-square-foot wall plans to be one of the largest to be featured in a private setting on the Las Vegas Strip. Once turned on, the screen can broadcast concerts and live sports and even split into smaller screens for multiple feeds.

Stadium Swim at the Circa Grand Opening

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For years, the Las Vegas pool scene has been dominated by clubs such as Drai’s, operated by Caesars Entertainment, and MGM Resorts International’s Wet Republic, with celebrity DJs, thumping electronic music and steep cover charges. Wynn Resorts’ Encore Beach Club even had poles in its pool for dancing.

With Circa Resort & Casino, which opens to the public on Wednesday, Stevens is aiming for something different. Stadium Swim is more of an aqua sports bar than a nightclub, with six rooftop pools heated to as high as 39 degrees Celsius (103 degrees Fahrenheit) and a 143ft-wide TV screen showing sports.

On days with big games, Circa will open kiosks where guests can deposit money for poolside mobile wagering. Of course, hosting pool parties during a pandemic isn’t an ideal scenario, but Circa is taking precautions, including temperature checks, social distancing and frequent cleaning.

Circa is the first newly built resort on this scale since the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas opened in 2010, according to Chad Beynon, of Macquarie Research. It occupies the site of the former Las Vegas Club in downtown, an area undergoing a renaissance in part due to heavy investments by Stevens and his brother, Greg, who also own the D Las Vegas and the Golden Gate Hotel nearby.

The sports-themed pool area and an adults-only policy throughout the resort could help it stand out in a market with a lot of competition, said David Schwartz, a gaming historian at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

“Appealing to aspects of Las Vegas that many people love in a different way can be a formula for success,” he said.
Stevens originally considered calling the spot the Backyard, to convey what he wanted. “Kind of a like a great backyard, with a great pool scene, great food, sports on, and just a ton of fun,” he said.

Book your cabana / daybed / lounge chair for Stadium Swim here!

Memoire Boston Grand Opening – June 2019

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The Encore name has been making waves around New England shores with the buzz surrounding Boston’s newest grand addition. We’re proud to share news of such a large project coming to a city very close to our hearts, as both Encore and a fancy new nightclub will be joining us in Boston.

Big Night Entertainment Group (BNEG) is bringing Boston’s newest luxury nightclub, Mémoire, to the city’s brand new Encore Boston Harbor resort. The nightclub represents BNEG’s mission to bring world-class talent to New England and will host its kickoff on June 23rd with R3HAB. The forthcoming project will include a stacked opening lineup also featuring Steve Aoki, DJ Diesel aka Shaquille O’Neal, Cheat Codes, VICE, and Don Diablo. 

“We are beyond thrilled to introduce Mémoire and to be a part of the incredible Encore Boston Harbor project. Mémoire will offer a high-energy nightlife destination within the five-star property, regularly welcoming top DJs and nightlife talent from around the world. At Mémoire we wanted the guest experience to be unlike anything else in Boston, blending the most state-of-the-art technology available with glamorous and sophisticated décor. The result is a space that’s really high energy and captivating while still offering that luxurious and VIP experience.” – BNEG Principal Randy Greenstein

Mémoire oozes the epitome of a high-end nightclub, flaunting lustrous gold surfaces, plush accents, sensuous leather contours, custom marble tables, and glistening hand-blown glass chandeliers. Accommodating up to 650 guests in its 8,000 square foot space, Mémoire also holds 20 luxurious VIP tables, multiple bars, and alluring private areas. Set up for success, the space, of course, features the best of the best technology including a giant LED wall behind the DJ booth for captivating visuals. On the dancefloor, guests will look above to see a custom state-of-the-art chandelier showering them with vibrant light shows as they listen to the booming Funktion One sound system.

Mémoire is BNEG’s latest addition, joining the high ranks beside Boston’s award-winning club The Grand which has reinvented the city’s nightlife, particularly in the electronic music spectrum. Welcoming a weekly roster of the world’s top DJs and producers, The Grand has entirely dominated the Boston nightlife scene in a very short period of time. Stay up to date with Mémoire’s lineup and events, and book tables on the Discotech app.

Bootsy Bellows Grand Reopening West Hollywood

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The H.Wood Group’s throwback-style revamp gives the lounge a decidedly Palm Springs feel.

Throwback menus and vintage decors are all the rage across Los Angeles right now, and the redone Bootsy Bellows is certainly no exception. The longtime West Hollywood hotspot returns to life today, sporting a lush glassy and green interior for the all the club-goers in the Hollywood Hills.

Bootsy Bellows has been in operation, with a few updates and decor tweaks here and there, since 2012. It’s become a staple property for the busy H.Wood Group co-owners John Terzian and Brian Toll, as well as partner David Arquette. Even as the company continues to move further and further into hotels and restaurants, their original backbone remains in the nightlife space with places like Bootsy Bellows, Poppy, and the Peppermint Club.

The new Built, Inc.-designed bar and lounge comes in a rosy pink hue, with lots of plush banquette seating and light green accents, including lots of house plants inside. Chandeliers and a reflective main bar give the room a vintage Hollywood shimmer, while modern table bottle service draws in the current crowds.

Bootsy Bellows reopens tonight, keeping hours on Tuesday, Friday, and Saturdays.

On The Record Las Vegas Grand Opening Dec 28 – Lady Gaga

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Every new Vegas nightlife venue that has arrived in the past few years has demonstrated the same trend, gradually sliding away from the stereotypical Strip megaclub experience characterized by vast spaces and big-name DJs and toward more intimate and layered environments with varied programming.

“I was kind of surprised after we went to Vegas a few times and there wasn’t anyone approaching nightlife the way we’re doing it,” says Mark Houston of Houston Hospitality, the LA outfit teaming with MGM Resorts to fashion this fresh experience at Park MGM. “Obviously we’ve been spending a lot of time there and really enjoying taking in the show. I think we’ve touched on a lot of different experiences you can have in Las Vegas, and they’re all incorporated in this space.”

Twin brothers Mark and Jonnie Houston are known for crafting incredible levels of detail in their distinct LA venues, which include ’80s-styled spot Break Room 86, their first restaurant Butchers and Barbers and speakeasy Dirty Laundry. In Las Vegas, they’re holding tight to their style and point of view and creating a club on a different scale.

 

 

“It’s been both challenging and exciting,” Jonnie says. “We’re grateful to have MGM as partners and for them to give us this opportunity, and I don’t think Mark and I could have done it without that support. Vegas operates on a different scale. My brother and I design and build and conceptualize all our own venues in LA, and in Vegas we’re not allowed to touch anything. Everything has to be pre-planned. And what comes out of your brain doesn’t always translate correctly, so we have to be on-site to catch things and walk people through our process.”

On the Record begins when you enter a two-story record store off the main casino, across from Park Theater. After the Lady Gaga afterparty on the 28th, expect to see many more collaborations between the theater and music shop, which will operate four days a week. Lil Dicky headlines the show on New Years Eve.

Once upstairs, a speakeasy-style door provides your first interaction with an 11,000-square-foot space (club capacity is around 1,000 people) that feels like a collection of different, tiny, thematically related venues. An illuminated walkway reminiscent of the iconic “Billie Jean” video guides your entry. Walls are decorated with retro-collages of speakers, TV screens and cassette tapes. Three cozy karaoke rooms beckon, as does an enclosed brick-lined patio equipped with a vintage British double-decker bus that had to be lifted by crane into the new space; it has a bar and DJ booth built inside. The main room features three flexible stage-like spaces to accommodate varied entertainment, including a DJ booth built out of a chunk of an old Rolls-Royce. The fireplace-equipped living room will play a different music mix spanning genres and eras, and the hidden vinyl parlour will host guest bartenders who will create a cocktail based on guests’ musical selections.

“One thing Mark and I wanted to accomplish was to create multiple layers and experiences within the venue,” Jonnie says. “It seems like [in Vegas] you have to choose to either go Downtown for a nice, cool swanky bar or go to [the Strip] and a mega-nightclub, but there’s no place to find layers in one venue. It’s like the perfect movie. If you can laugh, cry and be scared and go through all these emotions, that’s something we’re striving for.”

“We’re just excited to be able to create something that complements Vegas,” Mark adds. “It’s not like competing. I think we’re all elevating these different experiences for people to enjoy and we’re hoping to do something that fills a void people are looking for.”

 

Red Rabbit NYC is Meatpacking’s Latest Hot Spot

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Amidst a busy schedule, within a frenetic workday, under the blinking eyes of a sleepless city, the elite, the few, like Alice, whose curiosity for adventure leads them down the rabbit hole, will venture to New York City’s Meatpacking District on October 6, 2018 for the opening of the exclusive Red Rabbit Club.

The 4500 square foot luxury NY nightlife venue will, ironically, fill the space once reserved for the Gilded Lily. But Red Rabbit Club will have no need to adorn itself unnecessarily. Hampton’s entrepreneur, Richie Hosein is launching the club that he hopes will, according to him, “elevate the standards for excellence for nightlife and create exceptional experiences for [its] guests.”

What makes the Red Rabbit Club unique is its exclusivity. Red Rabbit Club will offer just 17 tables, so intimacy is inherent in this subterranean and surreal venue. While other clubs focus on numbers, Red Rabbit is all about experience. The renovation plans intend to immerse the clientele in a multi-sensate experience through progressive technology and extravagant design elements.

Red Rabbit (not to be mistaken for Dead Rabbit, an Irish bar/restaurant in lower Manhattan) is only the latest in a series of successful projects for Hosein. In the summer of 2016, he launched AM Southampton, billed as Southampton’s #1 night life experience. Among the talent it attracted was Rap singer 50 Cent, who Hosein snagged again to host the opening of Red Rabbit.

Located at 408 15th Street, New York, NY, Red Rabbit is a short hop to Chelsea Market and a skip and a jump from The Tippler, another underground bar. These, and other, new, subterranean lounges are the  answers to the lofty insurgence of rooftop bars doting the city grid. With its “rabbit hole” staircase, sunken dance floor enveloped by red plush, velvet couches and booths, surround sound, smart lighting and LED screens on the walls and ceilings, Red Rabbit portrays the motif of mystery, clandestine meetings, and the joys of becoming enraptured in the realm of fantasy.

Lewis Carroll, author of Alice in Wonderland, wrote, “But I don’t want to go among mad people,” said Alice. “Oh, you can’t help that,” said the cat. “We’re all mad here.” Perhaps the select few patrons of Red Rabbit will feel, just for a moment, as the traffic rumbles above their heads, and the lights and sounds of the happy madness envelops them, that this is an escape, a well-deserved and much needed hiatus from the norm.

Tao Chicago Grand Opening September 2018

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“Everyone has a story about that space.”

That’s how Paul Goldstein summarizes people’s reactions to his mention of the iconic, 126-year-old building that sits on the corner of Dearborn and Ontario, which has previously housed trendy (and not so trendy) nightclubs, from Castle to Excalibur.

Goldstein is a partner of Tao Group, the uber-successful clubstaurant company that is gearing up to open an extravagant destination in the granite-clad structure. Given that a certain generation of Chicagoans engaged in much debauchery there, the property is a fitting home for this new venture.

The group likes to fill vacant but storied buildings with new life (Tao Uptown in New York, for one, is in a former movie theater that was originally built as stables for the Vanderbilt family). The Chicago property, landmarked in 1997, exemplifies this affinity. Tao has restored the entire building, embarking on an extensive gut rehab. Workers have removed most of the interior floors to create a dramatic 34,000-square-foot restaurant and nightclub with soaring ceilings, akin to Tao Group’s other glamorous venues in New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.

Filled with Asian art and antiques, the new Tao Chicago will be a hopping, see-and-be-seen spot. Its chefs will prepare dishes representing a variety of East Asian and Southeast Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Japanese, and Thai (don’t use the word “fusion” to describe this; executive chef Mike Armstrong hates it). The menu will incorporate favorites from other Tao locations: the decadent tuna Pringle, for instance, a chip-shaped wonton draped with thinly sliced premium tuna, heirloom tomato, and truffle, is coming over from LA. But it will also feature new dishes unique to Chicago, like a kampachi sashimi served with fried olives, pea shoots, and a hajikami vinaigrette. Tao Chicago will also offer an expanded selection of steaks because, as Goldstein puts it, “the clientele here is more meat-focused.”

Tao Chicago is preparing to open in late September. A tip: if you venture in early, you’ll be rewarded with 20 percent off everything for the first two weeks.

Only time will tell if Chicago will embrace this massive clubstaurant, but Tao Group is doing its best to make the space feel like a genuine part of this city. Its partners have spent months eating at local restaurants, observing what works here (approachable but impeccable service, complicated and challenging food) and what doesn’t (anything that seems too exclusive).

As a result, Chicago will have a slightly different feel than Tao’s New York and LA locations. As Goldstein says, “LA and New York are sometimes more ‘velvet rope,’ more difficult to get in, but we think in Chicago, it’s important to be inclusive, to be part of things. There are no VIP rooms, there is no behind the curtains.”

It’s hard to imagine that getting a reservation at Tao will be easy, but at least you probably won’t have to bribe the bouncer to make it inside.

New Nightclub On The Record Coming to Park MGM Las Vegas

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On the record, twin-brother L.A. nightlife impresarios Mark and Jonnie Houston are coming to Las Vegas with their new nightlife concept, On the Record.

Known for creating multilayered entertainment spaces — such as Good Times at Davey Wayne’s, Black Rabbit Rose and the carnival-themed, politics-tinged Madame Siam Sideshow Emporium — that blend drinking, dancing, design, socializing and cool hidden “speakeasy” entrances, the fraternal twins have been considering Las Vegas for years. But a space in Park MGM (formerly the Monte Carlo), a resort developed in partnership between MGM Resorts and Sydell Group, helped seal the deal.

“Sydell made the intro to MGM Resorts, and we were courted by them for three years,” says Mark Houston.

The duo’s popular Break Room 86 is located inside Sydell’s Line Hotel in Koreatown.

“As avid visitors, we said, ‘Why not do Vegas?’” Mark says. “There is a demand for something new and to add another layer that the town doesn’t have right now.”

“In the past, when Mark and I went to Las Vegas there haven’t been a lot of [nightlife options] that appeal to us — we go to nice dinners, see a Cirque show, get a massage, do a little gambling,” says Jonnie. “There was nothing that drew us — it was the same nightclubs. We want to create an immersive experience to take people out of the norm. We want people to go out and have a good time.”

At 11,000 square feet, On the Record, situated across from the Park MGM theater (where Lady Gaga will also debut her residency New Year’s Eve), will be the largest venture to date for the Houstons but small by Las Vegas mega-club standards. But the brothers are quick to point out that they aren’t trying to compete with such hotspots as Marquee and Hakkasan (averaging around 50,000 square feet). “I do love those places for what they are and I do appreciate them,” Jonnie says. “What they do is amazing, and they are great at what they do.”

Divided into three main spaces but offering multiple experiences, On the Record will incorporate the hallmarks of the Houstons’ existing venues and is sure to lure Hollywood fans as their L.A. spots do (Joaquin Phoenix, Robert Pattinson, Billy Idol).

“[The norm right now in Vegas is] one big room with one DJ, bottle service — and if you don’t have a table, you may feel pushed aside. We want to create an experience where everyone feels important,” Jonnie says, adding that OTR will allow partiers “to escape and explore so you are not stuck in one room.” He compares it to “the best date I have ever had…. Every place you go a different piece of magic happens.”

“The entry of the space is a fully functioning record store,” says Mark. “As kids, we went to Tower Records and picked out records. On the Record is nostalgic and driven by our experiences. You had to work for it; vinyl had a raw, gritty vibe versus a download.” He adds that there will be a hidden entrance from the store into the club, a design that’s “something we haven’t done before.”

Inside will be a main room with hidden VIP areas and a reservation-only “speakeasy within a speakeasy,” which Mark calls the “jewel box.” The outdoor patio does not face Las Vegas Boulevard.

“[The vibe is] ’60s, ’70s, ’80s, ’90s — it is a journey,” Jonnie says. “Within the rooms there [will be a mix of ] DJs and opportunities for bands to bend their genres.”

As with their L.A. spots, the brothers will design the space themselves and curate found items that work with the theme. On the Record will offer bottle service and other types of communal imbibing like punch bowls. Food will be served by a yet-to-be named partner and the cocktail program will be a combination of their team and other mixologists.

“When I go to L.A. and see them doing such a good job of creating a vibe and an experience that is different, then that’s what gets me excited,” says Sean Christie, president of events and nightlife for MGM Resorts International. “I supported them to build infrastructure in Las Vegas so that we can have the best of both worlds, which is their creativity, their unique spin on the way they see the world, the types of places they do in L.A. — and then combine that with the expertise that I have related to nightclubs and Las Vegas.”

Over the last decade, Christie created some of the desert city’s most well-known and profitable nightclubs for Wynn Las Vegas — such as Blush and Encore Beach Club — and later served as executive vp business development for Wynn Resorts. He joined MGM Resorts in early 2018.

“I think the things that have really worked in the last 10 years are entertainment-driven concepts driven by DJs, artists or famous people — names that cause people to buy tickets, prepay for tables and make their itinerary based on a calendar, much like you would decide to see a live show,” Christie notes. “But I found myself sitting in Break Room 86 and I was having a lot of fun and I thought it could work. It was unexpected, and I’m a hard customer to please. We’re inundated so much with technology, and because of things like vinyl — lo-fi things — [On the Record] evokes a certain amount of nostalgia and imagery that hits your soft spots.”

Introducing the Apex Social Club at the Palms Las Vegas

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“Why not have a few drinks on top of the world?” says Andy Masi of Clique Hospitality. His new Apex Social Club on the 55th floor of the Palms lets partiers do just that in a 4,500-square-foot boutique nightclub setting.

But before revelers even step foot in the nightclub with its views of the Las Vegas Strip from the west, they have to get up there, entering a corridor of black and midnight blue wall coverings before encountering an oversized custom metal screen and two exclusive elevators that head to Apex, designed by Alessandro Munge. The open-air social club features a 360-degree view of Las Vegas from the outdoor patio and terrace. A retractable glass floor-to-ceiling partition separates the club from the open sky.

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The space features four pieces of art by Brooklyn-based artist Dustin Yellin dubbed Pyschogeographies. The nearly 3,000-pound humanoid sculptures feature a collage cut from magazines and books, laid down on glass, and fused together with resin to create 3D paintings. All are part of a larger collection of 120 sculptures that are typically displayed like that of the ancient Terracotta Soldiers.

Inside, the bar features bronze metal trim, midnight blue stone, and ombre glass. Aside from the astounding views, visitors can order VIP bottle service, all while looking down on the city.