Las Vegas Nightlife Is Getting Some New Players — Including an Invite-only Cocktail Bar, a Cabaret-style Nightclub, and a Mexican-inspired Speakeasy
These nocturnal experiences are breaking the mold.
Between Formula 1 taking over the iconic Las Vegas strip in November and Super Bowl LVIII coming in February, all eyes will certainly be fixed on Sin City. And while visitors have come to expect larger bacchanals, a new wave of more personal and intimate nocturnal experiences is being ushered in. Here are three unique concepts that are breaking the mold.
The Vault at Bellagio Resort & Casino
Bellagio Resort & Casino's newest cocktail bar, The Vault, is an exclusive affair. You can't make a reservation on a website, as it's strictly by invitation only. Though, we hear sending a note through its Instagram page (@thevaultbellagio) or asking a general manager at one of Bellagio’s restaurants may get you a pair of bar seats or even a booth inside the Studio Munge-designed space.
The bar has room for 50, but don’t expect it to be packed full, according to Craig Schoettler, MGM Resorts International’s executive director of beverage. The focus here, Schoettler told Travel + Leisure, is to offer exceptional libations composed of “liquid history.”
Guests can expect a menu of playful riffs, as well as traditional cocktails composed of rare spirits — such as a sidecar made with 1930s Remy Martin cognac and daiquiris featuring Bacardi rum from the 1950s with Bahamian provenance. Since these encyclopedic spirits are extinct, sourced from private collectors, and offer a “taste of time,” their library will evolve as these bottles are consumed, according to Schoettler.
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The Vault is also “all about details” from fresh herbs and juices, precisely cut ice, Baccarat glassware, and a stunning globed chandelier framing a bar stocked with an impressive selection of rare Hardy Perfection cognacs and Old Fashioned Copper bourbon, which retails at hundreds of dollars a sip. And should you be feeling peckish, the bar snacks include the likes of A5 Wagyu sandwiches, fried spaghetti, cheese bites, stuffed olives, and a variety of caviar preps.
The Vault is open daily from 5 p.m. to 1 a.m., with live entertainment Thursday through Saturday. Signature cocktails range from $50-$100, while vintage offerings are market price.
Voltaire at The Venetian Las Vegas
As part of its $1 billion refresh, The Venetian Las Vegas announced its new entertainment concept last month: a cabaret-style nightclub called Voltaire. According to Michael Gruber, the chief content officer at The Venetian, this modern-day retro disco dance party is akin to the second coming of New York’s famed Studio 54.
Australian pop star Kylie Minogue is the inaugural headliner, with her first Las Vegas residency at the 1,000-seat venue. “From the beginning, Las Vegas was a place where you could have an intimate entertainment experience … think the Rat Pack in the Copa Room," Gruber told T+L. "Our vision for Voltaire was to create an intimate and luxurious venue that gives performers like Kylie Minogue the space to create legendary performances and give fans an extraordinary up-close experience. On other nights, the venue provides an immersive experience that transcends traditional nightlife and becomes an unforgettable journey.”
And while Minogue’s 20 dates, which run through May 2024, sold out in minutes, limited VIP packages that include accommodations and exclusive backstage tours are available at ticketmaster.com.
Courtesy of The Venetian Resort Las Vegas
Wax Rabbit at Durango Casino and Resort
When Station Casinos opens the doors to its $750 million Durango Resort and Casino on Nov. 20, guests will have a lot to explore within this 200+ room entertainment complex.
Those looking for the property's most intimate watering hole should head to the signature Mexican eatery Mijo, one of 15 restaurants at the resort. Look for the terracotta brick hallway adorned with a marigold flower installation, proceed down a proverbial rabbit hole toward an alcove, and pull on the correct decorative rabbit to gain passage into an agave-centric speakeasy called Wax Rabbit.
This 1,000-square-foot room is framed by wooden arches to create the sense of entering into a tequila vault, albeit one dressed with red drapery and velvet banquettes. In terms of beverage, expect an emphasis on mezcal and tequila with signature Oaxacan old fashions and añejo negronis.
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