You know what they say – what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas. Las Vegas is the undisputed party capital of the United States, with some of the biggest, most opulent night clubs and pool parties in the world. Vegas ain’t your hometown club – it’s a completely different beast.
For those of you looking to head to Vegas for the first time, we’ve got you covered. Read on to get the download on clubbing in Vegas.
Flights to Vegas
If you’re planning typical Vegas party weekend (Friday to Sunday) we’d recommend you fly out as soon as you can get off work on Friday and leave as late as you can Sunday. You’ll need to do a lot of ground work on Friday before hitting up the club – checking into your hotel, getting some dinner, getting booze for pregame, getting ready, pregaming (maybe even a quick disco nap if you can fit it in). The earlier you arrive the less rushed you’ll be.The cheapest flights on Sunday are going to be the early morning flights. You might be thinking – “maybe I can party all night and catch the flight out” – but trust us, this more often than not ends up backfiring. An afternoon flight is usually safest in terms of not missing your flight, but if you’re looking to keep the party going at a Sunday pool party, then you’d better make it Sunday night.
Where to Stay
First things first – you’ll need to decide where to stay. This really depends on the number of people in your party and your budget. Our go to is the Bella suite at the Venetian or Palazzo. These suites come with two queen beds and a pull out queen, allowing you to comfortably sleep 6 people per room. There are of course much cheaper Vegas hotels (Mirage, Treasure Island, Circus Circus, Flamingo etc) and also high end luxury suites available for thousands a night. But we’ve found that the Bella suite is luxurious, in a good location, and provides the best bang for your buck.
If you’re only planning on going to clubs / pool parties in a certain hotel, it definitely makes sense to try and stay in that hotel. For example, Wet Republic and Hakkasan are both in MGM Grand. XS and Encore Beach Club are both at the Encore/Wynn. Staying in the same hotel means you don’t need to take Ubers, and can easily leave separately if needed.
Where to Go
There are several things to consider when deciding where you want to go – budget, type of music, artist / DJ, pool party and/or nightclub?
Budget – if you’re looking to get bottle service or buy tickets, the prices vary widely depending on the club and artist/DJ performing. If you’re looking for the cheapest bottle service deals in Vegas, Chateau will be your spot. If you’re looking to drop 15k on a dance floor table at Calvin Harris, you’ll want to check out Omnia.
Type of music – certain clubs / pool parties are mostly electronic music (Encore Beach Club, XS, Omnia, Wet Republic, Marquee Dayclub) while others are primarily hip hop / Top 40 (Daylight, Tao, Chateau, Light)
DJ/Artist – is there a particular DJ / artist that you want to see? Check out the upcoming Vegas events calendar to see who’s playing.
Pool party or nightclub – Or both? It’s definitely possible to do a pool party / nightclub back to back. Pool parties typically get started around 12 noon, and they end around 5-6 PM. If you leave at 5, get some dinner, and grab a quick nap, you can definitely be ready to start pregaming again around 9-10. You’ll usually want to head to the club around 11 PM.
Each dayclub / nightclub is located at a different hotel and features different music, different DJs / artists, and a different vibe. We’d recommend doing some research to find the best Vegas pool parties and best Las Vegas nightclubs that fit your needs.
Nightswims
Nightswims are the best of both worlds – a pool party at night. These only take place during the summer when it’s warm enough to get in the water at night. Some of our best nights have been at these nightswims. Swim attire is encouraged but not mandatory.
Afterhours
Most of the clubs in Vegas end around 4 AM, but if you’re still looking to keep the party going, there are a few after hours spots in Vegas – Drai’s After Hours, Tempo Afterhours, and Terrace After Hours. These aren’t open every night, so be sure to check each venue to ensure that they are open before you go.
How to Get In
There are three ways of getting into a nightclub / dayclub in Vegas:
Guest List
This is the most economical option. Guest list in Vegas is either free or discounted before a certain time. For certain guest lists, you’ll need to have an even ratio of guys to girls (if you have X guys, you’ll need to have X or more girls in your party). On certain nights with bigger talent, it might be free for ladies and discounted for guys. Guest list typically has a cut off time, but it can also be cut at any time due to capacity, though this usually only happens on holiday weekends.
Some guest lists come with perks such as free drink tickets or open bar before a certain time. Each guest list has different details, cut off times, perks. You can find all the details, and sign your party up for guest list on the free Discotech app. The important thing to note about guest list is that the earlier you arrive, the smoother your experience will be. If you can rally your group to get to the club by 10:30 or 11:00, guest list will definitely be the best option for you.
Tickets
Presale tickets allows you to reserve your entry in advance and not have to arrive to the club by a certain time. Tickets for most clubs range from $20-40 for ladies, and $30-60 for guys on most standard nights. Expect to pay more for Holidays or nights with big talent (Drake at XS for example). Buying a ticket means you’re pretty much guaranteed entry. Some clubs offer VIP ticket options with bar cards that let you get in faster and come with a bar spend. For example a $100 VIP bar card would let you bypass the regular line and comes with $100 for you to spend at the bar. If you were planning on spending that at the bar anyway, you might as well get quicker entry!
Bottle Service
The last and most expensive option is bottle service. When you’re getting table service at a club, you’re basically agreeing to hit a minimum spend on alcohol. The table and mixers are included. You also get a server to bring you your alcohol and help you pour drinks.
Each table booking has a minimum spend – which is the amount you’ll need to spend on alcohol / food. The minimums quoted never include the tax/tip, which in Vegas is roughly 30-35%. Gratuity is always automatically included – don’t be fooled by your waitress at the end of the night when they ask for more – it’s not required. Whenever you book a table you’ll want to multiply the minimum by 1.35 to figure out how much you’ll end up spending. A 1k min will run at least 1.3k. Each table comes also comes with a max number of admissions. If you have more people in your group, you’ll need to pay an increased minimum or have the others get on with tickets.
Why would you get bottle service? There are many reasons:
– You get expedited entry in a VIP line
– You’ll get a place to sit, put your things down, hang out
– Table service comes with alcohol so you don’t have to spend money at the bar
– If you’re a guy, you can bring girls back to your table
– If you’re a girl, you can bring guys back to your table (or just hang out with your girlfriends without having to talk to random guys to get drinks)
The downside to bottle service of course is that it can get pretty expensive. You’re looking at anywhere from 250-400 per person on the table. But if you’re looking to blow your entire budget on one night, it can definitely be an extremely fun way to do it!
Vegas nightlife can seem complicated at first, but after a few trips you’ll pick it up quickly. Party safely, my friends!
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