POSTED: 11:19 am EST November 21,
2006
Question: I heard a Playboy Club just opened in Las Vegas. What's it like?
Dave in Palm Springs, Calif.Answer: Yes, it's true David. The bunnies are back, and only in Las Vegas -- it's the only Playboy Club in the world these days.
It is combined with an upscale restaurant and a high-energy nightclub atop the new tower at
The Palms.
In the battle for the title of "hottest nightclub in Las Vegas," the focus has been on new, hip, original and exclusive. Moon works that angle, while its sister Playboy Club does something new by going retro, turning a known brand on its ear and turning it into something still relevant.
The two clubs are distinct, yet linked by an escalator, elevators and the long lines and high cover prices required to get in -- an eye-popping $40, which merely gets you in the door.
After an interminable wait for one of the high-speed elevators, you are whisked to the top floor of the tower and unleashed into the Moon universe. Done in futuristic silvers, whites and mirror effects, the club is a multi-level paradise of party-all-the-time insanity. There are multiple bars, a balcony overlooking the sizeable dance floor, two outdoor patios -- Warning: it gets really windy up here, so make sure you are paying attention to what is happening with that little black dress -- and even a retractable roof.
The overall vibe of the place seems to be more frat house than you normally find at a place like this, but that impression may have been due to the 1980s and '90s rock that was playing while I happened to be there. Surprisingly, Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" and Nirvana's "Lithium" not only make great sing-along club jams but actually mix well together. I'm sure that a different selection of music may have reduced the "duuuuuude" atmosphere, but the crowd definitely seemed to be a lot more interested in having a good time and a lot less interested in standing and posing, something that afflicts many clubs of this ilk. Although well past my party animal phase, this was a welcome change of pace.
The Playboy Club, located one level down, is a retro-chic version of Hugh Hefner's mansion, with clubby nooks done with stone and wood wall treatments, new-millennium takes on leather wingback chairs, and flat-panel monitors over the fireplaces instead of paintings. Throw in dozens of cotton-tailed servers and you have a deliriously over-the-top take on the Playboy mystique, complete with gaming tables to bring out the 007 in you. A tuxedo is not required, but you almost feel like you want to throw one on, grab a martini and throw the dice with one arm while you put the other around a girl wearing bunny ears.
The crowds are epic, the drink prices sky-high, and while the rooftop locations offer great views, waiting for those elevators to make your entrance or your escape are a pain in the cottontail. Still, this is the kind of club that makes club-going entertaining again.
The Playboy Club/Moon The Palms 4321 W. Flamingo Rd.
Las Vegas, NV 89103
702-942-7777
Open nightly at 8 p.m.
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