Top 10 Nightclubs

Vegas nightclubs are famous the world over for helping visitors do things they’ll regret in the morning. These days, they also welcome the biggest DJs and demand the highest prices for prime VIP table service.

1Oak
The exclusive NYC hot spot arrived in town to expand into a larger Vegas-worthy spot for the masses. And it certainly delivers a good time. The inner VIP tables have shielded the privacy of such party-loving stars as Rihanna and Adam Levine, and a “mood director” keeps the crowd going. The anchor club at The Mirage, it has its own valet that opens after nightfall.

Body English

In the Hard Rock Hotel, home to the infamous Rehab pool party, the legendary club Body English carries on the party with celebs, local celebs, and other scenesters. Now newly renovated, guests still start every evening by descending down a dark staircase into a night of debauchery. Expect leather banquettes in the VIP section (this is rocker-heavy Hard Rock after all), and live performances often put an already fun time over the edge.

Chateau
Paris’s answer to the Versailles gardens, Chateau uses indoor/outdoor space to offer the best in dance club space and plenty of fresh air when you need a break. Britney Spears celebrated her (now broken) engagement to Jason Trawick there, and many other celebrities have passed through after satisfying their sweet tooth at the star-magnet candy shop Sugar Factory.

Hakkasan
The Strip’s newest mega-club quickly became known for changing the DJ culture on the Strip by paying the big bucks to reel in all of the big guns, from Steve Aoki to Tiesto and Calvin Harris. The “progressive” MGM Grand experience kicks off with an amazing meal in the downstairs restaurant (don’t skip the crispy duck salad or any of the amazing house cocktails), before moving up to the small Ling Ling Lounge and then finishing in the enormous main club.

Light
The original Vegas institution (at Bellagio) has been reborn at Mandalay Bay, with a partnership with Cirque du Soleil. Custom stages and lighting show off a coterie of Cirque-worthy entertainers, who perform, swing from the ceiling, and mingle with imbibers. Hollywood favorite Skrillex is one of the resident DJs, so come prepared to dance the night away.

Marquee
The unstoppable Marquee keeps breaking attendance and profit records in the nightlife business. Jay-Z and Coldplay hosted the Cosmopolitan club’s opening on New Year’s Eve 2010, tending to guests such as Rihanna, J. Lo, John Mayer, and Kanye West. More recently, Kaskade spun New Year’s Day until noon, and LFMAO’s Redfoo started a popular Monday night party, Party Rock. Proving that one sister club doesn’t have to cannibalize the other, Marquee’s focus on house music domination has guaranteed that Tao Group is here to stay.

Surrender
Worried about waiting in line? Dine at the beautiful sushi spot Andrea’s beforehand, and you’ll be walked right in. Once inside the beautiful Encore club, check out to-die-for interior design that includes an enormous gold snake behind the bar. Stunning go-go dancers entertain guests, who mingle in the indoor-outdoor space and drink at VIP tables loaded up with the bottles and even some of the most expensive specialty cocktails in town.

Tao
The original: Tao blew into town with a splashy, celeb-soaked premiere in 2003 and never looked back. To this day, it is known as one of the most “fun” clubs – and thus often hosts A-list birthdays like that of Kim Kardashian. Late-night, expect anything to happen at the Venetian hot spot, such as buckets of glitter to fall onto a packed dance floor, or strangely costumed dancers to come out and take over the stage. Meanwhile, well-dressed women are invited to dance on the high partition dividing the VIP area. Don’t slip.

Tryst
Wynn’s first foray into nightlife stayed on-brand with a gorgeous space featuring loads of VIP tables overlooking a signature waterfall. Considered small by Vegas standards, this intimate watering hole is strict with its guest list. Outdoor tables overlook a small pool, an area enclosed entirely by trees lit by delicate lanterns, giving the illusion that nothing exists beyond the borders of Tryst.

XS
Follow the gold-lined hallway to the mega-dance floor of Encore’s XS, which is accented by ornate chandeliers, shimmering columns, and oversized mirrors so the pretty people who fill XS can check their makeup. The main tables (which command at least $10,000 on a major night) surround the circular dance floor, which stays packed until closing when international superstar DJs like David Guetta, Deadmau5, or Avicii is at the tables.

Love to party? Join the discussion and let us know your favorite Vegas nightclub.