With spring on the horizon and warmer temperatures already here, the minds of many Phoenicians tend to wander to sparkling pools, breezy nights and vacations to nearby destinations like southern California, northern Arizona and the glittery Strip of Las Vegas, which tends to be a hot destination for spring break and Memorial Day. As both quickly approach, the idea of escaping to the Strip starts to look better with each passing (and increasingly warmer) day. The good news however, is that Vegas is debuting some new spots to strut into and stumble out of.
Intrigue: A refreshing and new concept will soon fill the space where Tryst Nightclub once stood. The Wynn’s new nightlife experience set to debut on April 28, will showcase 14,000-square-feet of completely upgraded space. Like its name suggests, Intrigue will keep things dynamic and uncertain (like a Vegas night) by shifting its focus away from big-name DJs and performers so popular in todays nightclubs and bringing the party back to the partier. An intimate 1,200-square-foot “club-within-a-club” will be an interesting feature of Intrigue that will be a social media-free zone and invite-only. The club will showcase a variety of high-energy music and drastically changing interiors and will be able to pack in a max of 1,200 people, considerably lower than the average Vegas mega-club. A risky strategy, Intrigue may be the first to display a new type of experience along the Strip.
Jewel: Hakkasan Group, the group behind the power-clubs of Hakkasan at MGM Grand and Omnia at Caesar’s Palace, is revving up to reveal a new hotspot this Spring at the luxurious Aria Resort & Casino where HAZE Nightclub once stood. While it’s set to be smaller than Hakkasan and Omni, Jewel will still stand large at 24,000-square-feet and retain the same multi-level setup seen in the others with a main club and an overlooking mezzanine level complete with five private-entry VIP suites. Reminiscent of a shining jewel, the nightclub’s standout feature will be lights, and a lot of them. State-of-the-art LED technology and special effects lighting will fill the space and include a dual-sided LED video screen on a first-of-its-kind production wall. Hakkasan Group’s President, Nick McCabe, described the point of success for Jewel to be “between wow, luxury and intimacy.”
CliQue: For a more low-key evening or the calm before the storm, CliQue at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is the latest addition to Vegas’ lounge scene. In the center of the hotel on the casino-level, CliQue serves up serious sophistication. You may remember the newly designed space as once being surrounded in draped crystals. Tableside mixology is the star of this bar’s show with drinks falling under categories like Barrel-Smoked, Caramelized and Fresh-Pressed that will appeal to all you green-eaters. It’s worth it to note that they also serve up deep-fried Oreos, which could be reason enough to spend the entire night here.
The Foundry: Think Livewire, but Vegas. This new performance venue occupies the former space of the short-lived Life nightclub at SLS Las Vegas and will take comfort in its booking partner, Live Nation who’s already provided Awolnation, Lil Wayne and more to its stage. The 20,000-square-foot venue will showcase a 25-by-65-foot stage and at capacity will pack in 1,800 people.
