Summer is on its way, which means it's time to start entertaining interns, summer associates, clients, and corporate groups. Check out Las Vegas’s new bars, restaurants, hotels, and outdoor and fresh-air-friendly venues for corporate picnics, company gatherings, and other types of summer entertaining.
1. Nikki Beach Las Vegas will open at Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel Resort & Casino on Memorial Day weekend, part of a $180 million transformation at the Tropicana property. It will be the largest Nikki Beach property in the world. The beach club will offer white beds and cabanas, and will include a restaurant, outdoor café and bar, and a private island in the center of the pool. Overall, Nikki Beach at Tropicana Las Vegas will include three elements: Nikki Beach Club, Club Nikki, and Café Nikki.
2. The buzzy Chateau Nightclub & Gardens opened in March at Paris Las Vegas. The nightclub and outdoor Parisian gardens, with sweeping views of the Las Vegas Strip, cover two stories, offering three separate nightlife experiences. In all, the giant space has about 15,000 square feet in the nightclub, 10,000 on the Chateau Terrace, and 20,000 in the Chateau Gardens. The entire space is available for buyout. And once the rooftop is open (at the end of May; the other areas are already open), the venue will accommodate 2,500 guests.
3. Among the many new alfresco spaces around the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas's pools is the Yard, an area for viewing and playing recreational games such as ping-pong, volleyball, foosball, and billiards. In addition, the Yard offers HD television screens allowing guests to play the latest EA video games and watch sporting events.
4. Lake Las Vegas’s shuttered Ritz-Carlton has been given a new lease on life by New Jersey-based Dolce Hotels & Resorts, which just reopened the hotel as Ravella at Lake Las Vegas, with an eye toward attracting convention and meeting business. In addition to 349 guest rooms and suites, the property offers 39,000 square feet of meeting and social event space, including an 11,841-square-foot grand ballroom with 7,423 square feet of prefunction area, a 4,700-square-foot junior ballroom, 10 function rooms, and a lakeside, climate-controlled outdoor pavilion.
5. The pool deck at the Artisan boutique hotel, which is within walking distance from the Strip, is lined with three cabanas that come with ceiling fans and 32-inch plasma TVs. Ten daybeds are also available. Tucked away beneath a stairwell, the 10-seat Library is another spot for low-key events.
6. Lolita's Cantina & Tequila Bar is a restaurant and nightclub at the Town Square retail and entertainment complex. It offers modern Mexican fare and handcrafted margaritas and specialty cocktails. The venue has a capacity of 375 for a seated event and is available for full buyout. Other booking options include a private room or outdoor space.
7. Angel Management Group relaunched its sushi and pan-Asian restaurant Social House in Crystals at CityCenter; the eatery originally opened in 2006. The dining room has a capacity of 100. A lounge seats 12, and the terrace accommodates 64. Executive chef Benjamin Dayag’s menu is meant to be shared family-style. Offerings include sushi and sashimi and a 24-ounce prime bone-in rib eye.
8. Among Las Vegas's many pool parties is the 16,000-square-foot Liquid, from the Light Group, which returns for the second season at Aria at CityCenter. This year, the space will hold more events than last year. Rates vary, but for the Memorial Day holiday weekend, expect to pay a $200 food and beverage minimum for a chair, $1,500 for an off-pool daybed, or $1,750 for a poolside daybed. Cabanas start at $3,750, and include a 40-inch flat-screen TV and mini fridge. The sprawling cabanas can be split up and separated into as many as 16 single cabanas for more intimate groups.
9. Treat guests to a meal from the chef who just won a big James Beard award for outstanding chef: Best known for his avant-garde and traditional Spanish cuisine, José Andrés debuted his newest venue, China Poblano, in Las Vegas. The restaurant showcases Andrés’s take on the street-food cultures of China and Mexico, blending the seemingly different cuisines into a concept that includes both familiar, authentic dishes and new fare. There are 140 seats in the restaurant and 20 in the lounge, and the entire venue is available for buyout.
10. At the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas is Marquee nightclub and day club. The pool is adjacent to the nightclub, separated by glass panels, on the sixth floor of the resort. There are two tiers of cabanas: Eight V.I.P. cabanas have private spas and glass-walled plunge pools, and 10 pool-view cabanas are in the middle of the pool deck. The bungalow suites are three-story suites overlooking the club. A shaded gaming area with five blackjack tables and one craps table is near the east pool bar and nightclub.
