TAO Nightclub is easily one of the top five nightclubs in the United States, and is widely considered a favorite by Las Vegas locals and visitors from around the world.

Millions of dollars have been poured into the construction and décor of this milestone of Las Vegas entertainment. The money was well spent and it’s evident everywhere, throughout the hot nightclub.

Definitely one of the hot spots on all the Strip, when Tao Nightclub at The Venetian celebrated its grand opening, it was done in true over-the-top, Las Vegas fashion.

It included a wild three-day party with plenty of celebrities joining in the fun. Mariah Carey, Usher, Paris Hilton, and Wilmer Valderrama were among the party-loving guests who celebrated the opening of this stylish, Asian-themed, 10,000-square-foot nightclub and ultra-lounge.

Go-go dancers, private skyboxes, European bottle service, and a terrace overlooking the lights of the city attract Vegas VIPs, well-heeled visitors, and of course …. Hollywood’s young and beautiful set.

Walk in to TAO Nightclub and come face to face with live performance art: Two live Buddhist monks sit on an enormous Buddha hand, and scenes from Shanghai opium dens come to life.

Sleek, sexy, and ultra-hip, Tao is a high-energy, see-and-be-seen venue that has helped make The Venetian one of the hottest resorts in town.

So throw on your sexiest I-belong-here outfit and get ready to party.

TAO Nightclub
3377 Las Vegas Blvd S # 2025
Las Vegas, NV 89109
(702) 388-8588

It’s sometimes hard to tell if that thing behind Wynn Las Vegas is a golf course or a CIA annex.

The staff treats Steve Wynn’s latest $500-green-fee course (he introduced that nice round number to Las Vegas golf with Shadow Creek, which he no longer owns) like it houses national security documents. Maybe the real dossier on weapons of mass destruction is buried under the fifth green.

Hey, it’s Vegas. Anything is possible.

The Wynn Las Vegas Golf and Country Club is the second collaboration of Tom Fazio, Steve Wynn and Mother Nature has resulted in 18 unforgettable holes. Right outside the resort’s back door.

That would explain the paranoia surrounding the Wynn Golf and Country Club. Pro shop attendant Heather Wicks made it seem like she was letting a few potential customers through the pearly gates when she allowed them to walk out onto the patio that overlooks the 18th green.  Full article

Wynn Las Vegas Golf and Country Club
3131 Las Vegas Blvd S
Las Vegas, NV, 89109
Phone(s): (888) 320-9966
Fax: (702) 770-1570

Despite the current economic troubles, the Super-Rich continue to traverse the globe on private jets, experiencing the best the world has to offer in terms of hotel and resort accommodations, shopping, and living the private jet lifestyle.

The Chairman Suite at the Palazzo Resort in Las Vegas is one of the priciest suites in the U.S., selling for $20,000/night.

Open for only a few months, this roughly 8,000 square foot four bedroom suite has proven to be one of Las Vegas‘ best new hot addresses.

Fun loving options include a media room with disco lighting and a karaoke machine.

A full compliment of services from the hotel’s Canyon Ranch Spa can be ordered up

Roman Colosseum

The Roman Colosseum is the most famous Classical structure of Rome and one that virtually every visitor comes to admire. The structure is easily recognizable with its distinct design and architecture. When the elliptical stadium was first built, over 2,000 years ago, it was the first permanent amphitheatre of its time. It was marveled at for its grand size and structure and remains a template for the stadia that we see today.

A huge ellipse with tiered seating, the Colosseum was able to seat 50,000 viewers with standing room for an additional 10,000. There were 80 exits that allowed for efficient entry and exit of the large masses of people attending events. Gladiator events were most common, but the stadium was also used for other games or to watch criminals being attacked by wild animals.

No battle was neglected; at times the arena was filled with water to present naval battles. Entertainment at the Colosseum lasted for an impressive 450 years until the Roman Empire started weakening. The emperor Honorius ended the gladiatorial duels in 404 CE and animal shows ended by the sixth century. There are several theories to explain why the activities had ceased, but most likely it was due to lack of funding as games were expensive to produce.

The Colosseum was abandoned by the tenth century and soon became a home to houses and shops that were built within. Pieces of tufa, or stone, from the stadium were hacked off and used to build these new structures.

During the Renaissance, when Rome became more vibrant again, more stone was removed and used to build the new palazzis and numerous buildings around Rome. This constant breaking down of the walls and removal of stone is the reason that only half of the outer ring remains today. It wasn’t until restoration began in the eighteenth century that halted the destruction of the building and the focus moved to preserving the site’s remains.

Los Angeles chef about town Jet Tila has been tapped to open a to-be-named pan-Asian restaurant at casino mogul Steve Wynn’s new Wynn – adjacent Encore resort in Las Vegas.

Tila, whose family owns L.A.’s Bangkok Market, has been teaching cooking classes — at the New School of Cooking in Culver City and Sur La Table, among other venues — and consulting for Bon Appetit Management Co. Tila also has contributed to the Los Angeles Times and has appeared regularly on KCRW’s “Good Food.”

“America’s already very accustomed to Chinese and Japanese food, so it’s time to bring in bolder flavors,” Tila says. “Indian flavors, Singaporean flavors, and of course, Thai –- I think Thai has been misrepresented. I’m trying to bring it back to what it’s supposed to be.”

The nearly 100-seat restaurant also will serve sushi and dim sum. Asian restaurants at Wynn include Okada (Japanese), Michelin-starred Wing Lei (Chinese) and Asian bistro Red 8.

Encore is expected to open early next year. Other restaurants include Botero Steak and Switch, and as reported by Eater LA, Patina chef Theo Schoenegger also will be opening a restaurant.

Source: Betty Hallock

The innovative team behind the uber-successful Tao Las Vegas is proud to announce LAVO, a new dining and nightlife concept set to open this August at The Palazzo Resort hotel Casino in Las Vegas.

Latin for “to bathe or cleanse,” LAVO is an AvroKo designed space that derives inspiration from the bathhouses of ancient Mediterranean culture with a menu that highlights the best of the region’s cuisine.

The journey from lounge to restaurant to nightclub begins with an entry into the lounge surrounded by worn tile walls and water stained plaster. Twenty foot ceilings of old wood and low chandeliers crown an area featuring a curved bar, leather seating and Moroccan tables.

The restaurant is highlighted by a spectacular glass and wood screened bridge and is bordered by a grand carved stone wall.

Turkish water basins flank the bridge that leads to the second floor nightclub and the bridge itself becomes a gathering perch from which guests can observe the action below.

The nightclub features vaulted glazed tile arches opening to a domed ceiling above the dance floor. Revelers can enjoy a sexy, elevated VIP area with posh banquettes, embossed leather walls and mirrored mosaic tile niches.

THE RESTAURANT & CUISINE
Chef Ludo Lefebvre and his team of experienced chefs will treat guests to a culinary journey with selections of signature dishes from countries such as Spain, France and Italy. The menu is designed to encourage sampling and sharing among friends.
With classic French training, Lefebvre comes to Las Vegas from Los Angeles, where he held the distinction of being that city’s only chef to earn the prestigious Mobil Travel Guide Five Star award at two different restaurants; L’Orangerie and Bastide.
The 300 seat restaurant includes a 180 seat main dining room, a 20 seat private dining room and 100 seats on the outdoor patio overlooking the famed Las Vegas Strip. The restaurant will be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, with late night dining until 2 am.

THE NIGHTCLUB
The 4500 square foot nightclub features 40 bottle service tables, state-of-the-art audio visual systems and the sounds of resident DJs Vice, Reach, Galleano and Berrie. The nightclub will be open six nights a week from 10 pm to 5 am.

THE TEAM
Marc Packer, Rich Wolf, Jason Strauss and Noah Tepperberg are all names synonymous with successful restaurant and nightlife destinations. Together, with Managing Partner Lou Abin, they opened Tao Las Vegas at the Venetian Resort hotelCasino in 2005, that quickly became one of the most sought after culinary and nightlife attractions in the city. A favorite of celebrities, locals and those in the know, Tao Asian Bistro, Nightclub and Beach has been the highest grossing venue in the country for the past two years. Individually and collectively, these operators have been the force behind such creations as Tao New York, Marquee Nightclub, The Stanton Social, Rue 57, Avra Estiatorio and Angelo & Maxie’s Steakhouse.

AVROKO
LAVO is designed by AvroKo, a full service, integrated design and concept firm that develops architectural environments, lifestyle brands and products. The company has developed design concepts for such global hotelgroups as Starwood and for restaurants including The Stanton Social and Public in New York and Social House and Company in Las Vegas.

THE PALAZZO LAS VEGAS
With over 3,000 expansive suites, luxury shopping and world-class dining and entertainment, the $1.9 billion, 50-story Palazzo Las Vegas literally takes luxury to new heights. Highlighted by a flagship, 85,000-square-foot Barneys New York, The Shoppes at The Palazzo features more than 60 luxury boutiques. Additionally, The Palazzo offers a variety of cuisines from a collection of award-winning chefs. Other one-of-kind offerings include, Tony Award winning Broadway musical, JERSEY BOYS, the world’s largest Canyon Ranch SpaClub, Jay-Z’s signature 40/40 Club and the Strip’s first Lamborghini dealership.  Source: LAVO/ PRNewswire

The Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino is located off the Las Vegas Strip, and was the first all-suite casino in the Las Vegas area. It made its debut in 1990 as a locals’ casino, owned and operated by Marnell Corrao Associates.

The Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino’s claim to fame is built on two things: spacious suites and scantily clad waitresses.

Every room in the hotel is a suite, open and uncluttered, decorated in warm neutrals. Perhaps the size of the rooms is intended to compensate for the frenetic crowds on the lower levels, where every day is a billed as a carnival.

The exterior certainly reflects the Mardi Gras madness happening inside; the Rio’s buildings themselves are bright red and purple, with gigantic masks hanging from the ceiling.

True to the essence of a Brazilian Carnaval or a Louisiana Mardi Gras, visual overload is the order of the day. On the main floor, the stunning Masquerade Village (recently revamped by Dick Foster Productions) is a roving party of acrobats, mimes and sexy dancers.

Dance along on the side, or for a small fee, you can get in costume and hop on one of the floats. The costumes are garish – think Carmen Miranda meets Cirque du Soleil – and that’s part of the fun. Throw on as many layers of beads as you can and move to the sinuous bahia beats.

Samba your way through the lounge and play some slots along the way, but leave time to visit the tropical paradise outside, complete with a sandy beach alongside the lagoon. You don’t have to be tall and tan and young and lovely to visit the Rio’s Ipanema Beach (although it certainly helps).

Waterfalls, Jacuzzis, and poolside beverage and food service will help you relax and gear up for another night of reckless abandon inside. Although Las Vegas is famous for catering to guests with a Y chromosome, the Rio Hotel and Casino bucks the trend. Their Ultimate Girls Night Out package includes access to the Flirt Lounge, designed by women for women.

Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino
3700 W Flamingo Rd
Las Vegas, NV 89103

A black Maybach 57 rolls down the Strip ferrying another big dreamer. The luxury sedan passes the glittering gambling palaces and heads north to the Sahara Hotel & Casino, an aging, down-on-its-luck landmark that hardly seems fit for this well-heeled passenger. Except that he’s the owner.

“Wait until you see this place,” says Sam Nazarian, a 32-year-old real-estate entrepreneur and nightclub impresario from a wealthy Beverly Hills family. Over the past few years he’s injected new buzz into the Hollywood club scene and now intends to resurrect the forlorn Sahara with the same kind of cool.

The odds, as they say, are against him. Mr. Nazarian has never run a casino, and he is entering the business in a downturn that’s fleecing existing casinos and snuffing out new ones. Gambling revenues are down. Room rates are falling. Some companies have filed for bankruptcy protection and others are poised to.

But Mr. Nazarian, a tall, husky bachelor in a dark suit capped by a baby face, says his hotel and casino will have an edge over competitors. It will serve a market that he says has been priced out of Vegas: the young party crowd that’s dropped a fortune at his Los Angeles clubs and restaurants.

“There is an alienation of the high-energy, youthful crowd,” says Mr. Nazarian as he strides through the Sahara’s lobby, where he has already spent about $2 million in furnishings and décor.

Mr. Nazarian might be just another Vegas mark but for this: Where he goes, celebrities and moneyed youth tend to follow. His current slate of Hollywood-area hot spots — Area, Hyde, Foxtail, S Bar, Katsuya — draws such names as Paris Hilton and Lindsay Lohan. Full article

Photo courtesy of: Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa

The Tidepools Restaurant is set among koi-filled lagoons with a backdrop of waterfalls, at the luxurious Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa. The restaurant has a reputation for fresh fish, seafood specialties and rich flavored char-broiled steak and prime rib.

Tidepools Restaurant provides a distinctive open-air setting in Polynesian hale or thatched roof huts. Savor fresh Pacific Rim style cuisine gazing over the lush grounds and the azure Pacific Ocean.

A consistent winner of the prestigious Hale ‘Aina award, Tidepools draws repeat guests who rave about the fresh island fish and steak options including oven-roasted ono crusted with banana and macadamia nuts, seared opah topped with blue crab and lobster, or garlic and peppercorn rubbed prime rib.

Salads feature fresh island-greens and the desserts are luscious. Don’t miss this delightful experience.

Tidepools Restaurant
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa
1571 Poipu Road,
Koloa, Hawaii, USA 96756
808-240-6456
Visit their web site

Hulopoe Beach Park on Lanai is a wondrous part of this little island. Hulupoe is located on the south east coast of Lanai and is not that far from the Manele Bay boat landing, which is just below the luxurious Manele Bay Hotel Lanai Hawaii.

The Hulopoe Beach Park has a relatively steep shoreline, making it an ideal swimming spot. This lovely beach is also carpeted in beautiful golden sand.

Body boarding and surfing are several of the popular activities, along with snorkeling. Snorkeling is especially popular, due to the high number and variety of tropical fish that live in the area’s coral filled crystal waters. Of course for those who are a bit more adventurous, off-shore diving excursions are available.

The warm Pacific waters surrounding the park are also home to a thriving marine reserve. Because of this, fishing is restricted to only a simple hook and line from the shore. Due to the presence of this marine safe house.

The Hulopoe waters are also alive with stingrays and jellyfish. Swimmers should always be aware of their surroundings and not panic if they do happen to cross paths with one of these two potentailly dangerous species.

Lanai’s Hulopoe Beach is one of the few places you can legally camp and experience a memorable night under the clear, Pacific night sky. The park itself is equipped with restrooms that have both showers and running water. In addition, there are several picnic tables and barbecue sites distributed around the park’s six camp sites.

Camping permits are issued by the Lanai Company (the owners) and many times not valid for more than seven days.

Visitors to Hulopoe Beach also have access to shaded picnic areas, barbeque sites, and falls directly at the doorstep of the The Manele Bay Hotel and the Lodge at Koele.

Hulupoe Beach is a must for vacationers of Lanie. Who can resist the allure of the soft, white sands, 70 degree waters, and the intricate tide pools that populate this scenic area.

Hulupoe is truly one of Hawaii’s best beaches.

Anara Spa is located in the luxurious Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa in tropical Kauai, Hawaii. Since 1991, the spa has pampered guests with world-class treatments that blend traditional Hawaiian customs with nature’s soothing powers.

Anara Spa’s multi-million dollar expansion and renovation added five elegant open-air hale (thatched roof bungalows), each hale features its own exclusive lava rock shower and steam grotto.

Two hale are designed specifically for couples treatments. An open-air Vichy treatment room for soothing hydrotherapy was also added along with two lava rock botanical baths, a relaxation room, and an open-air hale for fitness classes, yoga, and personal training.

Existing treatment rooms, each opening to their own private garden, were completely renovated adding native koa wood cabinetry.

The well appointed fitness center, open 24/7, was expanded by 900 square feet allowing for additional cardio and strength equipment.

At Anara Spa you can choose from an array of innovative treatments rooted in Hawaiian healing traditions for a spa experience like no other.

Anara Spa
Grand Hyatt Kauai Resort and Spa
1571 Poipu Road, Koloa, Hawaii, USA 96756
Tel: +1 808 742 1234