Look out, Planet Hollywood and Pure, a new property coming to Las Vegas is touting its own celebrity business partner—George Clooney.
Along with Clooney, nightclub owner and supermodel husband Rande Gerber, and developers Related Las Vegas and Centra Properties will be putting up Las Ramblas, a hotel, condominium and casino complex, on Harmon Avenue. It eventually will consist of 11 high-rise buildings and cover more than 25 acres, carried out over two phases.
Why do we care? Because it's also going to house a nightclub, silly!
A sneak peek at blueprints revealed that the still-unnamed nightspot will cover 10,000 square feet, be on the second floor and overlook a large reflecting pond.
As well as being married to Cindy Crawford, Gerber also is co-founder and co-operator of the Midnight Oil Company, which runs the Whiskey Bars in Chicago, New York and at Green Valley Ranch, where it's paired with the highly successful Whiskey Beach. It's safe money to bet that Las Ramblas' club will be on par or better in terms of décor and atmosphere.
The complex's opening is set for early 2008.
Bob Shindelar, one of Ice's VIP hosts, has jumped ship and gone over to Tao at the Venetian, where he'll be senior VIP host. That's the VIP host in charge of other VIP hosts, not the one in charge of seniors. As well as being one of the welcoming faces at the metaclub at Harmon and Koval, Shindelar was the driving force behind the increasingly popular Tourist Thursdays, a semi-drunken romp about the Strip comprising club industry folks in tacky tourist outfits. Shindelar was rueful Friday night at the Empire Ballroom opening, saying his new schedule will include Thursday as a work night, possibly spelling the end to Tourist Thursdays. It was suggested that the name, and day, be changed to Tourist Tuesdays. "That might work," said Shindelar. We're keeping our fingers crossed.
Owners have locked up Asylum and thrown away the key. Billed as Las Vegas' new live rock 'n' roll venue and afterhours nightclub, the business is no more. The website, www.lasvegasasylum.com, is still up (note to local mental-health professionals: the club might be willing to part with the domain name) and the phone number has been disconnected.