But if you think the only way you'll ever enjoy a club from a seated position is if you shell out a month's salary for a VIP booth or bottle service then we have some exciting news for you: There are free seats to be had at nearly every club in town! You just have to look for them. Or better yet, keep reading, since we've done some of the footwork for you. And while it's probably a safe bet that New Year's Eve and holidays are out of the question, there will be plenty of opportunities in 2007 for you to try them all out.
Ghostbar:
The North Wall
Get there early if you want to get a seat. Even with the reserved signs, you can slither down at any unoccupied table for some recuperation. But if someone was clever enough to reserve the coveted spot beforehand, you will be politely asked to head to the bar.
Bonus: The north wall has some of the best views in the city, and depending on your timing, the tables can fit up to 10 people.
3121:
Handicap Access Elevator
General admission to 3121 will have you on your feet for Prince all night long whether you liked the show or not. On the third tier of the club is an elevator for wheelchair access, and the gate is the perfect place to lean against and enjoy the night. No one is in front of you, and the upper level provides a great view of the stage. Only if a two-wheeled fan shows up will you have to be displaced for a minute or two.
Bonus: The location is great. It's barely an arm's length away from the bar, and right in front of the DJ booth with DJ Rashida. Best of all, the Artist Formerly Known As is known to make an appearance in the booth as well.
Beauty Bar:
Hair Dryers
Maybe you already got your hair done for the big night, but the best rump-rests in this gem of a Downtown bar are the old-school dryer seats lined up against the wall. While you will get a severe tongue lashing by the BB crew for trying to pull the heat dome over your 'do, just lounging back in the retro beautification thrones is enough to be engulfed by the throw-back vibe.
Bogus: Giant bubble-gum pink hair rollers not included.
Body English:
Upper Level Bar
On the second floor at the top of the main stairwell, a row of raised seating traces the glass railing and is on a first-come, first-served basis. It's right across from the bar, so it's easy to keep your stake on the seats when it's time to go refill the party juice.
Bonus: With an unrestricted view of the whole club, it boasts the same sightlines of the flanking VIP areas with no minimum bottle provisions.
Caramel:
The Giant Ottomans
Not sure if that's what they really are, but with the resemblance to an enlarged super-plush foot rest, and generally serving the same purpose for your keister, that's what we're calling them. The lounge is intimate, but the circular seat puts you right in the middle of the main traffic lane to see who is coming and who should be going.
Bonus: When it's time to recline, there's plenty of room to get cozy with someone.
Cherry:
The Day Beds
The plush loungers surrounding the pool make for the perfect callipygian molds at no additional cost. Poolside revelers get the same ambiance as the neighboring cabanas but with no need to shell out a paycheck for a bottle.
Bogus: Winter in the Mojave sucks. If you're willing to throw on an extra layer, or an extra shot, the night could be bearable, but until the weather comes back around, late nights and the outdoors are not a fabulous combo.
Drai's:
Anywhere
Club owner Victor Drai hasn't flinched in the wake of the bottle service boom, showing VIP loyalty to his customers, bottle service or not. All of the tables are on a first-come, first-served basis, and the plush couches in the library would be our first choice around 4 a.m.
Bonus: If a bottle-hungry patron arrives and has an eye on your table, you will be asked politely to move on. However, by the back bar, there is a row of bar stools that are free game all night long, should the contingency be needed.
Empire Ballroom:
Couches on the Patio
The only place in the entire Empire complex you can roost without a bottle purchase is out on the patio. Comfort isn't sacrificed, though, as a series of couches and lounge chairs allow several budget-minded posteriors the luxury of a rest.
Bonus: The area is also prime real estate to watch the sunrise for the ambitious after-hours crew.
Forty Deuce:
The Main Bar
Gals almost always will be given the right to park their tushes right on the bar until the burlesque gang takes the stage. The drinks are right there, you get front row seats to the show, and the bar top is padded.
Bogus: Being a dude. You'll get the boot if you don't have the boobs to back it up. They will let you stick around and lean just as long as you keep the cocktails coming.
Foundation Room:
The Patio Benches
On the outdoor deck is a row of cushioned benches, the perfect spot to plant your behind and cuddle away from the madness. The music still resonates onto the 43rd floor patio, but hits low on the decibel levels, so woo away, Romeo!
Bonus: The view is stupendous.
House of Blues:
Against the Sound Booth
If you have a big "GA" stamped on your ticket, and your favorite pre-Madonna artist is coming to the stage an hour late, posting up against the back wall of the main floor is a perfect location to lubricate the waiting time. A little leaning can go a long way before the jumping up and down ensues.
Bonus: The booth is dead center and only about 50 feet from the stage, so you end up having a killer spot to watch the show, as well.
Ice House Lounge:
The Entire Club
If you step in through the doors and find somewhere not currently occupied by a warm body, you're good to go, since the Ice House Lounge does not have table service (expect for special events) and is free for the taking.
Bonus: Plenty of options!
Jet:
The Living Room
It doesn't really look like it belongs there, and no one is sure why it is, but in the area just near the exit of the club there is a very modern "living room" setup that is available to rest your behind.
Bogus: You have to look at everyone's rear as they make their exit.
Krave:
Main Bar
Just beyond the frosted glass opposite the main bar is a whole row of high tables, each sporting four seats for your perching pleasure. Take in the scene, drool over the dancers or ogle the bartenders. Either way, you are welcomed to do so without a bottle purchase. Next door at the Krave Lounge, seating is plentiful, too, just know that come Saturday night, it's a woman's world and you're just drinking in it.
Bonus: Much like the, um, biceps on the Airotic Flyboys, the tables are quite large.
Light:
Work your magic
After literally spending hours searching and asking around for the best place to sit at Light for free, it became blatantly obvious to us that this club requires a bit of creativity and enhanced conversational skills if you are to have any chance of sitting for free. At Light you'll need to charm your way table-to-table until you find someone who finds your charm absolutely indisputable and who insists that you join them for the duration of the evening. Gents, you might get slapped a few times in the process, but if you play your cards right ...
Bonus: Just think of all the people you will meet!
Lure:
The Patio
You can sit anywhere on the patio that's open without paying a dime, and you'll get cocktail service at no extra charge. Just make sure to look up and enjoy the night's beautiful sky view as you boast to your friends via text message that you've managed to score a table at a Vegas club. Na na na na na naaaa.
Bonus: A breeze during the summer and a warm heat lamp throughout the winter.
Bogus: Restaurant smells on that breeze when it blows.
Mist:
The Center Booth
You've traversed your way throughout TI and now your feet are aching. It's your lucky day! Just step inside Mist and you will be delighted to find a long high table in the center of the club that even has nifty matching stools which are yours for the taking.
Bonus: You're smack dab in the middle of all the action!
Moon:
Tables along North Wall
In the main room there is a row of tables along the window near the north wall that are free for the taking. You've got a bird's eye view of all the action going on throughout the club, and it even kind of looks like you paid for it. Way to go, you baller, you!
Bonus: Should the club get caught in one of those sudden desert rainstorms, you won't be directly under the retractable roof.
OPM:
It's gonna take boobs
We searched high and low for a cost-effective place to sit at OPM, but unfortunately our group needed to be entirely of the female persuasion and present on certain days in order to set it down. That being said, if you are a group of ladies and it just happens to be a Thursday or a Sunday, just count your blessings and have a seat! Do it for the rest of us!
Bonus: You can talk all you want about your boyfriends and they don't stand a chance of being present.
Playboy Club:
Stools along the main bar
Just below the gigantic neon Bunny at the long bar, there is a row of bar stools complete with video poker machines that are free for the taking. And not only can you sit there and order your favorite drinks all night long, but you are also sitting slightly higher than the entire club so you can see all of the action!
Bonus: You might even win some money!
Pure:
The toilet
We tried and tried to find a free place to sit, but to no avail. We thought about hopping inside the giant champagne glass but figured the Pussycat Dolls would be seriously angry. We considered for a minute sitting on the DJ's lap, but reconsidered due to the fact that we'd probably get punched straight in the face and cause his records to skip. Yes, after many hours of thinking and drinking, inspiration finally hit us, as did the need to be rid of that last Long Island, and absolutely nobody said a word about bottle service while we were in there!
Bonus: Running water, privacy, plenty of paper, and a convenient little hook to hang your coat on.
Bogus: This seat services one patron at a time.
Rain:
The Makeout Room
This could quite possibly be one of the coolest free seats of any club in Vegas, so just make sure not to tell anyone about it. It will be our little secret. When you emerge from the tunnel, go straight past the DJ and the dance floor into the little side room with the windows. Just to the right of the bar you will see a wall of beads that look like they are guarding a hidden VIP room. Here's the thing: They aren't! Step past the beads into a room with a multi-tiered leather wraparound bench that is free for the taking. Yeah, we know what the designers were thinking ...
Bonus: Nobody can see you. And if the room is occupied, there's also the seats around the moat and dance floor.
Tao:
Prop Stools
On Temple Tuesdays in the lounge, the VIP seating is available until sold. But our favorite by far is the set of three wooden stools—probably once used for milking cows—lined up under the standing bar. We have experimented twice with these little chairs, and aside from the quizzical glances from the staff and the lack of protocol for dealing with this scenario, no one but no one was holding these babies for a bottle ransom! If the idea sounds too theatrical, there are full-sized stools at the bar. Wimp.
Bogus: Hard to pull this one off in a skirt.
Risqué:
The House Room Bar
You might not personally be a fan of house music, but you sure as hell enjoy a great free place to sit, so suck it up and try something new. Walk up to the bar in this room and you'll find a row of bar stools await you.
Bonus: Front row seating to some of the cheesiest pick-up lines known to man!
Rumjungle:
The Benches
When you walk through the fiery doors of Rumjungle, you'll be delighted to find a row of benches just to your right and to the left. Assuming of course they aren't occupied at the moment, they are yours for the sitting.
Bonus: A welcome reprieve from the nuttiness of the bar and the dance floor.
Scores:
Bar Seating
Scores has plenty of open seating at the two bars on the main floor as well as at the bars in the piano lounge and also upstairs at the Sky Bar. If you choose to sup in Scores' dining area, you can keep the table for the entire evening and look out over the main floor and main stage.
Bonus: Breast of chicken and breast of woman, together again, the way God and Scores intended.
Seamless:
Anything but the couches
It's a free-for-all! The club's martini bar and the main bar are surrounded by stools, while the majority of the dance floor, right in front of the DJ and the stage, is covered by individual white chairs and tables available with no drink or bottle minimum. The only things off-limits are the couches the line the walls.
Bonus: There may not be any windows, but the scenery is exquisite.
Studio 54:
Lobby
Call it a lobby or call it an entry way, we call it convenient. Located next to the Freeze Frame, and just within Studio 54's gates, four cushy couches await your dance floor-weary bones. Perfect for people-watching, checking voicemails or simply catching your breath.
Bonus: You can bring your drinks out there with you!
Tabu:
Bench by the restroom
If having a picturesque view is not a high priority, and odor not a deterrent, this may be the spot for you. Spanning the gap between Tabu's ladies and men's restrooms is a leather bench ideal for that "shall we go somewhere quiet" talk. But if we catch you making out there, we may take pictures.
Bonus: Chatting up the fellas and fillies when a line forms.
Tangerine:
Bar Stools
They pull them away when the crowd gets thick, but if you get there early—the patio opens at 5 p.m. in the winter and 6 p.m. in the summer—you can score a hot seat at this hot spot.
Bonus: Pirates.
Tryst:
The Landing Lounge
With 14 tables to choose from, Tryst's Landing Lounge rests just at the bottom of the club's grand marble staircase and offers plenty of free seating with no bottle requirement. DJ Aaron Koyasu spins vocal house music there all night long Thursday through Saturday, and a cocktail server patrols the area to fill empty glasses.
Bonus: The view up the stairs as the ladies come down. (Could also be a Bogus.)
Voodoo Lounge:
Put On Your Detective's Hat
The seats are there, but one must become part super-sleuth and part bloodhound to find them sometimes. If you arrive early enough, the sofas on the patio are fair game, but come party time, the hosts break out the reserved signs. However, open tables with chairs can often be found on the 51st floor, in front of the stage/DJ, flanking the staircase. The stools in front of the bar on the 50th floor are convenient, and there are also sometimes single chairs found in the hallway before you hit the first bar in the lounge back up on 51.
Bonus: Hats are in this year.