Forget for a minute the foofaraw surrounding Britney and the fact that Christina Aguilera (an investor in the club along with DJ AM) visits the week after. LAX is opening more than just the next chapter for the Luxor—it ushers in the next phase of nightlife in Las Vegas. There is no clever architectural stratagem here, no major talking point like a retractable roof or 3 million Buddhas. Rather, it speaks of a healthy blend of elegance, practicality and simplicity, while maintaining a design so unique it could never be mistaken for anywhere else, not even its sister club of the same name in Los Angeles. And achieving simplicity can be challenging when distinction is essential. LAX will be a premier destination, serving the first-class section of the industry as well as the party-bound connoisseur. It is the terminus of indulgence, a departure from that which is mundane and yes, the arrival of the future.
All right, enough with the puns. No more puns.
I was lucky enough to be granted one of the first walk-throughs of the superclub, slated for a grand opening bash on Friday, August 31, over Labor Day weekend (hosted by Ms. Spears). Robert Frey, managing partner of Pure Management Group, guided me and Xania Woodman through the sea of sawdust and the lemming-like fervor of the workers who have been working nonstop. “I have never been this excited about a project before,” he said. “This has taken us a year and a half to get to this point. This is going to really stir things up.”
The entrance to the 26,000-square-foot complex starts on the main casino level, adjacent to the newly-opened Flight Bar. Through massive gothic doors, a staircase leads you up. You might notice a pair of unmarked doors at the bottom of the stairs—that’s Noir. Worthy of a digression, Noir is the elite lounge that is teetering between invite- and guest list-only. Regardless, you will have to be someone or know someone to get in. VIP service has gone far beyond the Very Important People and is given to anyone with an adequate bankroll. Noir will put the exclusivity back in “exclusive.” The concept is said to be reminiscent of a speakeasy, and while there will be no sliding peephole where you whisper the secret word, the mere purchase of a bottle won’t grant you entry, either. Frey joked at a press conference a few weeks back that even he wouldn’t be allowed in.
“It is for the upscale customer who doesn’t want the big club experience but still desires upscale nightlife,” he said. Even though LAX completely surrounds the quaint two-room Noir, neither is visible to or from the other. Noir even has a private entrance from outside the hotel.
However, even for the common folk heading into LAX, there is nothing common about the venue. Once up the stairs the foreplay begins. A long hallway teases with red curtains (secret: behind those curtains is actually Noir one story below) and ends at a rotunda. There, a prodigious central pillar still masks the club even though the casino has already disappeared; it’s not until you walk around to the left or right that all is revealed, and all at once.
To the left are the seven upper-level lofts, each overlooking the main dance floor below, each also coming with its own refrigerator, among other amenities. A smaller dance floor joins the lofts to the upper bar, which circles back to another staircase down to the main dance floor. To the right is a raised VIP stage and the DJ booth where DJ Bob Sinclar will christen LAX Industry Wednesdays on September 5. On the lower level a bar is set back against the far wall, mirroring the one above it, completing the flawless traffic patterns. Two private glassed-in VIP rooms sit on the main floor flanking the restrooms with a series of plush coaches just outside.
“Unbelievable experiences from anywhere you stand,” Frey summed up. “We have created a place where you can come five or six different times and never have the same experience twice.”