Nightlife

Ghostbar updates its look without compromising its nightlife niche

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First-class upgrade: Ghostbar is remade with a swankier design.
Jorge Labrador

And just like that, Ghostbar is back.

After a season-long hiatus, the scenic Palms nightspot has unveiled a new look and feel. It’s a radical departure on the surface, but Ghostbar still retains the spirit that made the original a popular party stop.

The venue debuted on the 55th floor of the original tower back in 2001 and has been home to popular events like the open-format Snitch Wednesdays and the daytime neon explosion GBDC (the latter to return in October). As the “bar” in the name implies, it’s not a huge club à la the resort’s other indoor DJ venues, Moon and the largely shuttered Rain, but serves as more of a lounge space with a small dancefloor, a balcony and an epic view of Las Vegas. So, it’s big, but not too big (that’s what she said!).

We’re not being crass; that’s actually the name of a Ghostbar cocktail, reflecting the cheeky tone of this revamp. Some have described the new design as feminine, and the club’s signature drinks lean that way, too. Yummy as they might be, it’s hard to imagine, say, the Dos Equis man sipping on the Rose Garden (Skyy Infusions Passion Fruit vodka, Perrier-Jouët Blason Rosé and rose water) or Night Cap (marshmallow vodka and cream with chocolate and graham cracker crust and roasted marshmallows). However, the venue’s new feminine edge is a bit more fun and understated than early impressions would lead you to believe.

The interior has been upgraded to that of a swank manor, with black leather booths, fuchsia area rugs and intricate chandeliers flanking the sides of the club. The bar remains, though it matches the new digs with an ornately etched black finish along the sides and Ghostbar’s social media feeds behind the bartenders. Across from the bar, a faux fireplace (featuring candles instead of an open flame) points toward the DJ booth, which, as before, is up close and personal against the venue’s modestly sized dancefloor. The 14-foot-tall, floor-to-ceiling windows provide an unobstructed view of the city below.

Speaking of views, the large balcony is more monochrome and minimalist than the interior and creates a chiller ambiance. Think a modernist, open-air lounge, where you can kick back with hookah or enjoy the crazy, GBDC-esque bottle preparation with confetti poppers and handheld strobe lights.

If there’s a niche for Ghostbar to fill at the Palms, it’s that of a mixed local/tourist nightspot—counterprogramming to the Strip’s big-room EDM megaclubs. This is where you might go to groove to a rotation of Top 40, pop and hip-hop tunes. To that end, Ghostbar hasn’t really changed much.

The two current weekly events­—a “boutique nightclub” ladies night on Wednesdays and a locals night on Thursdays—beg to be rounded out soon by some destination parties, perhaps a new incarnation of GBDC After Dark. If the new Ghostbar can strike schedule gold, this nightlife haunt might stand out once again.

Ghostbar Palms, 942-6832. Nightly, 8 p.m.

Tags: Nightlife
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