Queen Las Vegas’ new Qarma nightclub isn’t Eduardo Cordova’s first leather-clad rodeo. But it is the first time the nightlife impresario has opened a hotspot that’s so intrinsically linked to a larger picture.
It has long been Cordova’s dream to build a robust LGBTQ district in Vegas. Liaison, the Strip’s first gay nightclub—which he spearheaded with Victor Drai—was short-lived, but it spurred a number of offshoots, including Cordova’s own Arts District bar, the Garden.
But the introduction of Queen, his latest venture with Q Hospitality, is something else entirely. Located at the Thunderbird Hotel on Las Vegas Boulevard, Queen bills itself as the Strip’s first LGBTQ restaurant, bar, nightclub and hotel (with Cordova planning to eventually bring all Thunderbird’s rooms under the Queen banner). Qarma’s role is to bolster those offerings as a full-service party destination, evolving the Queen experience into a sunup to sundown affair.
The 3,500-square-foot club is a hideaway compared to the Strip’s mega-venues, but no size queen can complain about the character of this club. There’s no clear-cut signage, no red velvet rope or even a cover charge (before 11 p.m.), but what Qarma lacks in blatancy, it makes up for in scene. Tucked beyond a neon-lit entrance hall is a drastically different vibe than the main dining lounge where Queen’s bar exists.
The go-go dancers here could put male revues in this city to shame. The men of Qarma saddle up on their posts, teasing revelers in their Speedos stuffed with dollar bills. It’s also not uncommon to see these studs out on the dance floor. For HalloQueen, they swaggered through the bar, grinding through a number to Beyoncé’s Queen-approved “Bow Down.”
Visually, Qarma stuns as a set piece to the rest of Queen. More than 50,000 LEDs adorn the space and that doesn’t include the stand-alone laser show launched once the DJs arrive. Resident DJ Lexto, who’s also spun at the Garden, anchors regular tech-house sets at Qarma, while the adjacent bar favors Latin music nights hosted by local queens.
There’s no shortage of stimulation here. Qarma maintains a stacked calendar to keep the “girls, gays and theys” satisfied. It’s a fine addition to what Vegas’ LGBTQ community already has, but the potential of what Qarma could eventually become once Queen Hotel fully arrives makes it all the more promising.
QARMA Queen Las Vegas, 1215 Las Vegas Blvd. South, 702-982-8259, queenlv.com. Thursday-Sunday, 12 p.m.-5 a.m.
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