Clique Hospitality has announced two new nightlife venues in development with partners Jason “JRoc” Craig and Ryan Labbe at the Palms, where excitement continues to build as Station Casinos rolls out plans for a total renovation.
“The Palms was my first hotel experience in Las Vegas prior to moving here, and the level of hospitality and the experience I had made it my second home,” Labbe says. “To be part of this team now is really exciting.”
Their first task: transforming the legendary Ghostbar space into Apex Social Club. “Those are huge shoes to fill, but we are excited to be creating a new legacy,” Labbe says. He describes Apex as a similar experience to Clique’s Oxford Social Club in San Diego—an alternative to a big Vegas nightclub but not necessarily a lounge.
Meanwhile, on the new Palms casino floor, Camden Cocktail Lounge will take over the former lounge space just off the main entrance. Both Apex and Camden are expected to be completed in the spring.
Camden will be connected with a new high-limit gaming salon and share similarities to the Clique Lounge at the Cosmopolitan. “But it will be a unique experience all its own,” Labbe says. “We don’t have 3,000 rooms above us [at the Palms], so we’ll be more cautious with how we program the space and cater it to the Palms clientele.”
The new nightlife offerings are expected to aim for a stronger local following than Strip venues, too, especially considering the Palms’ location and demographic history. “If locals aren’t talking about it, why would somebody coming in from out of town want to experience it?” Labbe asks. “Locals always have been and always will be a vital part of our business at every venue.”
