NIGHTS ON THE CIRCUIT: Hef Don’t Live Here Anymore

The Whiskey puts on a new game face. The cost: $2.5M

Xania Woodman


Thursday, April 14, 1:45 a.m. Staring down the barrel of my second Makers & ginger, I am concocting my own Late Show Top 10 List. So far it goes like this:


The Top 10 Ways You Know It's Time To Call It A Night. Ten, you forget the names of the people you came with. Nine, your co-workers start to look sexy and are definitely interested in you. Eight, you hook up with said co-workers in full view of everyone. Seven, sexual preference becomes a hazy gray area. Six, everyone in the crowd looks like someone you went to high school/camp/college with. Five, the DJ first spins the "Cha-Cha Slide," then follows up with "Celebration." Four, the smell of turpentine begins to grow on you.


That's as far as I got. Of course, none of the above is in reference to me, but rather the activities of my close, uninhibited, and rather inebriated friends. We are celebrating T's birthday on short notice. An impromptu outing had already taught me that there is one swanky, lounge-y spot in Henderson where there's a dance floor, a disco ball, pool table, reasonable bottle service and no cover charge—The Whiskey at Green Valley Ranch Station Casino.


This Thursday, the hotel happens to be using turpentine to prepare the patio for the summer season, when the floor–to-ceiling doors will swing open, allowing the party to extend out to the pool area and opium beds. Lucky for us, they have incorporated the opium-bed concept inside, too, since fumes now threaten to overwhelm us and half the staff and we'll need somewhere soft to pass out. Only cigarettes can mask the stink, so we chain-smoke and pray not to spontaneously combust.


The Whiskey's parent company, Midnight Oil (owned by Rande Gerber, nightlife entrepreneur and Cindy Crawford's husband), parted ways with the other interested parties not too long after its December 2001 opening, changing the name from Whiskey Sky to reflect the break. Since then, the Whiskey has undergone more than a mere name change. A routine overhaul of other Midnight Oil venues (there are 23 in all) put the Whiskey next in line for a makeover. Renovations began February 7 and the lounge quietly reopened March 4, carrying a total bill of $2.5 million.


Friday and Saturday, the crowd is decidedly young, making it seem like Vegas' fanciest college bar. Drink and bottle prices and the dress code are all less traumatic than on the Strip. Tonight, as with the rest of the weekdays, the club draws more hotel guests and a slightly older demographic. Last Friday, DJ Mike White, formerly of China Grill's Red Dragon, kept the floor full with a straight mix of top- 40 and radio hip-hop. According to General Manager Darryl Margolis, it was harder when the Whiskey was a lounge converting to a club on the weekends. "Now, we're a club that reverts into a lounge during the week."


On an earlier tour, we checked out the new, darker design scheme of blue, black and chrome. Almost all traces of the former designer have been erased, including the white Formica bar, fireplace and other mod effects that made it feel like Hugh Hefner's rec room. It seems most of the outlay was spent on reassigning areas. Most notably, the dance floor has been moved from a small side room to the heart of the place, right between the bar and stairwell. The stairs have morphed into a DJ booth and VIP section, and the old dance floor is now a velvety blue cave with sliding, limousine-tinted glass doors for supreme celeb secrecy. On the negative side, the original front door is permanently closed. To access the Whiskey from the casino, you must wind through halls past banquet rooms and ballrooms. But if you succeed in finding it, you are rewarded, as there is rarely a line and never a cover.


An afterthought: Proving once again that I have excellent timing, the Saturday after our birthday visit, the Whiskey hosted a star-stuffed, unofficial afterparty for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (the UFC being owned by Stations' owners, the Fertitta brothers). In attendance were Pamela Anderson, Cindy Crawford, Rande Gerber and Quentin Tarantino. Had I been there, I without question would have bought Tarantino a martini and asked him once and for all: What was in that briefcase?



Xania Woodman thinks globally and parties locally. And frequently. E-mail her at
[email protected].




Xania's Hot Spots for April 21 - April 28




Thursday, April 21



The return of Soundbar at Plush Lounge. Since 2001, locals have enjoyed Soundbar for its vibe, attitude and crowd at the House of Blues, Curve, Glo and sorely missed Velvet Lounge. DJs Keith Evan, Carlos Sanchez and B. Minogue welcome guest DJ Marques Wyatt and live musicians. Doors open at 10:30 p.m. For more info, visit
www.SoundbarLasVegas.com.



Monday, April 25



The second week of Chi at Teatro Euro Bar. Described as "a celebratory fusion of energy, music and life," Chi is an Asian-inspired evening beginning at 10 p.m. with live percussionists and lion dancers, "emitting natural energy to launch a sultry night of harmonious passion." DJ Shoe provides "musical enlightenment," along with guest DJs Michael Toast, Douglas Gibbs, Carlos Sanchez and Miss Joy.



Tuesday, April 26



My birthday! Who knows where the night may take us?! Stay tuned for the official Birthday Postmortem and Hangover Report.



For more Hot Spots and weekly parties visit
www.TheCircuitLV.com and sign up for Xania's free weekly newsletter.

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