Las Vegas pool clubs had a monster summer last year as pandemic-weary partiers returned to the Strip in record numbers to celebrate once again. But one of the city’s essential dayclub venues wasn’t ready to reopen.
Tao Beach, the rooftop extension of the Tao restaurant and nightclub complex at the Venetian, actually hadn’t planned to operate during the summer of 2020, when pool parties and so many other events and venues went dark on the Strip. Tao Beach had already shuttered for a complete renovation and expansion, part of a larger pool deck project at the resort that was delayed by COVID.
It’s on track to restart the party this spring, but returning guests likely won’t recognize the new version. This is no makeover; it’s an entirely new venue.
“People will be completely mystified and have no correlation to what was before and what is now,” Tao Group co-CEO Jason Strauss said during a recent construction-site tour of the facility.
Originally opened in 2007, Tao Beach previously operated across an intimate 18,000 square feet, with a capacity of 1,586. Upon reopening—set for March 18 with a grand opening celebration on April 1-3—it will be one of the largest dayclubs in Las Vegas: 44,000 square feet with an occupancy of 3,000.
The all-new, $50 million-enhanced experience will begin with a grand entrance, very different from what Tao Beach guests will remember. “We made access dramatically better with this major investment,” Strauss said. “It was a herculean effort to build this escalator through the roof of the Venetian from Tao restaurant and nightclub to take you up here.”
The Bali-inspired design marks a vibrant expansion on the style of the previous club, crafted by the Rockwell Group and Susan Nugraha, Tao’s Vice President of Design and Development. Every element is bigger, including the DJ booth (with LED screen), 21 cabanas and two huge bars.
“Especially with the giant Temple Bar, I think we’ll have the best bar experience and bar views. That was a big thing,” Strauss said. “Obviously the cabanas are important for guests who place a premium on that real estate, but for those people who are just coming to enjoy the bar and dance, we spent a lot of time creating unique experiences for them.”
Tao Beach was one of the first Vegas venues built as a dayclub, and the first to operate daily, but its size resulted in limitations. Now, it will undoubtedly be one of the major daytime venues on the Strip. And after last spring’s merger with the Hakkasan Group, Tao Group is running many of those pool clubs, including the recently renovated Wet Republic at MGM Grand.
The pandemic might have taken attention away from the joining of those two global hospitality giants, but the new company has become a dominant force on the Strip (while also operating dozens of venues on five continents). Hakkasan restaurant and nightclub at MGM Grand, Omnia at Caesars Palace and Jewel at Aria are just a few more of the nightlife spots acquired by the Tao Group in that move.
As that deal moves into its second year, the arrival of the revamped Tao Beach brings the company’s focus back to the Las Vegas property where it all began. “This was the mothership of Las Vegas, the mother brand of the entire company, and this is close to our hearts, especially mine, because I came out here 16 years ago to open up Tao,” Strauss said.
“For us to see this evolution and come back to the market with something first-in-class, it’s … almost like seeing your baby grow up.”
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