Chateau Nightclub & Gardens

Situated on a prime piece of casino-scape adjacent to the Paris Hotel and Casino Resort, Las Vegas' newest super-club (which only opened in March 2011) commands spectacular views across the mesmerizing Fountains of Bellagio – the water and light wonder show that kicks into life every half hour from dusk. It's positioning could not be more prominent, since Las Vegas Boulevard South is one of the busiest areas on the Strip, but Chateau went one better than it's neighboring contemporaries as the only club on the Strip with a sidewalk entrance. The reason behind this was quite simple – no more fighting your way through hoards of casino-goers to get to the nightclub queue!

Chateau's blueprints have been in the pipeline for some time – a $40 million project incepted to make use of 45,000 square feet of purpose-built space, linking the Paris Hotel and Casino Resort with the vivid modernist appeal of sophisticated Las Vegas nightlife. Harnessing the post-modernist creativity of emerging designer Amy Kim of AKDesignNETWORK, the entertainment board of Paris Resort chose one of the most obvious French concepts for their groundbreaking two-storey space – the French chateau. Kim is considered one of the foremost rising stars when it comes to interior-scaping – her most admired work to date being the discerning SLS Hotel Beverly Hills interior, upon which she collaborated with the legendary Phillipe Starck.

Taking inspiration from the Renaissance style of French country houses, the intended opulence of Chateau is combined with thoroughly modern décor and strategically placed exhibits. Monstrous gilt framed mirrors line the entrance walls, playfully bouncing light upward to catch in the minute droplets of equally oversized chandeliers. The club itself is divided into three contrasting areas – largely destined to bridge the divides between entertainment, full throttle dancing and an up-market beer garden. The dance area is ascended by a cascading spiral staircase and highlights the designer's covertly modern style. Soaring great pillars flank intimate seating areas, creating some aspect of diversion from the large oak-floored dance area. Rising up at the North-central point of the room is the masterpiece Renaissance fireplace, enhanced with streaked white marble and two sets of steps up to the DJ booth. It's here that some of the most famous musicians in America have already had the fortune of appearing – recent guests including T-Pain, Nikki Hilton and Samantha Ronson.

Chateau Gardens lie within a fortunate corner of the sprawling Paris Resort complex – directly beneath the soaring Eiffel Tower replica which has become a Vegas landmark in it's own right. Here, the club takes on a relaxed ambiance, providing intimate corners, booths and recliners for mingling and generally chilling out. With an open second storey terrace, the gardens extend to heights ideal for enjoying night-time vistas across Las Vegas – the perfect way to enjoy a signature cocktail as the sun goes down.