A certain number of special terms and tips apply to nightclubbing, particularly in Las Vegas. First, call ahead, or have the concierge desk call for you, to find out what the situation is for reservations, seating at tables, hours, shows or specific live entertainment acts. Each club tries to outdo the other to attract large crowds, and if successful at it, there may be a long wait in line somewhere.

Click here for a list of Las Vegas nightclubs.

Cover Charge

The "cover" is really a ticket for entry. It’s usually charged on the way in, rather than being added to the bill later. Some clubs even call them "General Admission," which is a more truthful term. Sometimes a person with a local ID will be able to enter for free, particularly if she’s female. Men often pay more than women. The charges usually go up on weekends and for special events.

Front-of-the-Line Pass

Even if there’s no cover, the cost of admission will be bound up in the "Front-of-the-Line" pass or "Front-Line" pass. By paying extra and obtaining such a pass, one’s name magically appears on a list at the admissions point, and one is ushered into the club without having to wait in line. This is a good thing, as the capacity of the club is limited, and the line only moves as spaces are given up by people leaving. In the summa-ries that follow, just the straight cover charge is given, unless there is no cover, meaning that it’s pretty much front-line pass to get in or not at all. The figure reported is for Saturday night, male. Remember that the cover is lower on other nights or for other genders, and can be higher if there’s a special party or event.

Reservations

Having a front-line pass to get in, or waiting in line and paying the cover, does not guarantee a place to sit. The bars and lounges have stools or bar tables on a first-come basis, but sit-down tables or booths are subject to prior reservation only (unless it’s really late). Tables and booths are frequently reserved for groups of 4 or more, so it may make sense to make up a group of 4 before going out. (Many clubs do not admit groups of men in packs of four (or six), so try to be a mixed group.)
Bottle Service. The catch on reserving and occupying a booth or table (or chaise lounge, sofa, or even bed, depending on where you are) is that bottle service is almost always required. Put differently, there is no separate cocktail service at the tables. The waiters will bring a bottle of alcohol of some sort, glasses, mixers, and ice. The table must order at least one bottle, and the prices are often in the $300 range or higher. Frequently the club offers packages, including front-line passes, a table, bottle service of various levels, and some other inducement, like a discount for something else. Vodka is usually the cheapest bottle option, and Scotch or fancy brands of rum, gin or tequila can cause the price to go up a lot.

VIP Lounges and Perks

Just as there is an expensive way to get in and a less expensive way to get in, there is also a yet more expensive way to enjoy the club. The VIP areas are especially reserved for people with "know-who" or for celebrities and local magnates. But the concierge can arrange this for a well-heeled stranger, using just a little economic "know-how." These cabanas or booths or enclosures permit private enjoyment of the dance and party area without having to put up with the rest of the crowd. Often these areas have dedicated bars and waiters, and some even are sound proofed, so the occupants can even change the music feed if they feel like it. Most are arranged so that the lower classes can’t see in to identify who it is.

Hours

In the summaries that follow, a convention has been employed. The days of the week are indicated by first initials, with Su for Sunday and Th for Thursday. The hours should be presumed to be from an opening in the pm to a closing in the am unless otherwise indicated. A closing of "X" indicates that the place closes when the last customer leaves, presumably around dawn, but not necessarily.

Attire

Virtually every place worth visiting nixes torn clothing, bathing suits, cut-offs, flip-flops, tank tops, athletic clothes, baggy pants, baseball hats, and anything really dirty. Many places are OK with anything else, like shorts or a tee shirt. A few places don’t allow shorts, and want the shirt to have a collar. Yet others want fancy attire or fashionable, "night club" attire. A couple of places would like coats and ties, cocktail dresses or evening gowns. The attire code is thus: 1=anything goes. 2=anything goes other than flip flops, t-shirts, athletic wear, hooded shirts, cut-offs, baggy jeans or baseball caps. 3=casual (shorts and jeans OK if neat and clean) 4=fashionable; 5=fancy (coat and tie, cocktail or evening dress).

Pool Parties

A couple of the night clubs associated with hotels are tangent to pool areas, and plan events that take advantage of the pool. These are not listed in the summaries below, but do add an additional dimension to Las Vegas night life in the earlier part of the evening. Concierge desks are a good source of information on when these events are scheduled, what the entertainment will be, and the cost. Like night clubs in general, pool party events are best managed through the process of making a reservation well in advance. (Examples are Bare at Mirage; Palms Pool; Rehab at the Hard Rock Pool; Tao Beach at Venetian; Venus Pool Party at Caesars Palace; VooDoo Beach at Rio.)

Special Live Performance

Most nightclubs use DJ’s to program and present the music for the listening and dancing pleasure of the guests. On weekends and special occasions, live music will be booked in. A few venues present specific live acts with regularity. The night-clubber will want to ask in advance, either to be sure to be there for the live act, or perhaps to avoid the act to time an arrival when things will be less crowded. The days of a sit-down music or comedy act at a nightclub are past. Those shows exist in Las Vegas, of course, but in venues specially designed for them. These are showrooms, which have a stage and often have "cabaret-style" table arrangements. Modern day nightclubs are basically for drinking and dancing.

Choice of Music

The spectrum of musical taste has widened in the last 25 years or so – so much so that some people may not understand some of the terms used to describe the music. The summaries indicate the predominant taste of the DJ or management of the club, but with the obvious caveat that almost any sort of music is capable of slipping into the queue at any particular time.

The "Ultra Lounge" Phenomenon

In the 1930’s, after prohibition was repealed, a "lounge" was a bar with upholstery on the seats and a "night club" was a place one went in black tie for a swank dinner, drinks, after dinner entertainment, and dancing. They were pretty much vastly different things. In Las Vegas, lounges have become increasingly bigger and fancier, with wondrous sound systems, whilst night clubs have increasingly moved from evening clothes to dance fashion, and from live acts to DJ music. They are beginning to look a lot like each other. Gradually, in Las Vegas parlance, a "lounge," especially one in the newer, "mega-resorts," is an elegant and stylish place to spend some time drinking, conversing and perhaps listening to some recorded music. A "club" is the same thing, only much bigger, open until much later, and capable of live acts for part of the night. Some lounges have grown and have added a dance pole or a go-go stand or two, as well as live acts from time to time. These are sometimes now referred to as "ultra lounges," meaning bigger and more like a nightclub than a mere lounge, but not quite over the bar to be a full-grown nightclub. Sometimes a resort with a nightclub might want to create a second late-night option for its guests, and rather than have two nightclubs, it designates the newcomer as an "ultra lounge." The listing below includes a couple of this genre, if they have the tell-tale late night music and dance format.

Click here for a list of Las Vegas nightclubs.