Las Vegas isn’t exactly the land of subtlety, and nightclubs in particular have to pack major wow factor to compete with the other DJ emporiums up and down the Strip. So Victor Drai, local nightlife impresario, spared no expense for his new hot spot, Drai’s, at the brand-new Cromwell.
In a previous life, the Cromwell was Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall (and before that, Barbary Coast), home to the infamous Drai’s After Hours club, where the party continued on well into morning. It was dark and always packed, thanks to the most dedicated of party people, as well as the cocktail waitresses and VIP hosts from other clubs wanting to unwind after work.
Now that Drai’s is back, it’s been topped by a 65,000-square-foot, open-air, rooftop beachclub, which sits 11 stories high. The vibe is wild, in the spring break-like vein of say, MGM Grand’s Wet Republic. The venue has two large pools, bedecked with VIP cabanas – and a Strip view at the far end of the water that’s absolutely stunning. The whole thing is airy and white washed, with bright orange and pink accents and plenty of palm trees. There’s also a private third pool on a second level, with five additional bungalows overlooking the Strip. The bungalows boast their own showers and restrooms for the ultimate in privacy.
Photo Credit: Mike Bohrer
After the sun sets, the club does a quick costume change from day into night. An indoor-outdoor DJ booth, with bottle service tables around a dance floor, opens up, and the outdoor area becomes packed with revelers trying not to fall into the pool. Again, head to the far end for the view – since the Cromwell sits smack in the middle of the Strip, the sight of the bright lights in both directions is quite beautiful.
Drai has made it clear that he won’t bow down to pressure from new clubs like Hakkasan, which pay international DJs enormous fees to get the party started. Instead, while he now vociferously shuns Wynn and Encore (where he’s opened XS and Tryst), he carries on the tradition that if you build a beautiful venue, pretty party people will come. And so far, he’s been right. His beachclub/nightclub has been packed since it opened for Memorial Day weekend.
Contra Paris Sundays, the last Sunday of every month, promise to be a good time. The urban party is produced by The-Dream and Tricky Stewart, the duo behind Rihanna’s “Umbrella” and Beyonce’s “Single Ladies.” Resident DJs include the locally loved Irie, as well as Showtek, Borgeous and Quintino.
And the cave-like fan favorite, After Hours? It re-opened inside the new hotel on June 19th, in conjunction with the house music festival behemoth EDC. The 13,000-square-foot underground space will stay open Thursdays through Sundays, from midnight to 8 am. Two hours later every morning, the beach club opens. And then there’s a three-hour break for the transformation to nightclub, which closes at 5 am, a perfect time to head downstairs to After Hours, to begin it all again.
Round-the-clock partying? Only in Vegas! Only at Drai’s!
3595 Las Vegas Blvd, (702) 777-3800 draislv.com
