Encore Beach Club Splashes into Summer with Style

Girls grinding on the DIY stripper pole

Now, for those of us who live north of the Equator, we all know that our calendars tell us that June 21st marks the Summer Solstice (or, to be even more precise, when the sun is directly over the Tropic of Cancer in the Northern Hemisphere).  In other words, it’s the first day of summer.  (It’s also my Mom’s birthday, but that’s another story…)  For those of us in Las Vegas, though, the seasons work a little differently, and one would be entirely justified in making a case that the “summer season” falls between the holiday weekends of Memorial Day in late-May and Labor Day in early-September.

Las Vegas Boulevard as seen from Encore Beach Club

This past weekend was marked by the highly anticipated opening of Encore Beach Club at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas.  Driving down the Strip, past the three-story building with its carved-out balconies one cannot help making mental comparisons to both the Coliseum of ancient Rome, as well as the wrought-iron terraces lining the Rue Bourbon in New Orleans’ historic French Quarter.

Moët-Hennesy’s Adam Rolfe

This mental picture was brought to life when, as I surveyed the Strip from Moët-Hennessy’s third floor bungalow, a bunch of passers-by yelled “Show us your tits!”  Being the somewhat self-absorbed person I am, and having just downed two glasses of the new Moët & Chandon Ice Imperial (its tropical fruitiness, with hints of pineapple, citrus, and plum, perfect for an afternoon barbeque or just some sippin’ on the dock of the bay, as it were – served over ice with just a spritz of fresh lime), I just assumed they were addressing me.  So I did as they’d requested, never once considering that they might’ve been shouting at the bikini-clad girls, next to me.  Upon seeing the befuddled looks on their faces, I realized that perhaps I might not have been the subject of their request.  Oh well…

So many things to say (but I won't)

Later, comfortably ensconced in a first floor cabana, it seemed that there was Dom Pérignon, everywhere I looked.  And not just bottles of DP, but magnums, as far as my eyes could see!  This one spraying the crowd, those two drinking straight from the bottle, and so on.  Meanwhile, girls danced on pedestals in the center of the pool, with water raining down upon them from a giant shower, as others grinded-away on DIY stripper poles (it is Vegas, after all…).

Kaskade plays for the adoring crowd (Photo: Erik Kabik/RETNA)

Through it all, Kaskade, the chart-topping DJ/Producer who has remixed hits for the likes of Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, and Lady Gaga, provided the delicious soundtrack during his first at-bat for the inaugural Kaskade Sunday parties that will occur each weekend at the new pool. 

Sam Worthington (Photo: Erik Kabik/RETNA)

And while the music played this weekend, revelers including Sam Worthington (Avatar, Clash of the Titans), singer/songwriter Ne-Yo (nee Shaffer Chimere Smith), celebutart Paris Hilton, and Luxor headliner Carrot Top (nee Scott Thompson), as well as NFL linebackers Brian Urlacher (Chicago Bears), Terrell Suggs (Baltimore Ravens) and Nick Barnett (Green Bay Packers) had a good-ole time getting-down with their bad selves.

Sean Christie pours and serves at Encore Beach Club

While the Bacchanalian feeling was present throughout, so were the decidedly upscale touches that always set the collaborations between Steve Wynn and Roger Thomas apart from anything else in town.  A few of these include private bathrooms in each of the bungalows, a virtual rainforest of banana trees and palms, and plenty of shade as well as sun.  Servers ran hither and yon, fetching trays of food and pitchers of cocktails, while bus-persons were constantly coming by to straighten-up and clear away the empties.

With its operations overseen knowingly by Las Vegas Nightlife Group’s Sean Christie, as well as his A-list team of marketing maestros, promotional pros and “whale” wranglers – including Bob Mancari, Pauly Friedman, $hecky Green (nee Jonathan Schecter), Larry Murphy and Dave Pappas – we are guaranteed that Encore Beach Club, with its decadence and flair, will remain a relevant and popular venue for years (perhaps decades) to come. 

So, come on in: the water’s great!