Change of Scene

It's nothing sinister, but the Level 8 Pool at the Stratosphere leads a double life.

The pool is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. and, during the morning and afternoon hours, is a place where parents and kids share the summer sunshine with more party-minded revelers.

Then, as the day progresses, the pool, located on the eighth floor of the Stratosphere, begins to transform into a more adult-oriented venue.

And, says Matt Mascali, the Stratosphere's food and beverage director, "after 7 (p.m.) it goes to 21 and over, because, then, it heats up a little bit."

The Stratosphere, located at 2000 Las Vegas Blvd. South, is calling its summer pool party Body and Soul, and this is the first year the resort has dived into the Strip's pool party trend.

Thanks, perhaps, to its no-cover policy, Body and Soul attracts a varied clientele, Mascali says. "It's locals, it's some tourists from other hotels, it's our own hotel guests."

The pool area encompasses about 68,000 square feet, and the 15,000-square-foot pool can accommodate about 1,500, Mascali says. (The Stratosphere also has a European-style pool for ages 21 and over on the resort's 25th floor.)

Cabanas run from $75 to $125 and include such amenities as cable TV, cushioned lounge chairs, water and ice and even two rental rafts.

Bottle service is available, and "most things are under $200," Mascali says. "Then, between 6 and 7 daily, we do two-for-one bottles."

Drink specials include 32-ounce pitchers of Absolut Exposure (Absolut Berri Acai, lemonade, blue curacao) for $18. The drink menu features on-the-rocks and blended drinks from $9 to $16.

Also available is what Mascali calls "one of the best food menus you could find at a pool" at the Level 8 Cafe and Bar.

Breakfast is offered from 9 to noon and lunch from 10 until closing, featuring, Mascali says, salads and fruits, burgers and "everything from hot dogs to ahi tuna."

DJ Sol Sirch plays from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursdays through Sundays.

The pool offers "bikini blackjack" from noon to 7 p.m. Fridays through Sundays, Mascali says, and the pool's staff also isn't averse to organizing a game of water polo, Baggo or beer pong.

The pool offers a great view of the Strip, Mascali notes. And, in an amenity literally no other pool party in town can offer, Mascali says Body and Soul is a prime viewing spot for catching SkyJump, the Stratosphere's newest thrill ride.

"The pool deck is probably the best place to view the SkyJump," Mascali says. "You can stand right at the pool and watch people jumping off. It's just wild."

For more information, call the Stratosphere at 380-7777.

Contact reporter John Przybys at jprzybys@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0280.