New dayclubs, new DJs, new deals: Your guide to pool season in Vegas

If you want an idea of what to expect from the two newest pools/dayclubs on the Strip, look no further than Palm Springs.

Jason Strauss, co-CEO of Tao Group Hospitality, described the atmosphere at Palm Tree Beach Club at the MGM Grand as “Palm Springs meets country club.”

Go Pool at the Flamingo reopened last week following a $20 million overhaul. “Midcentury retro deco is what we’re calling it,” Flamingo general manager Dan Walsh said of the vibe. “Think Palm Springs retro meets modern Las Vegas.”

Elsewhere this summer, some hotel pools have new DJs, some have new parties, and one has added a Wahlburgers for those of you who aren’t afraid to scarf down carbs while wearing a swimsuit.

Inside Palm Tree Beach Club

“Wet Republic had an epic run and was pivotal and instrumental in creating this whole daylife/dayclub type culture,” Strauss said.

Tao Group, which manages the club space, and MGM Resorts International could have kept printing money with Wet Republic for years. But it opened in 2008, and Tao Group and MGM were looking at ways to “elevate and sort of reposition” the space, Strauss said. After all, anyone who celebrated turning 21 during that first summer of Wet Republic has long since aged out of its targeted demographic.

Tao execs met up with Norwegian DJ-producer Kygo and his manager, Myles Shear, founders of the upstart Palm Tree Crew, in February 2024 at their music festival in Aspen, Colorado. They witnessed how the live events side of the multipronged company operated and knew the same vibe that worked in the snow could thrive in the desert.

That’s where the new Palm Tree Beach Club was born.

The pool and the club’s footprint remain the same, but Strauss touted “a lot of new technology and better layout and more greenery and a better look and feel.”

The new DJ booth has three large 4K LED screens and a L’Acoustic sound system. It’s been lowered and brought into the crowd with room for more tables and daybeds surrounding it.

“Now it’s a full 360 (degree) immersive experience with the DJ booth and the performers we’re going to have,” Strauss said.

As for those performers, first and foremost, there’s Kygo, who headlined the pool’s opening weekend on May 3 and again over Memorial Day weekend as part of his first Las Vegas dayclub residency.

The rest of the summer’s lineup includes Alesso, Steve Aoki, Claptone, Martin Garrix, Chris Lake, Tiësto and Zedd.

The menu also has been elevated. Ralph Scamardella, Tao Group Hospitality’s chief culinary officer, has added spicy yellowtail wonton tacos, mini lobster rolls, carnitas pizzas and sushi hand rolls.

Despite the renovations, the dayclub’s energy isn’t about to change, Strauss said.

“People come to Vegas for the high energy. They can go to a chill pool in any secondary city. … They come to Vegas for the ‘Wow.’ They wanna see the pyrotechnics, the giant water cannons, the brand-new LED screens with the best technology and content.”

Flamingo’s Go Pool rebuilt from scratch

Caesars Entertainment spent the winter rebuilding Go Pool, which opened the summer before Wet Republic, from the ground up.

“We started drawing this out and said, ‘If we get rid of this and get rid of that and get rid of that and knock that down and move that,’ ” Walsh says, “ ‘we could have three new private pools with cabanas surrounding them … to create a very exclusive, really cool VIP experience that’s unlike anything else on the Las Vegas Strip.’ ”

By starting over from scratch, the Flamingo was able to reclaim storage spaces and areas that housed hot tubs that had been closed for years. Management also ditched the large stage that hadn’t been used since the days when the pool hosted concerts.

After all of that, the amount of water stayed about the same, but the overall space grew by 30 percent to 40 percent.

The nearly 1.5-acre complex features five pools, with a covered, 30-seat swim-up bar in the main one. The new DJ booth sits atop a 50-foot-wide waterfall that adjoins the grotto pool. While admission and the use of poolside lounge chairs are free, guests who rent cabanas or the couches and daybeds on the new wet deck will have exclusive access to the three elevated pools.

Not everything at Go Pool is brand new, however. Of the 200 trees that surround the area, 90 were saved from the original Go Pool and replanted.

What’s new at other pools?

Mark Wahlberg has expanded his Las Vegas empire by opening a Wahlburgers at Resorts World’s Ayu Dayclub. Not everything made the transition from a traditional location, though. (We’re looking at you, housemade chili with Wahl Sauce.) Instead, the menu focuses on pool-friendly fare, including burgers, sliders, fries and tots. Ayu Dayclub also added performers Alison Wonderland, Nelly, Noizu, Regard and Sickick.

Palms Pool is offering free cabanas Mondays through Thursdays for locals 21 and older with ID.

The program was available on a limited basis last year, but it’s back for the full season.

Palms Pool also has a series of new weekly events, including Swimdustry Mondays with free Heineken for the first 100 locals, Tiki Tuesdays with $35 pitchers of tropical cocktails, Wet Wednesdays with $35 pitchers of margaritas and Ladies First Fridays with a $59 unlimited beverage package for ladies.

La Côte, Fontainebleau’s poolside French-Mediterranean restaurant, had been available only to hotel guests. This year, visitors can partake in its à la carte and three-course prix-fixe lunch menus.

Planet Hollywood is letting guests stay closer to The Scene Pool Deck than ever before.

The new Ultra Hip Patio rooms and Ultra Hip Cabana rooms come with a small lounge area, umbrellas for shade and direct access to the pool deck.

Encore Beach Club has added Deadmau5, It’s Murph, Odd Mob, Odesza, Sofi Tukker, Subtronics and Dustin Lynch to its roster of performers. G-Eazy and Jungle are among the new performers at Encore Beach Club at Night.

And The Swimmin’ Hole at the Silverton is open to locals 21 and older this season. Full-day passes, valid from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, cost $25. Half-day passes, valid after 4 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, are $15.

Contact Christopher Lawrence at clawrence@reviewjournal.com or 702-380-4567.