New clubs opening doors

Recession, shmecession. If you want to spend $20,000 for the top table at the newest club in the newest Las Vegas casino, no one here is gonna stop you.

That's the premium price to dance to master DJ Tiesto at Haze, which opens at Aria on New Year's Eve. It's one of three new clubs to swing open its doors on Thursday night, joining Eva Longoria Parker's Eve, also at CityCenter, and Vanity at the Hard Rock Hotel.

The new rock bar Smokin' Hot Aces also has its grand opening in The Venetian's retail shops on New Year's Eve, though it has a soft opening starting Monday to work out the kinks.

The 25,000-square-foot Haze is the latest from the Light Group, which also operates The Bank at neighboring Bellagio and Jet at The Mirage.

The recession has indeed put a crimp on nightlife, but it hasn't slowed the Las Vegas competition. "Everybody wants to be newer, better, bigger and faster," says Cory McCormack, managing partner of the new 14,000-square-foot Vanity at the base of the Hard Rock's new HRH tower.

Alas, for fans of the Hard Rock's Body English, the basement club fades into of auld lang syne on Jan. 1. The old club has its last hurrah on the same night Vanity opens.

Vanity's terrace is perched with "50-yard-line views" of both the Hard Rock's original pool and its new one. Inside, a $1 million chandelier offers 20,000 crystals and another 20,000 LED lights.

"People still want to party, they're just doing it on a budget now," McCormack says.

One of the club partners is Las Vegas major leaguer Jason Giambi. But McCormack says other celebrities -- such as Diddy, who does a track date on Jan. 2 -- will have to earn their keep.

"It used to be you would pay a celebrity $200,000 just to show up and you had a chance to make your money back," he says. "It's about what you had to do to keep up.

"I'm thankful that's over."

Contact reporter Mike Weatherford at mweatherford@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0288.