Tao Press Opening - Review.

[lalate]

Excerpts from an la late review
of Tao Press Opening
Thursday September 22, 2005
Located at Venetian Hotel Canal Shops

For related discussion, visit http://bbs.clubplanet.com/las-vegas/277749-vegas-next-new-hotspot.html

****** was the first report on this venue months ago as Vegas' next #1 venue. And we are now the first to say it will carry that title for sometime, not only in Vegas, but also on the westcoast."

It's Thursday night in a hallway adorned by the bustle of people way atop the Las Vegas strip. A stunning girl straight out of central casting has been hired to dress and sit stagnant and emotionless like a stunning female Buddha figure in a corner. As I approach, the stagnant girl suddenly breaks her frozen state and smiles and winks out of her right eye. When I smile, she smiles bigger and winks again ever so seductive. Could it be that the "Buddha-babe" is trying to be friendly, or perhaps I've caught her eye?

Just as with the wink and smile of the female Buddha, mystery and seduction is the exceptional vibe that ****** witnessed when we visited Las Vegas' biggest new venue opening last Thursday, the $22 million dollar, 44,000 square foot venue Tao (pronounced "Dao") at the Venetian.

...... Since the summer of 2005, ****** has been reporting Tao to be Vegas' potentially next number one venue. This night proved it. Tao is not only Vegas' newest #1 venue but we believe the finest new venue to open in the western U.S. this year. The Venetian organization has delivered a homerun in decor, floorplan, and staffing.

....... Decor.

Tao was smart on decor. It did not do the cliche Asian inspired motif that has been done and redone for over a decade in nightlife. Since White Lotus Hollywood (which ****** carried when it opened in Los Angeles) in 2002, the bastardized motifs of Asian decor have become a joke in nightlife seen recently at Forbidden City and recently renovated Circus Los Angeles. Tao didn't do this. Clearly they were conscious that the world of nightlife has seen enough Chinese red walls with black accessories and wooden motifs and Buddha laughing with his legs crossed at the end of every hallway for one decade.

When it comes to decor, Tao got it right, with stunning original design elements that you expect to win design praise for advancement of the Asian motif and enhancement of the clubgoing experience. Example - halls and walls splattered, apparently during mudding stages, with thousands of brushed nickel ovals; the ovals are exotic, yet modern while simultaneously retracting the light in the space, enhancing the space. Example - an entire wall of one room adorned with hundreds of miniature Asian soldiers normally for the top of tombs in Asian, here each holding a candle, stacked in shelves from bar to the ceiling, all looking at you with slightly different faces. "We are even bringing in an older Asian man with a long beard that will sit and stroke his beard all night long" Tao tells ******.

The favor is eastcoast. Darker hues with narrow walkways that open up into expansive spaces set under overhangs of mezzanine floors create a loft feel each hit with mood lighting and splashes of different palates from room to room, yet consistently darker and deeper.

Floorplan.

On Floorplan, Tao knocks the ball out of the park. People that night told us they thought the place looked amazing, but what they really meant is the flow of the space is amazing.

For the clubgoer, the first thing they see first when entering a venue is space, followed by people, and then decor. Tao again does this right. "Entrance to the nightclub can be direct via escalator passing much of the restaurant or by stairs" says Tao. Once in the space, everything makes sense. You get lost in the space because it is so visually rich and complex that it remains fresh the entire night. This is not a venue where you walk in the door you see entire venue in one glance. Floor after floor, hallways lead to multiple rooms (not just one) make it a delightful maze of excitement.

Bars. Tao gives you long bars with wide isles, two of the most important aspects of any nightclub that even the most expensive venues get wrong. The way Tao has been designed, you'll get served fast.

Mingle space. Venues in Vegas are notorious for not leaving space for people to meet people, cluttering the space with booths after booths leaving guys and girls no space to interact. At Tao, you have it. Hallways, passageways, and more. A patio commanding the anchor corner view of the strip from the Venetian over the water adorns the club just off the dancefloor.

Intimate space. Finally, every venue must have a space when clubgoers can get closer. Tao gives you that with low rise ottomans/cabin coaches and similar to sit and talk to that special someone. Here, they give even the general admission clubgoer "downtime" space, while competitors leave such space only to the Vip booths.

Booths. When it comes to booths, Tao is a master. There are booth for bottle service, lots of them. But they aren't in your face. This is not like Light at the Bellagio, or La Bete at the Wynn, where you walk in and see basically a venue of booths. This is originality that shows an architect took his time and understood how people move. Booths are different in design, shape (and amenities), hidden yet with a commanding view of the dancefloor, and in many cases more vip in location and feel than any booth offerings in town.

Dancefloor. Here, Tao needs some fixing. Too many tables, perhaps temporary, on the edge of the dancefloor need to go. For a venue of this magnitude, they cannot afford to clutter a non-enormous dancefloor.

Staffing.

You could build a stunning venue with wonderful floorplan. But Tao did even more. It staffed it with arguably the kindness staff we have seen in recent memory. Tao told ****** how they are keen on bringing a wonderful staff. And it shows. The entire door operation is lead by persons who left all of Vegas' other top venues in Vegas just to work at Tao. But the A+ service doesn't stop there.

The bartenders' stunning, and we mean stunning, looks are rivaled by their incredible kindness. Our wonderful bartender, at a time when the place was beyond packed, asked us every detail to insure our drink was poured to perfection, and then reasked after we tasted if it was perfect (which it was). Our server, normally cocktail waitresses, didn't just pass us the appetizers, they came back to us, looked for us in the crowd, to find us again to bring us a special taste of Tao dishes being offered, and then telling us to come back to Tao they night she is on duty. Even the balcony, that does not permit glassware, had a young man inform you to switch your drink into plastic; but he didn't "instruct you" like other rude Vegas clubs like to talk to patrons. He actually took your glass and poured it out into plastic for you and every other patron. Tao employees have been hired to be nice and trained to be even nicer, and it shows.

......

September, 2005.

[greenie]

How about some comments on the music/DJs they're featuring?

[lalate]

Originally Posted by greenie

How about some comments on the music/DJs they're featuring?

Currently scheduled - The main room to feature mashup (rock, hiphop, old school), and the second room to feature house (described as miami vocal sexy house style).

[mrvip]

As we all know, Tao is a combination of a restaurant and nightclub but during the nightclub hours, music is also played inside the restaurant making it like a lounge. When we went on Thursday the "lounge" was pretty well lit so if you're interested in seeing who you're talking to, this is the spot for you. Also, the music in the restaurant area wasn't overpowering to conversations as it normally is in most venues.

[lmg]

hmm, sounds very promising. I enjoy the Tao in NYC, so i will definitely swing by and see what they have done with the new Tao in Vegas.

[mrvip]

This is one club that you should definitely check out, especially if you have been to the original. It would be cool if you put up a post comparing the Tao from New York to the Tao in Las Vegas.

[lalate]

We've been contacted even before the opening of Tao west by persons that have visited Tao east, and we've spoken to heads that have seen or been breifed on both, and it is quite interesting what they both have to say. Tao west is so dramatically bigger in scale that you really do have to see it in person to appreciate it and feel that vibe.

[lalate]

More detail: Tao Vegas is 4 times the size of Tao NY. Both house a 20-foot-tall Buddha statue. The nyc version had food-and-beverage sales of nearly $22 million in 2003 according to Restaurants & Institutions' Top 100 ranking.

[xlr8ted]

Gotta love how Vegas clubs and promoters are all about the club itself.. how much money it makes, the demensions and how good looking the people are... No matter who glitzy the club is, the music out there is the worst.. I would rather a dark dirty place with a great dj than hanging out w/ a 20 foot buddah statue and drink 10.00 beers...


Anyone know the average life expectancy of a vegas club?

[kaydup]

How was the sound?

[xlr8ted]

Originally Posted by kaydup

How was the sound?

Nobody knows, they were just interested in what curtins were used in the windows, cuz if they're weren't Todd Oldhams, it was getting a bad review.

[kaydup]

good point but they are thinking of having a Real asian man stroke his beard... However they are staying away from the asian theme...

[nomembername]

do they have an open sushi bar during club hours?

[kaydup]

Originally Posted by nomembername

do they have an open sushi bar during club hours?

dont you read.. no asian anything

[nomembername]

I never read any of ******'s reviews