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/showthread.php?t=277749 ****** 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.

Not just that, the cocktail waitress/server <T--y> would keep on coming back to me, find me in the room, and say, "Hey, there you are <name>, I want you to try this <tuna roll in a cone shell, i.e.> too. Make sure you come back the nights Im on duty" My bartender, you'd ask for Vos Water, she'd say "Want an extra one for your <girl that you met>! .... Your patron shot- want it chilled for you?" That type of genuine nice service makes the experience so wonderful.

Thursday, September 22. Preparty. Pool Bar at Ballys. Good times. Pool itself is aahhh but the Pool Bar was fun. Great "aim to please staff". Didnt want a Sauza margarita (cuz of the Sausa) .. opted for a Mai Tai (sp) which rarely do but the staff make a really incredible drink and tossed a free shot to us and some others at the bar. Kicked it there for a while - very nice. Tao (The complete review of Tao will come under a diff thread). 4 hour Open Bar and passed free food and deserts. Bar --- The signature drink - Tao-tini. It sounds sort of gey but its super strong, get it in a highball. Passed champagne was great ... washington apple (made to order) perfect. Bartenders - mine looked like someone out of central casting. A 10+ with a 12+ personality ... who also aimed to please, offered to chill the shot of patron I wanted it or not. The also carry my favorite bottle water - arguably the best on the market, retails about $4/bottle. The staff - so incredible, asking when you will be back in town, finding you on the floor and bringing you back more of a particular food (believe it was a wrapped tuna roll) because they knew you liked it. Just when you thought you knew most of the hosts, other hosts would find you and say hello too. Cocktail waitresses, even the guy on the balcony who has the job to swap the glass for plastic - everyone was A+ in service and just cool people. Food - good. Ate too much of it lol. Deserts - rich and delicious. La Bete Arguably the worst nightclub we have experienced in 3 years, a bashion of outrageously rude staff coupled with a poorly designed venue. a) Time to get served. It took us 30 minutes twice, and for our friends over 30 minutes. Service. As rude as they come. My friend waited so long to get a drink that when he finally got served he asked for mulitple drinks from which he got a smart ass remark from the female bartender that he couldnt handle it. c) Music. Decent hiphop played ridiculous loud, so loud that it took me the rest of the night to get my voice back from talking loud enough to be heard. d) Floorplan. Poorly design, bad floorplan, lacking any originality. If you arent dancing on the pathetically small dancefloor or standing on the narrow walkway under the waterfall you basically have no place to sit and sometimes no place to stand. Centrifuge closed! Teatro A great staff, superb drinks, best priced drinks for an afterhours spot, incredible music, and great performances on stage.

Actually for some its open for lists tonight and Sat, tables starting next Thurs, and the "official" public opening is next weekend.

After waiting all summer long, last night we attended the Tao press and corporate private opening. We'll give you a detailed review shortly.

Direct hotel websites (make sure ur cookies are clear cuz they have pop ups) and i4vegas.com ... to start.

Mac - yeah if you have a Venet. casino person DEFINITELY check with them cuz in this case they do have good arrangements. And make sure you give a detailed review afterwards Ed - congrats

nice

Check your pms.

Countdown ! Friday opens publically.

Saw it posted on Trop's website ... late night Sat pool party assumedly every week . Anyone ever go?

Who's the cast? Only recognize 2 of em.

Anyone been to the Sat pool party at the Trop?

Anyone ever gone to the weekly Tropicana Pool Party? Good? Bad?

Hotel rates are starting to pull back a bit bro. Time for you to get urself up to Vegas again.

Bella - Give us the 4-1-1 review. Bet it was a great party,

Tao (nightclub) is Thursday til Saturday. Monday might be added in the near future.

wow whats with the bumping a 2004 thread? lol

A certain surprise guest might make an appearance this friday.

Do NOT buy now. We are at the peak before a potential massive drop off. Houses prices are expected to pull back or fall potentially Q4'05 or thereafter. Sustained high gas prices are a predecessor to a recesionary enviornment (as is a runup on unemployment numbers - google the unemployment report this week, ur mouth will drop). In a recessionary environment, housing prices fall, stocks rally. (You're old enough, think '97 when everyone was out of work, stocks rallied exponentially and housing went nowhere.) September is a very slow month normally for existing home new listings for sale but in So Cal you can see a sudden rush to sell (before a possible fall ?) suddenly since Katrina. THAT is a red flag. It is NOT a time to buy. Finally, remember, that certain markets go into a recession before another market. First one in, first one out. Additionally, all analysts say that certain markets where 2nd home sales have driven the prices up (considered speculative purchases, because its not ur primary residence, being using for investment purposes), those markets have been labeled the most fragile in a drop (because the purchases are speculative; you speculate, the market falls, its not your primary residence, now its time to worry). Parts of Florida are repeatedly mentioned in those reports about being speculative markets (for 2nd home sales); check if that is your area.

Digame

lol

Dunno if it JJ was to be said publically but since its been raised ... Bday w/ J Dupree, and neither.

Newsflash!!! jk

I should read posts before I read pms LOL! oh THAT rum tasting party lol. That sounds incredible. Will try to send you some peeps. In an ideal world, I would be free to be at rehab this sunday and then this on monday ... but of course I cant x 1,000,000. But will blast it for you. Ive heard of this spirit - we had a party for it I believe 2 weeks ago in LA (but the promoter's flyer never explained what it was ... so we had no clue it was rum let alone brazilian rum ....) We all all things brazilian Great party, K !