Tuesday, July 6, 2010 | 9:24 p.m.
Club Guide
- Tao Nightclub
- 3377 S. Las Vegas Blvd. Ste 2025
- (Inside the Venetian)
- 388-8588
A BYOP(illow) party? I wasn’t sure if I was ready to sacrifice my allergen-free head-resting device to a nightclub full of drunken people and drink spillage. So I called Tao’s good Reverend Marklen Kennedy for guidance and was informed that the club had the pillows covered for the event July 1.
Touted as the largest pillow fight in Vegas, ladies in their lingerie or sexiest pajamas scored free drinks for the first hour. I wouldn’t be arriving in time for the perks but wanted to support the festivities. However, I wasn’t about to show up in my undies, and the only real PJs I had were the festive flannel — and often oversized — holiday ones my mother sends.
I settled on pigtails, knee socks, a teddy bear and Hello Kitty tank top, throwing on my bathrobe at the last second. “Is anyone actually wearing PJs?” I texted Jordan Miner at Tao. “You’ll stand out,” he replied. Frick.
I probably looked like a crazy person walking through the Venetian but then found a group of girls in little more than lace. “This is going to be interesting,” said Julia Fogleman. Her skivvies tipped me off that she was going to the same party. “I was nervous, but now I’m not.” Added her also nearly nude friend, Tamika Butler, “It’s a little different, but I’m sure I’ll get over it after a couple drinks.”
The club’s male hosts donned robes for the night. Naughty nighties weren’t too different than the female staffers’ usual attire.
Bundles of pillows were suspended over the dance floor and VIP area “moat,” primed to drop like a fluffy New Year’s celebration. Promptly at 1 a.m., airplane-sized pillowcases filled with foam were released from the ceiling. “It’s zeee biggest pillow fight with zeee smallest pillows!” joked photographer Richard Brian.
It also was probably the shortest pillow fight. For about a minute, the crowd demolished the pillows like birthday piñatas. Honestly, clubgoers at Tao might not have even noticed if the pillow fight ever happened; they were too busy happily grinding on the packed dance floor.
In the spirit of Venice, The Venetian is a little piece of romantic Italy right here in Las Vegas. The Venetian is an "all-suite" hotel, with rooms accented with plush linens and Italian marble. The 4,027 suites are divided into two towers: The 36-story Venetian Tower that offers guests a taste of luxurious Las Vegas and the Venezia suites, which guarantee 12 floors of high-end elegance. The top five floors are the hotel's highest level of luxury with its private access, concierge lounge, upgraded features and even a dedicated staff.
Entertainment at the Venetian includes shows such as Tim and Faith - Soul2Soul, featuring Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, and Rock of Ages.
The flagship of Venetian nightlife is TAO, an ultra-hip nightclub located inside of TAO Asian Bistro. V Bar is The Venetian's super smooth ultra lounge, made by the owners of New York City's club Lotus and Los Angeles' super swank Sunset Room.
The Venetian features 19 restaurants including Thomas Keller's award-winning French restaurant Bouchon, Mario Batali's B&B Ristorante, Aquaknox for fresh seafood and the 42,000 square foot TAO Asian Bistro. There's also the food court inside the Canal Shoppes for those looking for a quick bite.
Guests can float along The Grand Canal Shops in an authentic Italian gondola ride and pass stores like Burberry and Kenneth Cole along the way. And if you haven't caught a real celeb, on the street in Vegas, you can head over to Madame Tussauds to check out a wax version.
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