Las Vegas Weekly

April 20, 2009 · 2:12 PM

Photo Gallery: Pool parties with Mandy Moore, Snoop Dogg and L.C.

By Robin Leach

Karina Smirnoff and Lil' Jon at Tao Beach.

Photo: Denise Truscello

It was a celebrity-filled weekend everywhere you went on the Strip. Tao and Lavo at The Venetian and the Palazzo were packed with stars, and perfect weather set the stage for Tao Beach’s season opening.

Actress-singer and newlywed Mandy Moore played hostess, looking stunning in a Diane Von Furstenberg dress, Vanessa Bruno shoes and toting a Jimmy Choo clutch. Mandy relaxed in a cabana and tweeted “Vegas. Tao Beach. Wow!!! Beautiful day, yummy food, amazing people-watching.”

Also enjoying the day was Owen Wilson, in town with his brother Andrew and friends, shielding himself from the sun in a long-sleeve shirt and a baseball cap. Before hitting Tao Beach, Owen grabbed lunch at Dos Caminos inside The Palazzo. Munching on guacamole and other favorites, the actor left a $100 poker chip as a tip.

Angie Harmon, showing off a svelte post-baby figure, spent the day with a girlfriend at Tao Beach while hubby Jason Sehorn golfed. Angie surprised her husband with this trip to celebrate his 38th birthday!

Internet gossip guru Perez Hilton became a full-fledged Las Vegas celebrity in his own right this weekend with controversies at the Criss Angel Believe show and his question on gay marriage to Miss California USA during the Miss USA 2009 Pageant. He walked the carpet wearing a Papa Smurf T-shirt paired with silver and white shoes and was the focus of photographers.

Photo: Scott Harrison/Retna/www.harrisonphotos.com

Mandy Moore at Tao Beach in The Venetian.

Krysten Ritter arrived with music video director boyfriend Scott Culver. The affectionate couple lounged on a daybed inside a cabana near Dancing With the Stars pro Karina Smirnoff, whose Lily & Allen gauzy dress was the perfect wardrobe for the sunny spring day. Across the pool inside one cabana were Lil’ Jon, Reggie Bush, Brody Jenner and his girlfriend Playmate Jayde Nicole with poker pros Phil Hellmuth and Antonio Esfandiari. Reggie took photos with his girlfriend Kim Kardashian’s stepbrother Brody, but out of respect for Kim, who was not in town, declined to take pictures with any women.

After spending the day at Tao Beach, Angie joined her husband for an Italian birthday dinner at Lavo, and then headed up to the nightclub for Grey Goose cocktails and dancing to the sounds of DJ Skratchy. Just two tables away in the nightclub were rapper Too Short and Brody. Patron was the libation of choice there, with margaritas topped off by chilled Patron shots.

Photo: Retna

Lauren Conrad at Wet Republic in MGM Grand.

The Veronicas and Nadine Velazquez had dinner at Tao right after wrapping up Miss USA rehearsals for the day. They enjoyed sushi, dragon rolls and merlot under the watchful eye of Tao’s Buddha alongside Karina and three friends. They split into separate groups to hit Tao and Lavo’s nightclubs.

Over at Wet Republic in MGM Grand, Lauren Conrad hosted the 2009 grand opening of Las Vegas’ first ultra pool. The Hills star donned a long, flowing lavender tie-dyed beach dress with her signature braided hair and even waded into a sea of devoted fans wanting photos. Once in her VIP bungalow, Lauren battled her friends in an intense Nintendo Wii bowling match and danced on the VIP pool deck to the beats of DJ Crooked.

“I came in just for the day for Wet Republic,” L.C. said. “I feel like I go somewhere new every single time I have a trip to Las Vegas. I don’t feel like you can go wrong in Vegas as long as you have a good group with you. I love to gamble, pools during the day, then they have the best restaurants and clubs ever.”

And at Rehab at the Hard Rock Hotel, rapper Snoop Dogg held court. Also at Rehab were Reggie Bush, Kurt Morrison of the Oakland Raiders, Avenged Sevenfold lead singer M. Shadows, porn star and Celebrity Rehab’s Mary Carey, Paul McCartney’s drummer Abe Laboriel and

motorcross champion and Wasted Space owner Carey Hart.

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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