Las Vegas Weekly

July 27, 2009 · 1:12 PM

Strip Scribbles: Three bids expected for Prive space in Planet Hollywood

By Robin Leach

Prive in Planet Hollywood.

Photo: Sun file photo

Despite the shockwaves in the Las Vegas nightclub industry with the yanking of Prive’s liquor licenses, I’m reliably informed that at least two local nightclub groups and one Southern California operator are anxious to ante up big dollars to take over the venue! The three investment groups are well experienced in the industry and ready to move with money and design plans in compliance with the Gaming Control Board and county liquor regulations.

Click HERE for my colleague and Las Vegas Weekly nightlife queen Xania Woodman’s analysis of Prive and its managers. Still no comment from the Opium Group of Miami, who ran Prive. Rumblings grow that this was instigated as a payback for the IRS troubles at rival Pure in Caesars Palace.

*Comedian Wayne Brady did his best to showcase his racecar skills during a visit to Pole Position Raceway opposite the Palms, but he’s decided to stick with his regular gig of making audiences laugh with his show Making It Up at The Venetian. We also finally managed to acquire the photograph of actor Mel Gibson at the Bodies exhibit at the Luxor.

*The new 490-room luxury Paradise Tower at the Hard Rock Hotel won’t be officially opened until this weekend, and its 10-pool suites and one rooftop penthouse won’t open until next month. But that didn’t stop guests checking in this past weekend. The 375-suite Harmon Tower opens in December. We’ll get an advance look at the tower this week before the opening, which is already sold out!

*Our condolences to the family and friends of Olympic boxing and charity hero Vernon Forest, who was senselessly slain in an Atlanta car-jacking yesterday. Vernon was admired here for his work in caring for autistic kids and was honored by Nelly at the rapper’s birthday party at Lavo in the Palazzo last November.

Star surveillance

Sum 41 rocker Deryck Whibley spent the day at Tao Beach before heading to dinner at Tao with a small group for a bachelor party. They enjoyed sea bass, crispy shrimp and crispy tuna sashimi with Jordan Chardonnay wines. Afterwards, the guys hit Lavo. … Also at Tao, actress Mena Suvari and fiance Simone Sestito feasting on sashimi and sushi rolls, plus doughnuts, ice cream and sorbet for dessert. They wrapped up their night with Ketel One cocktails at the nightclub upstairs.

Randy Couture enjoyed dinner and a bottle of wine in a corner booth at Strip House in Planet Hollywood. … Ex-NBA all-star Juwan Howard had lunch at Society Cafe in Steve Wynn’s Encore with several female friends. … Peepshow headliner Holly Madison enjoyed the Sunday brunch at Iron Chef Kerry Simon’s restaurant in Palms Place. … Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler watched Phantom at The Venetian. … For the second consecutive day, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top hung out at Frankie’s Tiki Room and even brought his father-in-law for two hours of drinks!

DJ AM hung out backstage during the sold-out Blink-182 show at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel. Pro skateboarder and reality star Rob Dyrdek with a 40-person entourage also watched the show after filming scenes for his MTV show Fantasy Factory earlier inside the showroom. Sacramento Kings and Palms owner Gavin Maloof watched Blink from a VIP suite. Deryck took a VIP table at Carey Hart’s Wasted Space with his friends. Hill Harper of CSI also was at Wasted Space after dinner at Rare 120, while rapper DMX and former No. 1 draft pick Greg Odem of the Portland Trailblazers were at Rehab. The Donnas performed at Wasted Space last night.

UFC President Dana White hosted a party of eight in the private dining room at N9NE Restaurant in the Palms. Their signature rock shrimp appetizers, steak and creamed corn were accompanied by champagne and wine. At a table in the main dining room, two guests joined UFC fighter Chuck Liddell for dinner. Chuck drank only Fiji water but indulged with the chocolate banana pie for dessert. At a nearby table, Mike Bibby of the Atlanta Hawks was in a party of 15 that included his family, and he, too, stuck to a water mix of club sodas and Fiji. Executive Chef Barry Dakake sent out a dessert platter of s’mores, creme brulee and blueberry almond cake. Inside Rain, Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker eventually joined resident deejay and good friend DJ AM onstage as the packed crowd enjoyed a hip-hop mash-up by the two phenoms. Ex-NFL player Jamie Sharper, the older brother of Darren Sharper of the New Orleans Saints, was joined by eight friends at a VIP table on the dance floor. They drank Patron and vodka cocktails.

Tonight’s tips

Dirt Nasty, Andre Legacy and Andy Milonakis are scheduled to host the Rock Hip Hop party at Prive, but because of the yanked liquor license, I’d double-check before heading to Planet Hollywood. … At Jet in The Mirage, House of Pain will perform three songs in its mini-concert, including the big hit “Jump Around.”

Tomorrow’s teases

We have photos of the wild 72-hour Kandyland pool party at the Palms, with Snoop Dogg in concert and the Miss Sunset Tan bikini pageant that kicks off the E! reality series’ third season. … Kelly Rowland celebrates the season finale of her Bravo series The Fashion Show with a concert at Tao in The Venetian.

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.

Follow Robin Leach on Twitter HERE.

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