Las Vegas Weekly

April 26, 2010 · 4:56 PM

Strip Scribbles: Deal set for America’s largest nightclub right here in L.V.

By Robin Leach

An aerial tour of the Mojave Desert. CityCenter is pictured here.

Photo: Tom Donoghue/www.donoghuephotography.com

At a whopping 62,000 square feet, the new beach and nightclub planned for the Strip will be the largest not only here in Las Vegas but also anywhere else in America. It is 6,000 square feet larger than Aaron Spelling’s six-acre, 123-room mansion, the largest home ever built in Los Angeles County. It’s also nearly 10,000 square feet larger than the entire White House structure, offices and grounds.

We broke this story months ago when discussions first got underway between the owners of Tao and Lavo at The Venetian and Palazzo, respectively, and the German bank financial owners of the new Cosmopolitan hotel opening in December between the Bellagio and MGM’s new CityCenter complex.

Now with last week’s official contract signing, we can confirm that it’s a green light, with a tentative nightclub gala opening set for New Year’s Eve. Known for now as Project X because a name hasn’t been selected, the potentate’s party playground will be located on the fifth floor gardens and river park of the hotel. The hotspot joins the new restaurants opening at the Cosmopolitan.

I’m reliably told that in addition to the nightlife attraction, there’s a staggering use of monstrous crystal chandeliers over the casino floor designed by David Rockwell. “It will be a tourist attraction in its own right. It’s that amazing,” I was told. David is known here for his design projects for restaurants and the set of Holly Madison’s Peepshow at Planet Hollywood.

*Two mindboggling stories in today’s global press are well worth a read. Treasure Island owner Phil Ruffin keeps a copy on his office wall here of his $171,953,438 personal check written from his Wichita, Kan., Bank of America account to pay his 2008 federal income taxes! The 75-year-old billionaire is now worth more than $2 billion, and by 10:34 on the morning of the interview with The Wichita Eagle, he’s already made another $700,000.

The fascinating article also states that former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson sat with Phil recently and asked whether he’d pay Mike’s bills to train for a comeback fight. “He needed to lose 100 pounds,” Phil said. “I said no, which is too bad; he’s the best attraction Vegas ever had.”

The other fascinating tale is from Singapore and the multibillion-dollar bet our Venetian/Palazzo owner Sheldon Adelson is making on his new Marina Bay Sands hotel opening there tomorrow. It will be the world’s second-most-expensive hotel after MGM’s CityCenter here. Hotel executives expect it to overtake all the company’s U.S. revenues within a year, gaining business from Australia, Malaysia and Macau. It’s highlight is a 7,000-ton, 2,090-meter cantilevered sky garden and a nightclub run in a partnership with Bruce Willis and Dan Aykroyd.

We’ll have the opening-day ceremonies of Marina Bay Sands and news of Disney’s The Lion King opening there right here at VegasDeLuxe.com tomorrow.

*When superstar entertainer Barry Manilow, who is our newest Strip resident at the Paris, learned that thousands of talented students at Los Angeles County High School for the Arts didn’t have musical instruments, he simply said, “I’ll take care of that.” He not only made a $500,000 donation to buy the instruments, but also agreed to play for free at its 25th anniversary, where another $600,000 was raised. Now that’s a prince!

WICKED WHISPERS & RACY RUMORS

Did Bono and U2 turn down the biggest payday ever for a performance this winter on the Strip for a one-night opening party? I’m now hearing that the offer has gone to Sting for the private invitation-only gala! … Which freaked-out reality TV star wore heavy-duty khaki safari clothes to a pool party because he was paranoid the occasional overhead helicopters were paparazzi? Even when he was told they were just the sightseeing choppers going back and forth to the airport, he kept his clothes on! … With the Miss America Pageant set for a return to Planet Hollywood, can the announcement be far behind of the new TV network deal on the heels of its ratings success this past January? … Holly Madison’s BFF Kendra Wilkinson has shot a new, racy physical fitness video that she’ll market this summer titled Taking It Off.

STAR SURVEILLANCE

*Motley Crue rocker Vince Neil dined at Rare 120 and then watched country superstar Keith Urban’s concert at The Joint in the Hard Rock Hotel on Friday night (Editor Don Chareunsy’s review and a photo gallery were posted Saturday). Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo and girlfriend Candice Crawford, Chace Crawford’s sister, played blackjack in a high-limit room. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was spotted at the Hard Rock just a week ahead of his battle with “Sugar” Shane Mosley. … At the premiere Skam pool party at the Hard Rock, DJs Eric DLux, Lil Jon and Chucky performed to a booming crowd, while actress Francia Raisa of The Secret Life of the American Teenager danced and partied in a cabana with friends, including Charity Baroni, a dancer for Taylor Swift. Shaunie Nelson, Cleveland Cavaliers star Shaquille O’Neal's ex-wife, was at Vanity getting cozy with a male friend and enjoying Grey Goose cocktails.

*Emmy Award-winning talk-show and America’s Next Top Model host Tyra Banks, at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition in the Luxor, told excited exhibit staff jokingly, “Don’t fuss over me!” The supermodel wore oversized sunglasses to enjoy as discreet an experience as possible, but at the Grand Staircase, she pretended to be queen of the world and re-created the pose made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Afterward, Tyra enjoyed dinner at star chef Julian Serrano’s self-named restaurant in Aria before a backstage tour of Cirque du Soleil’s Viva Elvis before curtain up. Tyra’s mom and two friends joined the group at Haze after the show.

*Despite hosting at Liquid Pool Lounge in Aria, The Hills starlet Kristin Cavallari still had energy for dinner at Union with 10 friends at Aria before heading to party at The Bank Nightclub in the Bellagio.

*British crooner Matt Goss met his Caesars Palace co-star Cher for the first time over the weekend backstage at her Colosseum theater and then performed his late-night set in The Gossy Room at Cleopatra’s Barge. Matt also went to South Point yesterday to support Jersey Boys star Rick Faugno and his one-man show.

*The crowd went wild at 3 a.m. yesterday when hip-hop icon Flavor Flav walked into Blush at the Wynn and made his way around the nightspot posing for pictures with fans while DJ Mighty Mi played a tribute to the artist by playing Public Enemy songs. Flav closed down the club and was the last guest to leave.

*Racecar driver Danica Patrick, who was a weekend guest at Palms Place, enjoyed the sun at the pool after she signed autographs for fans in The Lounge at the Palms and then went to check out The Playboy Club. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was at N9NE Steakhouse to say hello to friends. Retired racecar driver Michael Andretti dined at N9NE with Palms owner George Maloof, Oscar-winning actor Adrien Brody and friends. UNLV coaching legend Jerry Tarkanian dined in a party of four that included ex-MLB pitcher Roland Fingers. Next door at Rain, Yelle performed at the roller-skating disco party Down and Derby. Members of Avenged Sevenfold hit The Playboy Club, while C.J. Watson of the Golden State Warriors partied with seven friends at Ghostbar.

*Raiderette Erica Arana celebrated her 33rd birthday at Lavo in the Palazzo after spending the day with friends at Tao Beach. Her group at the dance floor table included Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darrius Heyward-Bey. A Bronx Tale actor Chazz Palminteri joined owner Jason Strauss at the owner’s table, while actress Francia Raisa danced to the sounds of DJ Reach.

*Tony Romo was at Victor Drai’s XS in Encore with friends at a VIP table overlooking the dance floor, while music star Enrique Iglesias partied at XS and at sister nightclub Tryst in the Wynn.

TONIGHT’S TIPS

Famed hair kings Oribe and Michael Boychuck host with other hairstylists to the stars at their showcase at Rain featuring 300 hair models in a runway show beneath aerialists and pyrotechnics. Hair gurus to Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Heidi Klum and Demi Moore are just a few of the 500 artistic directors attending the party. … Derrick Cameron, Vinnie Coppola and Grant Lyon are the trio of comedy headliners at the Riviera through Sunday night. … And for those who follow such, ahem, twisted dates, it’s National Pretzel Day, so snack up a storm somewhere to celebrate!

TOMORROW’S TEASES

We’ll have our extraordinarily candid interview with Frankie Valli at the Jersey Boys second-anniversary celebration and the opening coverage of Las Vegas mogul Sheldon Adelson’s Marina Bay Sands in Singapore. Also an incredible photo gallery of the new wildest party of them all: High Society at Nove in the Palms that could spell the end of the pool scene and the start of a whole new party era for Las Vegas, and my judging gig with Chumlee of Pawn Stars at the Aloha Bikini Battle. Finally, at a private dinner with Sylvester Stallone and Paula Abdul, the Rocky star talks about his new movie The Expendables, and Paula talks about her new projects, including plans for the Strip.

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 at Twitter.com/Robin_Leach.

Follow Vegas DeLuxe on Twitter at Twitter.com/vegasdeluxe.

Follow VDLX Editor Don Chareunsy on Twitter at Twitter.com/VDLXEditorDon.

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