Las Vegas Weekly

March 11, 2010 · 3:04 PM

Victor Drai’s Hollywood nightspot officially opens tonight in L.A.

By Robin Leach

Sammy Sosa, his wife Sonya, Victor Drai and Jesse Waits at XS in the Encore.

Photo: XS

Nightlife czar Victor Drai certainly isn’t resting on his laurels. Neither are his managing partners, twin brothers Cy and Jesse Waits. The trio picked up the top two honors this week for their luxurious and sprawling XS at Steve Wynn’s Encore -- the Nightclub & Bar Awards were presented to them for Best New Nightclub and Mega Club of the Year.

They raced from their Top 100 Party at XS for 4,000 of the Nightclub & Bar delegates Tuesday night to L.A. for the friends and family run-through of their new Drai’s Hollywood. It officially opens tonight with a star-studded celebration at the famous intersection of Hollywood and Vine.

One of my Hollywood screen pals who toured it last night emailed me this morning with his verdict: “Victor, Cy and Jesse have done it again. You thought they’d done it all in Las Vegas, but now they’re taking Hollywood by storm. This time with Candace Carrell, Drai’s Hollywood is a super smash. They are going to wipe out everyone else in the nightclub world here!”

The 26,000-sqare-foot, multi-level, soundproof nightclub is an 11th-floor rooftop wonder at the W Hollywood Hotel. The private VIP lounge is 2,300 square feet with its own private entrance. There’s a 1,000-square-foot open-air balcony and a glassed-in penthouse bar facing the Hollywood sign. It’s believed that Victor spent $14 million on the interior, including a $1 million lighting system and $75,000 leather bathroom stall doors!

“It will be great to be back in Los Angeles. Hollywood is drawing me back with the same energy that drew me to Las Vegas 10 years ago,” said Victor, who I knew well at Drai’s, his first restaurant in West Hollywood. It served as the flashpoint for L.A. tastemakers from 1993 to 1997 before he transported that energy and focus here. “Now, with the success of our Las Vegas venues, I am ready to return to Los Angeles with Cy and Jesse on the grandest scale possible at the W Hollywood and create the ultimate nightlife destination.”

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.

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