Viva Las Vegas
An insider's guide to sexy fun in America's adult playground

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STRIP CLUBS

The first Vegas joint to truly run with the "upscale" theme, Club Paradise (4416 Paradise Rd., 702-734-7990), like newcomer Scores, requires its entertainers to slink about in gowns and who are known as some of the best stage performers in the biz---to slink about in sexy gowns . Guests are greeted with a handshake and escorted into a plush, intimate club. Main stage dancers emerge from behind a velvet curtain, while sexy aerialists and hourly stage shows elevate the experience beyond the mere strip club. Open 5 p.m. - 8 a.m. Mon.-Fri. and 6 p.m.-8 a.m. Sat.-Sun.

The intimate Spearmint Rhino (3340 S. Highland Dr., 702-796-3600) always feels like it's hosting a sexy party, even on traditionally quiet nights like Christmas. Entertainers from around the world travel to Vegas just to work at this Rhino, bringing the trendiest lingerie fashions with them. Wander to the back of the club, and you can shop for some showgirl supplies of your own. At Showgirl Supplies, The Gap of the dancer wear world (open from 3 p.m.-6 a.m.), you can mix-and-match booty shorts, bikini tops and miniskirts.

Open 24 hours.

         A shiny new star on the Vegas scene, Seamless (4740 Arville St., 702-938-6380) spans the ever-narrowing gap between dance club and adult nightclub. Upon entering, you are greeted by a woman soaking in a ? ' tall champagne glass.   The sexy, modern interior purposefully reads more like a nightclub than a strip club and features danceable pop and house music.   At 4 a.m., the club transforms into an ultralounge complete with hot go-go gals and a young, trendy crowd. Open 24 hours.

Scores Las Vegas (3355 S. Procyon, 702-367-4000) couldn't ask for a better spokesman than Howard Stern. The radio host with a notorious taste for the titillating considers Scores (which has seven locations across the U.S.) to be tops when it comes to adult entertainment, and he should know. Large enough to boast a variety of areas and VIP rooms, yet more intimate than some of Sin City's cavernous mega-clubs, the elegant Scores Las Vegas

Also has a great restaurant and late-night acrobatic performances.

Open 5 p.m.-8 a.m. daily. -- James P. Reza

NIGHTCLUBS/SHOWS

Ivan Kane's Forty Deuce (Mandalay Bay, 632-9442) is set up like a back-alley burlesque house that pays tribute to the striptease with three energetic burlesque performances that kick off at midnight. Drop by the boutique to pick up your own set of feather fans and fishnets. Open 10 p.m.-3 a.m. Fri.-Sat. (after-hours club 3-8 a.m.); 10 p.m.-4 a.m. Sun. & Thurs.; Mon., after hours only, 2-8 a.m.

Guest dolls Paris Hilton, Charlize Theron and Christina Aguilera have strutted their stuff inside the first-ever Pussycat Dolls Lounge inside Pure Nightclub at Caesars Palace (702-731-7873) since it opened last year. Seven nights a week, the Dolls--clad in fishnets, leather and bustiers--delight audiences with their performances, whether perched on swing extended from the ceiling or sitting onstage in a bathtub. Open from 8 p.m.-4 a.m. Tues.-Sat.; first show at 10:30 p.m.

You can also catch a bawdy burlesque-inspired performance at Tangerine Lounge & Nightclub at the TI (702-894-7111), which features a saxophone, percussion and stand-up bass trio during the performances (a DJ spins dance music the rest of the time). With its deck overlooking Sirens' Cove, Tangerine offers unparalleled views of the steamy "Sirens of TI" show as well as the Strip. Lounge open 6 p.m.-4 a.m. Tues.-Sat.; patio open 5:30 p.m.-midnight.

Several saucy shows make the Vegas experience even more so. Check out the wilder side of Cirque du Soleil in Zumanity (New York-New York, 702-740-6815; tickets start at $79), the lovely ladies of La Femme (MGM Grand, 702-891-7777; tickets are $59) or the Folies Bergere (Tropicana , 702-739-2222; tickets are two-for-one, $65), one of last productions featuring real live showgirls.

HOTELS

While MTV's The Real World catapulted the Palms (4321 W. Flamingo Rd., 702-942-7777) onto the A-list scene when it filmed here in 2002, owner George Maloof's ability to schmooze celebrities made it a real hotspot. And with the recent addition of the Fantasy Tower, including the first Playboy Club to open in 25 years (see Page XX for details), Maloof has upped the boutique hotel's sex appeal. Reserve the Erotic Suite ($4,000), featuring a "Show Shower" with a stripper pole, a full bar and an eight-foot round rotating bed, and you're in for an unforgettable weekend. Rates: $89-$499 single/double, $2,500-$40,000 suite.

In an ongoing effort to heighten this resort's hipster appeal, The Mirage (3400 Las Vegas Blvd. S., 702-791-7111) has retooled its entertainment offerings to include trendy restaurants (Stack and Japona is), scintillating nightlife (JET nightclub) and a new Beatles-themed Cirque du Soleil show ( LOVE ). This Polynesian princess has never been more flirtatious. Rates: $105-$599 single/double; $275-$5,000 suite.

While the Hard Rock Hotel (4455 Paradise Road, 702-693-5000) may not be Peter Morton's baby anymore--it's about to be acquired by Morgans Hotel Group, owners of the Mondrian in Los Angeles--this joint is still jumpin'. Loaded with rock 'n' roll memorabilia (Britney Spear's miniskirt), the city's coolest pool (Rehab) and its hottest nightclub (Body English), it's a favorite haunt of the hip crowd from LA. Sipping margaritas at the Mexican-flavored cantina Pink Taco is a must. Rates: $99-$599 single/double; $250-$1,000 suite.

RESTAURANTS

The creators of Tao Asian Bistro (702-388-8338) opened the Vegas version of the renowned New York hotspot and celebrity hang in the Venetian hotel last year with one of the most star-studded bashes the city has ever seen. The beautiful people continue to flock to this Asian-themed restaurant/ultralounge/nightclub, which is decked out in lush velvets and silks with waterfalls, infinity pools and a 20-foot-tall, hand-carved Buddha. Its exotic flavor includes Thai, Japanese and Chinese delights from the kitchen. Open from 5 p.m.-midnight Sun.-Thurs., until 1 a.m. Fri-Sat.; lounge from 5 p.m.-5 a.m. daily.

For a taste of Vegas when the Rat Pack ruled the Strip, order a dry martini and the filet at AJ's Steakhouse (702-693-5500) inside the Hard Rock Hotel. The dining room's retro décor includes a swanky lounge, oil paintings of an early Las Vegas and a grand piano where you can sway to the old school jazz stylings of Henry, who looks like he stepped out of a scene from the original l Ocean's 11 . Be sure to order the cheesecake for dessert. Open from 6-11 p.m. Tues.-Sat.

Atop The Hotel at Mandalay Bay, with views of neon-lit Las Vegas Boulevard that cannot be beat, Mix (702-632-9500) is one the of the city's sexiest restaurants. The slick interior of the white-hot dining room is matched only by what you'll find on the plate, both inspired by a couple of Frenchmen, Patrick Jouin and Alain Ducasse. Before dinner, drop by the Champagne Bar for a bit of the bubbly. Open 6-10:30 p.m. daily.

Shopping

Tushell Lieberman's Bad Attitude Boutique ( 4011 W. Sahara Ave., 702-646-9669) is a must-shop for the best in burlesque. Whether you're looking for waist-cinching or over-the-bust corsets, this is the No. 1 destination in Vegas for tight-lacing styles, both Victorian and modern in leather, silk and satin. You can even get yours custom made. Tushell also stocks corselettes, bustiers, stockings, girdles, garters and gloves, and, of course, feather fans. Open noon-6 p.m. daily.

Just a few doors down, Red Shoes (4011 W. Sahara Ave., 702-889-4442) sells stylish stripper shoes--everything from platforms to thigh-high boots. There are fetish pin-up heels, fire-engine red stiletto boots, clear platform heels with rhinestone detailing. Slip on a pair, and you'll feel like Cinderella right before she charms her prince. Open 10:30 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Sat., until 7 p.m. Sun.

Everything at Strings of Las Vegas (4970 Arville St., 702-873-7820) is designed to be durable--specially made for exotic dancers with high-quality materials and reinforced stitching. Even the G-strings and T-backs have a special cotton lining sewn into them for extra durability and comfort. Here, you'll find peek-a-boo pants, boy shorts, fishnet dresses, sparkly gowns, halter-tops with tie-fronts, as well as such accessories as rhinestone bracelets, anklets and chokers, and clear and chrome platform heels. Open 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Mon.-Sat., 1-7 p.m. Sun.

         Only in Vegas can you order lingerie from the privacy of your hotel suite. Love Jones (inside the Hard Rock Hotel, 702-693-5000) sells frilly, feminine underthings from Cosabella and Eberjey, including corsets, G-strings, silk stockings, waist cinchers and garters. They also sell such playful fare as powders and paddles, whips and French ticklers. Ooh la la! Open 10 a.m.-11 p.m. Sun.-Thurs., until 1 a.m. Fri.-Sat.

Spas/Salons

After a long night of lap dances, there are few things more relaxing than a warm bath. We recommend indulging in an Asian tea bath ($65 for 25 minutes), at The Bathhouse inside The Hotel Mandalay Bay (702-632-9241) for an invigorating pick-me-up. This is the sexiest spa in city filled with hot-and-cold plunge pools, eucalyptus steam rooms and rainfall corridors. And there are plenty of other indulgent treatments to choose from, too, such as caviar facials ($190), cappuccino body scrubs ($75) and champagne body wraps ($190). Open 5 a.m.-10 p.m. daily.

Globe Salon (1121 S. Decatur Blvd., 702-938-4247) has won the Las Vegas Nightie Award for Best Salon four years running for good reason: top-notch customer service, a hip, urban vibe and a sexy, flirtatious staff, who learned everything they need to know about hairstyling from resident goddess and owner Staci Reza. Take a seat in her chair and your hair will be the better for it (haircut from $65, single-color from $75 and highlights from $88). Open 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Tues., 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Wed.-Thurs., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Fri.-Sat.

For the best bikini wax this far from a beach, make an appointment with either Julian or MagdolNude Ambition , twin sisters from Hungary whose Kiss's Salon & Spa (3035 E. TropicaNude Ambition Ave., 702-458-5477) is one of the city's most popular. Services include face and body waxing, facial cleansing and toning, manicures and pedicures, body massages and wraps, but it's their signature Brazilian for which they are most famous ($55 and up). Open 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. Tues.-Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sat.