December 10, 2003 -- Frank Sinatra, in the back room of the Flamingo, knew it. George Clooney, stepping out of a party at the MGM Grand, definitely knows it. Celine Dion probably doesn't care, because she goes home and drinks a cup of hot chocolate every night with René.
What's to know? Vegas has layers. Most tourists -- especially budget travelers -- only see the outer shell, marvelous as it is. But the Vegas of VIP rooms, front-of-the-line passes and free champagne most certainly does exist. It's the Vegas of stars and high rollers, and the website vegas.com is dedicated to democratizing that Vegas a wee bit. It can't turn you into George Clooney, but the site can get you a little more access than you would have otherwise.
Please don't cringe when we announce the price of this Vegas.com "deal": $200 for a VIP New Year's. (Remember, this is a town where show tickets cost $60-90. Gotta pay to play.) For your two C-notes, you get front-of-the-line access to a slew of Vegas nightclubs. Passes to an individual club usually run $30-40, but on New Year's Eve all bets are off.
One of the big Vegas trends for '04 has been the sexing-up of the city's nightlife, and you'll find things intense and sweaty at Bikinis at the Rio (www.vegas.com/nightclubs/bikinis/index.html). Ra, at the Luxor (www.vegas.com/nightclubs/ra/index.html), provides a more mainstream dance club experience.
Here's the trick, though -- Vegas.com will throw in VIP tickets to the nationally televised Fox New Year's Eve party at the Venetian. The 90-minute event will start at 8 pm, leaving you plenty of time to go clubhopping afterwards, and will feature live performances from Outkast, Metallica, Wyclef and Ashanti.
If you intend to go to the Fox party, plan your evening strategically. Getting around the Strip on New Year's is a screaming nightmare: traffic is gridlock, and Vegas' much-touted monorail isn't running quite yet. Either dig in at the Rio, go for the combination of Baby's at the Hard Rock and Ice (both off the strip -- slightly better traffic), or bite your lip, brave the traffic and head all the way down to the MGM Grand and the Luxor (which are connected by a walkway-tram combination.)
Interested? Buy your tickets as soon as possible at www.vegas.com.
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