LAS VEGAS IS HOME TO THE BIGGEST AND BEST NIGHTCLUBS IN THE WORLD. Sure, cities like New York, Prague and Hong Kong have their fair share, but the ones in Las Vegas are unparalleled. And just like the mega-resorts they're in, each new one raises the bar, setting a standard for all subsequent ones to meet. 
However, the lifespan of a Las Vegas nightclub can be much briefer. When a multimillion-dollar nightclub opens its doors, buzz abounds. Celebrities flock to the hotspots and long lines form. Eventually, the excitement wears off and newer clubs grab the headlines and glitterati. Then, in what has become the normal Sin City cycle, they're replaced.
With the dawn of the new year, several clubs made their grand debut, including Privé at Planet Hollywood, The Bank at Bellagio, Jay Z's 40/40 Club at the just-opened Palazzo, LAX and Noir Bar at Luxor and Blush at Wynn Las Vegas.
Jay-Z's 40/40 Club
With outlets in places such as Atlantic City, Macau and Manhattan, it was only a matter of time before Jay-Z brought his seemingly ubiquitous nightclub to the desert. Jay-Z's 40/40 Club (lv.the4040club.com) is a 25,000-square-foot megaplex that opened on New Year's Eve weekend with a party hosted by the music mogul himself.
The $20 million nightclub, which got its name from the rare baseball accomplishment of hitting 40 home runs and stealing 40 bases in the same season, is also a sports bar and ultra-lounge. For sports fans, there are 85 plasma TVs and a full food menu, as well as signature cocktails.
The bilevel club has five 40-foot-long bars, an outdoor terrace facing the Strip and even a cigar bar featuring a variety of moderately priced sticks.
When calling for a reservation, ask to get your clients into the Jay- Z Lounge or the A-Rod Lounge, two of the hottest places to be in the club. Here they'll find pool tables, bottle service and lounge chairs. There's a total of five VIP rooms, and each one features floors made from 24-karat gold and platinum. The club is open daily. For reservations and additional information, call 702-638-4040.
Privé Las Vegas
Mixing South Beach style with the Las Vegas party mantra, the 12,000-square-foot Privé Las Vegas (www.privelv.com) is a winning combination. Described by its owners as a whimsical outpost of fun and fashion, its original Miami location has been known as a chic getaway for Hollywood A-listers.
The club features modular banquets, dressed in Pucci fabrics, on three elevated levels. Because its design was inspired by Greek theaters, all seats focus on the main attraction: a 350-square-foot, Brazilian cherrywood dance floor. VIPs will enjoy the extra-wide grand sofas, so expect lots of dancing to take place right there. There are six VIP tables in all. They're surrounded by a futuristic and theatrical glass lift that can be used as dancing space.
Privé can be expected to roll out surprise performances and appearances. On New Year's Eve, Avril Lavigne rang in 2008 there. Travel agents with VIPs can call 702-596-4333.
Immediately adjacent to Privé Las Vegas is its sister lounge, Living Room. It's meant to capture the essence of a 1940s-era cigar bar and features leather sofas, Persian rugs and a granite bar.
Blush
The latest nightlife addition at the Wynn Las Vegas, Blush (www.wynnlasvegas.com/blush) debuted last summer, billed as an intimate 4,500-square-foot nightclub. Though it starts early in the evening as a lounge, by midnight everyone there is dancing.
The club features a lit onyx dance floor and a crème lantern ceiling sculpture. There's a patio and open-air bar overlooking lighted topiaries and foliage. Early in the evening, Asian appetizers from Red 8 are available. Every Tuesday is industry night (for people who work in the Vegas hospitality biz), which means the place is packed. Table reservations are highly recommended. Agents can call 702-770-3633.
LAX Nightclub
At the rapidly changing Luxor (it's getting a top-to-bottom makeover) is LAX Nightclub Las Vegas (www.luxor.com/nightlife). Based on its sister club in Hollywood, LAX is a celebrity hangout. Owned in part by Christina Aguilera and DJ AM, who guest-DJs regularly, the club has a VIP section with a private dance floor—access means getting to where the celebrities go to dance.
The club is large, but within it are many places that take the experience to a more intimate level. Since it's a Sin City-goes-Hollywood (or vice versa) hotspot, it pops up frequently as the backdrop of many stories in the tabloids.
LAX, which opened Labor Day, is a dramatic change from its predecessor, RA. Suggest combining the club experience with dinner next door at Company, an American bistro serving steaks, fish and other specialties. Those dining at Company are allowed to skip the long lines to get in to LAX. For more information on LAX, call the VIP services line at 702-280-3600.
Noir Bar
Recommend clients go to Noir Bar (www.luxor.com/nightlife) before or after a visit to LAX. Clients will feel like a total insider at this one. It's a modern-day speakeasy hidden below the entryway of LAX. Reservations are a must at this ultra-private spot. The entrance isn't even in the main casino; it's outside the building. When granted access, your clients will be escorted into the club through the back of what used to be a guest room and down a long corridor. The room is intimate, with only a handful of tables and a bar. 
Cocktails are created based on individual preferences. That means the crack bartending staff must invent new drinks on the spot. For more information, call 702-262-5257.
The Bank
Trading in the cushy interior of Light, which it replaced at Bellagio, The Bank (www.bellagio.com/nightlife) takes a drastic turn. It's more upscale and both elegant and glitzy—meant to blend seamlessly with the resort's five-diamond surroundings. 
The nightclub was built with a multi-tiered concept, so it has many more tables overlooking the dance floor. It's a design element that highlights the growing trend of tables on several levels. The dance floor is bordered by reflective etched-glass railings. Guests enter through a flamboyant yet fun foyer lined with bottles of Cristal champagne stacked floor-to-ceiling on each wall.
Management promises great service. Each table receives a personal service team to ensure no glass remains empty and all needs are accounted for.
The Bank is open Thursday through Sunday from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. For more information, contact the VIP reservation line at 702-693-8300.