Take all the best elements of Victor Drai’s nightlife hot spots from Las Vegas, put them together, add a great view and extra shot of beautiful people and you’ve got Drai’s Hollywood.
Drai’s Hollywood is not Drai’s Las Vegas though that isn’t a bad thing. Since opening in March, word is definitely out about the spot. This was evident when Nightclub Confidential stopped by on a hot July night. Outside the W Hotel Hollywood, the not-quite who’s-who were determined to get in, while those with connections breezed past to the elevators, ascending to the 12th floor to the rooftop club and pool deck, which also serves as a restaurant.
The Hollywood incarnation, bearing the Victor Drai signature and carrying over distinct accents that give the Vegas venue its chic vibe, draws more from Tryst and XS in Las Vegas but on a smaller scale (XS won Mega Club and New Club of the year in the Nightclub & Bar Awards this year).
Upon exiting the elevators, there’s a replica of the famous Hollywood sign, and through the red velvet curtains, club-goers in the main room dance to the hottest club tracks (house and electro music at Drai’s Hollywood is reserved for Sunday Dim Mak parties with Steve Aoki). Go-go dancers in tutus dance on platforms around poles amidst mirror and crystal accents and windows overlooking the city.
Outside, there’s a balcony with a view of the actual Hollywood sign. The opposite direction opens to the rooftop pool deck and cabanas included in the venue’s approximately 22,000 square feet. Looking up at the W tower, one can see the three party penthouses for Drai himself, plus his partners Cy and Jesse Waits, all of whom were named Operators of the Year at the 2009 Nightclub & Bar Convention and Trade Show.
But if the opulence and carefully planned décor elements that hold the signature touch of Victor Drai still aren’t enough, and you’re longing for the stocked bookshelves and paintings of Drai’s Afterhours in Vegas, there’s still one more space to check out. Downstairs and unbeknownst to most clubbers at Drai’s Hollywood, there’s a first-floor private lounge with separate entrance for private parties hopping with celebrities including DJ Samantha Ronson spinning amidst the classic Drai’s elements but in an intimate setting.
Drai previously thought he’d be done with new nightclubs after XS. Fortunately the film producer turned LA restaurateur and Vegas nightclub club owner is now showing California his distinct touch on upscale nightlife.