Cherry, Las Vegas
Lounge king Rande Gerber's first full-fledged dance club had to be perfect. So the Midnight Oil crew decked out Cherry in natural walnut, glass, and onyx; filled it with two million dollars' worth of sound (by Sound Investment, nominated for "Best Sound System") and lighting (by SJ Lighting, nominated for "Bes Lighting System"); and sprung for a laundry list of fantastical details: outdoor VIP cabanas with their own sound and video systems, mouth-shaped urinals imported from Holland, a chrome pit that alternately spews water and fire. It's a fittingly luxurious nightspot for the expansive Red Rocks resort, which is nestled in the hills outside Vegas like a sparkling desert oasis. –KLM
www.redrocklasvegas.com

Club Paris, Jacksonville
For the love of nightlife! Who cares if we can't get rid of Paris Hilton? Sure, a 21,000 square foot clubbing complex built with her five-year, contracted endorsement may sound like celebrity marketing overkill. But Fred Khalilian, the man behind the Paris chain—which includes a location in Orlando—claims that the inspiration for the club is actually Paris, France. That explains why the entire place is pink (Hilton's favorite color), and why the heiress attended its grand opening, in oh-so-trendy Jacksonville. The club also boasts two "Best System"-nominated efforts from Sound Stage Systems: a custom six-way speaker system, and an extensive LED and dancefloor lighting installation. –DS
www.clubparis.net

Mur.Mur, Atlantic City
The long and lanky venue inside the beautiful Borgata could easily go bottle-to-bottle with its Vegas counterparts. With premium sound and lighting, celebrity resident DJs (DJ AM played its July opening), and bottle service adapted from successful sister club Mixx, the club/lounge screams everything but "New Jersey." Even dancing on banquettes takes on an upscale vibe here, with rich leather and wood completing the VIP motif. Twenty-five tables can't nearly accommodate the masses attempting to enter... but isn't necessitated selectivity a beautiful thing? –KLM
www.theborgata.com

Pacha, New York
Pacha may be the first new club to hit the ground sprinting, with 40 years' worth of momentum. The original Pacha opened in Stiges, Spain in 1976, and has since spawned over 25 locations in exotic cities all over the world. New York's chapter—the first in North America, and former site of the infamous Sound Factory (winner in this category in 2004)—opened in December 2005, and contains 30,000 feet spread over four floors. A sizzling Dynacord alpha concept sound system, installed by Infinite Audio, fuels the main room, where an oversized DJ booth, paneled with Traxon LED squares, is the center of all the action. Under co-owner/music supervisor/resident DJ Erick Morillo's guidance, hard-to-book jocks have already come out to play, including Jeff Mills and Danny Tenaglia. –DS
www.pachanyc.com

Slide, San Francisco
As a fledgling club space directly below the San Francisco nightlife mainstay Ruby Skye, Slide indeed proves that less can be more. Boasting a set of custom-made EAW loudspeakers especially designed by JK Sound's Michael Lacina and Kenton Forsythe, the club also possesses a Dolby Lake processor usually reserved for high-end tour solutions to fine-tune the audio experience to unprecedented levels for a nightclub. Commanding the system from a refurbished baby grand piano-turned-DJ-workstation, local jocks like DJ Solomon have turned a former basement space into Ruby Skye's equal. –JH
www.slidesf.com

Ultra Bar, D.C.
The team behind D.C.'s Fur applied their winning ways to a smaller venue this April, and opened the 12,000-square-foot, four-level Ultra Bar. With Crest-powered EAW sound by Ohm Productions (nominated for "Best Sound System"), an energizing green laser bounding throughout the high-ceilinged space, a top floor VIP lounge called Chroma, and no less than four DJs spinning everything from hip-hop to house, the venue's got something for punter and lounger alike. A large chandelier and dramatic arches add vintage appeal to the main room, kicking in some elegance to the party-hardy vibe. –KLM
www.ultrabardc.com