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When Sean Christie, former managing partner with The Light Group, took control of the Wynn lounge then called Lure, he immediately set out to put his stamp on it. A re-design and re-brand later, and 4,500-square foot Blush was born. Bathed in deep greens, chocolates and shimmering golds, and affixed with a pupil-popping ceiling composed of 300 crème lanterns and a sound-and-lighting system courtesy of Club World Award-winner (and nominee for Jet's video system this year) John Lyons, the space is as suave as it is sassy. Christie also hired a topnotch team-including promoter Brandon Roque for its Tuesday industry night- to deliver fresh parties that perfectly complement the fresh digs. -KC
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With the opposite approach from most in the ultra lounge game (Goldbar prefers to limit press, prohibit photography, and gag the gossip rags) Goldbar has enjoyed an A-list client base and continued underground rumblings in the notoriously rough nightlife marketplace of New York City. The lounge, with large heavy doors that somehow blend with its Little Italy locale, keeps its showy side on the inside. The gold is everywhere: from paint to turntables; shimmering furnishings to a wall of coated skulls; gilded arched ceilings to DJs (Izzy Gold, for one). Paintings, drapes of chains and etched inscriptions make sipping a $17 Gold Rush cocktail more than apropos in the 1,500-square-foot space. -CM
www.goldbarnyc.com
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Aiming to bring back Lincoln Road's era of luxury, the 10,000-square-foot venue Set basks in luxe décor and service, including vacuum-compressed elevators for go-go girls, a backlit tortoise shell bar and a future-themed glass fireplace. (Because nothing screams extravagance as loudly as a fireplace in Miami, a city whose temperature rarely dips below 60 degrees.) Add Pucci fabrics, Swarovski crystals, Cecil B. Demille-inspired Egyptian art including 12-foot tall Cleopatra statues and (faux) elephant tusks, and you'll wonder if you're in Miami anymore. Plus, as a necessary lounge testament, Britney, Giselle, Kimora and the like have shown their faces in the VIP Trophy Room, too. -CM
www.setmiami.com
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In variety Tabú trusts. Rok Box Mondays is a mash-up mainstay, attracting locals and tourists alike by focusing on ear-drum busting beats and chunky classic rock. Super Slide Sundays is pure old school hip-hop, featuring b-boy battles, graffiti art and scratching galore on-gasp!-actual vinyl. And, once a month, Tabú clears out-big gasp!-space normally reserved for VIP-ers so the DJ is front-and-center for deep house love-in Soundbar. That Black Eyed Peas, Paul Oakenfold, Carl Cox and many more have blessed the red-hued, tech-savvy interior this year with live performances proves Tabú isn't resting on its rep and bragging rights as a three-time winner in this category. -KC
www.tabulv.com
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Cielo co-owner Philippe Rieser has already won our hearts and Best Club Award for two years in a row. So when he and partner Sunwoo Hwang decide to unveil a new lounge in San Francisco's Union Square, best believe we - along with patrons like Leonardo DiCaprio, Salma Hayek and Mayor Gavin Newsom - will be there with Fluevogs on. Designed by Cielo's Stephane Dupoux, this subterranean decor features Italian leather banquettes, teak tables and a Hollywood juniper tree to buttress the interior's warm organic tones. Meanwhile, the 25-speaker Funktion-One sound system keeps the party properly chilled or heated. -JH |
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