What was before only an Eastern religion and the philosophy of a stuffed bear has now become a righteous nightclub experience in the Venetian hotel. Opened Sept. 24, 2005, Tao redefines what a nightclub in Vegas should be. We visited only a week after its celebrity-studded opening. It was either the newness factor or the $50 cover charge, but we found it to be THE place to be on Saturday night.
Thank goodness for our new friend the line-butter, because the line was circling the "courtyard" in which Tao is located. Once inside, we were elevatored up and delivered to a dance floor filled with people and a décor filled with Asian influences. Everywhere you looked, your eyes found some new surprise – Buddha statues, exotic dancers, etc. There was even an outdoor patio which looked out onto the strip and the Venetian’s amazing replica of St. Mark’s Square and the Doge’s Palace – a nice place to stop and catch your breath before heading back out to the dance floor. At each entrance, and at several locations throughout the club, there were broad-shouldered men in suits that reminded me of Secret Service agents to open doors for you and help you through crowds. The bartenders were also all well-dressed, with their ties tucked in their shirts, serving $10 mixed drinks. I felt as if I had walked into an eye-candy convention. Also, you could no sooner drop something on the floor than a nicely dressed man with a broom would sweep it up and out of the way.
The DJ, who was perched atop the dance floor in one of the many lofts, was spinning mostly hip-hop, but threw in some random Top 40 (Justin Timberlake?) and some old-school (Jackson 5). The dance floor was packed, and if you couldn’t find your moves, you could borrow some from the black-bikini-clad women strategically placed throughout the club. (Could someone please give these girls a sandwich? They were all bony.) Again, should you have the inclination and the money, you could reserve a table with a much-sought-after place to sit and some very expensive alcohol.
As I found out on the way out, there’s also a downstairs to this club, more of a lounge than a dance club. All decked out in red, featuring half-naked women with strategically placed flowers in tubs filled with rose petals in a hallway lined with drooling men.
The atmosphere here was truly top-notch. It was an experience, not just a night club. Had it not been for the bony women dancers (which I’m sure the men will have no problem with) and the $50 cover, this would’ve been my top choice. Regardless, I give it a strong 9 out of 10 stars, and two enthusiastic thumbs up.