Victor Drai, the Las Vegas nightclub wunderkind behind the award-winning clubs Drai’s After Hours, Tryst and XS has announced the opening this summer of Liaison, an LGBT nightclub that will open in Bally’s Casino making it the first nightclub of its kind in Las Vegas. The club, which has the full support of owning company Caesar’s Entertainment, hopes to address a gaping hole in LGBT entertainment. “We are proud to be the home to Liaison and have no doubt that Victor will bring the same type of excitement and sophistication that he brings to all his endeavors,” says David Hoenemeyer, regional president, Caesars Entertainment. “This is an historic and exciting venture for all of us involved and it will no doubt enhance the guest experience for the gay travelers that visit our hotel and city every year,” reports ETurboNews.com, a self-described global travel and industry news portal.
Drai, 66, is a Moroccan-born entrepreneur with ties to both the Hollywood film industry and the L.A. restaurant scene. He has produced such films as The Woman in Red and Weekend at Bernie’s and recently opened a high-end steakhouse on Sunset Boulevard known simply as Rare by Drai’s.
But it is his flashy, Las Vegas nightclubs that have garnered Drai the most renown. His latest project Liaison will be near other gay-friendly properties affiliated with the Caesars chain of casino resorts, including Planet Hollywood, where Britney Spears performs, and Caesars Palace, where Celine Dion has a residency. Cross-promotional opportunities will likely encourage LGBT guests at those hotels to check out Liasion, reports OutTraveller.com.
“It’s really hard to believe that this is the first gay nightclub inside a casino on the Las Vegas Strip,” says Drai. Many gay Las Vegans and visitors would agree that the move by a major corporation such as Bally’s owner Caesars Entertainment couldn’t come soon enough,” adds glossy mag-web portal VegasSeven.com.
Many travelers and Las Vegas natives remember Krave, a troubled, big-budgeted LGBT nightclub that failed to catch fire despite high hopes from the community that wanted something beyond the local watering holes populating the often maligned stretch known simply as ‘The Fruit Loop.’ But with Victor Drai’s name behind the undertaking, many are hoping that Liaison will open the door to other such efforts. Michael Gruber, part of Drai’s Management Group, told the Las Vegas Weekly, “[The gay community] has always been treated like second class in this town. It’s something we wanted to offer — a dedicated space.”
Everything at Liaison will symbolize elegance. From the saturated, sexy dark finishes of gold and black found throughout the club to the opulent design featuring an abundance of mirrors and Venetian-style chandeliers. Liaison will be intimate, yet large enough to provide the social experience that is a signature of Drai’s venues,” ETurboNews highlights. “It will offer two club rooms, two DJ’s, multiple bars, stage and plenty of space for surprise performances. “The importance of having a gay nightclub in a major hotel/casino on the Strip is huge,” notes creative director for Drai’s Management Group Eduardo Cordova. “It validates equality and demonstrates just how far we have progressed culturally. This has been the moment that I’ve been working toward for all these years and it’s exciting to see gay nightlife changing in such a big way; these are definitely exciting times in LGBT and Las Vegas history.”
It’s good to see that those with an alternative lifestyle will have somewhere to go in Las Vegas, where they don’t have to worry about what other people think.