On your mark. Get set. GO to Las Vegas for a once in a lifetime bachelorette party experience with your girls. Here’s your ESSENCE-editor-approved guide to the ultimate Las Vegas ladies-only experience.
Nothing says unforgettable ladies-only weekend like luxurious adjoining suites with spectacular views and all the extras you need to pamper yourself properly. Stay at The Palazzo Las Vegas’ Bella Suites and enjoy plush queen beds (so comfy you’ll forget you’re hungover), gasp-inducing modern, yet elegant, decor and enormous bathrooms with Roman tubs and stand-alone showers that make it easier for lots of ladies to simultaneously get ready in a hurry.
Tired from a long night in fiercely high heels? Kick back in the Bella Suites‘ opulent living rooms, put those feet up, and indulge in a little late-night girl gab on the L-shaped couches. If you call The Palazzo “home” during your trip, here’s an added bonus: The hotel is conveniently located in the center of all the action on The Strip, located just steps away from some of Vegas’ hottest bars and photo opps, and making it the perfect location for Bachelorette Central. (Extra Credit: For a yummy surprise, order chocolate covered strawberries and top shelf champagne to be delivered to your room before the bride arrives!)
Want to make your bride-to-be feel as special as she is? Have the most delicious cupcakes in all of Las Vegas customized for the special occasion and delivered right to your suite door upon arrival. To get it done, head over to Sprinkles’ easy-to-use online site and design the sweet treats of your dreams. (Extra Credit: Go for stiletto or heart designs, add the bride’s face or a festive phrase like “Congrats Diva!”)
Since you’ll already be staying at the Palazzo, for your first night out in Vegas, head right next door to its sister-hotel, The Venetian, for an unforgettable night of Vegas-style debauchery at the legendary TAO nightclub, a celeb favorite and a mandatory-stop for all Vegas A-listers. Reservations for large groups are a must and DO pay for immediate entry VIP access and skip that massive line. The club’s resident deejay lineup is beyond impressive and the staff is so hands-on you’ll feel like Beyoncé for the night. (And there will be plenty of hot “Jay-Zs” to meet your alter-ego Bey on the dance floor…wink!)
It should go without saying that the only (and we mean, only!) way to experience nightlife with your girls in Las Vegas is from a V.I.P booth. Since you’re headed to TAO for your first night out, go the extra mile for the bride-to-be and splurge on one of their luxe Tao Bachelorette Packages, complete with a lavish V.I.P booth, your own personal bartender/bus boy, bachelorette cake, amazing goodie bags, and a big screen shout-out for the bride. With all eyes on your group, have a private unforgettable moment with your girls and pop and pass bottles high above the packed dance floor while you rub shoulders with celebrities and their entourages. Movie star moment? Check!
Seeing a Cirque du Soleil show in Vegas is a mandatory rite of passage, and the Michael Jackson ONE show at Mandala Bay is the one to watch. Revisit the King Of Pop’s musical high points while enjoying spectacular dance and acrobatic performances everywhere you turn that you won’t see at a circus near you. We dare you to try and stay in your seat for this one! (Extra Credit: For large groups, book your tickets as early as possible through the box office and be sure the bride has a center-front, aisle seat for an extra treats throughout the show.)
You won’t find any kids in line at this ferris wheel. Meet one of Las Vegas’ newest attractions: The High Roller, the world’s tallest Ferris Wheel standing at 550-foot tall.
While visiting the High Roller, go for the “Happiest Half Hour Experience” where you’ll take in the best views of Las Vegas from inside a High Roller Happy Half Hour party cabin with open bar. (Extra Credit: Psst: the ride’s open until 1A.M., making it the perfect chance to have the most unique nightcap experience ever. )
A bachelorette weekend in Las Vegas would not be complete without a pre-honeymoon pole dancing lesson for the bride-to-be and her crew. The instructors at Fawnia’s Pole Fitness Studio will help you instantly upgrade your moves. Book a private class, learn a sultry number and then split into groups and create your own routines for a sexy dance battle to end the course. You’ll leave with a pole dancing certificate, a fun shirt for the bride and photo and video laughs galore saved in your smartphone. Enjoy!
Decadent cocktails don’t come cheap in Vegas, but if you’re looking for tasty creations from some of the best mixologists around that will be worth every penny, pull up a stool at BLVD Cocktail Company. The striking nouveau-classic design is an added bonus that’s sure to impress the bride (and make for fabulous Instagram moments!)
When the hottest names in hip hop and R&B (like The Weeknd, shown here) come to Vegas, it’s to perform at hotspot Drai’s Beach Club Nightclub inside Vegas’ new The Cromwell Hotel. Live music, free-flowing top shelf cocktail delights, and a crowd full of people ready to party high in the sky will make for an unforgettable ladies’ night, we promise. Check the lineup to see when your favorite acts will be in town and reserve your VIP booth now.
As Vegas rooftop pool parties go, it doesn’t get any sexier than camping out on a sunny day inside your private cabana at The Palazzo’s Azure Luxury Pool. Order tubs (yes, tubs!) of your favorite margaritas (every lady gets a straw!), relax under the AC, surf channels on your private flatscreen, soak up the sun on your private pool chairs and take in the panoramic views of the epic, deejay-fueled day party fun happening right before your eyes. Hello memories! (Extra Credit: You’re already staying right upstairs, so sliding out of bed and into your cabana will only require an elevator ride down and a few steps.)
Visiting the desert during the summer months is sure to leave you melting, but don’t worry, we found the perfect place for a quick cool down during happy hour. At Minus5 Ice Bar, inside Mandalay Bay or The Monte Carlo, everything is made of ice (the glasses, the seats, the tables, the walls!) and the fur coat rentals are Instagram photo-opp gold. See how long your group will last inside before you’re ready to heat things up again.
Not all male revue shows are created equal, especially when your bride-to-be asks for a sexy weekend, but to go easy on the “cheese.” That said, the famous nightly Las Vegas Chippendales live show at The Rio Hotel and Casino is anything but cliché. Reserve a cozy V.I.P booth for you and the girls and enter the fancy theater for an evening of sexy, shirtless (and yes, at times, pants-less) performances from some of the top male dancers in the world. No silly gyrating here! These guys have choreographed numbers, matching costumes and a real way with the ladies. (Extra Credit: Arrange for a private Chippendales limo to bring you there and for a special moment on stage with the bride and one seriously sexy cast member. Oh, and stick around after the show for a classic group shot on stage with the fellas and shots with your favorite hunk in the Flirt Lounge.)
The ultimate bachelorette experience wouldn’t be complete without dining like (and with) the stars. Reserve a luxe chef’s table at N9NE Steakhouse. Munch on delicious steak cuts beneath a dazzling chandelier while surrounded by chic decor. Every photo will be frame-worthy!
No, this is not a dream. This is real life bachelorette heaven. The Sprinkles Cupcake ATM in Las Vegas dispenses freshly baked cupcakes 24/7. Wipe that drool off your chin and make this a stop on your itinerary now. (We guarantee you’ll make at lease one repeat visit before you head back home! Airplane treats anyone?)
Let some of the world’s funniest women kick off the laughs for the evening at The Venetian’s top-rated Lipshtick Comedy Show with regular guests spot features from all the comediennes you love. Hostess with the mostess Wendy Williams recently headlined a show, and with names like Loni Love (shown here) and Lisa Lampanelli on the upcoming summer schedule, there’s no way this won’t be a high point during your stay.
“Remember that time we partied the night away inside a giant chandelier?” That’s the start to the story you and your best girlfriends will tell for years to come if you pay The Chandelier Bar at The Cosmopolitan Hotel a visit during your stay. Need we say more?
The West Rim of The Grand Canyon is just a few hours outside of Las Vegas and definitely a sight not to be missed while you and the girls are in town. Book with top-rated Grand Adventures Tours for a private experience and celeb-treatment for your visit. Reserve a private tour and they’ll pick you up, treat you to lunch and breakfast and stop for all the awesome photo opps along the way, like The Hoover Dam. (Extra Credit: Ask for tour guide Luis, he’s outstanding!)
To combat the effect of those wild nights in Vegas, sometimes a more tame afternoon experience is required. Start with a stop at The Mandarin Oriental Las Vegas’ Tea Lounge where you can sip and share the tea in an upscale and sophisticated lounge with a unique view of The Strip. Tea not your thing? They also serve coffee, juices, cocktails and delicious delicacies such as English scones, cupcakes and macaroons.
Craving a thrill while you’re in Vegas? Las Vegas Indoor Skydiving has your fix. Just minutes off the strip, it’s the perfect place to be brave together.
The LV Wedding Connection Bachelorette Photo Tour will whisk you off in a luxury stretch limousine for a one-hour or two-hour photo tour with stops at iconic locations along the Las Vegas Strip – including a stop at the world-famous Las Vegas Welcome Sign. Our favorite part: A professional videographer and photographer tag along to capture all the fun on film. (Extra Credit: The bride can purchase a disc of photos for her own personal keepsakes!)
The more of Las Vegas that you experience together, the more lasting the memories will be. Winding up in a long taxi line or stuck in traffic all weekend long can really slow down the party pace, and having to walk long, crowded blocks in heels is even worse. When you’re not splurging on a group limo (recommended!) use the Las Vegas Monorail to shave time off your trip when you travel between hotspots on The Strip .
How does a hearty serving of breakfast mac and cheese and chicken and waffles sound for your final meal in Vegas? For your farewell to Vegas brunch moment, check out of your Palazzo suites and step right into LAVO restaurant, right next door, for a delicious patio brunch and one last mimosa. (You’re welcome!)
