To say that the Vegas party culture is aggressive is an understatement. That being said, if you can put yourself in the mindset to handle it, you’re in for the experience of a lifetime every weekend.

Being New Yorkers, we took it a step further and hit up MGM Grand Hotel & Casino to attend Wet Republic’s Pool Party during the day, and then Hakkasan to see Tiesto that night. This is how approximately 10 hours of partying went down. The next morning is spent fiddling on our phones on sites like www.SlotsForMoney.com in the complete darkness, trying to cure our hangovers and make a little coin for the night.

Wet Republic Ultra Pool opens at a respectable 11am, which if you don’t have a table, you should arrive around then. Also, if you do not have a table, make sure your valuables/maybe a cover up are in something waterproof because EVERYTHING will get wet! (It’s in the name of the venue after all!)

Get ready to be spoiled. Clocking in at over 50,000 square feet, there are few pools as spacious as this venue and everything will feel infinitely smaller after. Scout out a home base flanking the pool and get ready for the place to get crowded, it’s Saturday.

Grab a drink. Wet Republic has some of the best poolside drinks of the pools I’ve been to in the area. One of my favorites is the frozen pink lemonade. Get it in a souvenir cup, but don’t expect it to be cheap, this is Vegas. Expect things like model waitresses in bikinis giving cabana guests champagne showers and pirates with Captain Morgan White Rum walking the perimeter of the pool with swag. This is just a regular occurrence. The people-in-pool ratio will increase and although the music is picking up and getting more intense, this is when you’ll want to go. You have a night club to get ready for.

Hakkasan  is a different animal all its own. The club is 80,000 square feet and feels like breaking into a fortress to get in . You will need tickets or to be on an iron-clad guestlist for this one. This is non-negotiable. Get here early. The lines are crazy long and you don’t want to wait on line, you want to dance. Unless you’re a hardcore DJ fan, don’t go for the GA area, folks were packed in there pretty tight.

The night we attended, we were graced with the presence of Tiesto, who did not go on until 1am. For most headliner DJs this is the norm, but you have other epic DJs to keep you company until then. Even if you don’t have a table, there is a place with a two-story waterfall and bar tables called, the Pavillion that is adjacent to the main room. There is no way you’ll feel claustrophobic in here.

If you’re lucky, and you’re a girl, you may make fast friends and end up at a table. This is the story of our night. We received Tiesto Club Life bracelets that we were told would illuminate when Tiesto took the stage. This happened for one of our nine bracelets, so we were under the impression we were too far away, but it was a cool concept nonetheless.

If you get tired of the EDM soundtrack that blazes through your ears the entirety of your Vegas trip, you can find solace on the 3rd floor at the Ling Ling Club, where the DJ spins old school hip hop that transports you instantly to every high school dance you ever went to. Dance until your feet fall off. Rinse. Repeat.

The lineup for Labor Day Weekend at both venues is full of heavy hitter DJs like Steve Aoki, Tiesto, Calvin Harris, Afrojack and more. Unlike the East Coast though, these pool parties continue into October due to the warmer dessert temps.  Very much like NY though, Sin City never sleeps, even in the winter when most hibernate.

Bottom line? If you’re in the area, this is the hotel you’ll want to infiltrate the parties at. ESPECIALLY since Wet Republic is launching WET at Night in September, the new, all-the-rage pool parties that take place at the pool at night. And it will be with our beloved Tiesto providing the music. Debauchery is bound to ensue and you’ll want to be there.

– Stephanie Carino

MGM Grand Hotel & Casino
Wet Republic Ultra Pool
Hakkasan
3799 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las Vegas, NV 89109

Photos courtesy of Wet Republic, Hakkasan, Brenton Ho and Al Powers of Powers Imagery and Stephanie Carino