Daytime is the right time to hit the strip this season

By Karen Loftus

If you want to dip in toVegas’ club culture this summer, hit the pool. Las Vegas’ pool destinations and day life are so seductive its rivaling Vegas’ world-class clubs and notorious nightlife. Here are but a few hot spots on the strip to see and be seen in a bikini this season.

The Encore Beach Club
Steve Wynn always manages to one up himself. This summer is no different with the opening of the Encore Beach Club, the premiere daytime destination for jetsetters right on the strip. The 60,000 square foot oasis includes 40-foot palm trees surrounding three tiered pools, floating lily pads for lounging and shower poles for seductive daytime dancing. Guests can linger in one of the 26 luxury cabanas or choose one of the 8 ultra premium two-story poolside bungalows complete with private hot tubs, showers, lush furnishings and individual cooling systems. If you need to get your game on, there is a gaming pavilion on site for blackjack and craps and famed DJ Kaskade will be spinning. Bravo! Available for hotel guests only 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. www.encorelasvegas.com

If you can’t get enough of the summer aquatics book a reservation for Le Reve at The Wynn next door. It’s a blissfully sexy show set largely in or underwater. The show has recently been reworked. So, if you think you’ve seen Le Reve. Think again. It is sexier than ever. Opt for the VIP seating with champagne and chocolate covered strawberries and a private TV screen to capture underwater erotic aquatics and offstage antics. After Le Reve hit Encore’s lush club XS next door wrapped around a moonlit pool. Now that’s hot! www.wynnvegas.com

WET REPUBLIC at MGM Grand is an adult only ultra luxe pool. Soak up the sun and the sexy scene alongside scantily clad celebs and scenesters this summer. If a Kardashian cocktail is your drink of choice that’s what you can expect at WET. The Hollywood bombshell trio recently kicked off the pool season at the spacious 53,000 square foot party pool.

Aside from celebrity guests, WET features two saltwater pools and six jetted spas. This above and beyond all else is an athentic replication of a glittery, Vegas club scene and setting yet with all natural lighting and luxe pool amenities. Expect several celebs throughout the summer hosting parties and world class DJ’s dropping in for an inspired  spin.
 
Open daily to the public from 11a.m. to 6 p.m. Entry fees apply. Must be 21 or older. www.wetrepublic.com

Mandalay Bay Beach takes the hotel pool concept to another level with its 11-acre sandy enclave set on a beach with a wave pool for body surfing, a lazy river for floating and a jogging trail for physically active traveler. Their lush sand is brought in from sunny California. Feel free to make your own castle with the kids or slip in to their three-story glass-fronted Beachside Casino, the first climate-controlled beachside gaming on The Strip. If you’re looking for an adult angle with your sun and sand head to Mandalay’s Moorea Beach on site where guests can indulge in privacy and poolside spa treatments. Open daily for hotel guests only from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. www.mandalaybay.com

Caesars Palace’s Garden of the Gods remains an unrivaled, iconic and sophisticated spot. Several sun and countless Hollywood Gods and Goddesses have long favored this grand and opulent Greek and Roman style pool garden. Today they’ve upped the luxury ante even more with the addition of five more pools complete with luxury amenities, to their existing three. Fortuna boasts an 18-foot waterfall where guests can swim-up to their blackjack table. You can play in your bikini, grabbing quick dips between hands.

Bacchus elevated 18 feet above the others offers private butlers, grand views and is available to invited guests only. If the decadence is more than you can handle, slip in to the Jupiter pool for a private spa service in a breezy poolside cabana by Qua Baths & Spa. It’s great midday move. You can toast your good fortune with a freshly made cocktail and fish soft tacos served in your own private cabana complete with tunes and a plasma TV. You don’t have to be a Greek God to enjoy this slice of heaven. www.caesarspalace.com

Garden of the Gods is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. and is available to both hotel and non-hotel guests. For more info or reservations email Leisure Concierge at [email protected].  For Group Bookings: www.totalexperiences.com or call (800) 649-1191.

Aria’s LIQUID Pool Lounge, ARIA’s adults-only experience in City Center offers an opulent poolside experience. This pool is clearly designed with the sexy jetset in mind. If you dare to bare no one will care in this enclave. Topless is timely in the center of this city.

If you’ve yet to check out City Center, this is the perfect time to dip in. The Light Group, responsible countless clubs and restaurants in Vegas are the muscle behind this machine. So, they are mot playing. If you like Haze, Jet, The Bank, Liquid or dig the dish at Yellowtail, Diablo or Union, then you know you’re in good hands. The Hills hottie Christin Cavallari recently hosted a pool party at Liquid. She donned a black Gucci bikin and uber high heels. You get the picture.

There’s a full restaurant and bar service poolside with a playful poolside menu. You can snack on King Crab & Jalapeño Tacos while sipping on a LIQUID Rita, hit the private dipping pool or simply unwind in your cabana with a 42 inch screen, Ipod dock and internet  access. Set to bring in world class DJ’s. You won’t skip a beat at LIQUID with their underwater speakers. Now that is city slick! LIQUID POOL LOUNGE is open to the public Thursday to Sunday 11:00 to 6:00 p.m. www.lightgroup.com / www.arialasvegas.com