Vegas.

It’s hot. It’s colorful. It’s loud. It’s Ridiculous. It doesn’t fit in with the rest of Nevada and it has a great backstory.

If there is anywhere to feel insignificant, judged, accepted and king of the world all at the same time, its in VEGAS. One of the few places where it is acceptable to stay up all night, lose significant amounts of money, temporarily misplace your dignity AND then walk around like you just won the lottery within a 24 hour period.

Vegas defines the meaning of being a small fish in a big pond. Unless, of course, you are one of the original Mob Bosses, or a gambling high roller with a permanent pent house at the Bellagio. The best place to feel like a small fish? The Clubs. Especially the new clubs working on their exclusive street cred.

The worst offender? Hakkasan.

Hakkasan is, in two words, overrated and ironic. The billionaire, middle eastern backer of Hakkasan created this club under the assumption that it would be the biggest, baddest club in vegas. With over $100 million dollars of renovations and securing consistent performances with huge DJ’s, such as Avicii and Calvin Harris, Hakkasan generated some serious buzz. Due to the famous DJ’s and the appeal of a new, big club Hakkasan earned the right to be exclusive. Don’t expect to have a spot on their guest list unless you or a close friend spends close to $100k per year there. If you spend less than that, don’t expect any respect or special treatment – they don’t need you to make money.

Want to sit down and stay a while? I hope you won big in vegas – tables don’t come cheap. Rumor has it the clubs main clientele are filthy rich middle-aged men with plenty of cash and plenty of time. They spend the day gambling large and the night drinking and hanging out with beautiful women. Exclusive has a new meaning here: some of the club promoters have gone so far as to ask potential guests to send them pictures, just to make sure they meet the club’s new standards. WIll this last? Who knows. Some of the locals have begun to suggest that models and other good looking women take their business elsewhere, such as Marquee, XS or Light to experience a more friendly atmosphere.

Looking for the irony behind the extremely successful and exclusive club? The Middle-Eastern backer supported this club ONLY because he felt that he was wronged in Vegas when he wasn’t given the table he requested. This billionaire decided that he wanted to show the rival clubs a lesson. Has he succeeded? Only time will tell. For now, its hard enough to get in the door. Without some serious cash to spend, who knows if you will receive the respectful treatment the billionaire expected elsewhere.

I spent Labor Day Weekend in VEGAS with some of my best friends and had an absolute blast. I won 90 cents on a slot machine, ate too many french fries, got a decent tan and did some serious window shopping.

I’m not really big on clubs, I’d rather spend my weekend going to shows (chippendales anyone?) and shopping at The Forum shops in Caesars Palace. I tried to see David Guetta on Sunday Night… Imagine my disappointment when i discovered he wasn’t going on stage until 2 AM! I heard the first half of one song before I left, I guess this grandma just can’t hang.

Did you spend the weekend in Vegas? Let me know how you feel about Hakkasan, vegas and the club scene in general in the comments !