Drai's Nightclub vs Encore Beach Club

Drai's Nightclub returned to its original basement home in November 2025, closing the rooftop chapter and reopening underground with a reimagined multi-room concept at The Vanderpump Hotel (formerly The Cromwell) on the Las Vegas Strip. The new format divides the 11,000-square-foot space into distinct rooms — one dedicated to hip-hop and R&B, another to house and electronic, with a premium hookah lounge rounding out the experience. Operating four nights a week Thursday through Sunday, Drai's brings back the intimate basement energy that made it famous before the rooftop era. The venue sits centrally on the Strip at Flamingo Road, with Drai's After Hours running in the same building on a late-night schedule. The hotel rebrand from Cromwell to Vanderpump Hotel (the Lisa Vanderpump-branded property from Caesars Entertainment) adds a high-profile hospitality identity to the building. The multi-room structure is the defining characteristic of the current Drai's — it is the only Strip after-hours club that simultaneously programs hip-hop and electronic music in purpose-built rooms rather than rotating formats through a single floor, which means a group can split between genres and reunite throughout the night without anyone compromising on their preference. The hip-hop room carries the brand's historic identity: Drai's built its rooftop reputation on live hip-hop performances with artists performing full sets rather than DJ-only programming, and the basement incarnation maintains that commitment with regular bookings of hip-hop acts alongside resident DJs programming R&B and trap. Thursday (R&B Thursdays) draws the industry crowd — Las Vegas service workers and locals who populate the room with a different energy than the weekend tourist mix, making it the most socially fluid and accessible night at the venue. The central Strip location between Horseshoe and The LINQ makes Drai's convenient for walking groups from either casino corridor, and the Drai's After Hours programming that begins when the main club closes creates a twelve-hour entertainment arc in a single building for visitors who want to extend the night past 4 AM. The overall vibe at Drai's Nightclub is best described as dark, intimate underground energy with multiple rooms for different sounds — the original drai's vibe restored. hip-hop in one room, house in another, hookah lounge as the chill-out zone. more focused and immersive than the rooftop era, where the outdoor environment imposed a ceiling on the bass response and the show competed with the strip skyline for attention. underground, the sound system takes over completely and the crowd orientation shifts inward toward the dj and the dance floor rather than outward toward a view. the multi-room format creates a constant sense of discovery — the energy in the hip-hop room at 1 am is completely different from the electronic room at the same time, and moving between the two resets the experience without requiring a venue change. the hookah lounge functions as a decompression zone: lower volume, seated, a space to hold a conversation or plan the next move without stepping outside. the thursday r&b thursdays industry night crowd knows the venue intimately — less performative than weekends, more socially fluid, and the kind of room where you are more likely to talk to strangers and less likely to be in a group that stays rigidly at one table all night. With a capacity of 900 guests across 11,000 square feet, Drai's Nightclub provides a more intimate setting where the atmosphere feels personal and curated. The music programming at Drai's Nightclub focuses on hip hop, r&b, house, electronic, top 40, which shapes the crowd and energy throughout the night.

Encore Beach Club at Wynn Las Vegas is the gold standard of Vegas pool parties — consistently ranked among the best dayclubs in the world and the highest-grossing dayclub in Vegas history. The 60,000-square-foot venue hosts up to 3,000 guests across a main pool, multiple pool tiers, bungalows with private plunge pools, and the iconic lily pad platforms in the center of the main pool that have become the most photographed dayclub feature in Las Vegas. DJ residencies at EBC represent the pinnacle of daytime entertainment — Calvin Harris, Marshmello, Diplo, Gryffin, Mau P, Hugel, and Dillon Francis hold 2026 slots. Open Friday through Sunday from late March through October, with select EBC at Night programming that turns the outdoor venue into an open-air nightclub after sunset. Wynn's Forbes Five-Star service culture extends to EBC in full: staff-to-guest ratios and hospitality quality exceed any comparable dayclub on the Strip. EBC regularly sells out on Saturdays — sign up for the guest list before your trip to guarantee entry. In contrast, the vibe at Encore Beach Club leans toward premier luxury dayclub with high-energy edm and an upscale, scene-and-be-seen crowd. at 60,000 square feet and 3,000 capacity, ebc is the biggest pool party in las vegas and has been the highest-grossing dayclub in vegas history. the lily pad platforms floating in the center of the main pool are the defining visual of the venue — intimate, photographed by everyone, and closest to the dj stage. calvin harris, gryffin, and diplo hold 2026 residency slots, bringing the most consistent a-list dj lineup of any dayclub on the strip. wynn las vegas's forbes five-star service culture extends fully into ebc: higher staff-to-guest ratios, attentive bottle service, and hospitality that visibly exceeds what you encounter at competing venues. saturdays at ebc are the most energetic pool party day in las vegas — expect a full venue by 12:30 pm and a headliner set peaking between 2 and 4 pm that rivals any festival main stage in production quality. Encore Beach Club accommodates up to 3,000 guests, creating a large-scale party atmosphere with plenty of room to explore different areas of the venue. Music at Encore Beach Club centers on edm, house, open format, attracting a crowd that matches that energy.

Because Drai's Nightclub (nightclub) and Encore Beach Club (pool party) are fundamentally different types of venues, the experiences are complementary rather than competing. Choosing between them comes down to what kind of night you are looking for — a daytime pool party versus an evening club experience. Many visitors to Las Vegas make time for both during their trip.

Visiting both Drai's Nightclub and Encore Beach Club is straightforward because they operate on completely different schedules. Encore Beach Club runs during the daytime (typically 11 AM to 6 PM), while Drai's Nightclub opens in the evening (usually 10 PM or later). This makes them a natural pairing for the same day — pool party in the afternoon, then change into evening attire and head out for the nighttime venue. Allow at least three hours between venues to rest, shower, eat, and change clothes. Trying to go straight from a pool party to a nightclub without a break is a common mistake that leads to burnout before midnight.

For transportation between Drai's Nightclub (The Vanderpump Hotel — Basement (formerly The Cromwell)) and Encore Beach Club (Encore at Wynn Las Vegas), rideshare services like Uber and Lyft are the fastest option. Most rides between Strip venues take 5 to 15 minutes and cost $10 to $25 depending on surge pricing. Avoid walking between off-Strip venues at night — distances in Las Vegas are deceptive and the desert heat persists well into the evening during summer months. Taxis are available at all major hotel taxi stands, though rideshare apps typically offer shorter wait times and better pricing.