Drai's Nightclub vs Troy Liquor Bar

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.

Troy Liquor Bar is the only full-service nightclub operating on the Fremont Street Experience. Every other venue along the 1,500-foot canopy-covered corridor is a bar or lounge; Troy is the single address in that stretch with a dedicated DJ stage, VIP tables, bottle service, and flair bartenders functioning as a true nightclub. The venue occupies 4,802 square feet on the second level of the Golden Nugget at 129 East Fremont Street — a position that places it directly above the casino floor while maintaining physical separation from it, with the defining feature being the Mardi Gras-style balcony that overlooks the Fremont Street canopy light show below. The concept originated in New York City's Meatpacking District before the Las Vegas location opened in December 2017. Troy brought a format specific to the Meatpacking model: blackjack tables on the club floor operating alongside VIP sections and bottle service, flair bartenders performing live during bottle presentations, and open-format DJs programming EDM, Latin, hip-hop, and top 40 across the 300-person capacity. The blackjack-inside-the-nightclub configuration — casino gaming embedded in the club floor rather than requiring guests to leave the venue — is specific to Troy and unavailable at any Strip mega-club. Downtown Las Vegas pricing runs 30 to 40 percent below Strip equivalents for comparable table tiers. Thirsty Thursdays draw the strongest local crowd of the week with free admission and drink specials for women. For groups based at Downtown hotels including the Golden Nugget, Four Queens, or Circa, Troy eliminates the rideshare travel to the Strip without sacrificing nightclub format. Groups can validate parking in the Golden Nugget self-parking garage on 1st Street — free with validation, which is unavailable at any Strip venue on a Friday or Saturday night. In contrast, the vibe at Troy Liquor Bar leans toward fremont street's answer to the strip mega-club — an upscale nightclub inside the golden nugget, elevated above the tourist crowds with vip tables, flair bartenders, blackjack, and fremont street canopy views from the mardi gras balcony. Troy Liquor Bar accommodates up to 300 guests within 4,802 square feet of space, creating a boutique-style experience where every corner feels intentional and engaging. Music at Troy Liquor Bar centers on edm, latin, hip hop, top 40 (open format), attracting a crowd that matches that energy.

When deciding between Drai's Nightclub and Troy Liquor Bar, consider what matters most to your group. If multi-room concept — hip-hop, house, and hookah lounge appeals to you, Drai's Nightclub is the clear pick. If 4,802 sq ft second-level venue inside golden nugget is more your style, Troy Liquor Bar delivers. Both venues are available through NoCoverVegas with free guest list entry, so the only cost difference comes down to what you spend once inside.

Most visitors to Las Vegas enjoy Drai's Nightclub and Troy Liquor Bar on different nights rather than trying to squeeze both into a single evening. Both venues are full-night experiences, and rushing between them means missing the best parts of each. If you have a two-night trip, plan Drai's Nightclub for one night and Troy Liquor Bar for the other. For longer trips, you might revisit your favorite or explore the remaining nightclubs on the Strip. NoCoverVegas offers free guest list at both, so there is no extra cost to doing multiple nights.

For transportation between Drai's Nightclub (The Vanderpump Hotel — Basement (formerly The Cromwell)) and Troy Liquor Bar (Golden Nugget 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.