Las Vegas turned the hotel pool into a nightclub with sunshine. From spring to early autumn, the city's dayclubs host DJ-led pool parties where the floats are giant, the cabanas are air-conditioned and the casino floor is a short walk away in flip-flops. Here is how it works.
What is a dayclub?
A dayclub is a pool run like a nightclub: a door with a guest list and cover charge, resident and headline DJs, bottle service, rentable daybeds and cabanas, and a crowd that comes to dance as much as to swim. The idea took off on the Strip in the 2000s, and by the early 2010s the biggest dayclubs were booking the same superstar DJs as the city's nightclubs, often the same weekend.
The big names
| Dayclub | Resort | Known for |
|---|---|---|
| Encore Beach Club | Encore, part of Wynn Las Vegas | Opened in 2010; tiered pool decks, bungalows and cabanas, headline DJs, and a night-time edition on some summer evenings |
| Wet Republic | MGM Grand | Opened in 2008 and billed as an "ultra pool"; one of the Strip's longest-running pool parties |
| Marquee Dayclub | The Cosmopolitan | Open-air pool deck with bungalows, linked to the Marquee nightclub |
| Drai's Beachclub | The Cromwell | Rooftop pool that turns into a nightclub after dark |
| TAO Beach Dayclub | The Venetian | Asian-themed pool deck with cabanas |
Line-ups, opening days and even names change from season to season, and clubs come and go: the famous Rehab pool party at the Hard Rock Hotel ended when that resort closed in 2020 to become Virgin Hotels Las Vegas. Always check the current season's schedule.
When to go
Dayclub season usually runs from around March or April to September or October, with the biggest crowds and line-ups on summer weekends, particularly holiday weekends such as Memorial Day and Labor Day. Many dayclubs open only Friday to Sunday, or Thursday to Sunday at the peak. July and August afternoons regularly pass 100°F (38°C), so hydrate seriously.
Getting in
- Entry: cover charges vary hugely with the DJ, the day and the club. Hotel guests, guest lists and early arrival can lower the cost; headline weekends cost the most.
- ID: dayclubs check government ID at the door, so bring it even to the pool.
- Dress: swimwear and cover-ups, but each club has its own rules on footwear, cameras and accessories.
- Bags: security checks bags; outside food, drinks and, usually, your own inflatables are not allowed.
Daybeds, cabanas and bottle service
The real money at a dayclub is in reserved space. Daybeds hold a small group; cabanas and bungalows add shade, seating, a television, sometimes a private pool, and a minimum spend on food and drink. On a big weekend that minimum at the top clubs can reach thousands of dollars, split among a group. The giant floats you see in photos are usually supplied by the club. For the economics of loungers and shade, see our pool lounger guide.
From the pool to the casino floor
The dayclub is built to feed the rest of the resort. Most sit a short walk from the casino, and on summer afternoons the tables near the pool entrances fill with players in sarongs and swim shorts drying off between sets. A few venues have experimented with bringing the tables to the water itself, from Las Vegas's swim-up blackjack to card tables on the pool deck; our guide to swim-up blackjack and pool gaming covers where that has happened. If you plan to play, decide your gaming budget before the party rather than during it, when the sun, the music and the bottle service are doing their own maths. And if the party is not your scene, the city has calmer options: our tour of the best casino resort pools covers wave pools, lazy rivers and the Golden Nugget's shark-tank slide.
Pool hygiene at dayclubs: hundreds of people share the water on a busy afternoon. Shower first and keep your mouth closed in the water; our pool hygiene habits explain why.
