It all comes back to the lady in the bathtub.

No, don’t worry, this isn’t that horrific scene from “The Shining,” which gave the world nightmares – this is pretty much the exact opposite. This is a sexy, vibrant woman lounging in a bath of rose petals and it’s one of the first sights that greet you upon entering Tao Nightclub. And while it’s just as likely you’ll find this bathing woman on your mind when your head hits the pillow, something tells us, with her, you won’t mind one bit.

Tao Nightclub (which serves as an Asian Bistro during the day) kicked things off in September 2005 and they haven’t stopped with the celebrations since.

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, that bathing woman (and sometimes women, as in, plural) takes up her tub and heralds to everyone their success in getting into one of the hottest clubs in Vegas. See, if you read a little into it, that bathing woman is pretty much the key to the whole Tao experience. Once you see her, it means your path is set – odds are you’re going to have a pretty interesting (not to mention sexy) night.

If you rewind past her a little bit, another one of Tao’s, um, amenities becomes clear – the line. Now, it’s not very often that a club’s line is considered a good thing (beyond the fact that it’s clearly a popular club, that is). With Tao, though, the line is representative of the whole club. It’s one of the most jam-packed doors in all of Sin City, but the staffers over at Tao don’t let on to the chaos for a second. The line is efficient and they keep it spread out enough from the door that it doesn’t feel as much like a cattle call as you might expect (or experience elsewhere – not that we’re naming names).

Once you’re in, make sure you’re stamped because to get up to the second floor where most of the action is, they’ll be checking for it. After that oh-so-familiar dance of turning your right wrist over for the doorman, Tao really unfolds before you. Yes, yes, there’s the rose-petal tub girls, but there’s also an immediate step in the right direction for your night, which is just what Tao’s organizers hope for.

“The overall goal [of Tao] is to provide top-notch customer service to guests from the moment they enter,” said Kara Lewis, director of marketing for Tao Bistro, Nightclub and Beach (yes, there’s a beach, we’ll come back to that). “As soon as you step inside Tao, you are experiencing a cocktail of sensory satisfaction. From the rose petal-covered bathtub girls in the entrance, the fantastic Asian-inspired menu provided by our chef, the commanding statues throughout the venue, to the top-level music brought to you by world-renowned DJs.”

Tao’s door leads into the first floor, where several booths, a bar, and some awesome atmospheric touches play together in harmony. There are candles scattered throughout the venue and staff blends in seamlessly with the crowds (which is to say, everybody’s pretty). Further inside the first floor is a large dining room and a large, large Buddha statue. It wouldn’t be hard to mistake the first floor for the club in its entirety because it’s got that much going on, but you would be remiss.

A staircase, just to the right and past the bar zig-zags its way to the second floor and that, if we can be so bold, is where the real party’s at.

The second floor of Tao is like some sort of sexy, nightlife carnival, where there are a million things to do and a million things to see and your only care in the world is what to do and see first.

As you make your way through the club – first floor to second floor, hallways to rooms, etc. – you might notice the music changing. Don’t be alarmed. This is totally normal and, in fact, one of the better parts of Tao – you can pick your poison. If one song’s not doing it for you, go find another. Judging by the crowds clamoring to be in the two main rooms, it shouldn’t be hard to find something you like.

If you don’t want to sit right on top of the action, see if you can’t get one of the tables in the connecting hallways. From there, you can get the best of all worlds, with easy travel to Tao’s three full-service bars, easy access to dance floors – both makeshift and predetermined – and easy access to people you want to have easy access to you, if you catch the drift.

And, if sitting right on top of the action happens to be your thing, they can definitely set that up, too, which, as it turns out, is another one of the great things about Tao – you can (to steal a phrase from Burger King and use it for slightly more lascivious purposes) have it your way. Whether it’s your night, your day, or your evening, Tao’s staff can tailor it to you.

“Versatility is the advantage,” Lewis said. “We have the ability to provide an intimate dinner for two in our restaurant, cocktails in the lounge, VIP table service in the nightclub for larger groups, or use of the entire venue for private events for up to 3,000 people.”

And this is all without mentioning Tao’s newest – and hottest, literally – branch, Tao Beach. As Lewis puts it, “from sun up to sunset…guests can live the Tao experience during the day.” On Friday and Saturday nights when the weather is nice (which, turns out, happens a lot in Vegas), Tao Beach also operates as an extension of Tao Nightclub.

With so many different things going on, Tao attracts pretty diverse crowds, so just about anybody should feel comfortable there.

“We have many repeat visitors, whether it’s nightlife industry locals who come every week…to the guy who is flying in on his private jet each Saturday night to have the time of his life with his friends, to the celebrity who religiously stops into Tao anytime they are in Vegas,” Lewis said. “Overall, the level of service we provide our guests keeps them coming back over and over again to continually relive the stellar experience.”

Don’t panic though, if you’re not that guy with the jet or a celebrity, Tao’s staff is still looking out for you.

“We want every guest to feel like the celebrity that they might happen to be rubbing shoulders with,” Lewis said.

So, just to recap, in your night at Tao, you hit three bars, two floors of partying, maybe had some dinner earlier, maybe caught an eyeful of the rich and/or famous and danced your butt off to a wide variety of tunes. And all this started with what? Ah, yes, the lady in the bathtub.

Don’t forget to wave on your way out.

-- Review by Jamie Helmick