Club Paradise

Beautiful women in formal, but sexy, evening wear. Former Cirque du Soleil aerialists hanging on silks. Choreographed dance numbers. These are not things you expect to see in a strip club -- especially not in a place called Sin City. But it is exactly those things that set Club Paradise apart from the growing lot of exotic dance dens in Las Vegas.

Located in an ideal spot -- directly across from the always-hip Hard Rock Hotel -- Club Paradise is positioned to be the cream of the gentleman's club crop. From start to finish, the staff and dancers of Club Paradise are all about pleasing the customer. Greeted with a handshake even before entering the club, customers step into a quiet lobby before moving through another set of doors to the main floor.

Club Paradise resembles more a nightclub than it does its competitors. There is essentially one main showroom, flanked by a bar on one side and the VIP Cristal Room (with its own bar) on the other. In the center is the main stage, where not only do dancers perform nuanced strip teases but also where choreographed Vegas-style dance numbers are featured. A couple of small platforms with the required pole for single dancers are scattered through the club as well, but every seat in the house (including the Cristal Room, via a glass wall) has a great view of the center stage.

The girls working the floor are sometimes hard to distinguish from the female clientele (Club Paradise is one of the few gentleman's clubs that ladies should enjoy as well), often dressed in surprisingly elegant -- yet easy to remove -- dresses. Some will wait in the wings until requested by a customer; others will casually stroll from table to table, subtly striking up conversations with guests. For the most part, the ladies of Club Paradise are warm, conversational and rarely too pushy.

Club Paradise features specialty shows and performers on its stage three times nightly Wednesday through Saturday, and these aren't just the porn-stars-of-the-week. From showgirls in feathers and sequins to silk-climbing circus performers, Club Paradise provides something other clubs can't match: real entertainment value aside from the bump-and-grind. Not that the lap dances should be cast aside; the dancers of Club Paradise are among the most beautiful -- and alluring -- women in Las Vegas. Their company should not be dismissed nor taken for granted.

With pulsing house music, a refreshing lack of neon, tastefully sexy cocktail waitresses, a plush atmosphere and even after-hours dance parties, Club Paradise could be considered a topless ultra lounge more than a gentleman's club. It may evolve to keep up with the times, but instead of chasing the tail of its warehouse-sized competitors, this Vegas classic continues to succeed with subtlety, sophistication and class.

-- Review by Pj Pérez