Reed Travel Features LAS VEGAS - Disco may be dead, but the famed
1970s nightclub Studio 54 has been reincarnated at the MGM Grand
Hotel Casino here. The three-story dance club, scheduled to open in
December, will be located in the area formerly known as the Emerald
City, just off the main entrance on the corner of Las Vegas
Boulevard and Tropicana Avenue. Offering 22,000 square feet of
space, Studio 54 will be able to accommodate up to 1,300 people and
will feature four dance floors, each with its own lighting and
sound system; four bars; a private area for invited guests, and
semi-private lounges. The club will be decorated like a sound
studio and feature artwork from the original Studio 54, which
closed in March 1980. "The design of this nightclub will be
uniquely similar to the original, where the dance floor becomes
'center stage,' the bartenders and hosts become part of the
performance, the catwalks, theatrical lighting, world class audio
and video - we'll recapture it all, plus add a new spin for the
'90s," said Greg Saunders, senior vice president of hotel
operations. The club will be open from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily and
from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily for private parties. Also joining
Studio 54 will be the Rainforest Cafe themed restaurant and a giant
show bar with video screens and music surrounded by a casino area.
In other developments, the property is adding another restaurant to
its Studio Walk, which features a variety of eateries and retail
shops. The 11,056-square-foot Ricardo's of Las Vegas, scheduled to
open later this month, will seat 320 people and offer nightly
entertainment, a walk-up margarita bar, a taco bar, where patrons
can make their own tacos, and a gift shop carrying themed
merchandise.