Joe Fury/N9NE Group
Monday, Oct. 22, 2012 | 5:15 p.m.
The ring of flames shooting from the ceiling above one of Las Vegas’ trend-setting nightclubs will fizzle out this weekend with the closing of Rain.
The 25,000-square-foot club off the Palms casino floor will cease regular operations following Saturday night’s Halloween-themed “Night of the Killer Costumes” party, employees learned at a meeting this afternoon.
Construction is set to begin early next year on a new club, which is still in the planning and design phases, officials at the N9NE Group said.
About 50 employees were notified of the club’s closing. There was no indication as to how many, if any, of their jobs would be affected. Some of the staff works at the Palms’ two other two nightclubs, Moon and Ghostbar, as well as Rain. All are managed by the N9NE Group.
Rain opened in 2001 as one of Las Vegas’ original megaclubs.
With room for 1,800 people, Rain helped establish trends in music and guest services for Las Vegas’ nightlife boom over the past decade.
The club’s signing of Paul Oakenfold to a residency in 2008 has been credited with transforming the city’s dance scene from Top 40 pop to electronic rhythms and superstar DJs.
The club offered exclusive cabanas and VIP areas accessible through a biometric thumbprint scanner. A 20-foot circular truss high above the dance floor featured pyrotechnic, fog and water effects.
After Rain, casinos began stepping up the size of their clubs, from Pure at Caesars Palace and Tao at the Venetian (2005), XS at Encore (2008) and Marquee at the Cosmopolitan (2010).
The club has been featured on MTV shows such as "Real World: Las Vegas" and a Britney Spears special in 2011.
Rain will open one last time Dec. 29-31 for performances by R&B singer Kelly Rowland and a New Year’s Eve show by punk drummer Travis Barker with rapper Yelawolf.
Until demolition begins for the new club, Rain will be available to rent for private events.
Palms Casino Resort has come a long way since its "Real World" debut in 2002. The boutique property features three distinct towers and a diverse mix of bars and restaurants across a 95,000-square-foot casino.
Palms, which features more than 1,200 rooms and fantasy suites, is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar transformation that will encompass an Ivory Tower room and suite redesign, new culinary additions, re-imagined gaming spaces and new, distinctive nightlife experiences.
In addition to newly designed rooms, during the first phase of the renovation, Palms will welcome Heraea, a high-energy American restaurant and lounge, and XISHI, a pan-Asian restaurant and lounge.
Fantasy Suites include the Hardwood Suite, the only hotel room in the world with its own basketball court.
Other amenities include the all-new Cantor Gaming® race and sports book, one of the few sports books in Las Vegas to include a poker room; SOCIAL; Scarlet; Chocolat Bistro; tonic bar; ghostbar; Pearl Concert Theater; Moon Nightclub; N9NE Steakhouse; Nove Italiano; Simon Restaurant & Lounge; Palms Pool & Bungalows; Kim Vō Salon; Drift Spa & Hammam; Brenden Theatres, a 14-theatre cineplex and more than 60,000 square-feet of meeting space.
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