Hakkasan, the new hot club and restraunt costing over $170 million, opens at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Is it ego or investment?
Neil Moffitt, the CEO of Angel Management Group, explains how you can spend that kind of money.
Well, the conversion of the former Studio 54 at MGM Grand into a five-story palace spared no expense. The construction and decorating, including pricey slate tiles on the tall walls and hundreds of coordinated digital LED monitors surroundging the stage, cost over $100 million (see inside photos).
The estimated cost for the first year of superstar talents and DJ headliners is budgeted for $70 million. Advertising, marketing and PR campaigns are included in this tab, as is the costs of hiring, training and supervising a huge 500+ staff to run “king of clubs.”
Neil says, “Nothing can compete with Hakkasan. There’s nothing like it. It sets a precedent....”
Two years in the making, Hakkasan measures 80,000 square feet. The 5 story complex includes two restaurants and four nightclubs under one rooftop. Tip: take the elevator up the 5 stories, not the stairs --trust me.
A rumor in Las Vegas is that the club came about after a mid-eastern banker was refused a VIP booth at a rival club. He vowed that he’d open his own empire of entertainment, and so he did. If the rumor is true, he certainly made his point. But do the dollars make sense?
Ok, sure, why spend 100 to 200 million to prove yourself? Is this insane or a publicity ploy? Well, the competing clubs (Marque and Xcs) each gross about $80 million per year! The next runner ups (Surrender and a few others) gross close to $70 million -- each. What if you could take a lions share of that $300 million from the top 4 or 25% of the estimated half-billion $ from the Strip's top 10 clubs? Yes, I begin to see the value of the play.
Hakkasan will host major stars from music, movies, TV and sports over the coming weeks. See the full schedule below.
Hakkasan began as a Chinese restaurant in London in 2001, and its success has started a worldwide dining brand. There are now two Hakkasan restaurants in London and more in New York, Miami, San Francisco, Dubai, Mumbai and Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi headquarters the investment banker (city center invades MGM?). The group owns other Asian restaurants from England to India. Hakkasan was the only Chinese restaurant in Europe to win a Michelin star.
Hakkasan Ltd. CEO Didier Souillat said: “Our partnership with Angel Management Group is an invaluable asset to our brand’s first venture into nightlife. It’s been a thrilling process to fuse our award-winning dining program with immersive nightlife elements to create an all-encompassing venue for our foray into Las Vegas.”
The five-level space was inspired by classic Chinoiserie. It starts out with a blue slate entryway. On the first level is the main dining area separated by latticed woodwork known as “The Cage” that gives guests intimate dining spaces. At the heart of the restaurant is the kitchen.
A private dining room on the second level overlooks the main room, giving guests a bird’s-eye view of the Cage. Reservations are open and filling up. The new Cantonese restaurant run by chef Ho Chee Boon won’t open until May 3.
The nightlife begins on the third level with the Ling Ling Club, 10,000-square-feett of separated spaces where Victoria’s Secret models and beauty pageant winners drop to their knees to serve your table.
On the fourth level is the main nightclub with VIP booths surrounding the dance floor. The DJ booth at the dance-floor is surrounded with floor-to-ceiling LED screens. Alongside the main nightclub is The Pavilion cleverly created as an outdoor Asian Garden.
The fifth-level mezzanine is even more VIP with pricey semi-private rooms and bars that still have access to the dance zones as well as views to the Asian Garden.
See our picture and video tour below from the opening night.
Ling Ling:
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Dance Floor:
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LED screens around DJ:
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DJ booth:
Neil Moffitt,
Friday, April 19 - Hardwell
Saturday, April 20 - Bingo Players
Sunday, April 21 - Tommy Trash
Grand Opening Weekend
Thursday, April 25 - Steve Aoki
Friday, April 26 - deadmau5
Saturday, April 27 - Calvin Harris / GQ Magazine Event
Sunday, April 28 - Laidback Luke
Fight Weekend (MAYWEATHER VS. GUERRERO Fight Weekend at MGM Grand)
Thursday, May 2 - R3hab
Friday, May 3 - Tiësto
Saturday, May 4 - Calvin Harris
Sunday, May 5 - Tiësto
Tickets go on sale Friday, March 29 at 10 a.m. PST available on hakkasanlv.com. The nightclub will be open Thursday through Sunday 10 p.m. until close.
Neil Moffitt, the CEO of Angel Management Group, explains how you can spend that kind of money.
Well, the conversion of the former Studio 54 at MGM Grand into a five-story palace spared no expense. The construction and decorating, including pricey slate tiles on the tall walls and hundreds of coordinated digital LED monitors surroundging the stage, cost over $100 million (see inside photos).
The estimated cost for the first year of superstar talents and DJ headliners is budgeted for $70 million. Advertising, marketing and PR campaigns are included in this tab, as is the costs of hiring, training and supervising a huge 500+ staff to run “king of clubs.”
Neil says, “Nothing can compete with Hakkasan. There’s nothing like it. It sets a precedent....”
Two years in the making, Hakkasan measures 80,000 square feet. The 5 story complex includes two restaurants and four nightclubs under one rooftop. Tip: take the elevator up the 5 stories, not the stairs --trust me.
A rumor in Las Vegas is that the club came about after a mid-eastern banker was refused a VIP booth at a rival club. He vowed that he’d open his own empire of entertainment, and so he did. If the rumor is true, he certainly made his point. But do the dollars make sense?
Ok, sure, why spend 100 to 200 million to prove yourself? Is this insane or a publicity ploy? Well, the competing clubs (Marque and Xcs) each gross about $80 million per year! The next runner ups (Surrender and a few others) gross close to $70 million -- each. What if you could take a lions share of that $300 million from the top 4 or 25% of the estimated half-billion $ from the Strip's top 10 clubs? Yes, I begin to see the value of the play.
Hakkasan will host major stars from music, movies, TV and sports over the coming weeks. See the full schedule below.
Hakkasan began as a Chinese restaurant in London in 2001, and its success has started a worldwide dining brand. There are now two Hakkasan restaurants in London and more in New York, Miami, San Francisco, Dubai, Mumbai and Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi headquarters the investment banker (city center invades MGM?). The group owns other Asian restaurants from England to India. Hakkasan was the only Chinese restaurant in Europe to win a Michelin star.
Hakkasan Ltd. CEO Didier Souillat said: “Our partnership with Angel Management Group is an invaluable asset to our brand’s first venture into nightlife. It’s been a thrilling process to fuse our award-winning dining program with immersive nightlife elements to create an all-encompassing venue for our foray into Las Vegas.”
The five-level space was inspired by classic Chinoiserie. It starts out with a blue slate entryway. On the first level is the main dining area separated by latticed woodwork known as “The Cage” that gives guests intimate dining spaces. At the heart of the restaurant is the kitchen.
A private dining room on the second level overlooks the main room, giving guests a bird’s-eye view of the Cage. Reservations are open and filling up. The new Cantonese restaurant run by chef Ho Chee Boon won’t open until May 3.
The nightlife begins on the third level with the Ling Ling Club, 10,000-square-feett of separated spaces where Victoria’s Secret models and beauty pageant winners drop to their knees to serve your table.
On the fourth level is the main nightclub with VIP booths surrounding the dance floor. The DJ booth at the dance-floor is surrounded with floor-to-ceiling LED screens. Alongside the main nightclub is The Pavilion cleverly created as an outdoor Asian Garden.
The fifth-level mezzanine is even more VIP with pricey semi-private rooms and bars that still have access to the dance zones as well as views to the Asian Garden.
See our picture and video tour below from the opening night.
Ling Ling:
Dance Floor:
DJ booth:
Neil Moffitt,
Here is the two week opening event schedule for Hakkasan:
Thursday, April 18 - deadmau5
Friday, April 19 - Hardwell
Saturday, April 20 - Bingo Players
Sunday, April 21 - Tommy Trash
Grand Opening Weekend
Thursday, April 25 - Steve Aoki
Friday, April 26 - deadmau5
Saturday, April 27 - Calvin Harris / GQ Magazine Event
Sunday, April 28 - Laidback Luke
Fight Weekend (MAYWEATHER VS. GUERRERO Fight Weekend at MGM Grand)
Thursday, May 2 - R3hab
Friday, May 3 - Tiësto
Saturday, May 4 - Calvin Harris
Sunday, May 5 - Tiësto
Tickets go on sale Friday, March 29 at 10 a.m. PST available on hakkasanlv.com. The nightclub will be open Thursday through Sunday 10 p.m. until close.
By Rob Longwell
Photos by Rob Longwell and Steve Mandel
