What does Vegas, Tinie Tempah and cigars all have in common?
Not much except on December 30th 2011 I was able to enjoy all 3 together.
I arrived that afternoon with a body clock of bedtime and with adrenalin coursing through my body, there was no time to sleep.
I checked in, refreshed and got ready for a night of partying at The Bank Club at the Bellagio Hotel.
The table was booked, the 3 piece suit was pressed and all I needed was a quick stop by O’Seha’s casino to their Havana Cigar Room to pick up a quick smoke for the evening. (much cheaper than other LV strip cigar shops)
I spoke with the staff there who were very friendly, and after looking at a few different cigars I opted for the Brickhouse Short Torpedo, which has the look and feel of a great cigar. However the proof would be in the smoke.
We made our way over to The Bellagio hotel, where we were instantly greeted by the staff and our host who had been my contact when reserving the table.
We were stamped and shown to the table. The club was smaller than most Vegas nightclubs but had a real private members feel about it, similar to something you would find in Mayfair, London.
Our table was lucky enough to be situated behind the bar, in a VIP area. By now I was feeling pretty good. I was in a suit, with a bottle of grey goose along with 3 ladies for the night. I truly felt like the bee’s knees.
After a few Grey Goose and red bulls, I decided it was time to light up the Brick House. It was a medium smooth smoke which was perfect for a nightclub smoke. However I found the draw quite hard and towards the end I found the cigar was getting a little sharp for me. It could be the tiredness or the air con but I remember it leaving me with an unsatisfied feeling. I do want to try it again just to see the difference and if it was a 1 off.
At this point, Tinie Tempah was in the club. He took to the mic and PA’d over a couple of tracks, including pass out and Miami to Ibiza. At this point I can safely say I was tipsy and was rapping along in our VIP area. (Embarrassing pics all on Facebook)
We certainly was #DISTURBINGLASVEGAS
Before the performance, I took a walk over to Tinie’s table and gave him a tap on the shoulder and did the “well done for representing London” however this may have come out as pure slur, due the Grey Goose, but I’m sure he got the message.
Post the performance; we were kindly upgraded to a table on the dance floor area. It could be because we were special or not special enough! but I choose to ignore the latter and just go with it.
At this point, my throat was starting to itch and as most people would reach for throat soothers, I reached to my pocket for something even better: a Cuban Montecristo Number 2. I had de-banded the cigar the night before to get through customs and was lucky enough to get it through.
From the second I lit it, it was like smooth silk on my throat instantly healing it. With the Grey Goose still going strong, the Montecristo completed the night.
At this point, we did try to find Tinie again as I wanted to give him a cigar from Cut The Cap but we couldn’t find him, so after doing some crazy dance moves and enjoying the club’s atmosphere, we decided to leave on a high and head on home for a night’s sleep.
Overall, the club was fantastic. The club’s feel and look matches the style of Bellagio and the service was amazing. My advice is if you ever go to Vegas, ensure you hit up The Bank at Bellagio. When I’m back in September I will be ensuring we go back.
For pictures from the night, click here
For table reservations, drop an email to Christian Guterres who is a Sr VIP Host. Here are his contact details if you ever need a table: cguterres@lightlv.com
I also saw today, Tinie posted a video of his trip to Vegas in 2 minutes. Check it out here:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=KXTlAAjgGwU]