| rev:text
| - Oohh... ahhh... a posh, semi-secret members-only club in Vegas! You know what? It's not nearly as cool as it sounds. Imagine my disappointment, after getting onto the VIP list with the help of a local connection, but it's the truth. (The Foundation Room is open to the hoi polloi on Mondays, or else there wouldn't be much point in reviewing it, would there?)
Okay, yes, it does feel pretty awesome when you walk up to the unobtrusive podium in the lobby, murmur your name to the hostess behind the desk, and get waved through the ropes to the single elevator. There's no need to punch buttons, because it only goes one place - straight up to the Foundation (ironically, located at almost the very top of Mandalay Bay).
When the elevator doors open, you're greeted with the kind of quiet, plush elegance that tells you you really don't belong. The club consists of a series of rooms branching off to either side of a main lounge. From the lounge, you can also reach the restaurant and the balcony, which really does have a stunning view of the Strip - the best in the city, if the hype is to be believed. It's pretty spectacular, and so the balcony is always crowded with people wrestling between their desire to gawk and their desire to look cool and jaded.
And yes, the decor is not only tasteful but actually beautiful - romantically dim lights, opulent Indian and Asian art and decorations, and exotic wood paneling and carvings. Smaller, private rooms off the hallways are reserved for private parties, but a quick peek revealed low, plush couches and more elaborate furnishings and art.
The main lounge is where the bar is, but good luck muscling your way up to the front and getting served - and if you do, you'll find yourself paying $12 for a small drink that's mostly ice. Yum. A second, smaller room has another bar and (at least the night I was there) a complimentary hookah table set up on one side, with three hookahs bubbling away in different flavors. Bowls of plastic-wrapped disposable mouthpieces were set out, so you'd just grab one and get ready to puff - an uncharacteristically free bonus in an otherwise insanely overpriced place.
The music wasn't anything super-special - muted trance-house with a vaguely Asian flavor in the lounge, and more hip-hop in the smaller room. But everyone is too busy looking hott and being way too cool to actually want to dance, so all there really is to do here is silently judge each other's outfits and suck on your expensive ice drink. This is okay for about an hour, but then it gets old fast.
I'm glad I went to the Foundation Room for two reasons: to see that magnificent view, and to have my illusions about exclusive members-only clubs demolished. Yeah, it's posh and people are probably wearing outfits that cost more than my annual salary, but you'll have way more fun slurping $2 beaker shots and dancing to disco at Gay Corners, where everyone's allowed in. Power to the people!
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