Brian Nagele
Discover the complete guide to the Best Nightclubs in America and enter the vibrant center of the nightlife. This post is your VIP pass to the most popular nighttime destinations in the country, from the flashing city lights of New York to the energetic sounds of Miami. Take in the thrilling atmosphere, as dancing and music combine to create a euphoric symphony. Our carefully crafted list ensures a wonderful trip across the nighttime environment of the United States, regardless of your preference for the sultry elegance of upscale lounges or the thunderous energy of megaclubs. Come along with us on a rhythmic journey where the party never ends and the night comes to life.
Avalon, Los Angeles
1735 Vine St Los Angeles 90028
Phone: 323-462-8900
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Avalon is one of LA’s oldest continuously functioning nightclubs, opening its iconic doors to Hollywood in 1927. The club maintains its old-school, 1920s glamorous look, offering a classy event venue for some of the most famous acts in modern history. Featured in Rolling Stone, the LA Times, USA Today, and many more, Avalon has evolved to meet the party needs of every decade. Currently, they are a sought-after music venue for concerts and famous DJ sets. Avalon has different rooms for performances big and small as well as a sit-down supper club to enjoy a meal while you watch a show.
Beta Nightclub, Denver
1909 Blake St, Denver, CO 80202, United States
Phone: 720-309-2404
Permanently closed
Featured on Billboard as one of the world’s 25 greatest dance clubs of all time, Beta Nightclub opened in Denver’s LoDo neighborhood in 2008. Beta is famous for its incredible sound and light shows that host the nation’s best EDM parties. Owned by Valentes Corleones, Beta Nightclub hosts the world’s most famous EDM DJs at all-night parties. The atmosphere is high-energy, with amazing laser and light shows and confetti machines adding visual stimulation to the music. It has an enormous main dancefloor and DJ stage with adjoining lounges. I went for the Drum and Bass party, heading into the smaller lounges when I needed a break from the dancing.
Hakkasan, Las Vegas
MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, 3799 S Las Vegas Blvd, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States
Phone: 702-891-7888
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Located inside the MGM Grand Hotel, Hakkasan is both a fine-dining contemporary Chinese restaurant and a world-class nightclub. Originating in London, Hakkasan’s gorgeous two-story dining room is the perfect place to start your night with a delicious meal before heading into the multi-room nightclub for a concert, cocktail, and dance party. The interior design is spectacular, with awesome light fixture installations hanging like mobiles over a two-story-ceilinged room with cushy leather couches. What may start as a cozy, fashionable cocktail hour turns quickly into a massive dance party. Each night offers a different genre of music, DJ set, or live music performance. I went on Friday for the Hip Hop experience.
STORY, Miami
136 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33139, United States
Phone: 305-479-4426
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STORY is one of Miami Beach’s most legendary nightclubs, owned and operated by the owners of LIV, which also made it onto my list. STORY is a massive venue with five full cocktail bars, a giant main dance floor that houses up to 1000 guests, and a whimsical and colorful interior design. Multi-color globe-shaped lights hang from the two-story ceiling in the main room with an epic mapping projection covering the stage and DJ booth, providing stunning visual entertainment. Famous musicians like Bad Bunny, Drake, and Nikki Minaj have celebrated their successes in one of STORY’s many VIP lounges. I wasn’t lucky enough to catch a star-sighting, but my experience made me feel like one!
XS, Las Vegas
3131 Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States
Phone: 702-770-0097
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Located inside the Wynn Hotel on the Vegas Strip, XS is the perfect combination of elegance and gaudy extravagance. XS is a poolside beach club by day and a gorgeous electronic lounge and dance party by night. I was most impressed with the design of the main lounge, which surrounds a neon-lit pool with a giant gazebo where house DJs play occupy open-air stations. The club has an indoor-outdoor layout to take advantage of Las Vegas’ cool, dry nighttime weather. White leather couches surround cocktail tables with classy crystal chandeliers and columns covered in reflective disco-ball mirrors. I was delighted to sip a cocktail to the set of DJ, David Guetta.
LIV, Miami
4441 Collins Ave, Miami Beach, FL 33140, United States
Phone: 305-674-4680
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From famed nightclub owner David Grutman, LIV is an exclusive and expensive nightclub for the stars, located inside the stunning Fontainebleu Hotel in Miami Beach. The average cover to enter LIV is around $100 a head with a strict upscale dress code. LIV recently underwent a multi-million-dollar renovation to its iconic dome-shaped dance floor, replete with multi-color light displays lining the columns and hanging over the DJ stage, four full-service bars, and sky rooms with a birds-eye view of the dance floor. I was mesmerized by the light projections on the ceiling over the dance floor that almost looked like a moving version of Van Gough’s “Starry Night.”
Marquee Nightclub, Las Vegas
Located inside The Cosmopolitan 3708, Las Vegas Blvd S, Las Vegas, NV 89109, United States
Phone: 702-960-1066
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Another extravagant Las Vegas club, the Marquee is a pool club and a nightclub providing 24-hour parties. Located inside The Cosmopolitan Hotel, the Marquee encompasses 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor bars, pools, dance floors, and lounges. During the day, you can enjoy live DJ sets and poolside cocktails. At night, Marquee has three different themed rooms, each with a different live DJ set and seven different full-service bars. Marquee also offers a delicious buffet and hors d’oeuvres to accompany evening cocktails. My favorite event at Marquee was the nighttime pool party. I could stay in my swimsuit and splash around to the beat of an epic DJ set.
U Street Music Hall, Washington, D.C.
1115 U Street, NW U Street Corridor Washington, DC
Phone: 202-588-1880
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Located in Washington DC’s U Street Corridor, U Street Music Hall is a basement nightclub with a modern speakeasy feel. U Street is a DJ-owned and operated nightclub with a bare-bones industrial-chic bar and dance space. The DJs certainly had dancing in mind when they designed a corkboard dance floor to give every step a cushioned bounce. The smaller space can house up to 500 people, making for a more intimate and exclusive party. I think that the DJ-owned aspect of U Street makes it an especially spectacular dance party, with a wide range of genres and musical themes for every taste.
LAVO, Las Vegas & NYC
40 E 58th St, New York, NY 10022, United States
Phone: 212-584-2700
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LAVO is part of the Tao groups dynasty of fine dining restaurants and entertainment venues with locations in Midtown Manhattan and South Las Vegas. While the two nightclubs have the same name, their vibes are completely different. The original Midtown LAVO is a rowdy underground club, while the LAVO in Las Vegas is a classy, high-ceilinged supper club. LAVO in New York is right next to its sister dining establishment, a classy Italian restaurant. I’d say the LAVO in New York is an edgier nightclub best suited for a young adult crowd, while the Las Vegas LAVO is more opulent. Either way, you’re guaranteed to have a great time listening to live DJ sets and high-energy dance parties.
Cat’s Meow, New Orleans
701 Bourbon St, New Orleans, LA 70116, United States
Phone: 504-523-2788
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The Cat’s Meow is a longstanding, world-famous karaoke bar and cocktail lounge in the heart of New Orleans’ French Quarter. Its quirky atmosphere is reflective of the French Quarter’s reputation as a key party destination. You can even observe the nightly block party from above on The Cat’s Meow’s top-floor mezzanine. Their signature cocktails are characteristically alcoholic and the perfect liquid courage to sing along to your favorite songs with friends. With over 25 years in the French Quarter, The Cat’s Meow is a local treasure and a must-visit for out-of-towners. I also got to enjoy a great DJ set after I was done singing my heart out.
Play Dance Bar, Nashville
1519 Church St, Nashville, TN 37203, United States
Phone: 615-322-9627
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Located in the heart of Nashville’s Music Row, Play Dance Bar is a Drag Queen and LBGTQ Bar with nightly drag shows leading to epic dance parties. They’re a popular destination for all sexual preferences and identities, with an all-inclusive atmosphere, delicious cocktails, and talented Drag queens strutting in heels over the cat-walk-shaped stage. They are also accessible to all budgets with low covers and free entry on Wednesdays till 9 pm. Drag shows are at 9 pm and 11 pm at Play Dance Bar. I caught the 9 pm drag show on Friday, which kicked off an epic DJ set that had the entire dancefloor hopping.
