Virgin Hotels’ Commons Club to expand Center Bar scene

The days of the Center Bar at the Hard Rock Hotel are in the Vegas memory vault. We won’t again convene in the middle of the casino floor at what was once a premier late-night, off-Strip hang.

But Virgin Hotels Las Vegas has unveiled plans for its signature cocktail lounges in the Commons Club. The 8,500-square-foot entertainment wing will sit just to the right of the main entrance, overtaking the former CG Technology sportsbook and bar and (before that) Wasted Space territory.

The new hot spots are The Bar at Commons Club and The Shag Room. They join The Kitchen at Commons Club (the new 24/7 cafe) and Funny Library Coffee Shop in the hotel’s resort-wide upgrade.

Richard “Boz” Bosworth, president and CEO of Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, says The Shag Room and The Bar are designed to draw a crowd naturally from the hotel entrance. Center Bar once was that focal point, but the location for such a meeting place has been moved.

“Both The Shag Room and The Bar are contiguous ultralounges, similar to Alibi (at Aria) or Clique (at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas), but combined,” Bosworth said in a phone chat Monday afternoon. “It’s what the Center Bar would be if it were expanded. Combined, they will be the place to be seen, as well as a lounge and nightlife experience.”

The Shag Room will host social events and will be booked for private functions. It will provide live entertainment occasionally, too. The Bar also offers entertainment in what Bosworth describes as “multiple gathering spaces.”

Money, Baby!, an indoor-outdoor sports haven from Clive Collective and co-founder Justin Massei, is the new sportsbook/viewing annex. The company trumpets its sports wagering, interactive games, innovative food and cocktails and a high-energy atmosphere that will keep late-night hours. Money, Baby! will envelope pools and patios, keeping with the trend of Vegas sportsbooks evolving as entertainment destinations.

Coming this month are specifics about the 5-acre pool area and event deck, and an updated opening date.

“We are determining what will be open, and when,” Bosworth said. “We want to be completed for all the obvious reasons. We want our team members back and working, we want our customer base that has been so loyal since the days of the Hard Rock Hotel to come back. This is not just building a facility; we are thinking of welcoming customers over the next 10 years.”

John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. His “PodKats!” podcast can be found at reviewjournal.com/podcasts. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on Twitter, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.