It’s no secret that Vegas clubs can get expensive. Especially when you reserve a table with bottle service.

But how would you like to get a $189K bill at the end of the evening?

15-Liter Bottles of Vueve Clicquot

Well, supposedly, this is what happened at Tryst Nightclub at the Wynn Las Vegas one night in May 2011. According to an actual copy of the register receipt, one table racked up $189,375.98 after tax and tip…and that was all by midnight.

VegasTripping had an interesting breakdown of some of the prices, along with what their markup is. No wonder clubs push those bottles of champagne. A little over half the bill comes from 4 bottles of Vueve Clicquot 15-liter called a nebuchadnezzar, that are roughly the equivalent of 20 regular bottles.

This is why the big clubs in cities like Vegas, LA, NYC and such push the bottle service and table reservations. They get a tremendous mark-up on the liquor.

Of course you don’t just get the alcohol and a place to sit. Your group’s cover charge is included in the initial price. You also get dedicated servers and often times an assigned bouncer who controls access to your table area. It’s more of a concept that is aimed at guys, since it’s a surefire way of getting a group of girls to join you, but I’ve seen women do bottle service if in a group – especially if they’re celebrating a birthday or a bachlorette party.

At any rate, somebody blew a lot of money on one night’s worth of liquor. And with a 20% tip, the staff earned a split of $29,581. No wonder people like to work those clubs, eh?

What’s the most you’ve ever spent on a night out? If you had the money, would you spend this much?

[Image courtesy of Tryst]

An acrobat at Coco Bongo

Cancun is synonymous with wild parties and there’s no party quite as wild as Coco Bongo. Located in the heart of the bustling hotel zone, this huge club serves up live shows and music for a crazy mix that resembles Las Vegas meets Cirque du Soleil. Read More »

Beer on Tap

Dive bars? They are all the rage, trendy even, in Barcelona. There is a subtle line between A: ‘dive bar’ and B: ‘old man/video poker bar’ in this city, and it takes a trained eye to distinguish the difference. Usually you can tell them apart by the row of old guys at the bar sipping mixed drinks at 10am….that’s a sign it’s bar B. If the bar looks like a dive but there aren’t too many old dudes and the waiter has a sleeve of tattoos, then you’re in bar A.

Pony Cafe is part of the bar A trend. A skinny joint with a few tables and a long bar, this is one of the finest dive bars in El Born/La Ribera. So why the heck do you want to go to Pony, if it’s a dive bar and a small one at that? Because the price is right and it’s cool. They’ve got beer on tap and cheap mixed drinks at Pony at prices unheard of in this area of the city. The crowd that gathers at Pony is a mixed bag of locals and foreigners, but the bar is definitely of f the tourist track.

Pony is not great in the summer time because there’s no terrace and it’s sort of hot inside. At least, thanks to Spain‘s non-smoking laws, you can’t smoke in Pony. I remember when you could, and it was pretty hard to breathe inside.

MORE:

Pony Cafe: http://www.myspace.com/ponycafebcn

Carrer Portal Nou 23, Barcelona

Photo by Tim Pearce. Post  by Regina Winkle-Bryan. See more of her tips on Spain at: http://www.thespainscoop.com/

Emeril's Orlando at Universal Orlando CityWalk

One of the best restaurants at Universal Orlando’s theme parks is Emeril’s in the CityWalk area. Of course, this usually means prices to match, including drinks costing in the double digits.

But if you want to try out this great restaurant, without blowing your whole evening’s budget on drinks and dinner, then you’ve got to visit during the daily happy hour.

At Emeril’s Orlando, from 5pm to 8pm, they offer drink specials like well drinks and bottle beers at half price, $5 select red and white wines by the glass, and certain specialty cocktails at $6 each.

Even better, they offer a revolving selection of “small bites” food options at prices between $7 and $14 on average (normal dinner menu prices run $11-$16 for appetizers and $30 and up for entrees).

These are smaller tapas portions, but can feature items like chardonnay steamed clams, BBQ beef short ribs or lamb lollipops.  It’s a great way to enjoy the cajun/creole-influenced menu of this fine dining restaurant, but at a lower price.

My suggestion? Get here early (especially since happy hour is only in the bar area, which, as you can see from the photo isn’t that large), have a few drinks, order a few small bites to pass around the table, then grab a CityWalk Party Pass (currently only $11.99 plus tax) and club hop the rest of the evening.

[Image courtesy Emeril's Orlando]