Why This Las Vegas Hotel Is The Strip’s Speakeasy Capital

Let’s start with The Ski Lodge, which makes zero sense in the middle of the desert until you’re inside and realize it’s perfect. The cozy cabin vibe, the wood paneling, the glass of something strong in your hand—it’s a ski fantasy that you’d never know was just a couple floors above blackjack tables. Order the table side “campfire” s’mores and a shotski with your friends and suddenly it feels like you’re in a fever dream where the Alps and The Strip collided. Big fan.

Then there’s The Barbershop Cuts & Cocktails. Out front, it’s clippers buzzing and guys actually getting fades. Out back, a so-called janitor’s door that only makes sense once you realize it’s a decoy. Step through and you’re met with another checkpoint—a doorman sliding open an eye grate to size you up, then giving the quick nod of approval like you’re in the middle of a Scorsese film. Beyond that, the room opens into a dim, swagger-soaked lounge where whiskey runs heavy, leather booths pull you in, and the band plays loud enough to remind you that this is still Vegas. The whole setup is pure theatre, and The Strip wouldn’t have it any other way.

Ghost Donkey is what happens when you turn a service door into a party. Blink and you’ll miss it in the Block 16 Urban Food Hall, but follow the neon donkey and suddenly you’re in a mezcal moment with top-tier nachos that make you question why you ever settled for anything less. I’ve never had a cascade of truffles shaved fresh on top of my nachos until I pulled up here. It’s got character, it’s bold, it smells like lime and fire—pretty much the complete opposite of its drab entrance.

If you thought pawn shops were only for poor decisions, Beauty & Essex would like a word. You walk in past the display cases full of vintage jewelry and guitars that definitely have stories, then a door swings open to reveal a dining room that feels like Brooklyn and Vegas had a glammed-out love child. You came for the secret entrance; you stay for the cocktails that glitter as much as the chandeliers.

The most Vegas move of them all might be Secret Pizza. No signage, no gimmicks, just a random hallway behind the escalators that rewards you with quality slices until 4a.m. It’s the kind of spot that feels like a secret handshake, even though more than half the city already knows. And honestly? That doesn’t ruin it one bit.