Celebrities, good DJs at Club Nikki drawing younger crowd to Tropicana

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There’s one overriding rule in Vegas: Make it happen.

Whether you’re erecting a hotel, performing in a show or serving cocktails for tips, make it happen.

That’s what Club Nikki is doing. Since opening a few months ago, management has brought in paid appearances by Britney Spears, Rihanna, Halle Berry and, last weekend, singer Jay Sean with boxer Amir Khan, just moments after Khan won a title-unifying match at the MGM Grand.

And you know what? That old celebrity trick — in tandem with good DJs and a good vibe — has helped put Nikki on the club map.

When Club Nikki opened, along with its outdoor pool club, Nikki Beach, many clubbers and rivals around the Strip doubted it would do well.

I’ve heard a lot of people in the club scene say things along the lines of, "But who will go to the Tropicana?"

Here’s the thing, though. This isn’t the Tropicana of two years ago, when it was often drastically empty, or even a year ago, during multimillion-dollar renovations.

The hotel, rebranded as Tropicana Las Vegas, is now bright, clean and shiny inside and out. It’s a thorough turnaround from the depressing shell of its 2009 existence. It’s not Bellagio. But it’s working.

Brad Garrett has a comedy club at the Trop. Gladys Knight is singing in the hotel. Gambling tables actually have people at them.

And Nikki is drawing younger crowds from the hotel and the rest of the Strip, particularly (I hear) from the MGM next door, where Studio 54 languishes spiritually.

Anyway, two months ago, Nikki seemed destined to be a struggling wannabe, because many clubbers either didn’t believe in it or they weren’t in the habit of trekking to the Trop.

But thanks to those celebrity appearances, plus its newness and name recognition from Nikki’s Miami roots, it’s making it happen.

Last weekend, it was once again full of pretty young clubbers. They were dressed quite well. Lots of them were making out and grinding groin-to-booty.

If that isn’t an indication of success in a Vegas club, nothing is. Just look at some other clubs that aren’t as attractive or approachable, such as at … oh, let’s not pile on bad clubs today.

Interestingly, the music at Nikki is good and thumpy electronic-pop for the crowded dance floor, yet the vibe of Nikki is chill. That creates somewhat of a sensual, almost languid excitement.

The inside of the club is boutique-small, compared with Marquee. Outside, Nikki Beach is quite small, compared with Encore Beach Club.

And night-timers going there don’t seem desperate. They seem hot, wearing typical clubber outfits of little black dresses, sky-high heels or untucked shirts.

All of us who club have, for a decade, pinpointed which club is the hottest of its moment. This year’s hot club is Marquee, though many locals have returned to XS, Surrender and other haunts after being baffled by Marquee’s labyrinthine-trapping layout.

But not every new club must aspire to be the biggest go-to on the Strip. As long as Nikki can keep pulling in pretty people, it can exist as a contender hot stop, and not just as an alternative on a club-hopping path.

It helps that bartenders and people at the door are nice enough. It helps that all the club trappings are in place — go-go dancers in fedoras and fake fur vests; bottle service; outdoor casino tables; and Nikki Beach pool lounges.

If you order a magnum of champagne (the price of a mortgage?), a female server delivers it by being lowered from the ceiling on a circular seat of white feathers. This is pretty "Gatsby" to witness, and I’ve seen a lot of crazy promotions in this town.

My only Nikki complaint is that flashing blue and red dance floor lights are too constant for the club’s finite space, making me feel a little epileptic-fitty at times.

But I’m here to tell you, and to ruin your day if you’re a hater at heart: Club Nikki and Nikki Beach, with their South Beach decor, are for real.

To get there, just walk into the Tropicana and turn left at Miami.

Doug Elfman’s column appears Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. Contact him at delfman@reviewjournal.com. He blogs at reviewjournal.com/elfman.