Yes, but only a few right now – although more are coming. It's always seemed ironic to this writer that in a town awash with strip clubs, and where taxis drive around with virtually nude Crazy Girls all over them, topless sunbathing was an absolute no-no for so long, but then I'm European and of course we all run around naked virtually all the time and beat each other with twigs to keep warm.
Fittingly, so-called "European-style" sunbathing was first introduced to Las Vegas by the Romans (well, Caesars Palace) back in 1998*, with the opening of the Venus Pool. Accessible exclusively to guests of the hotel, this remained the sole topless option for several years, but was so underplayed by the property (which, frankly, has always seemed a little embarrassed by it) that a lot of people didn't even know it existed until some years later.
It wasn't until the next century (2003), when the city made a conscious decision to shift away from the family-friendly image and sex it up again, that Las Vegas got a second al fresco venue for us ladies who dare to bare, when Mandalay Bay opened its Moorea Beach Club. This beach-meets-spa-meets-ultralounge allows topless sunbathing – for a fee: Women are charged $10 any day of the week, while for men it's $40 Monday through Thursday and $50 on the weekends. Like Caesars, it's open only to guests of Mandalay Bay Resort (which includes those staying at the Four Seasons and THEhotel).
The Wynn has had a European pool area since it opened last year (2005). No fees apply, but the Sunset Terrace, like the other pools, is for guests only. Also new on the scene last year was Beach Club 25 at Stratosphere, so-named for its location on the 25th floor of the hotel. This topless pool is open to both guests and non-guests from 10 am to 6 pm daily during the summer months, with a $10 charge for men. Patrons must be at least 21 and the venue is reputed to be popular not just with out-of-town vacationers and local visitors, but also with strippers, dancers, and other performers looking for a natural seamless tan. MGM Grand has experimented with a European pool a couple of times, but apparently fell foul of Health District regulations in terms of the visibility of the area and for the time being has had to abandon the idea, although they're hoping to have a topless pool ready for next year.
So that was the lay of the land at the outset of this year's pool season, but some new developments are in the works. First, since its Memorial Day weekend takeover by Pure nightclub, Caesars has abandoned its guests-only policy at the Venus Pool, but is now charging an entry fee of $20 for ladies and $35 for men. It seemed amusing to us that neither of the two most European-themed casino resorts, namely Paris and the Venetian, permitted European-style sunbathing, but that's about to change. Tao nightclub has formed a partnership with the Venetian to create a 15,000-square-foot outdoor pool and entertainment deck in a corner of the Venetian's existing pool area, which apparently will be enclosed by a Zen garden and will permit topless sunbathing. The new venue is due to open in July or August, around a month after the Mirage plans to open its new pool, which is in the process of being dug as we write and will also permit toplessness (the pool is rumored to be called Bare, although this remains unconfirmed by the property at this time). A call to Red Rock Resort revealed that they have ambitions for a European pool area, but that lies in the future, and there're still no plans for a topless pool at Paris.
One last thought: If you're looking for a place to sun yourself where you won't get any nasty tan lines, check out the QoD for 11/02/2005, where we revealed all the options for totally nude sunbathing (and other nudist activities) in the Las Vegas area.
*We believe this was the opening date, but no representative of the property that we spoke with could confirm for sure.
